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[Athrael]

The people of Tuvalu are only some 10.000 persons

You are just plain wrong! The population is 11,999 not 10,000!!! https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tv.html#Intro

  - LOL


For other's interested in topic Links about Tuvalu's present problem.
http://www.truehealth.org/climnw05.html

You rise here a couple of issues which are not immediately "Gay issues", but I would say they are important for the planning of any future territorial Gay enterprise. On the one side, changing geopolitical realities would increase frictions between states because of the scarce ressources, on the other side every densely populated society must handle its environmental pollution.

It was and is my understanding that reality has to be considered in all of this. Although a Gay Nation will be politically interested in serving the needs of the GLBT, it also has to exist in nature, in the global economy, on a world which will be facing some major changes. Although those changes may be a "bad thing" all around, they can, and should, be twisted around to "good". When life hands you lemons, make lemon-aide - or so my Grandma always said.  Climate change and the pressures of economics, limited resources, and social changes may very well open the doors of possibilities where a stagnant "perfect" world has not room for any growth. I doubt I can stress enough the importance for our Gay Nation to take advantage of these things, to learn from the mistakes of the past, to plan not only for a Politically Gay state, but also one which is a safe haven in future.

I strongly feel that although most "first world" GLBT may not want to leave their homes today for a pacific retreat, but when the realities of a changing climate come home to roost they will want to move, especially if that retreat is rising upon the waters and will not suffer as much as the rest of the world.

Another option, which was not considered so far, is the prospective of certain pacific nations to drawn in the ocean, and this pretty soon. The nation of Tuvalu, for example, is seriously contemplating to abandon their little attols, since they will be overflooded in the next future. Now, with the people of Tuvalu having no use of the place anymore, why shouldn't we simply pay them out and "legally" obtaint the submerging reefs?

Actually I thought about this too, perhaps not Tuvalu itself, but I have considered the option of buying atolls/islands (one or more) and building them up to face the rising waters. Atolls particularly crossed my mind. They are natural "harbors" being rings of land or near land with a shallow center - ideal for a protected marina type setting.  My mind treads there lightly, I think that the future will see atolls becoming reefs which are getting deeper and deeper. So my thought is why buy land today that isn't going to be there 50 years from now (or sooner)?

  However if I was to pick one of these atolls to work with it would be Nukufetau:


From the image above you get a good idea that it is already ideally shaped for reclamation from the seas once it is submerged again as a reef. Roughly rectangular I would assume that beneath a layer of sand there is coral "bed-rock" upon which a "wall" can be built.  I also assume that the perimeter reef is shallow, say 25 feet below the water surface (if that).  Of course what I am thinking would have Green Peace up in arms and violently protesting, but hey the reefs are being devoured by the starfish population there - but it would be rather "simple" (in relativistic terms) to wall off the inner lagoon from the sea and use that as safe harbor for a floating city/town/etc. It wouldn't have to be a water proof wall, it doesn't even have to be solid, meaning it should have openings to the sea beyond providing for the continual flow of "fresh" water in and out with the tides "flushing" the lagoon.

If people are more industrious then they may dredge up dirt from outside of the ring and "build" land inside the wall.
In the case of Nukafetau we are talking approximately 40 square miles of interior "lagoon" to fill.

Nukafetau is approximately 8 miles by 6 miles according to the line map.

But then the thought comes to mind that 50-100 years from now ocean levels may rise 100 to 200 feet - so much for your island.

A line map (below) shows that it already has some structures, an abandoned airport (I would assume relatively easy to start it up again) and a relatively small population in and of itself. "an estimated population of 796" (Link below) Infrastructure of a kind is there, I do not know what kind of sewage treatment they have or if they have electricity.

They have a well - (wow) how viable that water source in future will be with constant high tide flooding is an unknown. However there are alternatives and I would assume that initial colonists would work on that ASAP.



Tuvalu Islands: http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalu/tuvalu.html MAP:

Nanumea:   MAP:http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalumaps/nanumea.htm
Nui:  MAP: http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalumaps/nui.htm
Vaitupu: MAP: http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalumaps/vaitupu.htm
Nukufetau: MAP: http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalumaps/nukufetau.htm
Funafuti: MAP: http://www.janeresture.com/tuvalumaps/funafuti1.htm
Nukulaelae: MAP: http://www.janeresture.com/tu8/nukulaelae.htm

[Mogul]

With existing technologies and existing practices in design and engineering there are ways to create a "floating nation". [..] To top it all off there is Global Warming and Climate change where it is predicted in the next ten years Europe will suffer from more heat waves, Water shortages will crop up around the world, Crop lands are already drying out, soon to become dust bowls. [..] We can't even feed and provide minimal health care for about a billion people already. In a world where weather and climate is eating up arable crop land and the population is still growing are we to expect that societies will have the luxury to exercise civil rights and equalities for all? Western nations have yet to be seriously impacted by a shortage of food, but it is right on the horizon. [..] It is estimated that the movement of people (Global Warming Refugees) will be an exodus of untenable proportions.

You rise here a couple of issues which are not immediately "Gay issues", but I would say they are important for the planning of any future territorial Gay enterprise. On the one side, changing geopolitical realities would increase frictions between states because of the scarce ressources, on the other side every densely populated society must handle its environmental pollution.

It is certainly not easily predicted what exactly will happen to the world climate when the planet gets a little bit warmer, but there will be no doubt many on the loosing side. Rising temperatures will be probably welcomed by Russia, Canada and Sweden, but Southern Europe might turn even more dry than it is now. In short, Africa and Australia already demonstrate what Europe and America might experience in the future -- dry mainland, and the life concentrating on the coastal regions. The masses moving to the coastal regions will cause greater need for fresh water there, coupled with increased demands on sewage treatment. Depending on the economical strength of the coastal regions, they will either profit from the increased manpower, or breake down under the invading masses.

Now, what nations will most certainly experience the least problems, and survive unscathed? These are either large nations who can relocate citizens easily, or insular nations. Those insular nations will hardly experience too radical climatic changes, the sea is tempering the heat very effectively. Thus, an insular location for our territorial posession were an ideal one. An island can be build up with sky scrapers, and the surrounding water area be used for economic purposes - on swimming farms and islets, perhapts. The rock-and-soil underground will quarantee the safety of a mainland, while the sea will offer flexibility to extend economy to new areas. And, the water-isolated location will prevent some uncontrolled influx of non-Gay "economic refugees".

Another option, which was not considered so far, is the prospective of certain pacific nations to drawn in the ocean, and this pretty soon. The nation of Tuvalu, for example, is seriously contemplating to abandon their little attols, since they will be overflooded in the next future. Now, with the people of Tuvalu having no use of the place anymore, why shouldn't we simply pay them out and "legally" obtaint the submerging reefs? While the Law of the Sea strongly discourages creation of new islands, it is only fair to reinforce the existing structures to prevent them from going under water. The people of Tuvalu are only some 10.000 persons, and they are not especially wealthy... i should think they will make good use of the money in their new homeland. We need a territorial posession as such (for political goals), and once the thing is launched there will be sufficial financial influx from the wealthier Gays worldwide.