Tuvalu a tiny island nation sitting half-way between Hawaii and Australia will most likely soon sink beneath the waves. Less than 30 years after its independence, the nation faces the threat of being lost to the sea. Global warming and the consequent rise of the sea level no longer seem to be just theories. The Tuvaluan government fears that the nine atolls that compose the country will ultimately sink beneath the sea. Fearing a rise in the sea level the Tuvaluan government has appealed to Australia and New Zealand to provide permanent homes for the people in the event of catastrophe. While Australia refused to take in Tuvaluans, New Zealand is considering the matter.