Off the News: Islands rise up against climate impacts

Climate change was top of the agenda during the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders in Honolulu Sept. 12-14. Pacific island leaders are also expected to raise the alarm in a U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit hosted by President Joe Biden in D.C. this Wednesday and Thursday. The oceanic nations are threatened in real time by rising sea levels and damaging, unprecedented weather events related to global warming — as is Hawaii.

Seeking international assistance and a concerted effort to curtail use of fossil fuels, the leaders of Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands launched a Rising Nations Initiative last week at the United Nations. For smaller island nations, it’s a matter of survival.

Bivalent COVID booster well worth shot

The state Department of Health is trying to communicate a simple idea: Getting the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot would be a good idea. It’s said to be the best defense yet against the virus — which, by the way, has spawned a new variant (BA.2.75.2) that is ready to pounce this fall.

Unfortunately, there’s been some mixed messaging to overcome. So take President Biden’s recent statement that the pandemic is “over” as a statement that it’s less acute than it was. Infection is still a problem to avoid.