i, like most divers i know, love nature and want to conserve

the wonderful resources that make diving such a great experience.

   that is why two recent reports have me worried.

   as if there wasn't enough evidence that global warming is

taking place even as we speak, along come the following two

indicents:

   -- What is probably the first village to be displaced by

global warming has now sough shelter in higher ground.

Islanders in the Pacific island of Teguo had to take

their entire village 600 yards inland to avoid rising "king" tides.

According to the article, off Papua New Guinea, about 2,000

people on the Cantaret Islands are planning to move to nearby

Bougainville island, four hours' boat ride to the southwest for

similar reasons.  Also, two uninhabited Pacific islands, Tebua

Tarawa and Abanuea, disappeared underwater in 1999.

  -- Across the world (sort of)  two of Greenland's largest glaciers

are retreating at an alarming pace, most likely because of climate

warming, scientists said recently.  One of the glaciers is currently

moving about 9 miles a year compared to 3 miles a year in 2001.

The other is retreating at about 7 miles a year — up from 4 miles

a year during the same period.

  this accelerated warming threatens the very environments that

we as divers love.  in fact, it may very well threaten us all

as a species, as well as many other species that have managed

to survive human contact this far.

  but rest assured....long after we are gone, the seas will be here,

and they will hold no memory of us.  it is rather for us to find

ways to save ourselves, and the seas as we know them, not because

it is a matter of convenience, but because it is a matter of survival.