This Island Nation May Be Gone In 60 Years Because Of Climate Change

On Tuesday, President Obama proposed new limits on carbon dioxide emitted from existing power plants, and other efforts to reduce gases linked to climate change from entering the air. For sinking island nations like Kiribati, however, that plan is likely too little, too late.

Kiribati, located in the South Pacific, stands, on average, just six feet above sea level. In 60 years Kiribati's President Anote Tong predicts that his island will be inhabitable due to climate change.

The island nation is at risk of disappearing because of sea level rise caused by melting sea ice and and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. These changes in climate are blamed on carbon emissions from power plants, cars, and other human activities.

Like many islands, Kiribati is in the unfortunate position of being the most likely to suffer from the effects of climate change even though they have done little to cause it — Kirbati's emissions per capita are only 7% of the global average and less than 2% of U.S. per capita emissions.