In comparison to other states, Hawai`i’s total greenhouse gas emissions are low (43rd among 50 states and the District of Columbia). As measured in terms of per-capita emissions, it loses ground somewhat: still, at 18 tons of greenhouse gases a … Continued
The Navy has clearly and brazenly broken the law in its push to carry out undersea warfare exercises in Hawai`i. Without question, it violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it released the first environmental assessment for the exercises in … Continued
The Gateway Energy Center at Keahole is Hawai`i’s Potemkin Village for energy conservation. It has been outfitted with the latest, spiffiest (and costliest) technologies in the realm of energy efficiency and self-reliance. It has been trumpeted as a model for … Continued
What a difference a decade makes, yes? No, actually. When it comes to the Commission on Water Resource Management, time seems to have stood still in the nine years since state auditor Marion Higa published a scathing report on the … Continued
When a later generation writes the history of extinctions in Hawai‘i, November 26, 2004, will probably be carved on the tombstone of the po‘ouli. Shortly before midnight on that date, the aged male bird that had been brought into captivity … Continued
State Water Commission, Land Board Have Lost Sight of Their Mandates The long wait is almost over. If all goes according to plan, by mid-summer, the twin falls at the back of Waipi`o Valley should be restored. The picture-postcard-perfect vista … Continued
What you are holding in your hands is the 240th issue of Environment Hawai`i. It represents the completion of our 20th year of continuous publication. Think of it. Twenty years, an entire generation, of grinding out a monthly newsletter. Few publications make … Continued
Too many boats. Too few tuna. In the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the rights of countries to catch fish have outrun the fish’s ability to keep up. With no one willing to give ground, the result is a giant … Continued
Planning is a good thing. And the 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is, by our lights, a pretty good one. But the thing about planning is this: it should never undercut its own viability. … Continued