Which passage from the article best supports the belief that the threat to the pacific islands resulting from climate change is critical?
awhat if your home, and even the land it stood on, was gone forever? this isn't the plot of a fantasy movie or the premise of a video game—it's a painfully real possibility faced by people living in the pacific islands. rising sea levels, due to the advent of climate change, threaten the very existence of these island nations, and young people whose families have deep roots on the islands are starting to wonder if they will be the last generation.
bscientists know that one way to slow or reverse the impacts of climate change is to significantly reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. but cutting back air pollution on the islands is unlikely to have a big effect because they aren't a major source of emissions to begin with. china, for example, emits 29 percent of the world's carbon annually, and the united states emits 16 percent.
chow will the countries meet these ambitious goals for going green with pacific blue? they plan to leverage some really cool, environmentally friendly, carbon-free technologies, such as solar-powered ships and hydrogen fuel cells, and to harness wind energy for sailing and converting to electric power. through the partnership and their efforts to assemble a fleet of these greener ships, pacific island nations are leading the world in an exemplary manner, and they're hoping their move could start a wave of change in the shipping industry.
dbut there is one feature of island life that gives these small nations an opportunity to make a big difference. most of the things that people on islands buy are delivered by ships, and the environmental impact of these seafaring vessels is enormous. in fact, experts say cargo ships are responsible for almost 3 percent of the world's carbon emissions, which is about the same amount attributed to the entire country of germany!