I wonder if they truly considered the implications of winning
Climate change: small island states hail ocean court victory
A global maritime court found on Tuesday that greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution, a major breakthrough for small island states threatened by the rise in sea levels caused by global warming.
Cult science. CO2 is necessary for life on Earth
In its first climate-related judgment, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea said emissions from fossil fuels and other planet-warming gases that are absorbed by the oceans count as marine pollution.
Its ruling – an “advisory opinion” that should nevertheless provide a precedent for cases elsewhere – also said countries must go beyond the requirements of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement to protect the marine environment and the states that depend on it.
“What happened today was that the law and science met together in this tribunal, and both won,” said Cheryl Bazard, ambassador to the European Union of the Bahamas, one of nine Caribbean and Pacific island nations that sought the opinion. (snip)
The court said states have a legal obligation to monitor and reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and laid out specific requirements for their environmental impact assessments. (snip)
The other nations in the group that brought the case were Palau, Niue, Vanuatu, St.Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines and St. Kitts and Nevis.
So, what exactly do these nations want? There’s nothing really specific in their suit other than “Other Nations must do something.” Nor did the court really offer a ruling on what should be done. So, what happens if nations do Do Something? Perhaps they end the use of fossil fueled planes and ships, which bring tourists and goods to these islands. How well would that work out for them? Every single one of these islands depends heavily on tourism. For instance, tourism accounts for 65% of St. Lucia’s economy. Do they think people will want to sail to the island? The Bahamas depends on tourism and banking. That would utterly dry up.
Will these nations be getting rid of their airports and seaports? Banning fossil fueled vehicles? Will they be catching fish using rowboats and sailboats?