CCL Hawaii Media Contributions

4/28/24 Rep. Tokuda addresses island issues at Town Hall - Ron Reilly, Volcano, Hawaii Island asks Rep. Tokuda about the Energy Innovation Act, HR 5744

By LAURA RUMINSKI

West Hawaii Today, Hawaii Tribune-Herald and The Garden Island

The West Hawaii Civic Center Council Chamber was packed Wednesday with residents who came to participate in U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda’s town hall meeting.

The informal “talk story” session covered a myriad of topics brought forth by island community members.

“It’s been quite a hectic 15 months in Congress for my first term,” Tokuda, a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District, said at the start of the session. “We have taken a lot of tough votes. I feel it has been very character building for me in terms of having to focus on what’s most important for our constituents and work across the isle to get things done.

“A big priority for me is to make sure I am razor focused on what are the needs of our community, being present to listen, so I’ve done my best to make sure I have been in the community as often as possible talking to different groups , just making sure your voices are heard.”

She said before she came to the meeting she spent almost two hours at the Kona airport to make sure that she could take a look first hand at the cracks in the runway, which she said “are very concerning.”

She said $87 million provided by the federal government will be used to completely repave the airport’s only runway, and that will take place in November.

“But my main question is, can we hold off until then? All of the patching that is happening, will that take us through November, and what does it look like from a time period perspective? We know it will take from 18 months to two years for us to do total re-do of the runway,” she said. “It is a big priority for me to make sure we can assure transportation for all of you, but also when we do the work, we do it right, because when we don’t then those cracks come back a lot faster.”

Tokuda added that while there are cracks in the Kona airport runway, there is a good chance cracks will start to appear at other airports across the state because the age of most of its infrastructure is about the same.

“Air transportation is a really big, important thing for all of us, so we are keeping a close eye on it,” she said.

After her brief opening statement, she opened the floor up for questions and answers.

One of the participants asked when the Kona airport will start looking like an international airport.

“We talked to DOT about the airport, and there are plans to do a number of renovations. We just got the new air conditioned Gate 11. They are looking at doing covered walkway areas that will shade you from the sun or potentially the rain,” she responded. “They are also looking at different retail situations inside. I was able to look into the customs and border control area and I think the goal is we want to see the return of some international travel because we invested quite a bit of money into that particular facility. There are a lot of things going on and the state is investing heavily in this.”

Another Big Island resident (Ron Reilly, Volcano) asked for the congresswoman’s support of the Energy Innovation Act, HR 5744, which imposes a fee on the carbon content of fuels, including crude oil, natural gas, coal or any other product derived from those fuels that will be used so as to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and urged her to gain bipartisan support for the measure.

Tokuda responded that in order for Congress to pass anything, whether access to health care or transportation or climate change,they have got to make sure there is bipartisan support, and sometimes that is easier said then done.

“The reality is many of us fighting for climate change initiatives are in the minority, so we need those folks in the majority to be able to join us help us move some of this good legislation along,” she said.

A Waikoloa resident who recently founded the Wildfire Safety Advocates of Waikoloa said residents are terrified of being the next Lahaina.

“There are 4,000 residents, and 3,500 visitors every day, and one road. All we want is to get on your radar to talk about issues and how to move this forward, because this is keeping us up at night,” he said.

Tokuda responded that she has spoken to DOT and others on island about how to make sure that there is secondary access.

“As much as we talk about Lahaina, as often as I can, I remind people that we have fires threatening life and property on Hawaii Island, as well,” she said. “We have to match government action to be able to take a look at what are we doing for mitigation efforts.”

Another Waikoloa resident brought up the fact that the coconut rhinoceros beetle has been found in the village.

“It is going to be a long, expensive process to try to deal with this, because if we start to loose out trees and forests, it is going to be very difficult to recover,” the resident said.

“Biosecurity is a big deal, coconut rhinoceros beetle and every other pest and plant disease we have run into is really cutting us at the knees from being able to better feed ourselves and reduce our dependency on imported food,” the congresswoman said.

She said she has been trying to pressure the Department of Defense to invest significantly in updating some of the biosecurity plans that they have for Hawaii.

“We have a 365 day growing season, but that is a buffet line for all the invasives we have. We do know CRB likely came to us through some kind of defense facility, dirt or aircraft, so we are trying to make sure they invest in our defense and further protection. We cannot have other things coming in,” said Tokuda.

“Sitting on the Armed Services Committee, that is one of the things I am pushing. They have to invest in and protect our borders. As you know, we are very strong in protecting other states. Even your hand carry luggage have to go through X-ray machines now before you can go to the mainland. When you come to Hawaii, you just have to check a box that says I have none of the above. CRB unfortunately doesn’t just attack coconut trees. It is going after ulu, kalo and other plants, so we have to be very vigilant.”

One participant asked Tokuda for support from the department of the Interior on Act 80 to lower the blood quantum levels from one-quarter to one-thirty-second Hawaiian for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands lessee’s relatives to retain the family lease.

“This is on behalf of all the HHCA beneficiaries out there. We have 29,000 individuals on the wait list. If we are not able to succeed down to one-thirty-second, we will not only have more people houseless, but we will have a larger issue and this is not what Prince Kuhio envisioned or intended for our people,” she said.

Tokuda said she has talked to the secretary about the situation. She said part of the problem is that DOI has not received the information requested from DHHL to advance the act. She asked that families share their stories so she can provide a human face to the situation.

Another participant asked if there could be funding from the federal level and pressure be put on the Army to clean up Pohakuloa Training Area.

She said the Army did their own tests for depleted uranium at the training site and asked for an independent study.

She also thanked the congresswoman for voting against sending billions of dollars to Israel, but was disappointed that money was sent to Ukraine and Taiwan.

Tokuda said she will take a look at what has been done to initiate an independent test at PTA. As for voting against the aid package, she said it was difficult to vote no, even though it had humanitarian aid in it.

“But I had no confidence that humanitarian aid would get to where it is necessary and needed. When it came to the Indo-Pacific, I was thinking about our back yard. It is absolutely necessary. Do we need to put more money into human services in our own backyard?Absolutely, that’s what I fight for so we can have access to healthcare, we can improve our transportation infrastructure,” said Tokuda.

“I know a lot of times I come to these meetings hopefully agreeing on a majority of topics, but sometimes will disagree, but that’s why we all serve and advocate in different capacities.”

U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda takes questions from audience members Wednesday at a Town Hall Meeting at the West Hawaii Civic Center.

LAURA RUMINSKI/West Hawaii Today

4/21/24 - ISLAND VOICES - EARTH DAY 2024 - Stop burning, start more clean energy

By John Kawamoto and Melodie Aduja

John Kawamoto, a former legislative analyst, is a member of the Clean Power Task Force; Melodie Aduja, a former state senator, is a co-chair of the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic  Party of Hawaii.

Burning anything in large quantities is harmful to the environment and harmful to human health because burning releases toxic chemicals that pollute. Burning also releases greenhouse gases that warm the Earth and cause climate change.

Fossil fuel is burned to generate most of the electricity and to power most of the vehicles used in Hawaii. Trash is burned on Oahu, and trees on Kauai, to generate electricity. All of the burning creates pollution.

Polluted air is inhaled by humans and animals. Pollutants that are deposited in the soil, on surface water, and on plants eventually make their way into our bodies. The pollutants can cause cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, kidney damage, respiratory ailments and reproductive disorders.

We’ve known for a long time that the burning of fossil fuel is harmful. However, many people think that burning trash is not so bad because it eliminates what is unwanted. But that is only half-true.

The process of burning also creates new chemicals that are not present in the material that is burned. Many of these new chemicals are harmful, and some are highly toxic.

For example, the chemicals needed to create dioxin are present in many commercial products (although no commercial product intentionally contains dioxin). Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of these chemicals, and it can be found in water pipes, wrapping products and toys.

When PVC is burned, dioxin is created. Dioxin is so toxic that the Environmental Protection Agency has set its maximum contaminant level at 30 parts per trillion in drinking water. That is equivalent to one teaspoon of dioxin per 21 million gallons of water — which is equivalent to 100 times the amount of water in the Ala Wai Canal.

Other materials also create dioxin when burned. Furthermore, many other toxic chemicals are emitted when burning trash.

Although trash incinerators typically utilize devices that reduce pollution, current technology cannot eliminate it. The HPOWER plant on Oahu, for example, emits tons of air pollution every day that it operates, as well as hundreds of tons of toxic ash.

Recognizing the harmful effects of burning, along with the threat of climate change, the state Legislature established a goal of net negative greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

That goal is consistent with public sentiment. A recent survey shows that more than 90% of Hawaii’s registered voters favor the expansion of renewable energy resources in this state. That energy should also be clean.

The Legislature now has the tough job of adopting programs that reduce emissions and eventually eliminate them. It’s not an easy task.

Burning — especially the burning of fossil fuel — has been integrated into our economy and into our daily lives. It started with the Industrial Age more than 250 years ago and has increased since then.

So much burning has taken place throughout history that Earth’s temperature has been driven up. Earth’s temperature is now too high — and it’s getting hotter.

We need to transition much more quickly away from burning to using 100% clean, renewable energy.

Stop the burning!

4/21/24 - EARTH DAY 2024 / APRIL 22 - Clearing the Air ISLAND VOICES

By Noel Morin and Paul Bernstein

Noel Morin, top, is a climate, sustainability and resilience advocate based in Hilo; Paul Bernstein is an economist with University of Hawaii-Manoa.

The recent headline, “State Farm discontinuing 72,000 home policies in California,” highlights the increasing and unavoidable costs of climate change and is a cautionary tale for property owners everywhere, especially in Hawaii.

Big financial risks come with climate-related disasters, which are happening with increasing frequency and intensity. The risks are especially being felt in the real estate sector. Desirable environments for property ownership, like coastal and wooded areas, are now at high risk for natural disasters that insurance companies won’t cover. Wildfire- prone areas in the Western U.S. and hurricane and floodprone areas in the Southeast are now experiencing property insurance coverage challenges — rising premiums and cancellations. 

This has important economic implications for society: 

>> Financial strain on households and businesses, which bear the full impact of the damage caused by climate disasters. This especially impacts low- to moderate-income households, who stand to suffer most from high or absent insurance coverage for properties located in climate- vulnerable areas and who are unable to cover the costs of a disaster.

>> Negative impact on the real estate market with downward pressure on property values and the availability of financing.

>> Increased taxpayer burden to address emergency relief, recovery and infrastructure repair.

>> Suppressed economic growth as businesses and households migrate away from high-risk areas, and climate consequences negatively impact industries like tourism.

Clearly, more must be done to address global warming and its underlying cause — carbon emissions — to avoid even more egregious socioeconomic impacts of climate change. Climate- change-fueled hurricanes, storm surges, sunny day flooding, catastrophic fires and long periods of drought will only increase if Congress and state legislatures fail to enact legislation that will reduce emissions effectively.

A key emissions reduction policy is carbon cashback. This carbon pricing strategy involves a predictably increasing price on carbon pollution, a proven way to create economy-wide pressure to reduce the combustion of fossil fuels. By charging more for activities that generate carbon dioxide, carbon pricing increases the cost of polluting. This encourages individuals and businesses to reduce emissions by using less energy, transitioning to renewable energy sources, or developing innovative low-carbon technologies. This also motivates builders and property owners to invest in eco-friendly, energy-efficient buildings, reducing their carbon footprint.

The cashback component of the policy allows households, particularly those with low-moderate incomes, to adapt to the expected cost of fuel and electricity. (They would benefit even more if they shifted to lower-carbon appliances, transportation, and services.)

By reducing global warming emissions, we can eventually reduce the intensity and frequency of floods, wildfires, and storms that threaten valuable property. Thus, carbon pricing indirectly will help stabilize real estate in disaster-prone areas and keep homes in climate- vulnerable places insurable.

Importantly, carbon pricing will signal the need for investments that will enable resiliency and allow homes and buildings to withstand the impacts of climate change. Investments in infrastructure — flood control, seawalls, wildfire detection and mitigation — and disaster-resistant structures are costly but would allow more properties to be insurable.

Thankfully, our members of Congress — U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda — are climate champions. However, we need their help to work with their colleagues to urgently reduce global warming emissions to avoid even more egregious climate-fueled disasters. We must pass a national carbon pricing policy and lean on our congressional delegation to help enable this. We also ask that our state leaders support local carbon cashback to inspire national policy.

4/24 - ThinkTech Hawaii - Code Green - How to Make Hawai'i Affordable with Paul Bernstein and Ashley Boggs

The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is  • Code Green  )

Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Pay off. The host for this show is Howard Wiig. The guests are Paul Bernstein and Ashley Boggs. The less energy you use the more your pocketbook grows. Get paid to be green, using Hawaii Energy rebates, tax credits, green loans and rebates from the huge federal grants available. Carbon cashback is a great money-returner. When you install efficient appliances and make your home photovoltaic-ready and electric vehicle ready you add value to your home.

2/1/24 - ThinkTech Hawaii Code Green - Student’ Guide to Efficient Infrastructure

Wasteful Zoning, Unwalkable, Car Dependent. The host for this show is Howard Wiig. The guest is Chisato Tarui. It is important to create an energy efficient infrastructure that helps future-proof cities against increasing energy demands, while improving energy efficiency and prioritizing emission reductions. There are a number of ways to improve the energy infrastructure, from ensuring the right energy technology is in place to encouraging a change in mindset about energy across the organization. It’s important to review the energy technology used in the fabric of communities to identify areas of wastage or inefficiency. Areas to consider include: permitting reform, zoning laws, car dependency, wasteful land use and housing shortage.

2/5/24 - ‘Carbon Cashback’ Could Move Hawaii Away From Fossil Fuels - The longer we wait, the steeper and more costly the path will become

By Noel Morin, Paul Bernstein

(Noel Morin is a climate, sustainability, and resilience advocate based in Hawaii.

Paul Bernstein is an economist with UH Manoa and a member of Citizens' Climate Lobby Hawaii.)

Hawaii’s most promising pathways to a carbon-free economy are coming into focus with the recent release of the report Hawaii Pathways to Decarbonization. Importantly, state lawmakers have introduced bills (Senate Bill 2525 and House Bill 2178) that would implement one of the report’s key recommendations.

Commissioned by the Legislature in 2022 (Act 238), the Hawaii State Energy Office report includes two dozen recommendations to achieve the state’s decarbonization goals. First among them is a recommendation to keep our existing carbon emission targets: to cut emissions to 50% of Hawaii’s 2005 level by 2030 and reach net-negative emissions by 2045.

Monique Schafer, decarbonization program manager for the energy office, said, “The goals established are not haphazard goals, and are set to avoid some of the most substantial impacts from a warming planet.”

One of the report’s recommendations stands out as an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. It calls for a “carbon surcharge” using the state’s existing barrel tax, with dividends paid back to residents. Also known as “carbon cashback,” this approach would bring about big cuts in emissions by incentivizing a switch away from fossil fuels.

The cashback part of the policy — giving some or all of the revenues back to households in equal shares — would offset the increased cost of fossil fuel products during the transition to a carbon-free economy.

Last week, legislators in the Senate and House introduced bills to establish a carbon cashback program (Senate Bill 2525 and House Bill 2178).

Reducing Emissions

According to the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii, a carbon fee set at the level proposed in the newly introduced bills would reduce the state’s emission level by about 13% after 20 years. By paying back most of the carbon fee revenues to Hawaii residents in equal shares as climate rebates, most households in the state would come out ahead — their rebates would exceed the higher costs they pay for fossil fuel products.

Importantly, the policy proposed in the carbon cashback bills would benefit lower-income households the most. The most vulnerable families — the 20% of Hawaii’s households with the lowest incomes — would receive a net benefit of about $900 per year, on average.

(The Hawaii State Energy Office recommendation differs from the carbon cashback bills in that it would use revenues for both dividends paid to “income qualifying residents” and investments in “lower-carbon infrastructure.”)

This remarkable outcome is due in part to tourism. Visitors would pay the carbon fee through the products and services they buy, but they wouldn’t be eligible for the climate rebates, so they would effectively contribute to the rebates paid to residents.

In this respect, the policy would act like a “green fee” or “climate impact fee.”

The energy office isn’t the first state entity to recommend a carbon cashback program. Hawaii’s 2020-2022 Tax Review Commission put carbon cashback at the top of its recommendations for tax reform.

Hawaii’s Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission also supports carbon cashback, stating in past testimony to the Legislature that “putting a price on carbon is the most effective single action that will achieve Hawaii’s ambitious and necessary emissions reduction goals.” Hawaii Pathways to Decarbonization gives us a roadmap to those goals.

“We are at a critical point,” said Schafer of the Energy Office. “As a state, although our emissions are small when compared to total emissions globally, we have historically been a leader in the fight against climate change. We must do everything we can. I truly hope the report is thoroughly reviewed and provides a foundation for much needed systematic change.”

It’s time for the Legislature to pass carbon cashback (SB 2525 and HB 2178) and all other policies that will effectively put us on a path to a decarbonized, sustainable, and resilient future. The longer we wait, the steeper and more costly the path will become.

1/31/24 - Island Voices - Carbon cashback puts fee on fossil fuels

By Ashley Boggs, John Kawamoto and Noel Morin

(Ashley Boggs advocates for a clean environment for future generations; John Kawamoto, center, is a former legislative analyst and good-government advocate; Noel Morin is a sustainability/climate/resiliency advocate.)

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

— Anonymous 

We are obliged to leave our keiki and future generations a healthy planet. However, the increasing frequency, severity and impact of climate-related disasters make it abundantly clear that we are not doing enough to honor this obligation.

For more than half a century, we have known that carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming. 

Atmospheric carbon dioxide has persistently increased, and so has the average global temperature. This warming is triggering weather extremes and natural disasters. It is threatening the planet and humanity.

We know the cause of the problem, so we can fix this. In the next decade, we must drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon, to avoid even more catastrophic impacts and to begin to heal the planet.

Putting a price on carbon pollution is an effective way to reduce emissions. It would disincentivize polluting activities by financially penalizing them and rewarding behaviors that reduce carbon pollution.

This is the idea behind carbon cashback, a policy that charges a fee on fossil fuels based on their carbon pollution potential. It would increase the cost of fossil fuels. As a result, people and companies would pay the fee based on the pollution their activities emit.

But carbon cashback goes beyond that. It takes the fees collected, divides the total by the number of Hawaii residents, and gives each person a share of the money as a dividend. This makes carbon cashback progressive.

People who pollute little would pay a small amount but get the same dividend as everyone else. According to a University of Hawaii study, most households would come out ahead financially or at least break even. Low-income families, on average, would come out ahead financially because of their relatively low consumption of fossil fuels. This makes carbon cashback equitable.

A carbon emissions fee would be determined using the existing barrel tax, which assesses a fee on fossil fuels but at a low level. The fee would increase incrementally each year, and would fund a dividend distributed to people as a refundable tax credit. 

Calculations show that after the program’s first 10 years, the fee increases only to account for inflation, and the dividend starts to decline after the 14th year. Every resident who files a state income tax would be eligible for the dividend. Married couples filing jointly would be eligible for double the dividend. Each dependent would be eligible for half of the dividend. The average- sized family of three people, consisting of two adults and a child, would be eligible for just over $1,500.

Carbon cashback funds the program’s administration by using a small portion of the revenues from the carbon emissions fee.

Thus, the program is budget-neutral and doesn’t grow government. Further, implementation costs are low since the program uses existing government mechanisms.

Carbon cashback will reduce planet- warming pollution while financially benefiting Hawaii families. It’s a win for the environment, our families and future generations.

Carbon cashback bills — Senate Bill 2525 and House Bill 2178 — have been introduced this legislative session. Let’s support them.

1/25/24 - ThinkTech Hawaii - Code Green - High School Students Testify for Earth

Audrey and Liza talk about the Climate Future Forum(CFF) with Host Howard Wiig

CFF supports legislation in five policy areas -

• Sustainable Infrastructure & Development,

• Clean Energy & Transportation,

• Climate and the Economy,

• Regenerative Food Systems

• Climate Justice

12/31/23 - Island Voices - Climate justice includes carbon pricing

By Helen Cox, Matthew Geyer and Noel Morin

(Helen Cox, former chancellor of Kauai Community College, chairs the Kauai Climate Action Coalition and co-leads the Kauai chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby; Matthew Geyer of Oahu, top right, is a founding member of Hawaii Environmental Change Agents; Noel Morin of Hawaii island is a sustainability, climate and resilience advocate.)

The costs of pollution are rarely distributed equally — they are often felt most strongly by marginalized and underserved communities. In the United States, for example, low-income households and racial and ethnic minorities have a disproportionately high exposure to particulate pollution from point sources such as refineries and power plants. The concept of environmental justice calls for the removal of these disparities.

Climate change creates disproportionately greater social, economic and health impacts on underprivileged groups. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Climate change is happening now and to all of us. No country or community is immune, and, as is always the case, the poor and vulnerable are the first to suffer and the worst hit.”

As we tackle the climate crisis, we must strive for environmental and climate justice. This means that our solutions must not only solve climate change but must address these disparities. Solutions must not create new issues for the poor and vulnerable and should correct inequities.

Carbon pricing is an important strategy for reducing planet-warming emissions. It involves a fee or tax on fossil fuel pollution to reflect its true cost to society. The resulting higher prices for fossil fuels encourage businesses and consumers to transition to lower-polluting products and services like higher-efficiency appliances, renewable energy and clean transportation.

Carbon pricing, however, is sometimes criticized as being inequitable due to concerns about the economic impact on low-income households that don’t have the resources to access efficient appliances, electric vehicles and other low-carbon solutions. These households would be left to deal with higher energy costs.

But there is a simple policy that avoids this equity concern: carbon cashback. This approach is used today in Switzerland, Austria and much of Canada. It involves returning the tax revenue proceeds directly to the people in equal shares as a rebate. 

Because lower-income households tend to purchase fewer goods and services than higher-income households, they would pay less, on average, in carbon fees. But since everybody would receive the same rebate, lower-income families, on average, would receive greater net financial benefits than others.

This allows carbon pricing to be progressive.

Carbon cashback has been studied in depth, specifically for Hawaii. In 2021, the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization completed a study commissioned by the state Legislature and found that a carbon fee equivalent to about 45 cents per gallon of gasoline would reduce carbon emissions in the state by about 10%.

In addition, if the revenues are returned to households in equal shares, most families in the state would come out ahead financially, and most lower- income families would come out way ahead. The poorest 20% of households in the state would receive a net financial benefit of about $900 per year, on average, in the early years of the program. Based on these and other findings, the 2020-2022 Hawaii Tax Review Commission made carbon cashback its top recommendation for tax reform.

Carbon cashback alone cannot eliminate all the disparities among social groups when it comes to the impacts of fossil fuel consumption and climate change. Traditional regulatory mechanisms are needed, for example, to eliminate particulate pollution hot spots near disadvantaged neighborhoods. But carbon cashback can help ensure that vulnerable communities are not left behind as we transition to a carbon-free economy.

The state Legislature will have an opportunity to pass carbon cashback legislation in 2024. Hopefully, our lawmakers will see that this can enable not only a more timely transition to a resilient clean energy future, but one that is just.

11/30/23 - Empower Hawaii’s youth to take action on climate change

By Sophie Pager and Audrey Lin

We represent a group of high school students who are worried about our future because not enough is being done to reduce climate disasters that are occurring globally, nationally and locally.

With our current greenhouse gas emissions nationally, we are plunging toward a worldwide climate disaster characterized by deadly heat waves, floods, wildfires and droughts. If things keep going the way they are now, the global environment will become less livable, and those contributing the least to the problems will likely face the brunt force of them.

From our perspective, our future and the futures of generations to come are being undermined, as climate-fueled disasters become more frequent and more extreme.

However, we are not without hope, and we are fighting for a more just, livable and sustainable future. We seek to collaborate with other youth who have the same outlook and want to take action.

Despite the causes of climate change being known for decades, far too little has been done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate scientists who have urged strong action to mitigate climate change have been ignored.

We understand that fossil fuels are integrated throughout the economy and into our lifestyles. Individually, we can try to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, but we acknowledge that not everyone has the ability to easily reduce their carbon footprint, and we realize that the climate crisis is a systemic problem. Many of our economic and societal systems severely limit our choices; things must be changed so that we become far less dependent on fossil fuels.

Last year we, among others, organized the first Climate Future Forum, an event to empower youth in Hawaii to engage more effectively with our state Legislature and make our voices more heard in discussions of climate policy.

We had more than 80 youths, 25 nonprofits and more than six legislators participating. By holding workshops on distinct climate change policy angles, teaching youth how to track bills and submit testimonies, and teaching them how to make meaningful connections with their legislators, we gave them the tools to further involve themselves in future legislative discussions. By the end of the forum, the youths had come up with a legislative agenda that they could follow throughout the following 2023 legislative session.

Building upon the successes of this first event, we are planning another Climate Future Forum. There will be sessions on environmental bills and policies that will be considered by the Legislature in the 2024 session, with five main policy areas for youth to learn about: regenerative food systems, clean energy and transportation, climate justice and human rights, sustainable infrastructure, and climate and the economy. Participants will discuss the bills and policy goals and select ones they wish to support during the upcoming legislative session.

We urge all of our fellow youth to register for this year’s Climate Future Forum, to be held at the state Capitol on Dec. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (see bit.ly/climateforum23). Together, we can work to create a livable future that supports our hopes and dreams.

Sophie Pager is an ‘Iolani School senior and member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby; Audrey Lin is a sophomore at the school and a leader of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby Hawaii Youth Action Team.

11/12/23 - Climate change is a health emergency

By Eric Lindborg

(Eric Lindborg, M.D., is a retired family practice physician who has worked in Panama, Washington’s San Juan Islands, the Marshall Islands and Kailua-Kona, where he now lives.)

An Oct. 25 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine is entitled “Time to Treat the Climate and Nature Crisis as One Indivisible Global Health Emergency.” It advocates for a World Health Organization (WHO) declaration that “the indivisible climate and nature crisis is a global health emergency.” It observes that the three preconditions for such a declaration are clearly met: That Climate change: (1) is serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected, (2) carries implications for public health beyond the affected state’s national border, and (3) may require immediate international action.

As a recently retired physician with work experience in the low-lying atoll islands of the Marshall Islands, I can personally relate to current and future health/societal ramifications of climate change. Already, parts of Micronesia have experienced droughts and deluges that have become more extreme. Alignments of moon, tide and wind result in flooding of previously safe dry areas. And all of this results in uncertainties regarding safe homes, potable water, waste disposal, heat-related illness and vector-borne/ infectious disease — increasing the already difficult challenges of supporting individual and community health in these small islands. These concerns can certainly extend over time to the low-lying coastal areas of Hawaii.

Having attended injured and sick patients for more than 50 years, I can testify to the critical impact of the social and physical environment in sustaining each individual’s health and well-being. Climate change will, with increasing momentum, adversely impact individual as well as community health.

The preponderance of scientific evidence and projections support the conclusions that climate change is real, ongoing, disruptive and related to the end products of humankind’s fossil fuel consumption. Analysis also supports the conclusion that decreasing our fossil fuel consumption will decrease the rate and magnitude of climate change and by so doing advance the cause of global health. Addressing climate change is a way of doing something positive regarding critical issues of future individual, community and global health.

Noting that climate change is a global problem and that most effective changes must be at the national and international level I have felt somewhat helpless, as a resident of Hawaii, to usefully address these issues. Until now. There is a real chance that a state carbon tax with taxpayer rebate (carbon cashback bill) may pass in the 2024 legislative session. Passage will incentivize use of alternatives to fossil fuel and facilitate our transition from fossil fuel consumption to clean renewable sources of energy, and provide a model for dealing with climate change. Passage will result in more dollars circulating through the local economy and, through the cashback to residents, mitigate adverse effects on those who are less well-off in our community. Climate change is resulting in a real, though slow-evolving, global health emergency. Locally we, the residents of Hawaii, have the opportunity to take on a leadership role in acknowledging and addressing the problem. Implementing the carbon cashback bill is an overwhelmingly reasonable next step. This is not only a right step for Hawaii, but passage will help move to the national policy we need, a national price on carbon.

I encourage readers to get more information regarding this proposal at carboncashbackhawaii.org. Please consider contacting your state senators and representatives to express your support.

9/26/23 -ThinkTech Hawaii - Code Green with Howard Wiig - Youths Take Climate Action

Code Green: Youths Take Climate Action, with host Howard Wiig (Downtown Honolulu), Sophie Pager ('Iolani School), Audrey Lin ('Iolani School), Chisato Tarui ('Iolani School), Liza Kukharuk ('Iolani School)

September 26 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

9/9/23 - Letters to the Editor - Ecological groups to join for those who want to help

By Bobbie Best

We can’t throw up our hands because of so much needed in the face of devastation.

Many are working on regenerative agriculture, forest and wetland restoration, carbon sequestration, etc.

On a personal level, there are ecological groups to join so we don’t feel alone and depressed.

For example: This Is What We Did, 350.org, Climate Reality Project, Sierra Club, Surfrider and Hawaii Wildlife Fund Honu all want more volunteers for their worthy activities.

While I’m involved in those, I’m most active in citizensclimatelobby.org which has branches in every congressional district.

Locally, we work with Hawaii Environmental Climate Action, with members from various islands. I’m so impressed with the quality of its members who are akamai, informed, hard workers who support each other no matter how much or little work is possible by individuals.

Yes, we lobby members of Congress, and luckily in Hawaii we have environmental champions: Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Jill Tokuda, and in state Congress, Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran, Sen. Angus McKelvey and many more.

We champion a policy that is needed to reach our goals of lower fossil fuel emissions while offering recompense to families, especially lower- and middle-income folks.

It’s called carbon fee and dividend nationally and in Hawaii it’s called carbon cashback.

This policy is endorsed by the IPPC of the United Nations, thousands of economists including Treasury secretaries, besides environmentalists and businesses.

CCL also works on healthy forests, building electrification and efficiency, clean energy permitting reform and offers tons of information and assistance.

Bobbie Best

Wailuku

8/29/23 - Island Voices - Lahaina is our window to the future

By Helen Cox and Sophie Pager (author - John Kawamoto)

(Helen Cox, former Kauai Community College chancellor, chairs the Kauai Climate Action Coalition; Sophie Pager, an ‘Iolani School senior, is youth action leader for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.)

Climate-related disasters once seemed distant from us in Hawaii because they were occurring elsewhere in the world. Suddenly, however, the Lahaina wildfire brought home the reality that climate change is a global phenomenon that is inescapable. Our hearts go out to the disaster victims and their families.

Although not the sole cause of the Lahaina wildfire, climate change amplified it. For example, climate change contributed to the large amounts of dry invasive grass that fueled the wildfire and the strong winds that moved it so quickly that escape was impossible for many people.

Lahaina is a window to climate reality, where more intense wildfires, storms, floods, heatwaves, hurricanes and droughts will become more common globally. Our world is so interconnected that these disasters will impact everyone, everywhere.

“Climate change can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality. For example, projected increases in temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, changes in extreme weather events, and reductions in water availability may all result in reduced agricultural productivity,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Observed climate change is already affecting food security,” states the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to food security issues since about 85% of our food is imported. A drought thousands of miles away that reduces agricultural production there can affect the availability of food here in Hawaii.

Hawaii’s entire economy is at risk of climate change because it is so dependent on tourism. The United Nation World Tourism Organization says that “the tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change.”

Climate change has already impacted insurance because it increases the risk of property damage. Climate change has led to an estimated average increase of 12% in homeowner premiums in only one year, according to Benjamin Keys, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Farmers Insurance recently notified the state of Florida that it was dropping home, auto and umbrella policies there. It is the fourth company to leave the Florida market in the last year, with most citing rising risks from hurricanes.

Climate change impacts are so widespread that, ultimately, “climate change will harm the U.S. economy, even with modest amounts of warming,” says the Energy Policy Institute. An increase in the average global temperature of 2° Celsius would reduce the gross domestic product of North America by an estimated 6.9%, according to a study by the Swiss Re Institute.

It doesn’t matter if one lives in Hawaii, China or anywhere else on the planet. We must act collectively to reverse the trend of fossil fuel consumption so that Earth remains livable. However, fossil fuels are so integrated with our economy and our lifestyles that the transition to a clean, renewable energy future will be difficult.

Fortunately, we have made the first steps to reverse the trend. For example, Hawaii has tens of thousands of rooftop solar installations. We are transitioning the generation of electricity by public utilities to clean, renewable sources. The sale of electric vehicles is accelerating. And although there’s still a long way to go, we have the necessary tools to get there.

Lahaina serves as our window to climate reality and the destabilizing, disastrous threats of climate change. However, we can change this view to one that sustains and nurtures life and supports thriving communities. We must work together and commit to achieving a clean, renewable, sustainable energy future.

Many bills will be introduced in the 2024 legislative session that take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For the sake of humanity, we urge the state Legislature to pass a robust set of those bills.

8/15/23 - Letters to the Editor - Get rid of invasive grass, more fire-prone than native

By Barry Solomon

As Maui continues to cope with the recent catastrophic and heartbreaking wildfires that destroyed much of Lahaina and over 450 homes elsewhere on the island, rather than point fingers for what could have been done differently, I want to focus on a major, positive solution to prevent similar wildfires from reoccurring: getting rid of invasive, non-native grasses.

Non-native guinea, napier, and buffelgrass are widespread, covering around a quarter of Hawai’i’s lands. However, because Hawai’i lacks large animal populations to eat them, and these areas lack sufficient rainfall to support extensive tree cover for shrublands, long drought cycles followed by pronounced rainfall allowed the invasive grasses to dominate the landscape.

Driving from Lahaina to Kihei, one can see how the invasive buffelgrass and kiawe can resemble an African savanna where wildfires have become an annual occurrence. Unfortunately, the predominance of these non-native grasses was a critical factor behind the catastrophic Lahaina wildfire.

It is imperative that a public-private partnership be created to eradicate these non-native grasses and convert them back to plants that are much less fire prone. These solutions have already been covered by USA Today, Washington Post and elsewhere.

Examples of native grasses and plants include Pili grass, ‘A’ali’i, ‘Akulikuli, Pa’uohi’iaka, and ‘Ilima Papa. These plants are excellent candidates for serving as green fire breaks. Moreover, why not stop pumping raw sewage into the ocean and onto our precious coral reefs and instead divert the reclaimed wastewater inland for drip irrigation of these native plants? 

Urgent action is needed.

Barry Solomon

Waikapu

8/2/23 - Letters to the Editor - Ocean temperature rise decimating coral reefs

By Elena Arinaga, St. Louis Heights

Hanau ka ‘Uku-ko‘ako‘a, hanau kana, he ‘Ako‘ako‘a, puka Born was the coral polyp, born was the coral, came forth — Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant Around the world, higher ocean temperatures are being recorded, posing a major risk to coral and other marine life. Events like marine heat waves can cause severe impacts on underwater ecosystems, including mass die-offs of animals, harmful algal blooms and seaweed destruction. Warm water also impacts fishing yields and the coastal communities that rely upon them.

The Kumulipo states that coral was one of the first forms of life on this Earth from which all other life sprang forth. Honoring our oceans and protecting the life nurtured by them from the threat of climate change is not only our duty, but also a privilege.

I call upon our elected officials to do all they can to reduce the emissions warming our oceans and our world.

Elena Arinaga, St. Louis Heights

7/13/23 Island Voices - Hawaii leads charge in setting up EV charging infrastructure

By Noel Morin

(Noel Morin is a climate- action advocate with various organizations focused on climate action, sustainability and resilience; he is also vehicles and infrastructure lead for Sustainability Partners (sp-hawaii.com)).

The Biden administration’s $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program is a transformative investment that will accelerate our transition to a sustainable transportation future. This program can work, but most states have yet to implement it. An exception is Hawaii: Thanks to the effort of our Department of Transportation, the state is poised to deploy the first NEVI hub in the nation.

The state of Hawaii will receive more than $17 million in NEVI funds. Its NEVI plan calls for a charging hub on Kauai, Oahu and Maui and five hubs on Hawaii island. Each hub will include at least four 120-kilowatt fast chargers.

On the surface, the NEVI program seems simple enough: Install ADA-compliant charging stations with at least four fast chargers within a mile of the exit along every 50 miles of America’s major highways and ensure that 40% of benefits flow to disadvantaged communities.

The federal government will reimburse each state’s Department of Transportation for designing and deploying the charging hubs and the cost of maintenance, repair, and lease of hardware and software for the first five years.

It sounds like a great plan, but there’s a catch or two.

States must come up with a 20% funding match, a big amount to add to their budget. Every state applied for the grant in hopes they could find matching funds. This approach may work for some states, but others may find the debt causing major tension with taxpayers and credit ratings. For instance, New York will receive about $175 million, but the cities along the highways need a $35 million match. Not too bad until you realize $210 million spread across 40 stations along 2,007 miles of highway equates to $5.25 million per hub. It’s also doubtful that the funding will cover the infrastructure and the cost of bringing the needed electricity to support the chargers at each location. Each hub will require a 600-kilowatt constant load during peak usage times, and many electrical grids are ill-equipped to manage this.

Once installed, these EV charging hubs won’t maintain themselves for free. Small and completely inadequate locations may eventually be abandoned and become another eyesore once the 5-year funding ends and the real annual operating costs begin. Well-intentioned NEVI charging hubs may result in a massive waste of taxpayers’ dollars if there isn’t a plan to maintain and improve the infrastructure.

Hawaii is charging forward. Hawaii’s leaders are proud and protective of the environment and determined to reach the state’s sustainability goals. They have embarked on a robust strategy to decarbonize their transportation sector and understand the cost of building and sustaining an effective EV charging infrastructure, particularly one that can be expanded to meet future demand.

Importantly, Hawaii has figured out how to deploy the NEVI program and is already on a path to the EV charging infrastructure we can be proud of in the long term. The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), led by Director Ed Sniffen, has partnered with Sustainability Partners, a public benefit company, to deploy its NEVI charging infrastructure. As a result, Hawaii has found its 20% funding match and has access to capital to cover the actual deployment costs.

HDOT is now working to install NEVI charging hubs with fully integrated on-site clean power preconfigured to expand as needed. It also has a solid plan to properly maintain its NEVI charging station hubs so that they will provide sustained benefits to its residents and visitors.

Mahalo, Hawaii, for leading the way.

7/4/23 - Fossil fuel industry profits with no accountability

By Bobbie Best

These climate disasters made me realize that many news stories show no connection between them and their main cause: fossil fuels. This is dangerous, because many people will continue to refuse to see that longer, hotter and deadlier summers are caused and perpetuated by the disastrous coal, oil and gas projects — the fossil fuel industry.

The science is clear — the longer we allow coal, oil and gas companies to dig and burn, the worse the impacts of the climate crisis will be. With every fraction of a degree of warming, we’ll see and suffer more extreme heat, droughts, floods, wildfires and hurricanes. But the fossil fuel industry continues to keep digging, burning and profiting with zero accountability.

People who did the least to cause the climate crisis suffer the worst from its impacts. They lose livelihoods, hope and worse, their lives, while oil companies continue to hit record profits. This is wrong on so many levels.

Local, regional and national media have an important role to play, and a moral obligation to tell the whole truth. It’s time to make one thing about extreme weather very clear: it’s not a crisis that just happens to us. It’s a crime, and the fossil fuel industry is guilty.

Bobbie Best

Wailuku

6/28/23 - Letters to the Editor - Naysayers wrong about potential of solar energy

By John Kawamoto

Clint Churchill and Ed MacNaughton apparently haven’t kept up with advances in clean, renewable energy technology because they continue to insist on the consumption of dirty fossil fuels (“Integrated grid plan faces challenges of cost and reliability,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, June 22).

In particular, solar energy is now the cheapest form of energy, and it is reliable when combined with battery storage. The Waikoloa project on Hawaii island, for example, combines solar panels with battery storage to deliver electricity continuously, while reducing electricity rates for Hawaiian Electric customers.

Furthermore, the Inflation Reduction Act has reduced the manufacturing costs of solar panels so that those manufactured in the U.S. are now cheaper than those from China.

When it comes to solar, rooftops represent an underutilized resource. According to a University of Hawaii study, Oahu rooftops have enough space for solar panels that can generate enough electricity for all of Oahu’s needs.

Solar energy should be a major contributor to Hawaii’s 100% clean, renewable- energy future.

John Kawamoto

Kaimuki

5/18/23 - Letters to the Editor - Gas strike reveals flaws in ‘firm’ power

By Charley Ice

The Practical Policy Institute has repeatedly touted natural gas and other fossil fuels as “firm.” Now we find out that businesses were forced to close because they could not get natural gas as a result of a labor strike (“Gas strike forcing several businesses to close,” Star-Advertiser, June 9). Certainly, we should not have to deny workers’ concerns.

It’s an unfortunate situation which, nevertheless, highlights threats to the reliability of natural gas, gasoline, oil and all other fuels subject to supply chain disruptions and material shortages. This is not “firm.”

By contrast, solar energy, once installed, faces no such threats because it is locally produced. Solar, which is now the cheapest form of energy, is now being paired with battery storage to provide cheap, reliable energy.

The Waikoloa solar+battery project on Hawaii island, for example, has reduced electricity rates for Hawaiian Electric customers. Clean redundancy is better than “firm” polluting.

5/17/23 - Island Voices - Biomass is the opposite of sustainable

By Charley Ice

(Charley Ice, a retired civil-service hydrologist and planner, is active on environmental issues.)

Biomass as a fuel for generating electricity was considered “renewable” at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and sustained under the 1997 Kyoto Agreement. Climate science has come a very long way since then, and we know that biomass is not only not renewable, it is worse than the fossil fuels we’re trying to replace.

Burning biomass to generate electricity poses two very serious problems. First, it contributes twice as much greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as coal and is an immediate health hazard to surrounding communities. Atmospheric pollution is causing mega-wildfires, worse and more frequent storms, prolonged droughts, sea level rise, an accelerating extinction of plants and animals world-wide, and threatening new plagues as well.

The global scientific effort to combat climate change is shouting “code red” to reduce emissions as fast as possible — we are not just behind schedule, but actually losing ground.

Second, the very idea of biomass being “renewable” has the problem absolutely backwards. Growing biomass is how to draw atmospheric pollutants out of the air. Burning biomass immediately stops drawdown and pours twice as much pollutants into the atmosphere. Waiting for biomass to begin drawing down again takes one or two whole human generations. It gets worse: atmospheric warming reduces the ability of plant leaves to absorb atmospheric gases under the increasing heat stress. Every plant we can grow now must be left in place to absorb carbon as fast as possible. We cannot afford to burn any of it.

Emitting greenhouse gases for energy is not “sustainable”; it accelerates climate change. The only sources that can sustain our survival on this planet do not cause emissions — water, wind and solar power.

The legitimate concern of decision makers for “firm” power also misunderstands the problem. What they actually want is redundant power, which is much cheaper with constantly advancing sun-wind-battery technologies. Pretending that wind-solar-batteries are not “firm” power is simply false, an argument concocted by petroleum interests to undermine sun-wind-batteries, now proven to be both more reliable and increasingly cheaper. Redundant, reliable “firm” power comes from providing cheaper wind-solar-batteries — an easy, familiar strategy. 

Decision- makers funded by polluters need to get out of the way.

An additional way to contain the problem is to stop wasting nearly 30% of everything, much of it irreplaceable and non-substitutable. We are speeding past Earth’s material limits, something technology cannot replenish, so everything is getting more expensive. We can greatly improve efficiency, and improve our wasteful living habits, so that consuming so much is not necessary.

What is really needed is to tune out fossil fuel propaganda, unblock supply chain issues, return manufacturing to our own shores, and move “solar farms” over the urban zone. The needed technologies are multiplying every day, being rolled out increasingly quickly. Investors know it, decision- makers need to learn it, and citizens need to require it.

5/14/23 - Legislature should be more democratic

By Audrey Lin, Sophie Pager and Leiali‘i Crowley, Ania Lavrenchuk also contributed to this commentary.

Audrey Lin is a leader of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Hawaii Youth Action Team; Sophie Pager is a CCL member; Leiali‘i Crowley is a CCL team leader; all are ‘Iolani School students.

Left to right - Lei, Audrey, Sophie

‘We cannot afford to continue to delay on policies that will help address climate change. Now is the time to take bold action.” Over 70% of Hawaii voters agreed with that previous statement, according to a Nature Conservancy survey. As high school youth, we agree that change is needed immediately.

Solutions to the climate crisis are at our fingertips; why are we brushing them aside? The public has voiced its opinions, yet the Legislature refuses to listen. When given the opportunity to implement carefully researched plans to help our islands, legislators refuse to act.

Many climate bills — and other necessary bills — have been killed by a few legislators holding positions of power. Chairs of committees are responsible for scheduling public hearings on bills referred to their committees. They can kill those bills by simply not scheduling a public hearing. Without a hearing, a bill will be stuck in the committee, unable to continue in the legislative process.

Committee chairs typically don’t notify the public that they won’t schedule bills for hearings, meaning the bill’s supporters are unaware it will die until the deadline for a hearing passes. These procedures allow immense power to be concentrated in the hands of only a few legislators.

As teenagers, it is heartbreaking to see our beautiful home be slowly stained by the climate crisis. It is shattering to watch as people who claim to love this island as much as we do flick aside the climate crisis like an insect. It is baffling that, even as we children beg for a solution, all it takes is a sentence from those with unjust power to erase years of hard work.

We try to imagine the island our parents knew, but we struggle to understand there was a time when you could see the water from the streets in Kakaako, not just a skyline. There was a time when the beaches near our houses weren’t thick with seaweed, and the water wouldn’t appear brown and smell of rotting fish. There was a time when children would play outside, and the summer air wasn’t so muggy it made them stay inside instead. There was a

time when the Ala Wai was full of healthy fish! There was a time when people could swim in streams, unafraid of deadly bacteria!

We can barely picture the island our parents describe. We wonder path.

Without voting power, our voice is already quieter than the adults around us. Knowing that adults are being silenced, too, makes us scared for our islands. If we can speak so passionately on an issue of such significance and still be trumped by the choices of a single person, what does this mean for democracy?

Fortunately, there are solutions. It is possible to change the House and Senate rules to ensure that no single legislator has too much power. The federal and state governments are currently structured so that no branch of government can become too powerful. Power must be balanced within the legislative branch as well. Solutions such as term limits, increased transparency and accountability, and structural reforms — which were proposed but killed in the recent legislative session — are simple ways to promote democracy within our Legislature.

We urge the House and Senate to change their rules to operate more democratically. Unjust influence must be overcome, so that the Legislature reflects not the personal agendas of a few, but the overarching will of the people.

5/11/23 - Time-of-use rates can help reduce emissions

By Virginia Tincher

Addressing climate change requires changes in behavior, from driving less to using more energy-efficient technologies to changing how electricity is generated.

Addressing climate change means reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. In the electric sector, this equates to replacing fossil-fired generation with generation from renewables, especially solar. Solar power is plentiful during the day and nonexistent at night. Therefore, to take advantage of this clean, low-cost energy source, households and businesses need to shift as much of their power consumption as possible to the daytime.

To induce this change in behavior, Hawaiian Electric will be rolling out a pilot programs where electricity rates will be far cheaper during the day than at night. Kudos to the Public Utilities Commission and HECO for piloting time-of-use electricity rates as one of many policies to help the state be a responsible global citizen and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Virginia Tincher

Aina Haina

5/1/23 - Article - ‘It’s truly a sustainability event’ Group hosts electric vehicle event to help educate public

By Kelsey Walling, Hawaii Tribune-Herald - Interview with Noel Morin

The Big Island EV Association hosted an event Saturday to help educate the community about electric vehicles and sustainability.

The event brought several electric vehicle dealers and local organizations involved in clean energy and sustainable transportation together at Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium to give people an opportunity to learn about new technologies that are more attainable than they may realize.

“This was primarily an electric vehicle advocacy event and we want to share the benefits of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation in general,” said Big Island EV Association co-founder Noel Morin. “It’s important, because we need to reduce our emissions and transportation represents a significant chunk of emissions.”

While people can make a difference by riding bikes, taking the bus, and sharing vehicles, electric vehicles are the best option for the long run in reducing emissions across the island, according to Big Island EV Association.

“There are misconceptions we want to clear up while we’re here. There are many issues that have been mitigated by manufacturers, but we do have a challenge with the amount of public charging stations and we need to enhance that infrastructure,” Morin said. “While some homeowners have a charging station, if you rent, you may not have a home charging station. We want to encourage private sectors and local governments to address this lack of charging stations.”

Morin said that Hawaii County has several charging stations that will be replaced soon, and the state has a program in the works to bring five large charging hubs across the island.

Attendees learned about rebates and tax credits for electric vehicles, charging equipment, solar and energy storage systems, and energy-efficient appliances while attending the event.

Keiki also explored and participated in STEM activities while learning about 3D printing and drone programs. “While this is an EV event, we have so many organizations from across the island educating attendees on new sustainability technologies,” Morin said.

“There are so many programs preparing our youth for jobs of the future, and they’ll be empowered with this information to help with sustainability efforts. It’s truly a sustainability event.”

More information on economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles can be found at bigislandev.org.

Here are some pictures from the event. 

4/20/23 - Letters to the Editor - The best energy-and-water-saving policy

By Elena Arinaga, St. Louis Heights

A bill being considered by the Legislature right now would be a win-win for consumers and the planet, but most people have never heard of the proposed policy. Senate Bill 691 would set what’s called “efficiency standards” for certain products sold in the state. Essentially, this would leverage the highly successful U.S. EPA Energy Star and WaterSense programs by requiring certain products sold in the state to meet those well known efficiency levels. By doing this, no one needs to conduct a research project to figure out which products are more energy- or water-efficient.

The products on the shelves are already the more efficient product, so everyone is good to go. By adopting this bill, it’s estimated that by 2040, Hawaii would annually save $11 million on utility bills, 254 million gallons of water and 18 gigawatt hours of electricity. That sounds like a good deal to me.

Elena Arinaga

St. Louis Heights

4/20/23 - Letters to the Editor - Replace fluorescents with safer LED bulbs

By Douglas Perrine, Kailua-Kona

Fluorescent light bulbs are one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time. They did save energy compared to incandescent bulbs (remember those?). But they had a nasty little secret: Each one contains a dose of neurotoxic mercury that can be released into your home, or into the environment when the bulb is broken, and they emit UV rays that can contribute to skin cancer. Now that LED lights are widely available, inexpensive and even more energy- efficient, hardly anyone wants fluorescents any more, and some states are moving to ban them. If Hawaii is last, manufacturers may do what they have done with other dangerous products in the past: Dump them in Hawaii.

I hope readers will join me in supporting House Bill 192 to phase out the sale of dangerous fluorescents in favor of longer-lasting LEDs that save us more on our electric bills.

Douglas Perrine

Kailua-Kona

4/15/23 - How The Legislature Can Help Fight Climate Chaos A House resolution urges a national carbon fee and dividend policy

By Jaymen Laupola, Doug Hagan, Ron Reilly (Also Helen Cox, Bobbie Best and Matthew Geyer)

The U.S. is facing multiple challenges: increasing levels of poverty, greater economic and social inequity, an unaffordable housing crisis, large/growing government deficits, and the underlying threat multiplier of climate chaos with its immediately obvious multibillion dollar weather disasters including hurricanes, tornados, fires, and floods.

Longer-term damage includes biodiversity loss, coral reef destruction, ocean acidification, melting ice sheets and rising sea levels. Everyone in Hawaii is already being adversely affected to some degree or other. Hawaii must play a role in addressing these statewide and nationwide problems.

The Hawaii State House responded by passing resolution House Resolution 125 urging the Federal government to adopt a national Carbon Fee and Dividend policy.

While it seems daunting to simultaneously tackle all these challenges, it must be done for the health of our planet, the people, and our government. The single most effective solution, one of many, that will directly address these challenges is a carbon fee and dividend policy.

Without burdensome rules and regulations, without increasing the national debt, and while protecting the purchasing power of lower income folks, a fee or tax on fossil fuel emissions can accomplish much:

1. help achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and a 50% reduction by 2030;

2. encourage increased production of affordable clean energy;

3. put money in people’s pockets via a monthly dividend payment; and

4. save tens of thousands of lives by reducing fossil-fuel particulate air pollution

CFD And Action On Climate

Over 3,600 economists, including 28 Nobel laureates and 15 former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, view it as the most effective policy to address climate change. 

The economists’ statement begins with, “A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary. By correcting a well-known market failure, a carbon tax will send a powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.” 

A fee on carbon allows us to stop subsidizing fossil fuels by incorporating into their price the true cost of their environmental impact, including local air pollution, sea level rise, weather extremes, and coral bleaching.

Sure, fossil fuel companies can pay the fee and keep polluting, but their impacts are now very public.

Including the costs that fossil fuels impose on the environment and our health complements and strengthens existing policies that address these issues.

A CFD levels the playing field by no longer allowing fossil fuels to avoid the hidden costs that arise from their use. Correcting this existing market failure will incentivize consumers and businesses to increase energy efficiency and adopt cleaner technologies.

CFD And Social Equity

The Economists’ statement concludes: “To maximize the fairness and political viability of a rising carbon tax, all the revenue should be returned directly to U.S. citizens through equal lump-sum rebates. Most American families, including the most vulnerable, will benefit financially by receiving more in “carbon dividends” than they pay in increased energy prices.”

The policy is equitable because each adult receives the same dividend or rebate, which means each adult is given the same rights to or benefits of the environment. Carbon emissions result from the production of almost all goods and services.

Since the consumption of goods and services increases with income, the more income one has, the more emissions one emits and hence the more one pays in fees. Therefore, in general, wealthier people will pay more in fees than poorer people.

But since everyone receives the same dividends, lower income people fare better than higher income people. A study done by Ummel finds that 96% of the lowest income households would benefit financially from this policy. 

CFD Can Use Existing Programs 

A carbon fee and dividend would take advantage of many existing government programs so as to minimize the cost of implementation. The government currently tracks the production of fossil fuels and taxes them so existing accounting could be used to levy fees on fossil fuels in accordance with their carbon content. 

As for distributing the revenues to people, the government can take advantage of many of the institutions that already distribute money to people such as the Department of Treasury.

In addition, because of the CARES Act, the government has experience distributing money to all households below a certain income threshold.

Hawaii Can Lead The Way

Hawaii declared a climate emergency in 2021 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 44), a recognition of the threat of global warming and the need for urgent effective action. Unfortunately,  we’re experiencing increasingly egregious climate impacts every year. We need to act now in every way possible to mitigate the emergency by lowering emissions and health-impacting pollution!  

The Hawaii House voted 49 to 1 to adopt House Resolution 124 and HR 125, urging “the U.S. Congress to adopt national carbon fee and dividend legislation.”

Passing this resolution would send a message that Hawaii is in support of carbon pricing. It would magnify the support offered by Sen. Brian Schatz, who has introduced bills supporting carbon pricing, and former Rep. Kai Kahele, a co-sponsor of a carbon fee and dividend house bill, which had 95 cosponsors in the 117th Congress.

We owe today’s youth and future generations a livable planet and an equitable society. We can achieve this by enacting policies that protect the planet and the most vulnerable. A carbon fee and dividend policy will help us achieve this.

Editor’s note: Helen Cox, chair of the Kauai Climate Action Coalition and co-lead of Kauai Citizens’ Climate Lobby; Bobbie Best, co-lead of Maui Citizens’ Climate Lobby; and Matthew Geyer, founding member of Hawaii Environmental Change Agents, also co-authored this Community Voice.

4/13/23 - Letters to the Editor for the April 13 issue - Act now to reduce carbon emissions

By Bobbie Best, Wailuku

The Hawaii House voted for HCR24 and HR125, asking our Federal Government to address climate change by adopting a national carbon fee and dividend.

This benefits low- and middle-income households, and reduces fossil fuel use without costing the government.

Also this will protect U.S. businesses in the global marketplace. The fee on these fuels gets returned to U.S. citizens. Since Hawaii has declared a climate emergency, it is clear we need to reduce emissions right now.

Let’s hope that our Senate branch adopts these resolutions as well.

Bobbie Best, Wailuku

4/7/23 - Letters to the Editor - Streamlining solar permits a win-win-win

By Virginia Tincher, Aina Haina

Mahalo to the state Legislature and numerous groups for their support of much-needed Senate Bill 781 to streamline permitting for distributed (on-site) solar/battery projects. The bill passed the Senate and the House.

Adjustments to the current permitting process will ensure a more timely transition to solar energy and battery storage to help residents save money on their electric bills and help Hawaii meet its clean energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

Residential rooftop solar is a proven tool to help homeowners and renters save money and reduce the need for utility investments in the power grid, which are paid for by all ratepayers. When paired with batteries, rooftop solar panels also increase resiliency in neighborhoods, helping homes keep the lights on and communication powered during a blackout.

Passing SB 781 is a win-win-win!

Virginia Tincher

Aina Haina

3/31/23 - Letters to the Editor - Pricing carbon to help living beings while we can

By Bobbie Best, Wailuku

Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 124 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 200 call on the federal government to price carbon and return the revenues to people.

HCR124 will be voted on by the House soon. It would help if ASAP people asked our Hawaii members of Congress on Oahu to support this.

Whether it’s called Carbon Cashback as in Hawaii, or Carbon Fee and Dividend nationally, the policy will cut global warming emissions.

Some 40 countries have already adopted carbon pricing. It increases demand for more sustainable energy, needed to avoid more heat-related deaths, coastal erosion, more frequent and intense hurricanes, floods, drought, fires, destruction of ecosystems and disruptions of food production.

The cash or dividend is a rebate for families to exceed increases in fuel costs. Migrants are escaping the effects of climate change; these dispossessed people can only try to protect themselves.

We in America must get on board with pricing carbon to help all living beings while we can.

3/20/23 Insight - The energy future that we’ve been waiting for is here

Insight

Is Hawaii ready for all-renewable energy?

YES

The energy future that we’ve been waiting for is here

By John Kawamoto

John Kawamoto is a former legislative analyst and an advocate for a clean, healthy environment.

We’ve known for decades that we should reduce the burning of fossil fuels and other materials to generate energy because of the harmful impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate and human health. We’ve known that solar, wind and other clean, renewable sources were much better for us and for the environment, but they were expensive.

We’ve also known that technology was working to bring down the costs of clean, renewable energy. Many of us have been waiting. And now the costs of solar and wind have been reduced to such a degree that they are currently the cheapest of all sources of energy.

Fortunately, the cost of battery storage has also been dropping. New projects pairing solar with battery storage are being built across the nation. A number of them are located in Hawaii, and more are being planned. Reliable clean, renewable energy will ultimately bring down electricity rates for consumers.

Solar projects that have been recently completed in Hawaii include the Lawai Solar and Energy Project on Kauai, which was at the time the largest solar plus storage peak-power generator in the world. It combines 28 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity with a lithium-ion battery capable of storing 100 megawatt- hours, providing electricity at a low cost of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The Lawai Solar and Energy Project provides electricity to Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC). A Tesla solar/battery project is also providing electricity to KIUC — at 13.9 cents per kilowatt- hour. By comparison, the average residential rate of Hawaiian Electric, which provides electricity to the rest of Hawaii, is 38 cents per kilowatt-hour. Hawaii has the highest electricity rates in the nation.

But even Hawaiian Electric is going solar. The Mililani Solar I project, located on former sugar-cane fields inland from Pearl Harbor, generates 39 megawatts of solar power for 9 cents per kilowatt-hour. Other completed solar projects include Kawailoa Solar in Haleiwa, the Waianae Solar Project, and Waiawa Solar Power. Another completed KIUC project is called Kauai Solar.

Many more solar projects are in the works on the various islands: 

Oahu: Kaukonahua Solar, AES West Oahu, Hoohana Solar 1, Kapolei Energy Storage, Kupono Solar, Mountain View Solar, Waiawa Phase 2 Solar, Kalaeloa Home Lands Solar, and Palailai Solar.

Maui: Lipoa Solar, Makawao Solar, Piiholo Road Solar, Waena Battery Energy Storage, AES Kuihelani, Kamaole Solar, and Paeahu Solar.

Hawaii island: Kalaola Solar A and B, Naalehu Solar, Keahole Battery Energy Storage, Hale Kuawehi Solar, AES Waikoloa Solar.

Molokai: Kualapuu Solar and Palaau Solar.

Lanai: Lanai Solar Project.

Kauai: West Kauai Solar Energy Project. It is undeniable that solar power brings down costs. When paired with batteries, which store power during the day and make it available at night, systems can be designed to be reliable. Consumers benefit with lower electricity rates, and the environment benefits with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

No longer should facilities be built that generate electricity by burning fossil fuel — or any other form of dirty energy. They are costly and obsolete.

Clean, renewable energy is the future, and the future is here. The future is now. Let’s fully embrace it.

3/14/23 Letters to the Editor - President must reject fossil fuels expansion

By Bobbie Best

The Willow project is a proposed massive expansion of oil and gas drilling and extraction that would threaten Indigenous communities, wildlife and ecosystems in Alaska’s Western Arctic which would emit 287 million metric tons of pollution over the next 30 years.

Allowing this project to move forward would be disastrous for our planet.

President Joe Biden should stop this project and any other proposals for new fossil fuel infrastructure that come across his desk.

Global climate scientists warn that to avoid the irreversible climate devastation that will result from overshooting 1.5 degrees C of global warming, we must end all new investment in fossil fuel projects and immediately begin to phase out production.

Now is the exact time when humanity must begin urgently phasing out fossil fuels.

Biden must reject the Willow project.

Bobbie Best

Wailuku

2/25/23 - Pass Carbon Cashback bill this legislative session

By Bobbie Best

Thousands of economists signed a statement: “A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary. By correcting a well-known market failure, a carbon tax will send a powerful price signal that harnesses the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.”

We must stop subsidizing fossil fuels and begin including in their cost the cost of the environmental damages that they cause from air pollution, sea level rise, weather extremes and coral bleaching.

All the revenue should be returned directly to our citizens through equal lump-sum rebates.

A majority of families, including the most vulnerable, will benefit financially by receiving more in “carbon dividends” than they pay in increased energy prices.

Please, speaker of the House, keep HB 1146 (Carbon Cashback) alive by referring it to the Finance Committee and then work with your colleagues to pass this bill this legislative session.

Bobbie Best

Wailuku

2/21/23 - Letters to the Editor - Carbon bills deferred

By Ron Reilly

The cost of inaction on climate legislation mounts, as legislators defer two Senate “Carbon Cashback” bills (SB 1014, SB 1060). For two companion House bills (HB 1146, HB 1498) only one is still alive and not currently scheduled for a committee hearing (see capitol.hawaii.gov).

This science is clear: Increasingly severe unstable climate and weather extremes are caused primarily by our burning of fossil fuels (ancient forests).

The reality is clear: Taxing fossil fuels reduces fossil fuel use and encourages innovation, conservation and rapid development of more affordable clean energy as seen in Australia, Canada and Europe.

The economics is clear: Low- and middle-income households must be protected from cost increases as we transition away from fossil fuel use. Hawaii’s Carbon Cashback bills mandate that revenues collected from Hawaii’s fossil fuel importers be returned to Hawaii taxpayers as cash or as a tax rebate — i.e., one extra paycheck each year.

The cost of inaction to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is clear, most recently: Hawaii Island’s Friday, Feb. 17, weather emergency, and from our Pacific Ocean cousins in Aotearoa, New Zealand, as they face the human tragedies and economic disasters, still unfolding, from Cyclone Gabrielle (see rnz.co.nz for news).

To take the bold actions necessary, our Hawaii legislators need the political will that can best be created by calls and emails from their concerned constituents. We have a fast-closing window of opportunity to observe, to learn and to act, and to contact our legislators.

They need our help to pass effective, fair, fast-acting, carbon- pollution-pricing policy. The Carbon Cashback bills mentioned may not be perfect — but they are darn good!

Ron Reilly

Citizens’ Climate Lobby — Hawaii

2/21/23 - Letters to the Editor - Don’t let carbon tax credit bill die in House

By Virginia Tincher

Sunday’s article (“Climate warning labels sought for self-service gas stations,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 19), by Nina Wu, highlighted the need to help people make a connection between their consumption of fossil fuels and their impact on climate change, through the warning-label bills introduced by state Sen. Mike Gabbard and state Rep. Lisa Marten. Yu also highlighted House Bill 1146, a bill Marten introduced to lower emissions.

Marten said she supports working every angle. I agree. HB 1146 would reverse the subsidies supplied to fossilfuel companies and provide an annual check to people. Unfortunately, HB 1146 is in jeopardy of dying if the House fails to waive the hearing at the House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee. All but one member of this committee voted in favor of this policy last year when voted on by the full house, so I urge the House take the same steps as last year and move HB 1146 forward.

Virginia Tincher

Aina Haina

2/21/23 - Island Voices Lower costs, better technology: Hawaii’s energy future is now

By Bill Bugbee, Melodie Aduja and Mark Koppel (Clean Power Task Force)

The clean energy future many of us have been waiting for is here. Let’s take advantage of it.

We’ve known for decades that we should reduce the burning of fossil fuels and other materials to generate energy because of their harmful by-products on climate, health and the global environment. We’ve also known that solar, wind and other proven clean and renewable sources are better energy options.

Change is the great arbiter and in the case of clean energy, it came in the form of new technology, federal policy and market forces to bring down costs for clean and renewable energy. Just within the past few years, solar, wind and battery storage have undergone substantial reductions in deployment and operating costs to the extent that they are the most competitive, least expensive and equitable forms of energy now powering utility grids.

Until very recently, pandemic-related supply chain issues inflated material costs, yet the overall cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar and battery storage continues to drop as markets adjusted to a combination of technology and supply improvements.

New energy projects pairing solar and battery storage across the nation are replacing entrenched fossil fuel energy sources as utility scale energy suppliers. A growing number of examples here in Hawaii, across all four counties, represent this sea change.

These newly deployed clean energy replacements are reliable, resilient, faster and lower cost to deploy and operate, representing the best of (zero emissions) renewable energy options. They are disruptive to the business-as-usual utility model of powering homes and businesses in driving down electricity costs for utilities, and by extension ratepayers.

From Australia to Europe to the United States, battery storage as an on-demand and firm energy electricity source is increasingly replacing the traditional role of polluting, expensive and unsustainable combustion energy power plants. The often locally cited “four-hour battery limitation” is a myth, devoid of facts. Grid-scale battery limitations in terms of time and power output are a matter of scale, not technology limits.

The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is projected to drive nearly $3.5 trillion in the federal government investment of new energy supply and infrastructure onto the grid, the majority of which will be intermittent renewable resources backed by longterm energy storage.

The ICF Climate Center estimates IRA incentives could drive down the cost of solar energy by as much as 35% and wind by as much as 49% by 2030. The potential beneficiaries of the IRA financial incentives include Hawaii’s residential and commercial ratepayers through lowering energy costs.

Often missing in the discussion of Hawaii’s transition to a clean energy economy are the direct and quantifiable benefits this transition is contributing to the state’s economy. Certainly, lowering the cost of energy production should translate into lower utility fees for consumers, but that is just one example of the direct economic benefits to the state.

Clean energy projects by themselves are significant contributors to the state’s economy and climate goals, as exemplified by the recent AES Solar + Storage project on Hawaii island. This one project will not only deliver unprecedented low-cost clean energy to HELCO at $0.09 per kilowatt hour, but according to AES, has produced 200 jobs and generated a total economic benefit for Hawaii’s local economy estimated upwards to $47 million. This same solar project is also projected to replace more than a half-million barrels of imported oil annually, while meeting over 7% of Hawaii island’s electricity needs.

We all benefit from lower electricity rates and zero emissions energy. It is a win-win solution for residents and the economy. A clean, renewable energy future is here. It’s time to fully embrace it.

Bill Bugbee chairs the Clean Power Task Force; Melodie Aduja and Mark Koppel are task force members.

2/14/23 - Letter to the editor - An opportunity to participate

By Helen Cox

The Hawai‘i Legislature is in session, taking up bills that will change the future of Hawai‘i forever. In some cases for better, and in other cases for worse.

Everyone will be impacted; everyone can have a say. Whether housing, social justice, the climate or another issue is important to you, you can have an impact. The media carries stories about bills, and it’s easy to see actual bills on the Legislature’s website. The Legislature’s website is user friendly, so anyone can get information and express their opinions on bills through testimony. Online testimony makes it easy for Kaua‘i residents to testify, in written form or on camera.

We’re fortunate to live in a democracy where everyone has the opportunity to participate in the process of making the laws that we all live under.

For more information about how to testify, visit: https:// www.capitol.hawaii.gov/help. aspx.

Helen Cox

Kalaheo

2/4/23 - Letters to the Editor - Enact carbon cashback into law

By Paul Bernstein

Mahalo nui loa to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s editorial board for running the commentary, “Carbon cashback taxes fossil fuels, helps lower-income folks,” by Matt Geyer and Helen Cox (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 29). This commentary hit the nail on the head as to the policies that Hawaii must enact if it is to transition to a clean energy economy in an effective, efficient and equitable manner.

The commentary recognizes the uniqueness of carbon cashback in that it both reduces emissions — 10% reduction in Hawaii’s total greenhouse gas emissions — and financially benefits most low- and middle-income families, as per two University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization studies.

As the last Legislature declared, we are facing a climate emergency and must act now. Fortunately, our Legislature has the great opportunity to make carbon cashback law by passing one of the following four bills: Senate Bill 1004, SB 1060, House Bill 1146 or HB 1498.

Paul Bernstein

Aina Haina

2/1/23 - Letters to the Editor - Carbon cashback is needed policy for state

By Bobbie Best

The commentary, “Carbon cashback tax fossil fuels, helps lower-income folks,” was convincing that this is a needed policy (Island Voices, Insight, Star-Advertiser, Jan. 29). We have no time to waste. Without the 10% reduction in emissions, we won’t reach our reduction goals. We are the most vulnerable state in this climate emergency. Also we have the highest cost of living, so the cashback feature is important, too.

Several cashback bills are moving through our House and Senate, which is hopeful. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if citizens let their legislators know how vital a tool this is in helping us to a cleaner environment. Find your legislator at capitol.hawaii.gov under the legislator tabs.

Bobbie Best

Wailuku

1/29/23 Insight - CLEAN-ENERGY TRANSITION - FUEL FOR THOUGHT - Carbon cashback taxes fossil fuels,helps lower-income folks

By Matt Geyer and Helen Cox

Matt Geyer is a founding member of Hawaii Environmental Change Agents; Helen Cox chairs the Kauai Climate Action Coalition and is co-lead of the Kauai chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby.

Supporting low-income families is crucial for the well-being of our economy and society. Many workers — such as clerks, receptionists, waiters and waitresses, teacher aides, auto mechanics, custodians, home care workers, short-order cooks, laborers, health aides and delivery workers — are essential for the functioning of our society, yet they earn less than Hawaii’s median income.

According to Aloha United Way, 44% of Hawaii’s families do not earn enough income to cover all their basic needs and often have to make difficult choices, such as cutting back on food and medical care.

Efforts are being made to improve the lives of low-income families in Hawaii. A refundable food/excise tax credit has been created, and the minimum wage has been recently increased. However, more legislative action is needed. Efforts are also being made to eliminate the general excise tax on food and prescription drugs and to provide child care to families.

One relevant program, which has gone relatively unnoticed, is carbon cashback. A University of Hawaii study found that this program would result in a net financial benefit of $900 per year for the average family in the lowest income quintile, and most families would see some benefits.

Unlike many programs that support low-income families, carbon cashback makes use of existing government programs and would be revenue neutral. Furthermore, the program would benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon cashback would work by taxing the fossil fuel industry, which is largely responsible for climate change and air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, which are warming the planet. This program would tax companies that import fossil fuels to Hawaii. Unlike today’s gasoline tax, the revenues from carbon cashback would be returned to people in equal shares as a rebate in the form of a refundable tax credit.

Everyone would be eligible for the rebate, and those with low incomes would receive the same rebate as those with high incomes. This makes the program progressive, as lower-income families will experience a much larger net gain than higher-income families since they use less fossil fuel.

Carbon cashback employs economic theory to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since fossil fuel importers are likely to pass most of the carbon tax to consumers, the higher prices will be a disincentive for households and businesses to consume fossil fuels. As a result, people will look for ways to reduce their consumption, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Companies will, likewise, adopt and create lower-emitting products and solutions. The UH study estimates that carbon cashback would reduce Hawaii’s emissions by 10%. That is equivalent to taking more than 300,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road. Such a program would raise the income of families that are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling just to get by. It will do so without additional government spending as it takes advantage of existing government programs to minimize administrative costs.

Overall, helping low-income families is essential for the well-being of our economy and society. Carbon cashback is a progressive and environmentally friendly program that would help these families achieve economic stability — and critically, will help Hawaii reduce its global warming emissions.

This proposed program, which has been introduced as Senate Bill 1004 and SB 1060, is a win for our economy, people and the environment.

1/12/23 Letters to the Editor - Reduce emissions and help Hawaiian residents

By Virginia Tincher

Scientists have warned that global warming could lead to a vast loss of glaciers faster than previously thought. But if the world can limit future warming to just a few more tenths of a degree, then slightly less than half of the globe’s glaciers will disappear.

Even though Hawaii is working on many climate solutions, now is the time to include a solution that will reduce emissions in every area and help Hawaii residents.

We should add an emission fee to the oil and gas barrel tax to price the impact and return that fee to Hawaii residents to help with impacts and solutions.

Carbon pricing is working in British Columbia and Sweden. British Columbia’s climate action incentive payments benefit Canadians and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Sweden, GDP is up 83% and emissions are down 35%.

Virginia Tincher

Aina Haina

Past media contributions.