Maui police officer killed in line of duty
UHERO: Hawaii has less inequality because nobody can get ahead
Hawaiʻi County Reduces Permitting Backlog
Lahaina rebuild could move along faster if ...
Teenagers' Climate Plan Just a Scam--Proposed 75% cut to cruise ships designed to force more tourists into hotels
SFG: … In June, the Hawaii Department of Transportation announced the Energy Security and Waste Reduction Plan, which proposes slashing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net-negative transportation emissions by 2045 — “(meaning Hawai’i should capture more emissions than we produce), and ultimately zero transportation emissions,” HDOT said in a June news release.
One of the tenets of the plan includes reducing the number of cruise ship calls at its ports from 2023 levels by 50% by 2030 and by 75% from 2023 levels by 2035.…
“Unlike cargo vessels, cruise ships primarily serve tourism and, while they contribute to the economy, they do not necessarily enhance core economic sectors such as hotels, domestic air travel, or local services. Therefore, reducing the number of cruise ships visiting Hawaii ports, especially large cruise ships carrying more than 3,000 passengers, could result in substantial environmental co-benefits, as well as emissions reductions,” the plan said.
(IQ Test: Are hotels, and the airlines which deliver tourists to them, emissions-free? Y/N)
some locals are worried about how the proposal could affect their businesses. On Aug. 7, 55 “local stakeholders” met to discuss the current plan, Seatrade Cruise News reported….
BACKGROUND: UPDATE: DoT Extends Public Comment Period on Teenagers' Climate Plan
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read … Proposed cruise ship cuts leave some Hawaii locals concerned
Honolulu rail construction to close downtown lanes for 5 to 6 years
SA: … Lane closures — 24/7 for the next five to six years — starts Monday on the downtown section of Nimitz Highway for work on the rail, which will affect a large number of motorists, pedestrians, businesses and patrons from downtown to Iwilei and beyond.
“I don’t think we can handle that,” said JJ Luangkhot, owner of Tiny Pyramid, a bakery/restaurant in the the Na Lama Kukui Lifestyle & Design Center, just outside the work zone on Nimitz near City Mill.
“If it’s a lot of trouble to get in, I don’t think we can get any customers. It’s already hard for people to find us (which is set in from the highway).”
Luangkhot was shocked at the news, saying he was neither notified by the city nor by his landlord, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, adding his business has another three years on its 10-year-lease. If the lane closures continue for five years, “I don’t think we can survive,” he said…
This also will squeeze out hundreds of customers, such as those who shop at Iwilei Costco, who now take Nimitz to avoid existing lane closures due to the rail work on Dillingham Boulevard.
Relief won’t come on the Dillingham Boulevard side of the project either. Once the utility relocation ends in the summer of 2026, the guideway work will begin….
read … Honolulu rail construction to close downtown lanes for 5 to 6 years | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
NYT: Modulars provide ‘dignified’ havens for Lahaina wildfire survivors
NYT: … A project offering 167 temporary, modular homes for wildfire survivors on a Lahaina hillside has officially been completed, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The final homes sit at the Kilohana group housing site off of Fleming Road….
read … Modulars provide ‘dignified’ havens for Lahaina wildfire survivors | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Permits sought for ongoing Kaheawa Wind Power operations in West Maui
MN: … State permits are being sought for another 20 years of operations of Kaheawa Wind Power 1, located above the town of Māʻalaea. The 30-megawatt wind farm’s original 20-year power purchase agreement is set to expire in 2026.
Kaheawa Wind Power is proposing to continue using existing turbines and infrastructure. A draft environmental impact statement is available by clicking here. Public comments are due Sept. 22….
The project is also expected to impact (kill) endangered species, including the Hawaiian goose, hoary bat, petrel, Newell’s shearwater, band-rumped storm petrel and yellow-faced bee.
read … Permits sought for ongoing Kaheawa Wind Power operations in West Maui : Maui Now
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