In 2006, the Legislature required the Department of Land and Natural Resources to “provide an accounting of all receipts from lands described in Section 5(f) of the Admission Act for the prior fiscal year.” The lands described in that section … Continued
Mercury is a poison. Certain fish have high levels of mercury. To avoid being poisoned, then, you should avoid eating fish. That’s the oversimplified syllogism that has guided many consumers over the last few years, ever since alarms were raised … Continued
GEMS Update: The Green Energy Market Securitization program, which was the subject of several articles in the March issue of Environment Hawai`i, has signed up with Pacific Rim Bank as the provider of GEMS-backed loans. At its February 26 meeting, … Continued
When estimating the number of false killer whales that interact with the longline fishery, scientists and resource managers do not try to guess the sex of any individual caught. But a recently published study of dorsal fin disfigurements concludes that … Continued
Usually, when a state board or commission is asked to make a decision, its staff will prepare a background report. In the case of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, for example, the staff report can run to several … Continued
In researching the articles for this issue, Environment Hawai`i sought copies of contracts that the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism entered into with the Bank of New York Mellon, Renewable Finance, and Clean Power Finance. On February 24, … Continued
When cooking up its Green Energy Market Securitization (GEMS) program, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism seems to have followed the recipe for growing mushrooms. You know the one: keep them in the dark and feed them … … Continued
Keeping the Country Country: Last month, Ikaika Anderson, chair of the Honolulu City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee, proposed gutting all references in the draft Ko`olau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan (KLSCP) to a new residential community in Malaekahana. In his … Continued
When the Hawai`i Legislature passed Senate Bill 1087 in 2013, the bill was hailed as a way to democratize access to energy-saving technology, such as rooftop photovoltaic installations. Nearly two years later, as the program anticipated in the legislation is … Continued
One of the big puzzles about the Green Energy Market Securitization program is why it excludes loans for solar water heaters. These certainly offer the biggest bang for the buck to any customer wanting lower utility bills. And the cost … Continued