Australian Fridges disappear - National - smh.com.au

THE 5000th fridge has been collected as part of the NSW Government-backed Fridge Buyback program.

Climate Change Minister Carmel Tebbutt said the households that sold their second fridge to the scheme for $35 would save a total of almost $1million on energy bills this year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 5000 tonnes.

More on the Maldives' fossil-fueled economy

Tourists may be vital to the Maldives' economy but they are all but ignorant of its problems. The country is one of the world's most upmarket destinations, its luxurious beachside bungalows particularly popular with honeymooning couples. Nearly 90 otherwise uninhabited islands have been turned into resorts that pull in more than 600,000 mostly European visitors each year.

But while the average visitor apparently spends about $300 a day, they will rarely come into contact with local Maldivians, transported to their atoll by speedboat or small plane, and never stepping off it except for the odd day cruise.

This industry, though, accounts for maybe one-third of the Maldives' GDP and at least 60% of its foreign exchange. Import duties and tourism-related taxes generate more than 90% of the government's income; there is little other economic activity on the islands except for fishing.

Few of those visitors are going to keep coming once their accommodation risks slipping beneath the waves at any moment.