Isle beaches deserve better policies

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 09, 2012

~~<p>Hawaii's leaders never seem to get a firm grasp on one problem, despite the fact that it literally surrounds them. It's beach erosion, and the failure to deal with that simple fact of nature is evident in the way that Oahu in particular has developed: with too many buildings too close to the shoreline.</p>
<p>Now, in addition to the visual reminders of the process, there is a new set of data from the U.S. Geological Survey that measures just how fast Hawaii is losing its world-famous beaches. The hope is that this information will lead to better decisions where shoreline land use is concerned.</p>
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Hawaii's leaders never seem to get a firm grasp on one problem, despite the fact that it literally surrounds them. It's beach erosion, and the failure to deal with that simple fact of nature is evident in the way that Oahu in particular has developed: with too many buildings too close to the shoreline.

Now, in addition to the visual reminders of the process, there is a new set of data from the U.S. Geological Survey that measures just how fast Hawaii is losing its world-famous beaches. The hope is that this information will lead to better decisions where shoreline land use is concerned. Login for more...