As most of you know, and all of you probably should, the UN Climate Change Conference continues this week  in Copenhagen, Denmark. Representatives from several nations are in attendance, including some faculty, staff, and alums of the University of Michigan to represent the United States alongside Barack Obama. Recently, the island nation of Tuvalu recieved attention for their plan to regulate climate change, which is far stricter than almost any other plan put forth. Though small, Tuvalu has great reason to want to fight to protect the natural environment. At just three feet above sea level, as this beautiful picture suggests, their entire nation could end up literally under water if scientists’ predictions are allowed to come true. This would certainly damage their economy in ways that citizens of the United States may not even be able to comprehend. Climate change will have a similarly devastating effect on other small or impoverished countries that lack the resources to prevent it without the aid of the UN and nations such as our own. Far from being a battle to be fought by well-off Americans who can afford to eat exclusively local and purchase sustainable, organic materials, the fight for our planet is one that has importance for citizens of every country. These small, less wealthy countries deserve a voice, and we need to listen.