This video is sponsored by Skillshare. The first 500 people to use the link in the
description get a two-month free trial. About thirty-seven hundred kilometers southwest
of Hawaii, and thirty-seven hundred kilometers northeast of Australia, lie The Marshall Islands. Getting here is not particularly easy. The only flights from the United States are
through Honolulu, only with United, and only a few days of the week. Which helps explain why only about 6,000 people
visit each year. 16, a day, on average. But once you arrive, getting around is quite
easy. While the country is spread out across a thousand
islands and 29 atolls, altogether, the size of Washington DC, about 40% of its 75,000
people live on the capital, Majuro. There are, generously, four hotels, a couple
ATMs, and one main road. No traffic lights. No street names. A taxi downtown costs about 50 cents, or,
across the island, at most, two US Dollars. Some may see its isolation from the rest of
the world as inconvenient. But for the people of the Marshall Islands,
thatâs its charm. Life here is relaxed, care-free, and, rather
slow. Cars rarely move much faster than 25 miles
an hour, appointments are loosely scheduled, and Hawaiian shirts, the national dress code. In the last few years, however, the world
has been intruding. As sea levels rise, its beaches are slowly
being swallowed by the ocean. And, unfortunately, the Marshall Islands are
almost entirely beaches. Most land is barely 6-feet above sea level,
and in many areas, only 4, 500 feet wide - so narrow you can almost always see water from
two opposite sides. Some years, like 2013, floods damage hundreds
of homes, schools, and stop planes from being able to land. The same thing is happening around the world,
but here on small, faraway islands, the clock is ticking, and the question of what to do,
yet unanswered. For the first time in history, countries may
totally disappear. Not politically but literally and physically. Where once lay a thriving, tropical paradise
community may one day be only a floating sign explaining what once was. Unless, something can be done to save them. Like many islands in strategically useful
places, the Republic of The Marshall Islands has a long history of foreign imperialism. First, by the Spanish, then the Germans, some
brief contact with the British, invaded by the Japanese in World War I, And, finally, during the next war, captured
from Japan by the United States. It, and its neighbors now known as Palau,
the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, were put under the administration
of the U.S. Navy as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Later, in the â80s and â90s, the Islands
slowly gained their independence. The U.S. government officially recognized
its constitution, allowed it to hold elections, and signed a Compact of Free Association. Today, the Marshall Islands are less than
a United States overseas territory, like Guam or Puerto Rico, but much more than simply
a friendly foreign ally. Legally, an associated state. The islands have access to its federal agencies,
including the National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and Postal Service. The U.S. also agrees to protect and defend
the country, although it cannot declare war on its behalf. This part of the United States but not really
relationship can create some⌠awkward situations. In 2015, the Iranian Navy seized and detained
a Maersk container ship traveling 12,000 kilometers away, in the Strait of Hormuz. Maersk is a Danish company, and the ship,
owned by a Singapore-based operator. However, for tax-avoidance and legal reasons,
it was registered, like many ships, in the Marshall Islands. Which, because of its defense responsibilities,
technically obligated the U.S. Navy to respond with a destroyer, although it later clarified
it wonât do so in the future. Besides a small coconut, breadfruit, and fishing
industry, the Marshall Islands just doesnât have that many ways to make money. Without many natural resources, itâs had
to resort to creative ways of bringing in revenue, like, becoming the second most popular
ship registry in the world, after Panama. And, although sometimes lucrative, these niche
markets can make the entire economy of a small nation vulnerable to the whims of foreign
actors. Its neighbor, Kiribati, for example, is geographically
blessed as the closest non-American soil to the Hawaiian islands. So, despite having almost no infrastructure
or tourist attractions, its Tabuaeran island became a regular stop for Hawaiian cruises,
who, as foreign-registered ships, are legally required to stop, at least once, outside the
country. Recently, though, Norwegian Cruises introduced
American-flagged ships, rendering the detour unnecessary. And Tabuaeran, back where it started, with
virtually no source of income. In a similar vein, Palau is lucky to be home
to a unique species of golden jellyfish which draw tourists from around the world. Unfortunately, they too are slowly dying,
which researchers suspect is due, in part, to rising sea temperatures. So, inevitably, with no other options, these
states turn to diplomacy. Of the 17 other UN members who recognize Taiwan
as a country, for example, nine are small, island nations. It shares embassies with the Marshall Islands. And Taiwanâs president, at the time, was
the first head of state to officially visit the country. The Islands also receive $78 million dollars
in U.S. foreign assistance each year, of the 1.5 billion theyâve been promised from 2004
to 24. Of course, thereâs no such thing as a free
lunch. And perhaps nowhere is that more apparent
than here, at the giant, concrete, American-built, radioactive dome on Enewetak Atoll. When the U.S. assumed control of the islands
in the â40s, it used them as a nuclear test site for some of the largest and most destructive
bombs in history. Including, the famous Castle Bravo. At 6:45 on March 1st, 1954, its mushroom cloud
could be seen 250 miles, or 400 kilometers, away, eventually reaching 47 thousand feet,
or 14 kilometers, expanding at 220 miles an hour, and leaving a 250-foot deep hole in
the ocean. The explosion was two and a half times stronger
than expected - 15 megatons of TNT, instead of the predicted six. It instantly destroyed many of their measuring
instruments, contaminated a nearby Japanese fishing crew, and, although inhabitants had
been evacuated beforehand, because of the unexpected size of the explosion, covered
surrounding islands in a white, snow-like, radioactive powder. Children played with it, not knowing of its
cancerous effects. Decades later, in 1977, four thousand US soldiers
were sent to clean up the fallout. Over three years, they collected 73,000 cubic
meters of soil and 400 chunks of plutonium-239, an isotope with a radioactive half-life of
24,000 years. It was then thrown into the crater created
by the explosion, and covered in a 328 foot, or 100 meter, 18-inch thick, UFO-shaped dome. This was said to be only a temporary solution,
as it was not covered with a lining, meaning thereâs a good chance, according to the
US Energy Department, that the toxic, radioactive material has already begun leaking out into
the ocean, where Marshall Islanders fish and play. Today, in exchange for its payments, the US
continues to operate the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. The US Army is one of the biggest employers
on the islands, which have a higher per-capita enlistment rate than any state. And because of its proximity to the equator,
SpaceX has launched several of its rockets here in the past. So, while the Marshall Islands have little
leverage with the U.S., there is some hope it will be forced to deal with rising sea
levels as it begins to affect military operations. Aerial images show six islets disappeared
between 2007 and 14 alone. Although, not all islands are equally at risk. Some, like the Maldives, are almost completely
flat, offering no place to retreat. Others, like Palau, have upland areas residents
can move too. Each is differently susceptible to erosion,
and some have more or less powerful waves. A few islands, like Tuvalu, may actually grow
as storms carry sediment, which varies with seasonal trade winds. But almost everywhere on earth will be, somehow,
affected. Venice, the Everglades, Waikiki, and Alaska,
are all at risk. One small Alaskan town, The Last Frontier
of The Last Frontier, Shishmaref, has been losing ten of its thirteen hundred feet every
year, as winter waves slam into the island and the permafrost underneath it thaws, weakening
its foundation. All these islands have, essentially, three
options: Mitigate, Innovate, or Relocate. If land is disappearing, the obvious solution
is the China or Dubai approach: add more. Barriers and jetties could also dampen the
blow of incoming waves. Unfortunately, these would likely harm marine
life, be extremely costly, and, as long as the sea continues to rise, require continual
maintenance. Better, of course, would be slowing climate
change altogether. But raising awareness is quite difficult. Itâs geographically far-away, happening
relatively slowly, and the dynamics of wave exposure arenât the most exciting⌠the
trifecta of Not Getting News Coverage. Another option is to innovate - try something,
anything, no matter how bizarre sounding, to generate revenue or attention. In 2018, the Marshall Islands signed the Sovereign
Currency Act, which created its own national cryptocurrency. If it works, the plan would give the Islands
more control over their economy, and new funds to experiment with. Another idea, proposed by the mayor of the
Rongelap Atoll is to build âThe Next Hong Kongâ - a Special Administrative Region
in the middle of the Pacific. The idea is to use the Marshall Islandâs
special relationship with the U.S. to create a tax-haven and pathway to the mainland much
like Hong Kongâs special status with China. Most islands are trying a mix of these ideas,
while, also, planning for the perhaps more likely worst-case scenario: relocation. In 2014, Kiribati purchased a 20 square kilometer
patch of land from the Church of England in Fiji. Its president announced, âWe would hope
not to put everyone on (this) one piece of land, but if it became absolutely necessary,
yes, we could do itâ. The Marshall Islands, meanwhile, has an easier
escape: As part of its agreement with the United States, its citizens are allowed to
live, work, and study on the mainland without a visa. About a third of Marshall Islanders have migrated,
many to Springdale, Arkansas, or Salem, Oregon. Although, thereâs a catch. Marshallese living on the mainland are not
legally considered âcitizensâ, but also not âimmigrantsâ or ârefugeesâ, theyâre
âpermanent non-immigrantsâ, which makes them ineligible for some federal services,
including Medicaid. And, if the Compact of Free Association is
not renewed when it ends in 2024, this door will close entirely. Years ago, the US government swept its radioactive
misdeeds, quite literally, under the rug. And, as sea levels rise, it seems to be doing
much the same. Ignore the problem as it grows, until, one
day, itâs too late. Today, The Marshall Islands, Tomorrow, Waikiki,
Eventually, New York. Those whoâve survived drowning report the
same pattern: At first, an overwhelming feeling of panic. Arms flailing, legs kicking - anything, no
matter how ridiculous, to try to get the attention of the people around you. Eventually, though, dread turns to tranquility
- a calmness, a dangerous complicity - a feeling that itâs too late, that nothing can be
done. The reality is itâs not too late - yet. The world is well into the panic stage, but,
also, at serious risk of turning into acceptance. It always feels like you can just hold your
breath a few more seconds, until you canât. When the U.S. military arrived on the Marshall
Islands in 1946, asking locals to give up their homes for what they claimed was the
good of humankind, their leader responded with the words now imprinted on the flag of
Bikini Atoll: âEverything is in the hands of Godâ. Now the future is in ours. Not everyone has an up-close view of rising
sea levels, but, I, for one, can really relate to the feeling of having your head underwater
- being totally overwhelmed with so much to do and so little time to do it. Recently, after watching this class on Skillshare,
I started planning pretty much every minute of my day. I used to put everything on a to-do list. But, letâs be honest, I usually ended the
week with more to do than when I started - itâs a lot easier to add to the list than remember
to check it. I highly recommend checking out Thomas Franksâ
class on Productivity, or one of the others on design, programming, investing, cooking,
and lots of other topics. You can try Skillshare today with a 2 month
free trial with the link in the description, for the first 500 people. Thanks to Skillshare, and to you for watching!
Great video.
Impressed with that thumbnail, especially the background w/ the waves!