HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0494.016 2018-2020 p0wft
COW. qqq
To: Hawaii County Council
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
County of Hawai'i
Hawaii County Building lum
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawai'i, 96720 g.
From: Elizabeth Laliberte
Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Res. 322-19: DECLARES A HAWAI'I COUNTY CLIMATE EMERGENCY
Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony on the resolution to declare a climate emergency for
Hawaii County. This issue is at the forefront of all other issues. At this point in time we can no longer
delay taking significant action.
Hawaii's coral reefs are disappearing and the summit of Mauna Kea hasn't had a significant snowfall in
over 10 years. During King tides the parking lots and grassy areas of many beach parks are under water.
Not to mention the record-setting heat we've suffered from the past few years. We are already seeing
the signs that our climate is in crisis.
Given that a significant portion of our island's economic activity is tourism-related it is even more
imperative that we act now to curb future disasters. We can learn lessons from Puerto Rico and the
Bahamas, whose economies depend on tourist dollars. Like theirs, Hawaii's main industry is vulnerable
to natural disasters which will only become more frequent and severe with a climate crisis.
I would like to submit for the record the fact that the majority of Americans support measures to
transform our energy, transportation and agricultural sectors to meet sustainability targets. Be
confident that your constituents deeply care about this issue and want to move forward. Hawaii County
has shown leadership in protecting the land through the bottle bill, plastic bag ban, and most recently
the Styrofoam ban. Hawaii can, and will also lead the way in innovative ways to combat the climate
crisis.
For the record I am strongly opposed to the Hu Honua energy facility operating in any capacity. This is a
sham company trying to market itself as a "green energy" producer but that can't be further from the
truth. Cutting down trees and burning them to make electricity is one of the most primitive and carbon-
intensive ways to make electricity. Trees, especially mature trees such as the eucalyptus they are
planning to burn are vital for sequestering carbon and take decades to reach maturity. Approving this
project would be a colossal mistake and a huge setback in terms of moving in a sustainable direction.
The burden to our communities in terms of increased traffic due to logging trucks moving along Hwy 19,
pollution into the air, soil and water and the loss of topsoil (a precious resource) will fuel anger and
resentment toward a mainland-based company. It's insulting enough that it already took millions of our
a m. o. ��•�1�1
Ref. To: (/
ef. Dote 01 1
tax dollars to dump this disaster on our island. Hu Honua and a climate emergency are at cross-
purposes. It is because I support this resolution,that I oppose the operation of Hu Honua.
Thank you once more, for considering my testimony.
Sincerely and with aloha,
Elizabeth Laliberte
Hilo, Hawaii