Geography was never of great interest to me, so you’ve probably already heard of a place called Tuvalu. I’d never heard of its existence until I read an article a couple days ago. Tuvalu is a tiny Pacific nation comprised of 9 atolls (ring-shaped coral reefs or chain of islands enclosing a lagoon) between Australia and Hawaii. Tuvalu’s population is 11,000… total… but it’s plight has made national news.
Why is Tuvalu newsworthy now?
Tuvalu is in the news because NASA scientists predict the main atoll, Funafuti, will be submerged by rising seas by the year 2050 — its strip of land is already as narrow as 65 feet — and Australia is allowing visas to inhabitants. The Reuters’ article explained that the visa allows Tuvalu residents to live, work and study in Australia, accessing health benefits and education on the same basis as Australian citizens.
NOTE: the annual cap on these visas is 280 people. The migration cap was designed to ensure it doesn’t cause brain drain from Tuvalu. With all the recent talk about U.S. immigration policies, it’s also interesting to note that our visa policies also contribute to brain drain from developing countries, especially in critical sectors like healthcare. That had never crossed my mind, even though I’ve read a lot about brain drain in Jackson County, IN.
Something else I didn’t know — viburnum bushes can cause allergic reactions in dogs.
Since I moved to the barndo, my dogs’ feet get sore every year in early summer. I have rugs so they don’t have to walk on the hot deck to get to the yard, but still, the outside part of their pads get red and irritated. The diagnosis? Allergies. Who knew those red ornamental fruits on viburnum bushes, planted by the previous barndo owners, would be such an issue?
Merida thinks they should be removed.
Now you know: Japan developed crewed suicide torpedoes during WWII, where pilots steered modified torpedoes into enemy ships with no way to escape.