Prague - Tereapii Mauriaiti, a Maori native to Cook Islands in the Pacific ocean, came to the Czech Republic to support the Greenpeace protest against the reconstruction of the Prunéřov brown coal power plant planned by ČEZ, a Czech energy giant.
In an interview with Aktuálně.cz, Tereapii Mauriaiti said that he campaigns against the coal pollution around the world and his mission is sanctioned by the prime minister of his native Cook Islands, a self-governing entity in free association with New Zealand, but he also represents other small island nations of the region threatened by the global warming-induced sea level rise.
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„You burn coal, we die"
When asked about the message he brings to Czech Environment Minister Jakub Šebesta, the tall dark skinned Polynesian answered: „It is very straightforward: you burn coal, we die. Once the emissions reach the air, borders do not exist for them. You burn it here, but we feel the consequences."
According to Mauriaiti, the effects of the global warming are already visible in his homeland. „When I was young, I had my favorite spots on the beach I used to visit. Now, they are all already deep under the water."
Many of the islands are already thinking about transferring their population, Mauriaiti said. "Where will these climate refugees go?" he asked.
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Less rain, stronger storms, large waves
Williams explained that the smaller islands have no rivers or lakes, so the people living on them need to get their fresh water from wells. Storms are stronger and often produce waves that are able to pass through an entire island, leaving the fresh water sources contaminated. The tide is stronger too, damaging the coral reefs of the volcanic islands and taking away seaweed eaten by fish. In this way, the locals lose their fishing grounds.
„The growing temperature is changing the cycle of raining and dry seasons. There is less rain than earlier, and the crop gets dry," said Mauriaiti.
According to him, the real wake-up-call for Cook Islands came in 1997 when an extremely strong storm devastated the territory. Since then, a number of similar disasters have taken place.
Forget Lonely Planet
Mauriaiti said that his island country is no „tropical paradise" as the people in the West usually believe. „That paradise, it is only a fantasy. A tourist advertisement. A Lonely Planet imagery. It does not say anything about what is really taking place. About the suffering of the people in remote communities."
When being reminded of the skepticism many people fell towards the global warming whistleblowers, Mauriaiti suggested: „I would like if we were able to exchange our home with the Czechs for one day. We would come here (to the Czech Republic) and you there (to Cook islands). And I believe that people would immediately change their opinion."
Cook islands are constituted by 15 small islands spread over a territory of 5,000 square kilometers east of Australia.
The Prunéřov coal plant is the Czech Republic's largest producer of greenhouse gases.
