Legislature should put self-sufficiency back on priority list

"Is Water the New Oil?" reads a recent national business magazine headline. In Hawaii, we understand our expensive dependency on imported food and oil. Imagine if we were also dependent on expensive sources for water.

The time to act is now. Legislators have the opportunity in this session to make self-reliance a priority by providing long-term, dedicated funding for clean energy, food security and watershed protection.

As we recover from the recession, we must reverse the effects of importing products and services that we can produce here, namely food and energy. The $12 billion brought into Hawaii via the visitor industry is nearly matched by almost $10 billion we send away to pay for imported food and fuel.

The Legislature responded to this situation in 2010 by passing Act 73 and assessing a barrel tax on imported oil to invest in long-term strategies to "become self-sufficient in our energy and food needs and to protect the health and function of our environment." Unfortunately, almost 60 percent of the barrel tax funds have been diverted to the state’s general fund.

This Legislature can ensure the original intent of Act 73 and direct more of the barrel tax revenue to clean energy initiatives that keep Hawaii on track to reach our aggressive goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030. In addition, properly directed barrel tax revenue would help to preserve agricultural lands, repair irrigation systems, lower the costs of farming and raise both the supply of and demand for local food.

The value of fresh water is unquestioned — it is necessary to sustain life. There are no substitutes. We are facing the possibility of substantial freshwater shortfalls and drought in the near future because of the loss of our watershed forests. Forests are the source of our fresh water supply, acting like a sponge to capture rain and cloud moisture, delivering it efficiently to aquifers and streams for our use.

But half of Hawaii’s forests are already gone and the other half is in danger. Invasive plants and animals are the major threats, and only 10 percent of our forests are protected and managed. Invasive species programs are working at 60 percent funding compared to pre-2008 levels.

Our legislators can substantially advance protection for our greatest natural resource by supporting the administration’s goal to double the acres of watershed forest protected in the next decade, requiring approximately $11 million per year. The Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Rain Follows the Forest watershed protection plan includes fencing core forest areas and long-term invasive species control, including removing destructive weeds and animals, and planting native species.

Water users already pay for the loss of native forests, and those costs are high. On Hawaii island’s east side alone, invasive plants have reduced estimated groundwater recharge by 85 million gallons a day. When one considers that a desalination plant that produces a mere 5 million gallons per day costs $40 million to construct and more than $5.4 million per year to operate, the superior economic value of protecting our forests is readily apparent.

We are all stakeholders in Hawaii’s future. Our sources of food, energy and fresh water supply affect us all and affect the long-term health of our islands.

We, the members of the Hawaii Green Growth Initiative, support sustainable funding mechanisms to increase Hawaii’s self-sufficiency and advance our goals for a secure future for our energy, food and fresh water needs. We urge you to do the same.