Name a coral reef in the Maldives at the Hay Festival
Like which used science to better mankind rather than destroy it, the , which , are armed with a number of upbeat, techno-savvy solutions to climate change.
They've not only engineered a new, erosion-proof island and countless sea walls, but they're also . How? By grafting coral onto low-voltage electrical shells, which accelerate the growth of the reefs.
And now the . At the end of the competition, President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed will choose the best name. (Plankton Zoo, Mr Nasheed, was my suggestion first, by the way.)
Good, clean fun and all that, but one must ask whether the Maldives' innovative foray into 'underwater gardening' will actually make a difference to their plight. Initial responses don't bode well. 'Of limited value' was one marine biologist's comment in the New Scientist; even Robert Tomasetti, chief underwater gardener, admits, 'at the moment we're really just growing pretty reefs for the tourists'.
And anyway, after all: the islands will probably simply change shape as the seas warm and levels rise rather than disappearing for good, says Paul Kench of the University of Auckland.
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