Environmental movement rises to power in Hawaii

Mostly unnoticed this week at the state Capitol is another fight that clearly shows the changing political forces in Hawaii.

While the historic vote on gay marriage takes center stage, Hawaii’s environmental movement, out of the spotlight, is showing its political power with the possible rejection of Genevieve Salmonson as director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control.

State senators must confirm her nomination by Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Democratic leader Sen. Brickwood Galuteria has already told Abercrombie "she may not have the support that’s needed."

The Conservation Council for Hawaii and the Sierra Club are both working to defeat the nomination, saying that although Salmonson has previously held the job, she is ill-suited for it.

It is the latest stage in the rise in power of the loosely united environmental movements.

"At this moment in history, the Sierra Club is the most powerful lobby in Hawaii. Arguably more powerful today than Bishop Estate or Gary Rodrigues/UPW ever was," says John Radcliffe, local lobbyist and member of Abercrombie’s "transition team" that recommended Salmonson for the OEQC.

"They dictate environmental policy in Hawaii today. The governor and the Legislature separately or together can’t match them," Radcliffe adds.

The nod to the power of the unions in Hawaii is important, because although many of the state’s boards and commissions either by statue or custom include a person to "represent labor" on the board, there is no such designation for environmental representatives.

The political power, however, is real and growing. The local Sierra Club is running radio ads urging the preservation of the Koa Ridge in Central Oahu and stopping the development of as many as 3,500 homes. On a national level, Sierra Club is bragging about its clout in helping elect Tulsi Gabbard to Congress over former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

"We invested significant resources in media and online support," the Sierra Club bragged on its national website (http://content.sierraclub.org/politics-elections/impact-2012).

"It worked. Polling showed that Hawaiian voters would be making their 2012 choices largely on environmental issues," the Sierra Club said.

Groups such as the Sierra Club benefit from having a public image separate from politics and have high approval ratings.

Robert Harris, director of the Hawaii Sierra Club chapter, says a recent poll gave his group an 80 percent favorable rating.

"We’re conscientiously focusing on organizing a more active political base, such as training candidates to run for office and ensuring volunteers are ready to support good, ‘green’ candidates running for office. Although I might be bragging a bit, I think we made a difference in several key political races this past election cycle," Harris says.

Fighting on the issues is part of the battle. Gov. Abercrombie last year got his ears pinned back by environmentalists furious at his insistent support for the Public Land Development Corp., which was designed to move around county permitting and zoning.

Environmentalists won major preservation victories ranging from preserving Sandy Beach to rerouting the H-3 freeway.

"They play hardball, and play hardball on every play of every game," says Radcliffe. "They believe their cause is righteous, so anything goes."

Politicians, of course, pay attention to the issues, but the big attention-getter is the ability to move someone in or out of office.

That was the historic power of unions in Hawaii, and now it is becoming the power of the state’s environmental movement.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.