Hawai'i 2050
Legislature looks at sustainability

by Alan D. McNarie

Hawai'i has hundreds of thousands of acres of arable farmland, an ocean of resources lapping on its shores, steady winds, tides and intense sunlight that offer virtually limitless sources of energy, a thriving economy that generates skyrocketing state tax revenues, and the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. But the state imports over 90 percent of its food and most of its energy. The homeless rate is also skyrocketing, its average income level is more than $10,000 below the national average and a large portion of its adult population must work multiple jobs just to pay for food, utilities and housing.
Last January, in her opening day speech to the 24th Hawai'i State Legislature, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa issued a challenge to remake the state along a more sustainable model. At the head of that effort was to be a legislative task force called Hawai'i 2050, chaired by Hawai'i Island's Senator Russell Kokubun. That task force will be holding community meetings around the state over the next few months, soliciting citizen input. The next meeting on this island is May 5, 9 a.m.-noon at Kealakehe High School Library in Kona.
One of the Hawai'i 2050's tasks, ironically, is to define "sustainability."
"The community engagement is really important, even with the definition of sustainability, because people have so many different takes on it," Kokubun says. "People think it's the future that we need to speak to. For some, it's the triple bottom line concept: the environment the economy and the community. It's not just the bucks. It's what would be sustainable environmentally, and what would build community."
The task force Web site, hawaii2050.com, provides some starting points for that discussion. It has separate pages for community, environment and economy, plus a fourth area, quality of life, and it invites people to submit their ideas online about how to make the state more sustainable in each area. And each page offers some views based on what the task force has already learned.
The site's environment page, for instance, suggests that "To every extent possible, planning policies should be based on the traditional Hawaiian concept of the ahupua'a resource and behavioral management system-a system based on making sure that people respect the air, land, water, and other scarce natural resources that make life sustainable from the mountains to the sea."
According to Kokubun, the sustainability effort dates back to 2004, when the Senate Majority Caucus met for a pre-legislative session retreat, and asked its members what priorities should be addressed.
When it was Kokubun's turn, he expressed his frustration with lurching from crisis to crisis.
"We spent so much time on the short term fixes, that we didn't have the time to devote to a long range vision for Hawai'i. It was out of that discussion that we developed legislation do propose this Hawai'i 2050 sustainability plan," he says.
In August 2006, the task force had its initial organizational meeting at the Dole Ballroom on O'ahu and "maxed out" the ballroom's 500-person capacity." A series of 12 community meetings followed, starting in October of 2006.
"What really jumped out at us at those meetings was that people really want to see this as a community-driven project," recalls Kokubun. "They feel really strongly that the host culture and the values that are embodied by the host culture are excellent guides for this effort, and that it will take everyone, not just government, to make this a success."
The task force will continue to solicit input until it submits its report next year.
"Essentially, we're a cargo cult, and we need to be more self sufficient in terms of energy, in terms of production, land use, water resources, and those other quality-of-life issues like housing, health care, transportation," says Kokubun. "I think that's kind of the context that makes the time very right for thoughtful consideration of long range planning for Hawai'i."

Hawai'i 2050 Citizen Meeting
Saturday, May 5
9 a.m.- noon
Kealakehe High School Library
74-5000 Puohulihuli Street
Kailua-Kona
Info: Alex Frost 936-0614 or
afrost@co.hawaii.hi.us
Testify online: hawaii2050.com

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