hawaii
Newsletter
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Insurers leave Maui wildfire survivors in unsafe homes, families say
Maui residents whose homes survived last year's wildfires are grappling with toxic contamination and insufficient insurance coverage to restore their homes, leaving many unable to return.
In short:
- Many Maui homeowners are battling insurers over inadequate payouts for smoke damage after the 2023 wildfires, which left homes filled with toxic residue.
- Independent experts estimate restoration costs up to four times higher than what insurers, like State Farm, are covering, leaving families displaced.
- Hawaii lacks industry standards for assessing wildfire smoke damage, leaving insurers to determine what is safe.
Key quote:
“We are not trying to make money or profit off of disaster. We just want our houses cleaned. We want to know we are safe in our homes, and we don’t know that.”
— Maria Linz, Lahaina resident
Why this matters:
As wildfires increase due to climate change, more homeowners face costly battles with insurers over smoke contamination. Without standards or regulation, families are left at risk, both financially and health-wise.
Read more: The Maui fires may cause long-term health problems
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Credit: MICHAEL WILSON/Unsplash
Solar energy empowers Molokaʻi's path to energy independence
Molokaʻi residents are transitioning to solar power, taking control of their energy future through community-driven efforts and local workforce development.
In short:
- Molokaʻi residents launched a Community Energy Resilience Action Plan to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy using microgrids and solar systems.
- The Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative is building community-owned solar projects, aiming to generate 20% of the island's power and reduce electricity costs by 20%.
- Workforce development programs are training locals in solar technology, offering new job opportunities and fostering energy independence.
Key quote:
"We are taking control of our own destiny as a grassroots cooperative, as a people, as an island, to care for our own resources."
— Lori Buchanan, founding board member of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokaʻi.
Why this matters:
By embracing solar power, Molokaʻi is reducing its dependence on expensive fossil fuels and enhancing energy security for its residents. This initiative also serves as a model for community-led renewable energy projects, promoting self-sufficiency and resilience in remote areas.
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Credit: sfe-co2/Big Stock Photo
Hawaii agrees to a zero-emission transportation deadline
Hawaii has reached a legal settlement with young climate activists, requiring the state to achieve zero emissions in its transportation sector by 2045.
In short:
- The lawsuit, filed by 13 young people, claimed Hawaii's transportation policies violated their constitutional rights by contributing to climate change.
- The settlement mandates Hawaii to fully decarbonize its ground, sea, and inter-island air transportation by 2045.
- This agreement includes oversight by the court to ensure compliance and faster progress towards emission reduction goals.
Key quote:
“This is an extraordinary, unprecedented victory for the youth plaintiffs.”
— Michael Gerrard, faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University
Why this matters:
This settlement marks a significant step in addressing climate change by targeting transportation emissions, a major contributor to greenhouse gases. It also demonstrates the power of youth activism in influencing environmental policy.
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Credit: Mick Haupt/Unsplash
Rebuilding in Lahaina sees easing of coastal rules after wildfires
Homeowners in Lahaina, Maui, will now find it easier to rebuild their homes damaged by recent wildfires, as state and local governments relax certain zoning laws to speed up the recovery process.
In short:
- State and county initiatives have suspended the Coastal Zone Management Act specifically for Lahaina, aiding quicker reconstruction post-wildfire.
- A new Recovery Permitting Center will focus on expediting residential rebuilding permits, though plans for commercial properties remain unclear.
- The faster permitting process is crucial for Lahaina as it transitions from disaster response to recovery, focusing on rebuilding homes and infrastructure.
Why this matters:
The easing of restrictions presents a tangible dilemma: it promises swifter reconstruction and a semblance of normalcy for residents yearning for stability, but it also raises the specter of long-term environmental costs. Proponents of the relaxed rules argue that the community's economic recovery hinges on the ability to rebuild quickly and without the red tape that often delays progress. Detractors, however, warn of a slippery slope, suggesting that leniency in the face of disaster could set a precedent for weakening environmental protections under the guise of recovery.
Related: As western wildfires become bigger and more intense, state and federal fire agencies are using more and more aerial fire retardant, prompting concerns over fish kills, aquatic life, and water quality.
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Big Stock Photo
Native Hawaiian salt makers combat climate change and pollution to protect a sacred tradition
A salt patch on the island of Kauai is one of the last remaining in all of Hawaii. Salt makers from 22 Native Hawaiian families gather here in the summer months to do the hard work of making paakai or Hawaiian salt.
Photo by Don Stouder on Unsplash
Grieving Maui residents prepare to rebuild but ask: ‘For whom?’
Hawaii’s environment has suffered since its annexation by the US – can rebuilding return the island to an earlier way of life?
Newsletter
Photo by Neora Aylon on Unsplash
Invasive species have created a cycle of wildfire in Hawaiʻi. Can Maui break it?
Planting native flora could help prevent the island's next wildfire and reconnect Mauians to their cultural heritage.
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