When I woke up this morning, it was -16 degrees windchill. So I think I’d get a lot better perspective on this story from Hawaii if Green Options insisted I cover the news from there…

Newly elected Mayor Charmaine Tavares of Wailuku, Maui – the county seat of Maui County – plans to spend her first year in office drawing up progressive policies for renewable energy.

Although many of her constituents are calling on her to implement policies now, Tavares insists that a thorough and thoughtful renewable energy plan will take time to draw up and determine the best course of implementation. Tavares, who has been particularly enthusiastic about renewable energy for years, noted to the Maui News,

People have been waiting for the state to drive this, but I think the planets have aligned so everyone can contribute to this goal.

Her proposals may include growing fuel crops on the island, property tax incentives for renewables, and grants for research and development. In order for the plan to be successful, Tavares notes that local governments must be an active partner with the private sector.

Hawaii may also soon join 12 other states by adopting its own version of the Kyoto Protocol. However, as Sustainability in Hawaii points out, the bill introduced to monitor and cap global warming pollution is missing a key number – a target date. The same bill also features the ultimate goal of moving Hawaii to the #1 spot of lowest emitter of global warming pollution per capita in the nation. The state is currently 33% above the lowest emitter: Rhode Island.

The Maui News
SusHi: Sustainability in Hawaii
Wikipedia: Wailuku, Hawaii