(Week 8 Sample Post by Mrs. Ruffing)

For this week’s challenge I have chosen to research some information about Tonga. My reasons are 1) I have seen news reports that Tonga, an archipelago of islands in the South Pacific and northeast of Australia, is experiencing the effects of rising sea levels and 2) I have encountered at least one student blogger in the challenge who said he was from Tonga.

Although Tonga is a very beautiful island (see video below), there are many concerns about rising sea levels due to climate change and warming oceans. According to a number of sites there is a serious threat to the islands in the Pacific. At the site Climate Data Information it is possible to see charts of the impact of rising seas on a number of island nations, including Tonga. It would be so interesting to hear first hand from some natives of that region exactly what adjustments they have made in their life style and what the future may hold going forward. Maybe knowing some actual circumstances and how people may be coping would move us all to take more action regarding climate change.