How Hawai'i may lead the world as a model of responsible Earth stewardship, and enjoy a Green economic boom!

Legislative Reforms:

People's Budget:

Let the people of Hawai'i make up their own State budget. This could be accomplished via a website where voters can choose where to allocate taxpayer funds. For example:

• Healthcare: 25%
• Education: 21%
• Transportation: 20%
• Energy: 23%
• Agriculture: 11%

Inclusive Government:

Abolish the requirement to elect all officials from the same party. Candidates from various parties should work together to solve issues for the people. The system should disallow “winner take all” crony capitalism.

Reduce dependence on US mainland!

Transform Hawai'i into a big Green Energy Powerhouse

Energy sources:

1. Solar energy
2. Ocean energy
3. Geothermal energy
4. Wind energy

Free electricity, available throughout the State!

Eliminate Gasoline imports!

Transport:

• Improve the public transportation system.

• Phase out gasoline powered vehicles.

• Develop drop-in electric motors to replace the infernal combustion engine, converting existing vehicles to run on electricity.

• Generate local jobs by creating cottage industries to make lightweight bikes, trikes, cars and other vehicles:

  • made from local ingredients:

    • Bamboo truss frames
    • Hemp Canvas
    • Bee's wax for waterproofing

  • The only synthetic / metal parts will be:

    • battery
    • wires
    • motor
    • electronics

  • The drive train and even the gear box could be made out of wood / bamboo, to lower the impact on Earth.

  • featuring:

    • optional manual assist, so you can get some exercise.
    • regenerative braking, so your energy is used to charge the vehicle.
    • Collision-avoidance Protocol: An onboard safety protocol based on Bluetooth.
      1. Vehicles form temporary, spontaneous networks with other vehicles in close proximity.
      2. Each vehicle uses a one-time identifier to join a network of local vehicles on the road, guaranteeing anonymity.
      3. Each vehicle publishes its characteristics, such as:
         • dimensions
         • current position
         • mass
         • acceleration characteristics
         • battery status
      4. The vehicles can detect unexpected conditions that require a split-second-response, such as any combination of:
         • driver error
         • bad road conditions, such as a wave, fallen rock or tree.
         • bad weather conditions
      5. In case of such emergencies, the vehicles do an algorithmically concerted dance in lock-step, to ensure passenger safety and avoid collisions.
      6. For example, in case the road is narrowed due to a fallen tree, the algorithm might align the vehicles in a single file, letting them avoid the obstacle and pass in a row, one at a time, through a single lane.

Ecotourism, not just tourism:

Place strict regulations on tourism, transforming it to sustainable ecotourism.

Trees:

• Ban chopping trees, except by forest rangers.
• Allow gathering fallen wood only.
• Wood will become expensive, and used mindfully for specific purposes like:
  • Printing books, on demand. The book is printed after an order is placed.
  • Art supplies, such as drawing paper, papier mâché etc.
  • Sculpture
  • Furniture
• It will become expensive to print paper flyers, junk mail etc.
• Eliminate all paperwork possible, in favor of electronic communications.

Funeral rites:

• Ban clearing land for burials.
• Ban chopping wood for cremations.
• Human remains should preferably be incinerated.
• Trees may be planted to commemorate deceased people. The trees may be in groves, denoting families, friends, and other related people. It may be more meaningful to remember all the deceased ones, by sitting silently in their memorial tree grove, than to weep over an isolated concrete grave stone.

Ban harmful items:

• Ban Gasoline powered leaf-blowers

• Ban Car Alarms:

  • Ban noisy external car alarms!
  • They ruin the sonic ambience and peace of the area.
  • They are ineffective in preventing car theft.
  • In 2024, every car can send an alarm signal directly to the owner's phone, which will not disturb the peace.

• Ban filter Cigarettes: in favor of filter-free cigarettes which use locally made cigarette-holders, with rarely replaced filters. Like the good old roaring 20's!

• Ban disposable Vapes: in favor of re-fillable vapes. Locals use disposable vapes as USBC power sources, which mitigates some harm, but eventually these devices end up in the Ocean.

• Ban Plastic Lighters: in favor of wooden / bamboo lighters.

• Ban Plastic bottles: in favor of locally made, re-fillable bottles, made of bamboo etc.

  • Provide abundant free water fountains throughout.

Raise import taxes on anything that can be produced locally!

• Bananas: Why import bananas from Ecuador, that are raised on chemical fertilizers, harvested by exploited third world labor, and flown to Hawai'i on carbon-emitting airplanes that harm the Earth? Local, organic bananas are a much better choice for both the local farmers, and for the Earth!

• Coffee: Why is coffee flown in from the mainland cheaper than high quality, locally grown coffee?

• SPAM: Produce a line of locally produced lunch meat that tastes like SPAM, but is organic and healthier. Reduce the need for cans.

• Toothbrushes & toothpaste: Replace with fresh Neem datun (tree twigs) available at local farmer's markets for natural dental hygiene, as practiced in ancient India.

• Antiseptics: Boil Neem leaves, and use the water as a disinfectant, and for cleansing baths.

Sewage:

* Parks & Recreation should eliminate toilet paper and chemical porta-potties. * Fit toilets with bidets that use solar energy to pump filtered sea water to wash your rear. * Provide Earth friendly soap. * Supply desalinated tap water. * Treat the sewage locally as humanure. Decentralize sewage processing.

Garbage:

There is a small financial incentive for people to pick up recyclable bottles and cans. However, a large portion of the garbage is not recyclable and goes into the Ocean. Examples: * Cigarette butts ( mentioned above ) * Plastic wrappers * Bottle caps * Food containers

• Here's a proposal that incentivizes people to pick up all garbage.

• Strategically install well-designed garbage bins with lids, throughout the touristy areas. People will dispose of garbage properly, if you give them half a chance.

Tool lending libraries:

Hawai'is State Library System should make household tools available to check-out, as easily as books, movies, or musical instruments. Every household does not need to have a full set of tools at all times.

Educate people in sustainable living

• Need less.
• Consume less.
• Work less.
• Produce less.
• Pollute less.
• Play more.
• Rest more.
• Take pride in the Āina:
  • Set a good example for visitors by showing them the hospitable spirit of Aloha!
  • Maintain Hawai'i so well, that visitors are too embarrassed to throw garbage around.
  • Volunteer to serve the local community, by picking up garbage, and helping those in need.

The USA may fight oil wars, but

Not In Our Name!

Hawai'ian Renaissance by Ashwin Dixit is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International