Your quote appears correct "if the global warming trend" is not reversed by year 2000. It hasn't and we still appear to be marching towards the lower lying isla

Your quote appears correct "if the global warming trend" is not reversed by year 2000. It hasn't and we still appear to be marching towards the lower lying island nations, such as the Maldives, disappearing. There is no mention of when they will disappear. So it appears to strengthen rather than weaken the argument.