 "Photo:")
On Saturday, Sept. 22, the draft for Hawai‘i's sustainability plan for the year 2050 was unveiled at the Hawai‘i 2050 Summit at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikīkī. Speakers at the summit addressed what Hawai‘i residents and leaders can do to make sustainability happen for a better economy, environment and society.
The history of state sustainability projects in Hawai‘i is a long one. In 1970, Gov. George Ariyoshi developed the Hawai‘i 2000 State Plan to plot strategies for the future. In attendance were famous futurists including Alvin Toffler and Arthur C. Clarke, as well as some of the people in attendance at Saturday's summit, such as Jim Dator, who is still working as a visionary for Hawai‘i's future. In 2005, the Legislature recognized that a sustainability plan was needed to guide future generations and signed Act 8, Special Session Laws of Hawai‘i, which established a task force to address the needs of Hawai‘i through the year 2050. Approximately 900 people attended the summit, held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Hilton's Coral Ballroom.
The future of sustainability
The outcomes of the sustainability plan, to be presented for final approval at the Legislature in January, will have the most impact on the youth of Hawai‘i. As a voice for Hawai‘i's youth, The Honolulu Advertiser's Teen Editorial Board attended the summit. The board is comprised of 12 high school students from O‘ahu, and new students are selected each year. The Advertiser instills an attitude of engagement in the students, both on the local and state level, as well as a sense of personal responsibility.
"If someone is aware of ... something that troubles them ... and they think they can't do anything about it, then they won't be involved in the process to solve it," said Christopher Ballesteros of Damien High School. "We need to reinforce now while we still can, that what we say, what we think, truly counts and will count in the future."
The nine students addressed failures of health care and education as problems directly affecting the progress of sustainability in Hawai‘i.
"A sustainability issue that I think is really important that a lot people do not address is health care," said Kimberly Lee of Punahou High School. "When we think about sustainability, we think about environment ... but a healthy, strong work force actually provides for a strong environment." She added that the issue is a manageable one for today's youth.
In addition to being smart about health, Frank Genco of ‘Iolani High School said he wants to see today's smart high school students stay in the state for their college education. He said in order for this to happen, the state must give incentives to colleges such as the University of Hawai‘i.
Mililani High School student Paige Takeya agreed, but asserted that a cohesive curriculum must be created from elementary through high school in preparation for college. "We need to plan now ... so that Hawai‘i's 2050 leaders become competent," she said.
The student board felt confident in making a difference in Hawai‘i's future. When asked if their opinions and actions will have an impact, all raised their hands. However, when asked if they'd still be living in Hawai'i in their 30s, no hands went up.
Following the sustainable footsteps of California
"A person who holds a cat by the tail learns things he can learn in no other way," said an enthusiastic Terry Tamminen, quoting Mark Twain as the keynote speaker at the summit. "And that's what trying to define sustainability is all about. And as you now embark on implementing your plan, you'll find out that that's even more true."
Tamminen was appointed as the secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency in 2003 and the chief policy adviser to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004.
California is one of the nation's leaders in sustainability, and Tamminen noted that Hawai‘i is taking the proper first steps toward sustainable progress. "You are being complimented for bringing together stakeholders from every walk of life to create this 2050 vision," Tamminen told the audience.
Tamminen gave examples of how Hawai‘i citizens could follow California's example. His suggestions included creating more accessible recycling programs, changing light bulbs into more energy-efficient ones and taking better care of the state's tropical environment.
Tamminen added that, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that was established by the U.N. Environmental Programme, 99 percent of global warming is inflicted by humans, and the nation's air pollution problem and natural disasters increase as a result.
"The actions that you take today will affect many, many generations next," he said.
Although air pollution is not a serious problem for the islands of Hawai‘i yet, he stressed that the state's residents need to take action or else the U.S. "might be a footnote in history unless we find a new way to define sustainability and set forth plans to ensure ... our children what we inherited from our parents. ... It's got to be about a sustainable environment, it's got to be about a sustainable economy. Our economy depends entirely upon these decisions we make now."
He said he hopes Hawai‘i can decrease its dependence on imported fuel and food and increase the local agriculture and biofuel market.
Tamminen concluded that, although the state has a long way to go, Hawai‘i has been successful in building upon what is already started in "embodying the metrics of sustainability."
A call to action
The year 2050 is a long time from now, but the Hawai‘i 2050 Sustainability Council plans on taking immediate action once it's given approval by the 2008 Legislature. The first step is to create a council - an independent entity that's accountable to both the public and state.
"We want the council to be vibrant, dynamic and diverse," said Pam Tumpap from the Maui Chamber of Commerce.
The council would consist of 15 members, including both private citizens and those involved in government. Nine members from the private sector would include students, business people and representatives from environmental organizations and would be responsible for an annual report card to evaluate progress.
Looking at sustainability models around the country, the council would implement a research-based approach and conduct ongoing public awareness campaigns. The 2050 task force recommends that the council be funded by dedicated sources including a "bottle bill," a gasoline tax, a transient accommodations tax and special funds from the Legislature.
"Ultimately achieving the goal of a sustainable Hawai‘i will rest with all of us, as individuals, as leaders and as a community," says the plan's draft. "It is truly a test of our political and community will."
A public meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the McKinley High School cafeteria. From Sept. 22 to Nov. 10, the 2050 draft of the Sustainability Plan will be open to public comment. A copy of the draft is available online at http://hawaii2050.org/images/uploads/2050_Plan_Draft.pdf.
Five goals of the sustainability council
- Make sustainability a way of life by:
- making sustainability issues a part of the school curriculum.
- educating the public to create informed and caring citizens.
- Develop a sustainable economy by:
- diversifying Hawai‘i's economic base.
- attracting outside resources but also giving incentives for renewable agriculture on the island.
- improving the job skills of graduating classes and keeping Hawai‘i's best and brightest in Hawai‘i.
- Preserve the environment and natural resources by:
- reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- conserving water and increasing recycling.
- enacting greater protection for water and land wildlife areas
- Improve community and social well-being by:
- investing in drug treatment and education.
- identifying traffic congestion points and finding a solution.
- addressing the problems of health care, the high school dropout rate and affordable housing.
- Advance the state of kanaka maoli by:
- encouraging awareness and respect for the land and its interrelationship with people.
- perpetuating and encouraging diverse cultures and supporting native Hawaiian groups.
Was the Sustainability Summit really sustainable? It was estimated that approximately 900 people were in attendance this year. Consider this:
- Paper copies of the sustainability draft were provided for each person in attendance. If a draft was provided for 900 people, 169,200 pieces of paper were distributed.
- Even if only half of the 900 people drove to the event, there were 450 cars. If one-fourth drove, there were 225 cars. Driving motor vehicles causes more than half of all air pollution and is the largest contributor to global warming in the U.S.
- The summit used three banquet tables, providing double the plate settings for everyone in attendance. The tables served prepackaged food, including individual milk jugs and mini cereal boxes.
- The summit was held in Hilton Hawaiian Village's air-conditioned Coral Ballroom, which has a maximum capacity of 1,000 people. Islandwide air-conditioning use has increased by more than one-third since 1996 and has caused concern for Hawaiian Electric Company.
Be the first to comment on this article!