Andrew L. Urban.
“I’ll go on a limb and say I’m probably one of, if not the only person in this room who’s been to Tuvalu. I’ve stood at the most narrow point of Tuvalu and seen the impact of rising seas. Some people deny it. We know it’s real and the very existence of these countries is at stake.”
Chris Bowen said this during the Q&A portion of his National Press Club address on 5 August 2026 on the topic: “Energy Security in an Uncertain World”
He made the remark while responding to questions about the pre-COP events (including the leaders’/senior segment in Tuvalu) and the importance of elevating Pacific climate issues ahead of COP31. He emphasised that Tuvalu is the least-visited country in the world and that bringing attention there highlights the stakes for low-lying atoll nations.
None of the roomful of journalists asked him to describe what he called “the impact of rising seas.”
So I asked. Please explain, so to speak. I sent the email to his media office at 4.55pm on Thursday 6 August, 2026 and sent a follow up email at 9:41am on Friday 14 August, 2026.
As at the time of posting this at noon on 18 August, I’ve received no answer.
The ABC fact checked it and found that in the four decades to 2014, Tuvalu’s total land area grew by 73 hectares, or 2.9 per cent. The expert behind this research told Fact Check the nation’s islands were continually adjusting, and that the new land was habitable.
Rising seas…falling climate alarm credibility?
Rising seas…falling climate alarm credibility? The Climate Change & Energy Minster might be reassured about the planet if he read Climate Alarm Reality Check by yours truly …