That sinking feelingClimate change. Global warming. We have heard these terms bandied about so often in the media that they have almost lost all meaning. We have heard academics make predictions about the melting of the polar ice caps and the dissolution of nations in the ocean, much to the rejection and disgust of skeptics. But, really, so far we haven't been affected. And according to scientific predictions, any changes on Earth will occur in the distant future. So why should we worry? Why should we care? Far out in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii, lies a broken necklace of islands called Kiribati. Made up of 32 atolls spread across 3.5 million square kilometers, Kiribati winds above the equator and pushes the International Date Line at its easternmost point. Kiribati is only 900 meters wide at its widest point, but is inhabited by over 100,000 people, and that number is increasing rapidly every year. The nation's capital, Tarawa, now has a higher population density than Tokyo. Oh yeah, and did I mention that Kiribati will most likely cease to exist by the end of the century? Kiribati is just 2 meters above sea level at its highest point, making it one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change. In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that global sea rise would reach 0.8 meters by the end of the century. Other scientific studies suggest the increase will be up to 1.9 metres. A 2012 study found that the ocean absorbs heat 15 times faster than it has at any time in the past 10,000 years. Just another meter would make living in Kiribati practically impossible. Now, the end of the century seems awfully distant... mid-paper... the court also warned that if Mr. Teitioa's case were accepted there or in any other jurisdiction, "at one fell swoop, millions of people who are facing medium-term economic deprivation or the immediate consequences of natural disasters or war would be entitled to protection under the Refugee Convention.” In a world focused on solving short-term problems, long-term problems, global warming is not a trending topic. However, like it or not, this is a problem that affects not just the 100,000 people of Kiribati, but thousands of other small Pacific nations and millions of people around the world. If it is too late for large countries to do anything about the pollution they have created, generating these dramatic climate changes, then the least we can do is help small island nations who barely contribute to it and will ultimately lose everything because of it.