Island can meet challenges by bringing ancient concepts into 21st century

The Maui News
Sunday, July 30, 2006

VIEWPOINT by J. KALANI ENGLISH

It's vital that we recognize the special challenges that islands face. It's equally important to recognize that those challenges were met long ago. Island societies have moved away from self-sufficiency. Today, our challenge is getting back there.

Sustainability is an imperative for island societies - in energy, agriculture and economic development. But for Hawaiians, sustainability is not a trendy new idea; it's an essential part of our cultural heritage.

The basic unit of land division in ancient Hawaii was the ahupua'a. An ahupua'a is an area of land that extends from the mountains to the sea. It is a classic example of human society in harmony with nature - enough space, food and water for everyone and a population in balance.

I am fortunate enough to have been raised in the old ways of Hawaii in a place that has remained relatively unspoiled because of its geographical isolation. My family has been on the same land for many centuries. The ideals I learned growing up in Hana have never left me, although my work has taken me all over the world.

In 1994, I took part in the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in Bridgetown, Barbados. Problems faced by islands were carefully outlined, including small populations, lack of resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, excessive dependence on international trade and vulnerability to global developments.

The U.N. also cites "lack of economies of scale, high transportation and communication costs and costly public administration and infrastructure."

Due in large part to the work done at the United Nations, the blueprint for sustainable development has been in place for well over a decade, but the real work is changing the mind-set of the public and governments worldwide. It seems to take ideas related to sustainable development and renewable energy about 10 years to reach the local level.

The United Nations has helped to create a framework for the world on the issue of small island developing states. Now, it is up to each jurisdiction to turn these guidelines into firm policy where appropriate.

I have worked to make Hawaii into a model for small island developing states. That ongoing task is based on a strategy with several key components. One is to turn the liabilities outlined in the Barbados Declaration - small size and isolation - into advantages. Our small size means we have a manageable unit to work with. Our isolation reminds us that self-reliance is a necessity.

The high cost of nonrenewable energy is everyone's concern. During this past legislative session, the administration and the energy utility finally bought in to the idea of sustainability. They had been reluctant partners before. This year they became enthusiastic partners. Just a few weeks ago, Shell announced a $200 million wind farm project situated not far from my home in Hana. When it comes on line, it will meet 20 percent of Maui's energy needs.

What has changed?

The price of fuel at the pump is the most obvious answer. We have the highest fuel prices in the nation. There is also a growing recognition that dependence on nonrenewable, imported fuel for energy is a security issue. In an increasingly volatile international political climate, the people of Hawaii do not want to be dependent on outside forces they cannot control.

Going forward, I would hope to see greater unity among our supporters coupled with a greater understanding of the process. Ironically, some environmental extremists in Hawaii today act as obstacles to progress by complaining loudly and publicly that not enough has been done. At the same time, those former "reluctant partners" have become enthusiastic advocates.

Our former adversaries have become allies, and we welcome them. But some longtime advocates of energy reform have grown impatient, and their impatience could hurt our cause.

I hope we can foster a greater understanding of the way government works. I hope we can gain greater support for the step-by-step nature of legislative progress and enhance public understanding of the time-honored art of compromise.

Someday, I believe we will look back on the struggle for energy self-reliance and wonder why it took so long. We will shake our heads at the human tendency to resist change and at the difficulty of struggling against entrenched economic interests.

I also believe we are going to return to the concept of the ahupua'a, that self-contained community of long ago, in a new, 21st-century version. Islands, driven by their special circumstances, will lead the way.

J. Kalani English is the state senator from 6th District, Upcountry, East Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.

Copyright © 2005 The Maui News.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=21972

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