In December 2017, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court told the state Public Utilities Commission that it had to consider greenhouse gas emissions in carrying out “all of the [commission’s] duties.” The decision wasn’t unanimous. In fact, it was as close as … Continued
Mary Evanson died last month. She was 97 years old. In those 97 years, Mary lived more than most people could do in twice that time. It’s hard to think of an environmental group on Maui that she did not … Continued
The Hawai`i Supreme Court has weighed in on the question of whether greenhouse gas emissions need to be considered before the Public Utilities Commission can approve power-purchase agreements with independent power companies. And the answer is: Yes! The commission “erred … Continued
Can the 1,424 adult leatherback sea turtles that ply the western Pacific withstand the losses resulting from their interactions with gear set by the Hawai‘i-based longline fishing vessels that target swordfish? A new “internal and deliberative” draft biological opinion (BiOp) … Continued
The Belgian company Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) had planned to start small-scale testing last month of a bus-sized tracked robot – 40 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 15 feet high – designed to vacuum up poly-metallic nodules from … Continued
Another Whale Death: For the second time this year, a Hawai‘i deep-set longline vessel killed a false killer whale while fishing for bigeye tuna. The first incident occurred in January within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the state and … Continued
In Memoriam: Last month the Hawaii environmental community lost two pillars of conservation: Don Reeser and William Merwin. Don, 80 years old, died March 16 at his home in Makawao, Maui. He probably did more to protect the natural resources … Continued
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has punted on the question of whether DW Aina Lea Development, LLC, should be able to bring a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii six years after the Land … Continued
“There comes a time when even the most optimistic real estate developer must concede that what lies at the end of the rainbow is a pile of debt, not a pot of gold.” With that statement, attorneys for Bridge ‘Aina … Continued
Efforts to develop about 3,000 acres of land in South Kohala go back decades. The most recent chapter in the land’s history starts in 1987, when Signal Puako, a subsidiary of Signal Landmark Properties – itself a subsidiary of The … Continued