SOS call as island nations go under; By Cynthia Banham and Richard Macey; January 5, 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

AUSTRALIA is being pressed to come to the rescue of drowning Pacific islands which face a homeless crisis due to rising sea levels caused by global warming. With predictions sea levels could rise by up to 32 centimetres by 2050, a number of Pacific islands could be rendered uninhabitable within a decade. The Federal Government, which has twice refused requests from Tuvalu to resettle its population, could risk isolation in the region if it does not take a more proactive stance on Pacific climate change. New Zealand and Canada have already responded to the environmental crisis afflicting many Pacific Islands countries. New Zealand has agreed to accept migrants from Tuvalu, which experts believe will be completely submerged by mid-century, and Canada is funding the relocation of residents of parts of Vanuatu affected by global warming.

The alarm bells were rung as Australia experienced its hottest year on record. Temperatures were so far above normal last year that it was as if many towns had been moved more than 100 kilometres north, the Bureau of Meteorology said yesterday. ..