Nonprofit claims nature is out of whack in Hawaii

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Nonprofit claims nature is out of whack in Hawaii By Timothy Hurley Aug. 17, 2016 A coalition of 17 Hawaii funders of conservation projects issued a report today that says the state’s environment is under pressure and out of balance, and calls for greater attention to protection of drinking water, renewable energy and marine management. The report by the Hawaii Environmental Funders Group also urges greater budget and manpower support for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and state Department of Agriculture, the agencies responsible for being stewards of Hawaii’s environment. The report, titled “He Lono Moku: The State of the Environment,” was released today in advance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress meeting in Honolulu, Sept. 1-10. “Hawaii faces daunting environmental challenges from climate change to endangered species,” said Brant Chillingworth, senior program officer at Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation and chairman of the committee that compiled the report. “We can’t keep passing on these growing challenges to the next generation for them to figure out.” Chillingworth said that with the IUCN meeting putting Hawaii on the world stage, the organization decided to take the opportunity to shine a light on some of the biggest environmental challenges faced right here. “It is time for a renewed focus on sustaining Hawaii’s priceless environment,” Josh Stanbro of the Hawaii Community Foundation said in a news release. “Our society is not investing enough in protecting our watersheds, forests and oceans.” Available at helonomoku.com, the report highlights some of the most pressing issues facing Hawaii’s environment as well as some of the strides being made. According to the report, Hawaii supported a population of up to 800,000 sustainably for centuries. But now, seven generations after contact with the Western world, Hawaii has had its population nearly double to 1.42 million, and it is expected to double again by 2080.


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