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by Lucia Dong

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Did you know that only 5% of marine debris washes up on the shore? That means 95% of human-created waste stays in the ocean.

"All ocean animals are affected by plastic pollution," says Lisa Jeffers-Fabro, program director for Plastic Free Hawai'i at the nonprofit Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation in Hale'iwa.

Scientists have found microscopic pieces of plastic, called nanoplastics, in every species in the ocean. Plastic pollution affects land animals, too, including birds and small animals that live near the water.

Plastic Free Hawai'i recently sponsored a beach clean-up on Kahuku Point, an area of undeveloped coastline on Oahu's North Shore.

"Kahuku Point is the number-one accumulation zone for marine debris on Oahu," Jeffers-Fabro explained. "About 80% of plastic in the ocean comes from the land, while 20% comes from the fishing industry."

At the clean-up, 350 volunteers removed 2.6 tons of marine debris, most of it plastic, within two hours.
"STEWARDS OF THE EARTH"
The goal of Plastic Free Hawai'i is to educate young people about the environment and to minimize single-use plastic, including straws and utensils.

"Research shows that we're using single-use plastic for about three minutes before we throw it away," Jeffers-Fabro said. "We created all this plastic from chemicals and oil just to make our lives easy. But plastic is not making our lives easy right now because our environment is suffering."

Some single-use plastics, including band-aids, are necessities, but most are items we use out of convenience.

On Oahu, a new law bans many single-use plastics. Businesses will have two years to transition away from plastic and styrofoam containers, utensils, and straws.

Even without such laws, kids can take action to become "stewards of the Earth," Jeffers-Fabro said. She encourages students to minimize single-use plastic, including forks and straws, and to carry their own reusable metal straw or bamboo spork. A steward, she adds, is "someone who cares about the Earth."

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Did you know that only 5% of marine debris washes up on the shore? That means 95% of human-created waste stays in the ocean. "All ocean animals are affected by plastic pollution," says Lisa Jeffers-Fabro, program director for Plastic Free Hawai'i at the nonprofit Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation in Hale'iwa.

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by Jennifer Lynch

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The Plastic That Washes Up on Hawaii's Beaches Affects Me. Personally.

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On the occasional weekend when I find myself avoiding house chores or lacking a social event, I wear out my 3-year-old daughter at Kualoa Regional Park, only

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by Adrienne Gurbindo

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Students participate in beach clean up, witness eco-challenges first-hand

Contributing Writer and Photographer Adrienne Gurbindo

As most people know, plastic is a versatile material used in a wide range of daily activities. Plastic has been a feature of everyday living for more than a generation, and can be found in so many different products. This material is used in a variety of applications, spanning from packaging, agriculture, electrical devices, building and construction materials, medical instruments, as well as sports and recreational activities. This multifaceted material has our culture obsessed with the effortless convenience it provides.

It is all too easy to grab a quick bite to eat that comes in a plastic container; or, to pick up a plastic utensil to eat with, and finally, pair our meal with a drink that most likely comes in a plastic bottle. After lunch is finished, these leftover plastic remnants get thrown away or recycled - but only if the type of plastic used is recyclable. While some of these plastics do eventually arrive in the ever-brimming landfill, a large amount of plastics find their way into a place where they clearly don't belong: our oceans.

The worldwide spread of marine plastic and debris is increasing at an alarming rate. Most of the marine debris comes from a land-based source. In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency found that the average American generates just over 4 lbs of trash each day. In turn, marine debris is a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of marine wildlife; oftentimes, animals become entangled and trapped in nets or ingests toxic debris. In 2010 alone, it was calculated that 4-12 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean. Half of the plastic that enters the marine environment floats and has the ability to travel thousands of miles with the currents. These currents form the major gyres of the world's oceans. Hawaiʻi lies within the North Pacific gyre, and although it is the world's most isolated populated landmass in the world, it accumulates a substantial amount of marine debris.

A few weeks ago, UH Hilo geography instructor Drew Kapp and his class teamed up with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund to take part in a beach cleanup at Kamilo Beach. Kapp's class, entitled "Hawaiʻi in the Pacific," emphasizes the relation between Hawaiʻi and Oceania with an indigenous perspective. The purpose of this beach cleanup was to participate in a huaka'i - an enriching educational experience - via community service. Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of Hawaiʻi's native flora and fauna. Kamilo Beach, located on the southern tip of the Big Island and once a pristine paradise, is now infamous for its massive accumulation of plastic pollution and marine debris. Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund has been a key participant in helping protect the state's coastline and organizes Kamilo Beach cleanups quarterly. This particular cleanup boasted a substantial crew of around 80 participants.

James DeMolina, a junior majoring in marine science, shared his thoughts on the state of the cleanup site.

"I had to take a moment for myself because I was stricken at the amount of marine debris. I felt guilty about every single water bottle I've ever had."

The beach was packed with marine debris that ranged in a variety of sizes and compositions; most of the plastics were unidentifiable.

Another marine science major, senior Kanoe Phillips, recounted his first impression of the beach: "When we first arrived and saw the condition of the beach I did not think the beach would look any different by the time we left because of the amount of plastic, but fortunately it did," Phillips said. "However, although we did clear the beach of larger plastic fragments, the closer you looked the more you found because plastic eventually degrades into microscopic pieces that are impossible to collect."

These pieces are quite impossible to gather, as DeMolina pointed out that "plastics don't biodegrade. The term biodegrade is a misnomer because plastics just break up into smaller and smaller pieces [microplastics], they will never molecularly change their structure like organic compounds that recycle their nutrients." Thus, even if invisible to the eye, microplastics will forever exist within and influence our ecosystems.

While keeping beaches plastic and marine-debris free is an integral part towards environmental stewardship, keeping it out of the water is just as imperative towards the overall health of the oceanic ecosystem. Phillips elaborated on this topic when asked why plastic is hazardous to the environment.

"Marine plastic can contain high levels of heavy metals and PCB's that can bioaccumulate within the food chain."

Plastics that degrade into bite-sized pieces are frequently consumed by marine wildlife, including sea turtles, whales, and others. The plastics that are ingested by marine wildlife can lead to blockage in the gut, potentially causing serious injury or even death.

It is important to remove larger pieces of plastic from the coast because eventually these too will degrade into microplastics.

By the end of the day, the cleanup crew managed to remove literally tons of marine debris from Kamilo Beach.
Author's Note: The side effects of our society's plastic addiction are accumulating at an unsustainable level. Is our cultural mindset, based off of mere convenience, worth the environmental degradation? There are many ways we consumers can help blunt these impacts - primarily by limiting plastic consumption. Almost half of the plastic we use are single-use plastics: used once and then tossed into the trash. Opting for reusable products alleviates a substantial amount of waste per person. Reusable water bottles, coffee cups, straws, take-out containers, and utensils are a great place to start in our fast-paced culture. For more information on limiting consumer waste, check out the links listed below. In DeMolina's view, experiencing and participating in a local beach clean-up is a great way to give back to the environment: "You don't believe it 'til you see it."For more information on this subject, refer to the following links:

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Plastic Paradise : The Marine Debris Crisis

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Contributing Writer and Photographer Adrienne Gurbindo As most people know, plastic is a versatile material used in a wide range of daily activities. Plastic has been a feature of everyday living for more than a generation, and can be found in so many different products.

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by Michael Phife

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The Hawaiian people's culture and way of life has always revolved around the ocean. Fish were a large portion of their meat intake, so ancient Hawaiians were very skilled with nets and learning various tactics on how to fish. Surfing was also a way of life for the ancient Hawaiians. This was not a recreational activity to them, but more so of an art and a spiritual ceremony they embarked on. They would pray to their gods to protect them and give them strength when out on the ocean, and to aid them in a good surf. As of today, surfing has become a sought activity for people all around the world to take part of in Hawaii. The oceans and beaches draw tourists in, producing over $14 billion annually to the state of Hawaii. However, with much tourism coming to the islands it is also producing a lot of trash. Pollution is now contaminating all of Hawaii, and destroying the native Hawaiian's way of life.

Annual Trash Census

Pollution has been a major concern worldwide for a long time. As of now, it is threatening our oceans and adding toxicity to what we love from the Pacific Islands as a whole. The pollutants that are damaging Hawaii, as well as the rest of the Pacific are; chemical waste, runoff from agricultural waste, household waste products, sewage spills and dumping, industrial waste, and windblown pollution. Hawaii is now having to put warning signs along the beaches to warn people about chemical and industrial waste that has polluted sectors of oceans and inlets.

According to statewide reports, there is an average of 15 to 20 tons of trash that build up on the Hawaiian beaches each year. This equates to 30,000 - 40,000 pounds of trash. Despite conservation and cleanup methods, this is a continuous problem for the state of Hawaii. Over 160 tons (which is 320,000 pounds) of garbage has been removed within the past 10 years from the beaches of Hawaii. Rain water is consistently washing pollutants from the inner parts of Hawaii's mountains and hillsides into the ocean, adding to the amount of waste going into the ocean.

Plastics Are Becoming a Huge Problem

Plastics are one of the highest concerns pertaining to our ocean. The average American will throw out approximately 185 pounds of plastic material each year. In addition to this, hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastics are being dumped into the ocean annually by waste disposal companies. This is especially bad in the Pacific, where all of the plastics begin forming clusters and move to the island's estuaries and beaches. 6o% to 80% of all reported oceanic garbage consists of plastics, which takes the longest to break down out of any other sediment waste. The plastics in the ocean around Hawaii outweighs the algal bloom in the region 6 to 1. This is a significant amount of plastic in observation since algae covers much of the oceanic floor and rocks.

Naturally, if this amount of trash is going into the ocean surrounding Hawaii, then it is also impacting the sea life as well. Trash is being ingested by animals all around Hawaii, along with the rest of the Pacific. Most of this consumption is involuntary, with some animals mistaking the trash as a food source. Sea turtles are mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish, and it is causing them to suffocate since it gets caught in their throats. Other animals such as birds and whales are mistaking the plastics for food, which builds up in their stomachs and cannot be broken down. The microscopic particles of plastics are also getting stuck into the fish's gills. This is causing each species of wildlife to die internally. One of the most concerning animals to die by this effect is the Honu, or green sea turtle, which is an endangered species of Hawaii. Some of the waste is causing tumors on the body and organs, seen in the picture provided below. The outbreak of various diseases and tumors are caused by the chemical waste and other runoff toxins being poured into the ocean around Hawaii.

Conservation groups have been put in motion over a decade ago to help prevent the pollution and waste in Hawaii. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration has been trying to clean the entirety of the Hawaiian islands for the past 13 years, and has been proven to be a struggle to do. There is also the Polluted Runoff Control Program, which is another active cleanup organization. Their employees are a mix of volunteers and active workers who have been assisted with federal aid. This group has successfully removed over 3,000 tons (6 million pounds) of sediment from Hawaii's oceans and beaches last year alone. However, this is an ongoing battle that may never be completely won, regardless of conservation efforts.

Potential Outcomes on Hawaii's Future

Pollution will potentially diminish the paradise we know as Hawaii all together. If conservation tactics are not put into place, then a plethora of issues will being to take shape and cause a domino effect. Firstly, the plastics and toxic wastes dumped into the ocean will pollute the diving areas in such a way that fish, coral and other local wildlife will not be able to survive here any longer. They will either try to find a new home or die out all together. Secondly, the beaches will become more overrun with trash and chemical waste than it already is. The beaches could look like a dumping ground from the runoff and trash buildup. This will drive tourism away from the islands, which in turn will destroy a large chunk of the annual revenue of Hawaii. Lastly, if efforts are still not put in action then we will begin to see endangered species such as the green sea turtle die off as well as the entirety of Hawaii looking like a landfill.

Sources:
http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/4e/5a/4e5a78f2-c6c1-4335-adc1-601cb7d39af9/turtle.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg http://www.civilbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/53ccae3446ce6.jpg
— http://www.gohawaii.com/en/statewide/travel-tips/history/

— http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/america-tonight-blog/2014/1/13/plastic-debris-hawaii.html

— http://www.hawaiioceanscience.org/ocean-pollution.html

— http://www.worldoceansdayhawaii.org/plastics-pollution/

— http://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/site-map/clean-water-branch-home-page/polluted-runoff-control-program/

— http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/opinion/sunday/from-ocean-to-beach-tons-of-plastic-pollution.html

— http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pollution-hawaiis-farms-and-cities-causing-sea-turtles-get-deadly-tumors-180952912/

— http://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/files/2013/05/PRC-FY15-EOY-Report.pdf

— http://www.b-e-a-c-h.org/

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Pollution In Paradise: Effects on Hawaii

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The Hawaiian people's culture and way of life has always revolved around the ocean. Fish were a large portion of their meat intake, so ancient Hawaiians were very skilled with nets and learning various tactics on how to fish. Surfing was also a way of life for the ancient Hawaiians.

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by Carla Herreria Russo

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The Aloha State is famous for, well, its spirit of aloha -- you can feel it in the tropical breezes and sense it in the warm and welcoming people. But not everything is welcomed warmly here.

Take the giant poisonous plant that has recently been found spreading throughout Kauai. The Bingabing tree, which is already well established on Oahu and the Big Island, has huge leaves and forms dense thickets that shades and chokes out any surrounding plants. Spreading of these trees could threaten the Garden Island's beloved plant diversity and possibly turn the whole island into a Bingabing forest.

But gigantic leaves aren't Hawaii's only invasive problem. As the most isolated land mass on Earth, most of the native plant and animal population evolved without many of the world's more competitive and predatory species. In short, Hawaii's native species are more gentle than others, leaving them vulnerable to the "meaner" species that are only just being introduced to the islands.

So, who are these meanies? Meet the culprits below.

Coqui

Wanted for: Excessive loud noise, overpopulation, disrupting billionaire Larry Ellison's fantasy island.

Mongoose

Known for: Stealing eggs of endangered species, including Hawaii's state bird and sea turtles, causing $50 million worth of damage every year.

Snakes

Known for: The extinction of 9 out of 13 forest bird species and 3 species of lizards ( brown tree snake), can cause power outages by climbing up electrical wires and boxes, could potentially cause up to $405,000,000 in damage annually. ( Two snake sightings in the past few months on Oahu are putting authorities on high alert.)
For a full list of Hawaii's invasive species, visit HawaiiInvasiveSpecies.org. If you want to report an invasive species, call 808-643-PEST or report it online at ReportAPest.org. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article included an image of a meerkat rather than a mongoose.

BEFORE YOU GO

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How Could This Adorable Creature Cause $50 Million Worth Of Damage In Hawaii?

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The Aloha State is famous for, well, its spirit of aloha -- you can feel it in the tropical breezes and sense it in the warm and welcoming people. But not everything is welcomed warmly here. Take the giant poisonous plant that has recently been found spreading throughout Kauai.

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Hawaii.gov

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Invasive Species

The term "invasive species" is used in a variety of ways, but in Hawaii this term typically refers to species that are both

1. harmful to the environment, economy, and/or human health, and

2. not native to Hawaii (i.e., species that were introduced by human assistance rather than by their own means of introduction).

It is important to note that not all nonnative species are considered invasive, only those that cause environmental or economic harm, or harm to human health. While there is currently no official designation of invasive species in Hawaii, the HISC is working on an effective way to define and classify these species for the State of Hawaii. Federally, Executive Order 13112 authorized by President Bill Clinton defines invasive species as "alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health."

Invasive Species as a Problem in Hawaii

Hawaii is a very unique place, due in part to its geographic isolation and volcanic origin. What we refer to as Hawaii's native plant and animal species are those that arrived here without the assistance of humans: seeds for Hawaii's first plants arrived here by floating on the waves, being blown by the wind, or transported by traveling birds. Likewise, Hawaii's native animal species are those that flew here on the wind or swam here on the water. Introduction events like these are very rare, and so the species that made it to Hawaii lived here in relative isolation over the 70 million years of Hawaii's volcanic history. Those original introductions spawned, through the course of evolution, native Hawaiian species that are often found nowhere else in the world. Our ohia and koa forests are uniquely Hawaiian, as are the hoary bats, 'i'iwi, and 'apapane that once filled those forests.

Species that evolve on islands do so in the absence of some of the world's more competitive species, such as sharp-hooved ungulates, carnivorous predators, or thorny or toxic plants. Because island species do not have to defend themselves against such threats, they lose (or fail to evolve) the defensive mechanisms often found in their distant mainland relatives. The result is a relatively benign environment: the koa is a thorn-less species of the genus Acacia, distantly related to the more prickly acacias found elsewhere in the world. Likewise, birds in pre-contact Hawaii could nest on the ground, since they didn't have to worry about predators.

The problem, then, arises when we bring nonnative, competitive species from other parts of the world into our Hawaiian ecosystems. In today's globalized society, it's easy for humans to move species from one place to another, and this has resulted in the introduction of species such as deer, goats, ants, coqui frogs, miconia, and others into Hawai'i. Hawaii's native species haven't evolved to compete and coexist with these species, and the result is that these new introductions become "invasive."

The effects of invasive species are wide ranging. Miconia, an invasive plant from South America, quickly spreads throughout forests and prevents the growth of other plants, increasing the risk of erosion with its shallow root systems. Axis deer browse on a variety of native plants and agricultural goods, and their hooves break up soil and increase erosion. Little Fire Ants infest beach parks, homes, and habitats for native species, resulting in painful stings, lost crops, and injured pets. If brown tree snakes were introduced to Hawaii, they could potentially cause the extinction of our native bird species, and could cost an estimated $2.14 billion a year in damages to electrical infrastructure and medical costs associated with snake bites.

Official Designation of Invasive Species

The HISC is in the process of drafting and adopting administrative rules to formally define species that are invasive in Hawaii. While no official designation currently exists, the species listed below are a sample of high-profile species that are informally considered to be invasive due to their ability or potential to cause harm to Hawaii's environment, economy, or way of life. The description of these species as "invasive" is for educational purposes and is not related to regulatory restrictions. Our website has more information on the legal status of invasive species in Hawaii and current regulations in place to protect Hawai'i from harmful species.

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The term "invasive species" is used in a variety of ways, but in Hawaii this term typically refers to species that are both harmful to the environment, economy, and/or human health, and not native to Hawaii (i.e., species that were introduced by human assistance rather than by their own means of introduction).

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by Sara Novak

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Hawaii is one of the most isolated island chains in the world. Many of its most alluring species are endemic, but for centuries the archipelago's lush habitats have also attracted invasive species. The islands literally crawl with a mixture of native species, invasive stowaways, and intentionally introduced invaders-some of which were imported specifically to combat the environmental havoc wrought by other non-natives.

It's thought that feral pigs, rats, and geckos made their way to Hawaii before Western contact in 1778-the pigs intentionally and the rats and geckos as stowaways on Polynesian rafts. Europeans later introduced mongooses from India in an attempt to control the rats. Similarly, cane toads were introduced to eat cane grubs, a non-native sugarcane pest, and then became a major pest themselves. Coqui frogs hitched over on nursery plants in the 1980s.

These human-introduced, non-native species are often able to reproduce and swell in numbers because of their adaptability. Their growth threatens native species with whom they compete for resources. On the Big Island, for example, endangered predators like the Hawaiian owl and hawk are disappearing as rats and mongooses eat their eggs. Habitat degradation is another reason, though not always related to invasive species.

In fact, one of the adaptations that gives invaders an edge is their skill at scavenging. To test it, Erin Abernethy and a team of researchers at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory set out 647 non-native carcasses at three different sites in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Pu'u Maka'ala Natural Area Reserve, including dead mongooses, mice, rats, and coqui frogs, as well as various invasive birds and geckos.

"Using pressure sensitive cameras," says Abernethy, "we were able to see which animals were the most efficient scavengers. Mongooses and rats carried off the most carcasses, even tiny species like coqui frogs."

In Volcanoes National Park, the researchers found that mongooses were particularly effective at seeking out scavenged protein sources. Being larger than rats, they were able to travel greater distances over the desolate volcanic landscape. Surprisingly, they also exhibited cannibalistic behavior, scavenging the carcasses of other mongooses.

"This is something that to my knowledge we've never documented before from the mongoose," says Abernethy.

According to the team's study published in the journal , invasive vertebrates cleared 55 percent of the carcasses and invasive invertebrates the remaining 45 percent, leaving no scavenging prospects for native predators. (The ineffectiveness of native species like the Hawaiian hawk, owl, and raptor was compounded by the fact that their populations have been so greatly reduced.)

Researchers have also concluded that their own practices need to change, especially regarding the trapping of non-native species.

"These are incredibly opportunistic predators, and many of them, especially rats, are nocturnal," says Aaron Shiels, a research biologist now at the National Wildlife Research Center in Colorado who worked in Hawaii for a decade on management of invasives. "When we conduct rat and mouse trapping in the field using kill-traps, the carcasses are often gone by the time we return to the traps the next day." Shiels and his team learned to use more live traps to protect the catch from other predators and then euthanize the animals later. To address species that are culturally significant to Hawaiians like feral pigs, scientists will often fence off biologically vulnerable areas rather than trapping and killing the animals.

In its continuing effort to promote biodiversity, Hawaii is trying to prevent new invaders from settling in with measures like the specially trained dogs at seaports and airports that sniff out threatening invaders. Such measures have thus far kept out the brown tree snake, which has already devastated the island of Guam. The hope is that a combination of such strategies will protect both the endemic species and the ecosystems that made the Hawaiian Islands so inviting in the first place.

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Invasive Species in Hawaii Are Eating Everything-Even Themselves

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Hawaii is one of the most isolated island chains in the world. Many of its most alluring species are endemic, but for centuries the archipelago's lush habitats have also attracted invasive species. The islands literally crawl with a mixture of native species, invasive stowaways, and intentionally introduced invaders-some of which were imported specifically to combat the environmental havoc wrought by other non-natives.

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by Rosannah Gosser

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service establishes control order on barn owls and cattle egrets to protect endangered native species

Staff Writer Rosannah Gosser
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Over millions of years on the most isolated island chain on Earth, animals and plants reached Hawai'i floating on crests of waves and flying on currents of wind. These pelagic renegades found an organic oasis: plenty of rain and sunshine, fertile soil, and most importantly, no predators. They evolved here in a microcosm for biodiversity, until people arrived. Rats, dogs, chickens, and pigs accompanied the first settlers, as well as plants like sugarcane and bananas. With western contact, even more foreign species were brought to the islands, from mosquitoes to miconia, fire ants to "octopus" trees, albizias to coqui frogs.

All of these species have waged biological war against the endemic animals and plants, competing with them for resources, and in many cases, threatening them with extinction. In the past century, some species have been deliberately introduced as an effort to control invasive species' impacts, but oftentimes have created their own issues and only added to the problem.

This is the predicament prescribed to barn owls (Tyto alba) and cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis). Both species were brought to Hawai'i in the 1950s: barn owls were released to control rat populations in sugarcane fields, and cattle egrets as a remedy for horn flies on cattle. But their introduction achieved little of what they were originally intended to do; instead, barn owls and cattle egrets began to prey on endemic species of birds that had existed without predators for so long. This threat continues today. Native birds that are particularly in danger include: ae'o (Hawaiian stilt), 'alae 'ula (Hawaiian moorhen), 'ua'u (Hawaiian petrel), and pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl).

Many invasive species of animals in Hawai'i, like mongoose and feral cats, are not protected by legislation and therefore open to unrestricted predator control. However, barn owls and cattle egrets are covered by an international law called the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which is an agreement between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia that mandates the protection of certain species of migratory birds wherever they occur in those areas. In an effort to preserve the endangered species of Hawai'i that are preyed upon by barn owls and cattle egrets, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has issued permits for years that allow specific authorized agencies, such as the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the National Park Service, to use "lethal take" on the predatory birds. These permits have been given out only to qualified agencies and have required annual renewal

This past August, after several years of debate and public commenting, the Service installed a ruling for these authorized agencies to forego renewal of their permits every year. In other words, organizations like the DLNR can continue to execute predator control on barn owls and cattle egrets without having to file for a permit again and again.

The ruling states: "Cattle egrets and barn owls are invasive in Hawai'i and threaten native wildlife with extinction. Nonlethal methods have been unsuccessful in reducing the impacts caused by cattle egrets and barn owls. We, therefore, are making final a regulation that allows take by agencies that have functional and/or jurisdictional responsibility for controlling invasive species and protecting native species in the Hawaiian Islands."

Jenny Hoskins, a wildlife biologist of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Migratory Bird and Habitat Program, explains the control order. "Our goal in writing the rule is endangered species protection. What we're going to be looking at is those specific waterbird and seabird colonies that have problems. Unfortunately we know where all of those colonies are because the endangered species numbers are so small. We didn't write this with the goal of eradicating [barn owls and cattle egrets], we wrote this with the goal of preserving endangered species and hopefully we won't have to take any more birds than necessary to protect those colonies."

According to Hoskins, the control order will mostly be implemented on Kaua'i, O'ahu, and Maui. Here on the Big Island, several wetland areas with bird colonies threatened by barn owl and cattle egret predation will be targeted. Additionally, cattle egrets that roost at Keaukaha Beach Park will be addressed because of the hazards they pose on the airport runway.

When the ruling was proposed, some public concern arose over methods of lethal take and complaints that instead of intensifying barn owl and cattle egret euthanization, more attention needs to be given towards protecting endangered birds. "We have to accept that there's been change in Hawaii," states Sydney Ross Singer, director of the Good Shepherd Foundation. "To blame these birds for the entire problem is naive and to kill them is just so abhorrent to anyone who loves animals and nature and wildlife." In the case of barn owl and cattle egret predation, there will be loss of life either way. Is it justification enough to kill animals that are killing other animals? Or is it just the circle of life?

As humanity continues to homogenize the global environment, it becomes harder to know where to draw the line between natural and unnatural. "If we do nothing, oftentimes [invasive species] are going to drive everything else to extinction, and we won't have anything left," says Dr. Patrick Hart of UH Hilo's Biology Department. "It's trying to balance how to maximize biodiversity." Often deemed the "Endangered Species Capital of the World," the Hawaiian islands exemplify the fragility that ecosystems face in modern times.

It's true that change is inevitable, and that these islands will never be the same as they were pre-contact. But it's difficult to ascertain the extent to which we should continue to mess around with nature and apply trial and error to our mistakes, such as that of barn owls and cattle egrets. One thing is for sure: the diversity of wildlife that evolved here on the Hawaiian islands is unparalleled, unique, and undoubtedly deserving of protection from destruction.

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From Solution to Problem: The Irony Of Invasive Species

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Staff Writer Rosannah Gosser Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Over millions of years on the most isolated island chain on Earth, animals and plants reached Hawai'i floating on crests of waves and flying on currents of wind. These pelagic renegades found an organic oasis: plenty of rain and sunshine, fertile soil, and most importantly, no predators.

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by Nathan Eagle

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A 40-mile ribbon of road wraps around northeast Oahu, connecting Kaneohe with Haleiwa.

It's the only access to the rural communities of Kahaluu and Kaaawa, home to numerous Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders among several thousand other residents. Dotted by shrimp trucks, this stretch of Kamehameha Highway also serves the prep football stronghold in Kahuku and the Mormon enclave in Laie.

Surfers rely on the two paved lanes to access the world-renowned Pipeline and Waimea Bay breaks. And vacationers use them to reach seaside alternatives to Waikiki.

Scientists warn that most of this coastal highway - and many miles of similar roads throughout Hawaii - will soon be underwater due to rising seas, stronger storms and extreme flooding.

Giant sandbags are already heaped in front of houses teetering on the shoreline. And huge rocks and hunks of concrete line the most perilous portions, a desperate attempt to save parts of some routes while lasting solutions are contemplated.

The climate is changing, faster than ever. Imperiled infrastructure is only the most apparent front in the Aloha State's war against a warming planet. Similar battles are unfolding throughout the islands.

High in the mountains, freshwater supplies are at risk and endemic species face extinction. Just offshore, the coral reefs that provide billions of dollars in economic value and immeasurable cultural worth are dying as the ocean heats up and bleaching intensifies.

The future isn't forecast to look like all the pretty postcards. But scientists and policymakers say swift action can make it less ugly than otherwise projected.

Unfortunately, time is running out to develop and implement strategies to make Hawaii more resilient. And experts say the longer it's put off, the more it will cost to adapt and mitigate.

"Even the best intentions today do not appear to be fast enough for the pace of climate change," University of Hawaii climate scientist Camilo Mora says.

"In the state of Hawaii, for instance, 2045 was set as the year to achieve 100 percent clean energy," he said. "Yet our own studies at the University of Hawaii suggest that unprecedented climatic changes will be common in the state by the 2030s."

To ward off the worst effects, the world's top scientists say humans must make massive shifts in their behavior to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2040.

The world, in essence, has a fever - a degree or two is a big deal. And if we are to avoid the worst of this malady, we need to treat it now.

Convened by the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's October assessment narrowed the window that humans have to fend off threats to food security, transportation, energy and more.

The group had previously forecast the most dire effects to happen when the world warmed 2 C. Humans have already caused an increase of 1 C since the 1880s.

It's no longer the next generation's problem; it's ours.

The report was submitted by 91 scientists from 40 countries in response to a request from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change when it adopted the Paris Agreement, the 2015 global accord to tackle climate change by significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions and holding the average global temperature increase to well below 2 C.

Their assessment calls for reducing such pollution by 100 percent from 2010 levels by 2050. That effort included abandoning coal almost entirely by 2050 while tripling the amount of renewable energy in the current electricity mix, which is roughly 20 percent, the report says.

"The assessment indicates unprecedented policy and geopolitical challenges," the panel wrote.

The national outlook isn't overly optimistic under the current administration, but there are hopeful signs at the local level for reducing pollution and adapting to the effects of a changing climate.

President Donald Trump in 2017 moved to start pulling the U.S. out of the Paris accord, though a complete withdrawal isn't possible until Nov. 4, 2020 - the day after the next presidential election. The U.S. would be the only country to do so, though Brazil's new president has expressed similar intentions.

In the meantime, Trump has worked to increase domestic oil drilling and ramp up coal production. Despite the federal stance, numerous cities and states, including Hawaii, have committed to follow the Paris agreement and the broad consensus of the world's top climate scientists.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Hawaii Gov. David Ige, both Democrats, have started giving much more attention to climate change. The mayor plans to devote his entire state of the city address to the issue this year, and Ige has been pushing a broad sustainability initiative that helped him win a second term in November.

But the response will require much more than words and lofty plans, which have so often only gathered dust on government shelves.

Studies, Audits And Reports Abound

Hawaii has no shortage of climate-related studies - and studies about how to do other studies - that have done little to prepare the state for the flooded roads ahead.

An audit last year of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan, a 2008 initiative under Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, found an improved sustainability ethic in Hawaii over the past decade but a lack of implementation.

Government officials have lamented how inadequate funding has hindered their ability to provide the technical services that agencies need to do detailed climate assessments.

Setting money aside for future issues has not been a top priority in the Legislature, which opens its next session Wednesday. But some lawmakers think that may be changing, at least when it comes to climate change.

"I anticipate that for every session from now until the day I die, global warming is going to be a big issue," said Sen. Karl Rhoads, outgoing chair of the Water and Land Committee.

"It's already happening," he said, underscoring the challenging decisions confronting politicians and citizens alike.

"How to get people to use less carbon is a huge issue, a very difficult one," he said. " Who's house to let fall into the water and which ones to not let fall into the water is another difficult issue. It's going to happen. There's just no getting around it."

Noting how the upper end of seal level rise estimates are in the 8- to 10-foot range, Rhoads said downtown Honolulu is in danger and Ala Moana Center's parking lot is projected to have some 2 feet of water in it.

"If you look at all the highways around Oahu, even already on the windward side, you can get hit with waves as you drive down the road," he said. "Moving those roads back is very expensive, very controversial, because you have to condemn people's land."

The state has policies and data that identify the many indicators of a changing climate, the 2050 sustainability audit said, noting how 70 percent of Hawaii's coastline is eroding, streams are drying, rainfall is decreasing and corals are bleaching.

The March audit concluded that comprehensive planning would help the state adapt, but it hasn't happened in a meaningful way.

"Through the course of the past 10 years, the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan was disregarded," the audit said.

Warnings Have Been Consistent

Scientists have cautioned the public about a warming planet for the past century. But it's never been so grim.

The U.S. National Climate Assessment, released in November, has an entire chapter devoted to the effects of climate change on Hawaii and other Pacific islands.

Much as the IPCC's latest report forecast the worst effects to happen by 2040 instead of years later, the U.S. assessment last year had a similar sense of heightened urgency.

Victoria Keener, a researcher at the East-West Center in Honolulu and lead author of the NCA's Hawaii and Pacific islands section, said the Aloha State, and any other place for that matter, is unprepared for the effects of climate change. But she has seen Hawaii and other states take progressive steps.

"We need to do more and we need to do it faster," she said. "Early action is going to reduce the ultimate economic impact of adaptation and mitigation."

Sea levels had been expected to rise up to 3.2 feet globally by 2100, but the latest projections say this could happen as soon as 2060.

"We need to do more and we need to do it faster." - Victoria Keener, climate investigator

Studies in Hawaii show that the value of all structures and land projected to be flooded by a 3.2 foot rise in sea level amounts to more than $20 billion. That doesn't account for the compounding effect on tourism, the state's main economic driver, and other industries.

And it's more than lost roads and buildings. Across the state, nearly 550 Hawaiian cultural sites would be flooded or eroded and roughly 20,000 residents would be displaced, the report says.

Some iconic Hawaiian forest birds would likely go extinct as disease-carrying mosquitoes invade their mountain habitats thanks to warmer weather. The models show that even under moderate warming, 10 of 21 existing forest bird species across the state will lose more than half their current range by 2100. Of those, six are expected to lose 90 percent or more.

Hawaii is already home to nearly one-third of the nation's plants and animals listed as threatened or endangered.

Corals are expected to bleach annually starting in 2040, making it nearly impossible for them to recover. Their death means fewer fish and less coastal protection.

It's what scares Keener the most.

"It's not if it's going to happen ... it's when," she said. "The argument is whether it's 2030 or 2050. That's soon."

In Hawaii, corals currently cover about 38 percent of the ocean area around the islands. By 2050, that's projected to drop to 11 percent and then fall to 1 percent by 2100.

That amounts to $1.3 billion per year lost in the economy in 2050, increasing to $1.9 billion by 2090, the report says.

If the world meets the Paris agreement, it would delay severe bleaching by about 11 years, saving hundreds of millions of dollars, the assessment says.

Moving Forward

Hawaii has made strides in recent years. Most notably, the state has the nation's most ambitious renewable energy mandate - 100 percent by 2045 - and has pledged to be carbon neutral by the same date.

Improvements have been made to protect watersheds and scientists are breeding "super corals" to withstand a warmer and more acidic ocean. Nonprofits have been increasingly active, and the private sector is making changes too.

The next major focus is creating a clean transportation sector, starting with ground vehicles and then moving on to the many airplanes that residents and tourists rely on.

State and county offices and commissions have been created to coordinate the focus on climate change.

The Hawaii Climate Commission in November unanimously agreed to push the Legislature to pass a carbon tax next session, which starts later this month.

And Honolulu's voter-created Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency has been developing Oahu's first Climate Action Plan. The final public scoping meetings are this week.

"The greatest uncertainty now is us." - Sam Lemmo, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands

An increasing number of events have increased awareness of climate change. The inaugural Hawaii Climate Conference is Monday, an all-day public affair featuring panels of experts at the East-West Center.

Sam Lemmo, administrator of the state Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands, is co-moderating a panel with University of Hawaii climate geologist Chip Fletcher on accelerating action to adapt to sea level rise.

Hawaii is already witnessing the effects of climate change that were predicted decades ago, Lemmo said.

"The greatest uncertainty now is us - whether we're going to change our behavior, whether we're going to cut emissions," he said.

Editor's Note: This year, we're putting an intense spotlight on climate change - how it's affecting Hawaii now and what the future may look like for all of us in the islands. We're calling our project Hawaii 2040 because that's when the most recent studies say we'll feel the worst effects of climate change. That's much sooner than scientists originally thought.
Now the big question is - what are we going to do about it. How can we all change our behavior to help out? What new policies can our political leaders put in place to change things fast enough to matter? How will we adapt? Over the coming year, we want to bring you - our readers - inside the discussion in a very up close and personal way. Besides an ongoing series of stories, video, podcasts and other multimedia reports, we want you to join us in figuring out potential solutions. We'll be visiting communities and neighborhoods throughout Oahu to talk about how these issues are affecting you personally and what you think should be done. Together we can make our voices heard. Tell us how you're being affected by our changing climate. What do you think should be done?

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Hawaii 2040: Climate Change Is Already Here. And We're Running Out Of Time

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A 40-mile ribbon of road wraps around northeast Oahu, connecting Kaneohe with Haleiwa. It's the only access to the rural communities of Kahaluu and Kaaawa, home to numerous Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders among several thousand other residents. Dotted by shrimp trucks, this stretch of Kamehameha Highway also serves the prep football stronghold in Kahuku and the Mormon enclave in Laie.

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by Kristin Lam

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When it gets cold every winter, Hawaii becomes an increasingly popular retreat.

But climate experts in the Aloha State told USA TODAY on Monday that tourists cannot escape climate change - not even on the islands, where 60-foot waves and wind gusts up to 191 mph were part of a fierce weekend storm that downed power lines and felled trees.

"There's no place on the planet where (people) can expect to see conditions as they have been in the past," said Chip Fletcher, an earth sciences professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and vice chair of the Honolulu Climate Change Commission.

From travelers to hotel businesses, Fletcher said everyone should factor climate change into their planning because extreme weather events will increase everywhere. On Sunday, for example, the Hawaii Tourism Authority advised visitors not to go hiking, swimming, snorkeling and surfing because of dangerous conditions.

This weekend's damaging storm, Fletcher said, is a good example of an extreme weather event that is more likely to occur in a warmer world. Climate change set up the conditions for the extreme waves, as well as what officials said could be the lowest-elevation snowfall ever recorded in the state.
More: More: Big waves as Hurricane Hector passes Hawaii Potent storm slams Hawaii with 191-mph winds, 60-foot waves and rare snow on Maui
"We're going to be dealing with this much, much more in the future with our changing climate," Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said at a Sunday press conference, Hawaii News Now reported.

Effects of climate change in Hawaii include increases in the number of wildfires, sea surface and air temperatures, coastal erosion and extreme rain, Fletcher said. The state has also set new records in the occurrence of tropical cyclones and recorded more hurricanes, such as 2018's Lane and Hector, in surrounding waters, he added.

In 24 hours, nearly 50 inches of rain fell in Kauai last April, causing flooding and setting a record for the United States. High ocean temperatures caused extreme coral bleaching throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago in 2015. The Honolulu tide gauge has also recorded a rising sea level since the beginning of the 20th century, Fletcher said.

More than 9,950,000 visitors came to Hawaii in 2018, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

"Just like it affects all the residents here that depend on a healthy reef, healthy ocean, and our mountains and rain forests that capture our fresh water, those are the same things that our tourists depend on," said Josh Stanbro, executive director of Honolulu's Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency.

A rise in the sea level also threatens Hawaii's beaches, Stanbro said. Bigger storm surge and putting up sea walls to protect property causes beach loss or erosion. In Waikiki, for example, Stanbro said workers already bring in new sand to maintain the beach.

As residents of Hawaii don't move often and tend to have a close connection with nature, Stanbro said they see the effects of climate change. In Honolulu County, which covers all of Oahu, 82 percent of residents in a 2018 survey acknowledged global warming.

Honolulu residents voted in 2016 to create Stanbro's office, tasked with addressing climate change. On a state level, Hawaii has a carbon-neutral goal by 2045. It has also committed to the goals of the Paris climate agreement in state legislation.

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There's 'no place on the planet' - not even Hawaii - to escape climate change, experts say

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Climate experts in the Aloha State told USA TODAY on Monday that tourists cannot escape climate change - not even on the islands, where 60-foot waves and wind gusts up to 191 mph were part of a fierce weekend storm that downed power lines and felled trees.

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by Dr. Chip Fletcher

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globalchange.gov

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The U.S. Pacific Islands are at risk from climate changes that will affect nearly every aspect of life. The region includes more than 2,000 islands spanning millions of square miles of ocean. Rising air and ocean temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, changing frequencies and intensities of storms and drought, decreasing streamflows, rising sea levels, and changing ocean chemistry will threaten the sustainability of globally important and diverse ecosystems on land and in the oceans, as well as local communities, livelihoods, and cultures.

On most islands, increased temperatures coupled with decreased rainfall and increased drought will reduce the amount of freshwater available for drinking and crop irrigation.,, Climate change impacts on freshwater resources will vary with differing island size and topography, affecting water storage capability and susceptibility to coastal flooding. Low-lying islands will be particularly vulnerable due to their small land mass, geographic isolation, limited potable water sources, and limited agricultural resources. Sea level rise will increase saltwater intrusion from the ocean during storms.,

Higher Sea Level Rise in Western Pacific

Rising sea levels will escalate the threat to coastal structures and property, groundwater reservoirs, harbor operations, airports, wastewater systems, shallow coral reefs, sea grass beds, intertidal flats and mangrove forests, and other social, economic, and natural resources.

Coastal infrastructure and agricultural activity on low islands will be affected as sea level rise decreases the land area available for farming, and periodic flooding increases the salinity of groundwater.

Many of Hawai'i's native birds, marvels of evolution largely limited to high-elevation forests, are increasingly vulnerable as rising temperatures allow mosquitoes carrying diseases like avian malaria to thrive at higher elevations., Mangrove area in the region could decline 10% to 20% in this century due to sea level rise. This would reduce the nursery areas, feeding grounds, and habitat for fish, crustaceans, and other species, as well as shoreline protection and wave dampening, and water filtration provided by mangroves. Pacific seabirds that breed on low-lying atolls will lose large portions of their breeding populations as their habitat is increasingly and more extensively covered by seawater.

Economic impacts from tourism loss will be greatest on islands with more developed infrastructure. In Hawai'i, for example, where tourism comprises 26% of the state's economy, damage to tourism infrastructure could have large economic impacts - the loss of Waikīkī Beach alone could lead to an annual loss of $2 billion in visitor expenditures.

Because Pacific Islands are almost entirely dependent upon imported food, fuel, and material, the vulnerability of ports and airports to extreme events, sea level rise, and increasing wave heights is of great concern. Climate change is also expected to have serious effects on human health, for example by increasing the incidence of dengue fever. In addition, sea level rise and flooding are expected to overwhelm sewer systems and threaten public sanitation.

The traditional lifestyles and cultures of Indigenous communities in all Pacific Islands will be seriously affected by climate change. Drought threatens traditional food sources such as taro and breadfruit, and coral death from warming-induced bleaching will threaten subsistence fisheries in island communities. Climate change impacts, coupled with socioeconomic or political motivations, may be great enough to lead some people to relocate. Depending on the scale and distance of migration, a variety of challenges face migrants and the communities receiving them.

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The U.S. Pacific Islands are at risk from climate changes that will affect nearly every aspect of life. The region includes more than 2,000 islands spanning millions of square miles of ocean.

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Facts and Resources

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Hawaii is currently facing one of the worst homeless epidemics in the country with the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation. It is the number one priority of the Lieutenant Governor to work towards solutions for our homelessness crisis which has a devastating social and economic impact on our state.

Hawaii's Homeless:

Estimated to be around 15,000 homeless individuals in Hawaii

1,500 - 2,000 chronically homeless individuals ("Chronically homeless = Have been homeless for more than 6 months + mental and/or physical health conditions)

The average life expectancy for Hawaii's homeless is 53- almost 30 years less than the general population

They suffer high rates of mental illness, addiction, and PTSD

Disproportionately Native Hawaiian

The High Price of Homelessness in Hawaii:

Housing is Healthcare:

Housing a homeless individual drops their Medicaid costs by at least 43% and as much as 73%

Housing Hawaii's chronically homeless would result in at least $300,000,000 per year in Medicaid savings

People's overall health outcomes drastically improve when they're housed

Health complications from homelessness:

Projects and Initiatives

Master-planned tiny homes communities for the chronically homeless

Places of social respite and community-oriented

Three initial locations have been identified on Oahu at Kalauloa, Waimanalo, and Nimitz

They follow a traditional cultural model of communal housing with shared bathroom, kitchen, and leisure areas

**To learn more about the Kauhale Initiative and how you can be involved, click here**
Hawaii Homeless Healthcare Hui (H4)

Joint Outreach Centers

Permanent Supportive Housing (Housing First)

Rapid re-housing initiatives

Expansion of Section 8 vouchers

Emphasis on affordable housing development

Emphasis on transit-oriented development

Assisted Community Treatment

This new law requires treatment when an individual is deemed a danger to themselves or others or is decompensating due to severe mental illness or addiction

It is intended for the most severely incapacitated homeless individuals, many of whom suffer from untreated schizophrenia

Over 40 individuals who qualify for this treatment have already been identified in the urban core

It is the subject of this Hawaii News Now documentary "Prescribing Hope: Trapped on the Streets"

Lieutenant Governor Green's Homeless Resources
The Lieutenant Governor's 10 Point Plan on Homelessness Housing is Healthcare Brochure Institute for Human Services Hawaii Aloha United Way Mayor's Office of Housing

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Homeless In Hawaii : Facts and Resources

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Hawaii is currently facing one of the worst homeless epidemics in the country with the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation. It is the number one priority of the Lieutenant Governor to work towards solutions for our homelessness crisis which has a devastating social and economic impact on our state.

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Star Advertiser

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Every day, Jasmine Lopez, 33, wakes up in her Moiliili apartment with her 1-year-old son, thinking it's all a dream. Read more

In just three months, "Auntie Blanche" McMillan has created permanent homes for 32 homeless people from Waiminalo and plans to build 100 more on state land at the end of the road on Hilu Street. Read more

The results of the annual "Point in Time" count of Hawaii's homeless is in, and the perishable nature of such data is evident. Read more

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Homeless in Hawaii | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Every day, Jasmine Lopez, 33, wakes up in her Moiliili apartment with her 1-year-old son, thinking it's all a dream. Read more In just three months, "Auntie Blanche" McMillan has created permanent homes for 32 homeless people from Waiminalo and plans to build 100 more on state land at the end of the road on Hilu Street.

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Hawaii News Now

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Hawaii News Now obtained an email in response to a community complaint written by the Department of Transportation's Homeless Coordinator that said the agency's been "forced to pause all clean-up operations."

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AP News

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Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share

HONOLULU (AP) - Improvements in programs to address Hawaii's homeless population have allowed the state to fall from first to second in the national ranking of per capita homelessness, officials said.

State homeless coordinator Scott Morishige informed lawmakers Tuesday that New York now holds the top position, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser .

Morishige presented the data to the Hawaii Homelessness Summit for both houses of the state Legislature. The summit is designed to help lawmakers evaluate the success of programs funded by the Legislature and consider other solutions to homelessness.

Placements of homeless people into permanent housing in Hawaii increased in 2018 from nearly 4,000 to more than 7,000. The state appears to have exceeded 7,000 placements again in 2019, he said.

"We're not quite out of the woods yet, but we have shown progress," Morishige said.

After trending upward from 2013 to 2016, Hawaii's official Point in Time count of homeless people showed a decrease over the past four years.

The decrease corresponds with similar increases in housing placements over the same period and is reflected in other surveys related to homelessness, Morishige said.

There has also been a nearly 40% reduction in homeless families with minor children since 2016.

Marc Alexander, executive director of the Honolulu mayor's housing office, said the city has made progress by focusing on housing and support services.

"You don't eliminate homelessness unless you provide housing for people," he said. "More shelters does not do the trick."

Unsheltered homeless people are the most vulnerable individuals in the community, Alexander said.

"To leave them on the streets is simply unconscionable. We cannot allow that to happen," he said.

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Hawaii falls to 2nd nationally in homeless population size

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Improvements in programs to address Hawaii's homeless population have allowed the state to fall from first to second in the national ranking of per capita homelessness.

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Dept. of Environmental Services

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We already know that we can reduce waste on our island by practicing the 3R's -- reduce, reuse and recycle. But what can we do about garbage that has not been disposed of properly? What can we do to reduce litter in Hawaii? And how does it get there in the first place?

The following story, written by someone who lives and breathes garbage (and will proudly admit it), sheds some light on the unsightly subject of litter. In addition to fulfilling her professional duties as the City's Recycling Coordinator, Suzanne Jones also keeps a vigilant eye out for commercial litterbugs on her commute to and from work.

Or maybe you're just interested in learning more about Hawaii's litter laws. How exactly does the state define "litter"? What penalties do you face if you get caught tossing your empty water bottle onto the street? We'll save you the embarassment of having the judge tell you. Click here for information on Hawaii's litter laws.

Feeling inspired? Want to get involved in clearing the litter off Hawaii's beaches and streets and out of its streams? Click here for information on how to get involved.

The Problem With Litter

A crew of more than 50 volunteers from five refuse hauling companies, Waste Management who runs our landfill, and City Refuse Division employees, were out cleaning up the highway from Kunia to the landfill on Saturday, September 28. They filled more than 300 bags with litter picked up along the six-mile stretch. Now, as I drive the highway not a week later, it's back... more litter... new stuff.

This coalition of haulers is committed to get their folks out there four times a year to cleanup. But it's probably not going to be enough unless the community helps, too. Even as the volunteers were cleaning the road on Saturday, a car drove by and someone tossed a plastic beverage container out the window. And who can explain the old toilet along the side of road?

As you walk the highway picking up this and that, you start guessing at how it all got there -- plastic bags, beverage containers of all kinds, cups, pieces of cardboard boxes, big and small scraps of paper -- and pretty soon you've formulated some ideas about how people could help minimize the problem.

I'm not sure what to say to those people who toss containers and cups out their car windows. Stop it! The nickel deposit on beverage containers starting in 2005 will help reduce this behavior significantly, but until then, just stop it.

Much of the litter probably blows out from the backs of trucks with the drivers not being aware. Don't throw loose items into the truck bed. Keep your loads covered and secured. This goes for big trucks as well as smaller personal trucks.

There is no charge to householders for disposal at any of the City's facilities. That old toilet, the car batteries and the tires could have been taken to the landfill or a neighborhood refuse convenience center (Ewa, Waianae and Waipahu) just as easily as dumping them on the roadside.

If we want our island home to stay beautiful, we've all got to take care of garbage.

Click on the following link for the press release about this event and to view more photos.

HAWAII'S LITTER LAWS

Here are the basics about littering and the law in Hawaii. Most of you will probably satisfy your thirst for litter knowledge with these links.

Criminal littering. What is it? What happens if I get caught?

Littering from a vehicle. Are the penalties any different from criminal littering? Click here to find out.

Spilling loads on highways. What happens if something flies out of the bed of my truck? Does the law mandate that I secure my load? Click here to learn more.

For more information, see the Hawaii Revised Statutes listed below:

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

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We already know that we can reduce waste on our island by practicing the 3R's -- reduce, reuse and recycle. But what can we do about garbage that has not been disposed of properly? What can we do to reduce litter in Hawaii? And how does it get there in the first place?

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By Claire Caulfield

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While Arjun Sharma, 16, has enjoyed swimming in Waikiki in the past couple months without tourists, he's noticed a disturbing increase in ocean trash.

"I actually feel like Waikiki Beach and the water there seems dirtier relative to what it was like prior to the pandemic," he said. "Plastic straws and bags floating around in the water next to me and I saw similar objects on the beach."

Cleanup groups have noticed an increase as well. Michael Loftin, Executive Director of 808 Cleanups said there's been a "surge" of plastic and other trash since parks and beaches opened up, and many people are ordering takeout and delivery.

While napkins, plastic forks and styrofoam containers on our beaches are a short-term problem, experts warn about an increase in pandemic-related marine debris that could travel to Hawaii's waters.

It's becoming a global concern as societies confront the legacy of the coronavirus pandemic. In the nearshore waters of the Mediterranean, one environmental group is finding more disposal masks than jellyfish, and recycling companies across Asia already have tons of plastic waste piling up.

The latest episode of Civil Beat's environmental podcast looks at the future of the zero waste movement in Hawaii after the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the pandemic started and scientists didn't know exactly how the disease spread, Nicole Chatterson said it made sense to use more single-use plastics, masks and gloves.

"I don't fault anyone for wanting to put health and safety first," she said. But as the director of Zero Waste Oahu, she's also looking to the future and thinks it's time to start reducing waste and worrying about the impacts of Hawaii's trash again.

"For the average person who's not an essential worker there's not much reason to have a single-use mask for going into the grocery store," she said, adding that gloves won't protect from the virus if you touch your phone or your facemask with them on.

Scientists have also learned that the virus survives longer on plastic than on paper, and although it's possible to catch COVID-19 after touching an infected surface and then touching your face, " aerosolized droplets are the only documented method of COVID-19 transmission to date. "

Trusting Reusables Again

While the pandemic has caused many municipalities - including Hawaii County - to suspend plastic bag bans, and some oil companies are pivoting to plastic manufacturing amid low fuel prices, Chatterson is trying to stay optimistic.

"What we do know is COVID-19 is responsive to hot water and soap and washing, and the great news about reusables is that's what they're designed for," she said.

Zero Waste Oahu is continuing its plan to pilot a reusable takeout container program with restaurants in Honolulu.

"It is clear that reusable systems can be used safely by employing basic hygiene." - Open letter from more than 100 health experts

If everything goes according to plan, this fall diners can pick up reusable takeout containers at participating restaurants, drop the container off when they're done and get a clean one next time they want a quick bite to eat.

"We now have this opportunity to remember how important cleanliness is and how brilliantly reusables can offer that," she said. "We're washing them in Department of Health certified facilities with certified protocol."

Last week more than 100 health experts, virologists and epidemiologists from 18 countries released a statement pushing back against the idea that single-use plastics are safer than reusables.

"Washing at high temperatures with additional sanitizing procedures are standard in the industry and provide more than adequate protection against virus transmission," read the statement. "It is clear that reusable systems can be used safely by employing basic hygiene."

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

If there was any silver lining to the disastrous shortage of protective equipment in many hospitals, it's that scientists found new ways to sanitize equipment.

Chatterson thinks some of those innovations could be applied to restaurants and coffee shops to let customers bring cups and food containers from home again.

"What if you put your Pyrex in a little sanitizing container on the counter and it comes out the other end totally ready for handling by food service professionals?" Chatterson said.

The pandemic has also inspired Sharma to innovate as well.

Last year, he created an app called Clean My Beach which allows people to plan beach cleanups and find events near them. Now he's partnered with a data team at Harvard University to make an app to help 13- to 24-year-olds take more responsibility during the pandemic.

"Essentially, what I'm trying to do with it is make young people realize that even though they may be at a lower risk of facing serious effects of the virus, they're still very capable of asymptomatically spreading it to their peers or their families or their communities," he said.

Sharma says this new app, tentatively titled Youth COVID-19 Awareness, is a natural next step after creating the beach clean up app; both are about protecting the islands he loves.
"Are We Doomed? And Other Burning Environmental Questions" is funded in part by grants from the Environmental Funders Group of the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of single-use plastics back into our lives and onto our beaches.

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By Jim Mendoza

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HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Last August, the non-profit Keep the Hawaiian Islands Beautiful conducted its annual Oahu Litter Index ― and now the results are out.

"We use a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the best and 5 being the worst," KHIB executive director Linda O'Brien said.

Volunteers surveyed 90 sites looking for litter or illegal dumping. Maili Beach Park was one of only three sites that approached the higher end of the scale.

But O'Brien is encouraged.

Overall, the findings show Oahu's litter load going down compared to previous surveys. Seventy-nine sites were closer to the "minimum litter" level.

"In the past they were very active on radio and TV. We're going to be trying to do the same, as well as adding more user friendly media platforms," KHIB communications coordinator Annabelle Le Jeune said.

The organization wants the city to install cameras in areas where illegal dumping is a problem so it can catch offenders.

The American Chemistry Council helped with the litter survey and sponsored covered garbage cans at Ala Moana Beach Park.

Keep the Hawaiian Islands Beautiful is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful.

The 2020 litter index will be done later this year.

Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Have you noticed less litter around? You're not imagining things

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HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Last August, the non-profit Keep the Hawaiian Islands Beautiful conducted its annual Oahu Litter Index ― and now the results are out. "We use a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the best and 5 being the worst," KHIB executive director Linda O'Brien said.

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by Nicole Tam

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A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye.

Along the shore were heaps of plastic bottles. They had drifted down the river and gotten caught in branches that dipped into the water. The more the group looked, the more bottles they found. They gathered about 500 that day.

"It was just overwhelming," Nancy Wallace, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TFK. "You didn't have enough room to move because of the piles and piles of bottles."

The world has a plastics problem. Bottles, straws, toothbrushes, toys-all kinds of plastics are piling up in landfills. In fact, landfills contain a large part of the world's 5 billion tons of plastic waste. By 2050, the amount could reach 13 billion tons.

INDRANIL MUKHERJEE-AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Much of this trash finds its way into the ocean. Scientists say 165 million tons of plastic debris × debris biodegradable × biodegradable KEITH GETTER/GETTY IMAGES something that has been discarded (noun) After the parade, the street was littered with debris. is floating around out there. In 32 years, plastic in the ocean could outweigh all the fish. And most plastic is not DANIEL ALLEN/GETTY IMAGES capable of being broken down naturally (adjective) My family saves biodegradable waste like food scraps and uses it to fertilize our garden. . So it will remain in the ocean forever. It endangers marine life, and even ends up in the food we eat.

Governments are realizing that recycling may not be enough. They want to eliminate some plastic items altogether. "The problem can seem overwhelming," Wallace says. "But it's a solvable problem."

Plastic Pollution

Plastic litters beaches. Whales get entangled in plastic fishing nets. Birds starve with bellies full of plastic straws and bottle caps.

Another danger is harder to see. Sunlight causes plastic to become brittle. Ocean waves then break it into smaller pieces. Marine animals that eat them are poisoned.

There's also the problem of microbeads × microbead GIANNI DILIBERTO/GETTY IMAGES a tiny plastic sphere (noun) Mira washes her face each night using a soap that contains microbeads. . These tiny bits of plastic are in products like cosmetics and toothpaste. Microbeads get washed down the drain, winding up in rivers and oceans.

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The Last Straw

Britain has outlawed products containing microbeads. Rwanda has made plastic bags and packaging illegal, except in hospitals. Scotland and Taiwan have banned plastic straws. Several coastal cities in the U.S. have too.

The U.S. alone throws away some 500 million plastic straws a day. That's enough to circle the Earth twice. "Saying no to a plastic straw is an easy way to make a big difference in the world," Diana Lofflin says. She founded StrawFree.org.

After all, she says, our future is at stake. "Do we really want to pass on to the next generation a world that's choked by plastic?"

Chew On This

Here's a tasty way to reduce waste. Bakeys is a company in India. It has made the first-ever spoon you can eat. The edible cutlery (pictured below) is made of millet, rice, and wheat. It comes in flavors like sugar, ginger-garlic, and black pepper, in a paper wrapper. If you throw a spoon away, it decomposes in just a few days.

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Harvard University scientist David Edwards has designed an edible packaging material. It is called WikiCell. It protects the food or liquid inside as a peel protects an orange. The see-through skin is made of food particles from chocolate, fruit, seeds, or nuts. It's a delicious replacement for plastic wrap.

Assessment: Click for a printable quiz. Teacher subscribers can find the answer key in this week's Teacher's Guide.

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A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye. Along the shore were heaps of plastic...