destination wedding: the maldives
ahhhh, the maldives.
a grouping of 26 atolls–1,192 islets–in the indian ocean, this beauty is what one thinks of when you say “island getaway”. the white sand beaches are smack on the equator, ensuring blue skies & equally blue waters. and tourism is booming–44 of the islands are exclusive resort hotels.
swank.
yes, this is where you go when you want to get away from it all.
but breathtaking beauty is not the only “claim to fame” this tiny republic has.
it is the smallest asian county–population: 270,000–which is predominantly muslim.
they also take the top spot for the “lowest” high point in the world, a mere 2.3 meters. their average ground level is 1.5 meters above sea level. this means a lot to maldivians, as over the last 100 years sea levels have risen about 8 inches. if it gets higher, the maldives get lower.
so, the republic of maldives has decided to become the first carbon neutral country in the world with president nasheed promising that within a decade they will exist entirely on energy created from solar & wind sources.
now, it is true there are buildings in new york–bank of america, for instance–that hold almost the same amount of people (not really) & are leading the green revolution without much hoopla. but, this is a country. despite it’s teeny-tiny size, it’s a country–visited by heads of state, dignitaries & supermodels. it’s got clout on a different level. it participates in world dialogues, creates laws & global media buzz. it generates momentum–a “if they can do it, so can we!” attitude. it instills hope, it raises the bar and gives us all something to look up to.
america will never be able to be number one carbon neutral, but we do love a challenge and we should engage in finding more & more ways to reduce our cities’ footprints. if for no other reason than to ensure countries like the maldives don’t get washed away.
