Tuvalu has announced plans to recreate itself in the metaverse, in an attempt to "preserve" the Pacific Island nation before rising sea levels engulf it completely. The government has also stressed the urgency of a shared global effort to fight climate change, which has put Tuvalu under constant threat.
"As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation," said Tuvalu's foreign minister Simon Kofe in a speech to the COP27 climate summit, delivered against the backdrop of a digital island. "Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people — and to keep them safe from harm, no matter what happens in the physical world, we'll move them to the cloud."
iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$178.99(List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$199.00(List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)
Tuvalu is under extreme threat from global warming, with scientists predicting it will become uninhabitable within the next 100 years or less. High tides cause severe flooding at the start of every year, and residents fear it is only getting worse. Last year Kofe addressed the COP26 while standing thigh-deep in water in order to stress the dire importance of climate action.
"Since COP26, the world has not acted, and so we in the Pacific have had to act," said Kofe in this year's address. "We have seen temperature rise projections remain well above 1.5 degrees Celsius, foretelling the imminent disappearance of islets like this one."
With a total land area of just 10 square miles spread across its nine low-lying islands, Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world by area. It is also the third smallest by population, with approximately 12,000 people calling it home. The digitisation project will begin with recreating Teafualiku Islet, Tuvalu's smallest island and the first part of the country that will be lost if sea levels continue to rise.
Tuvalu's small size makes recreating it in the metaverse a considerably less daunting task than if a larger country such as China were to attempt it. Even so, digitally replicating a country is still an arduous undertaking, particularly considering the level of accuracy this project will no doubt aim for. Metaverse graphics generally aren't exactly dazzling either, but regardless of how good they are the digital Tuvalu will inevitably lose much of its beauty in translation.
It's far from a perfect solution, if it can be called a solution at all. But at least it's better than letting an entire Pacific Island nation's culture, history, and landmarks literally disappear into the sea.
SEE ALSO:8 ways climate change is already impacting you"Piece by piece we'll preserve our country, provide solace to our people, and remind our children and our grandchildren what our home once was," Kofe told the COP27. "Only considered global effort can ensure that Tuvalu does not move permanently online and disappear forever from the physical plane.
"Without a global conscience and a global commitment to our shared wellbeing, we may soon find the rest of the world joining us online as their lands disappear."
This isn't the first time Tuvalu has investigated how digital solutions might mitigate the disastrous impact of climate change. In 2021 the government took steps toward establishing a Tuvalu National Digital Ledger, which would secure its citizens' data on a public blockchain. Including identity, citizenship, and financial information, this blockchain aims to ensure Tuvalu's continued existence if its entire land mass is eventually engulfed by the sea.
Of course, neither the blockchain nor the metaverse is any substitute for actually having dry land to live on.
TopicsVirtual Reality
(责任编辑：熱點)
This chart shows just how high Simone Biles can jump
Meet the woman washing the grime off Uber
Every Halloween I get really excited to watch the only Frankenstein movie
We swipe right on this dude's super creative Tinder photo stuntCat gets stuck in the most awkward position everDid our grandparents have the best beauty advice?
Do our grandparents really know what's best?They're older and wiser, and they have no shortage of ad
...[详细]Google Clips was the surprise product of the Oct 4. Pixel event
Google saved a surprise for the finale of its Pixel event: Google Clips, a small AI-infused camera t
...[详细]
NOTE: This post will be periodically updated whenever another, new powerful person makes another asi
...[详细]Fox News forced to correct video showing 'retired Navy SEAL' veteran
It was the perfect pro-Trump story in a time of controversy over veterans. SEE ALSO:97-year-old WWII
...[详细]Xiaomi accused of copying again, this time by Jawbone
Imitation is not always the best form of flattery. 。 SEE ALSO:Xiaomi's MacBook Air clone is called, w
...[详细]This tool will help you find the perfect social good boost for your startup
Incorporating social good into your business model is no longer just a nice idea. Consumers have com
...[详细]Students email professor with study question, get an unexpectedly kind response
Accounting just got a little easier for two students, thanks to a very generous professor. When stud
...[详细]Facebook outsources its fake news problem to Wikipedia—and an army of human moderators
Facebook made nearly $27 billion last year, but the tech giant can't seem to figure out how to fix i
...[详细]Give your kitchen sponge a rest on this adorable bed
Our kitchen sponges do a lot of work. Don't they deserve a good night's rest?"Sure," said design stu
...[详细]10 great resources for women entrepreneurs
This year’s headlines are full of stories on technology’s “bro culture” and
...[详细]17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator
Bitcoin broke through $5,000—but there are major risks ahead
