26-year old Ben Namakin grew up on the Pacific islands of Kiribati and Micronesia. He works as an environmental educator with the Conservation Society of Pohnpei and is a featured speaker in Global Exchange's upcoming speaking tour, Oil and Global Warming Today: Voices from the Front Lines.

GX: Tell us what life is like in Micronesia.

BN: Micronesia or the Pacific region is among the most peaceful places on Earth. We are very loving people, and we welcome every single non Micronesian/Pacific Islander who makes the effort to come out and visit our small island nations. We may not have enough to offer, but we offer what we think is best to strangers who come to our islands. This is something unique about us—our love for others, our intact culture. Therefore we are proud to be Micronesians/Pacific Islanders.

GX: Why is climate change an important issue to you?

BN: From what I see in the Pacific Islands, we don't cause it, but we are amongst those who are at greatest risk from its negative impact. Fishing, tourism, and agriculture, which are the main economies in the Pacific, are severely affected by climate change.

This issue is very important to me, because it does not affect only Micronesia and the Pacific Island nations; it's affecting the entire world. I feel very sad when I think of the issue and at the same time look into the eyes of every single child on this planet, for their future has begun to be destroyed.

I am a big fan of CNN, and, surprisingly, these days, among the top news, aside from the crisis in the Middle East, news reported about storms, typhoons and flooding around the world is being announced as well. ... It is obvious to the international community that natural disasters are happening more frequently and intensely in most parts of the world. We in the small island nations suffer from it because we are the most vulnerable to it.

GX: What is climate change doing to small island nations like Micronesia?

BN: Climate change's effect on small island nations is the saddest part in the story of climate change. I can talk easily about this, because I can see it and feel it. We can start to see the problem with sea level rise. All atoll islands like Marshall Island, Kiribati, Tuvalu, outer islands in the FSM (Federated States of Micronesia), Cook Island, and others, will be the first to suffer this.

How sad to see your island sinking! Kiribati, where I grew up, is only two to three meters high. You can imagine what will happen in the next 25 years or so if no action is taken. Also, saltwater intrusion is a big problem for our small gardens and taro patches. During high tides, sea water slowly seeps into the thin wedge of the ground and affects the quality of the water in the taro patches and in our drinking well water.

Though volcanic islands in Micronesia and the Pacific won't be underwater soon, still they will suffer coral bleaching that has occurred in some parts of the Pacific, which causes a drop in tourism. It also makes it more difficult for us to find the fish and marine organisms we need to survive. We are experiencing coastal erosion, and landslides that killed people in Micronesia. We just never thought of experiencing all these.

GX: Some people say it's too late to do anything about climate change. What would you say to these people?

BN: No! It's not too late at all. ... We have different types of technology available that can shift us back from oil to the use of bio-fuel and other renewable energy sources. It's just a matter of our government leaders adopting the idea.

To my fellow youths in Micronesia and around the world, now that we understand that deforestation is also contributing to global warming, we have the knowledge and skills that we can use to build awareness within those who are not aware. It's not too late.

Also each individual can make a difference. If our government leaders are not worrying, we don't have to wait. We can go ahead and do such things. For example, make sure that our air conditioner, car, refrigerator, lights, etc, are turned off when not in use; implement conservation projects; create public awareness; and much more. From doing just this, little by little of that percentage of the greenhouse gas emission will slowly go down. Each individual can make a difference. This is a long term solution, but I want to remind us all that this will mean a lot for the next generation as this planet. We owe it to our children.G