The seven million inhabitants of the Pacific Islands have already experienced the first effects of global warming. Elevated water temperatures, violent storms and rising sea levels are beginning to destroy delicate ecosystems, forcing islanders to consider leaving their homes and communities. Cultures that have thrived for centuries are threatened with extinction.

Tracing the impacts of climate change from the tropical Pacific to the island of Manhattan, RISING WATERS: GLOBAL WARMING AND THE FATE OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS examines international policies and the lives of those most urgently affected by the global warming debate.