CANBERRA, Australia (August 30, 2002 – New Zealand Herald/Reuters)---The Australian government yesterday dismissed accusations by Tuvalu that Canberra's environmental policies were contributing to global warming and could sink the island state.
Tuvalu, a chain of nine coral atolls whose highest point is just 4 meters (13.2 feet) above sea level, told the Earth Summit in South Africa that it wanted to file a lawsuit against Australia and the United States, blaming them for its plight.
Australia, the world's biggest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, and the U.S., the world's single biggest polluter, have rejected the international Kyoto pact, which is meant to cut emissions of gases like carbon dioxide.
Greenhouse gases are blamed for driving up temperatures and warming the Earth.
Many scientists argue that the melting of ice caps, due to higher temperatures, is likely to lead to a rise in sea levels. Tuvalu fears it will disappear under the waves...