Airline pollution
If Hawaii’s economy was based on a smoke-belching, coal-fired industry, most thoughtful people would see a need for change.
However, it actually is based on something even more destructive to the environment: tourism based on high-volume commercial air travel. Yet, somehow it’s difficult to find anyone interested in discussing this, let alone considering change.
Airlines continue to exist in an alternative universe where they pay no fuel taxes and have no fuel efficiency requirements or limits placed on their carbon dioxide emissions. If the aviation industry were a nation, it would be among the top 10 emitters of carbon dioxide. Its emissions are projected to grow between two and four times by 2050 without policy interventions.
Planes don’t just emit carbon dioxide. They also emit sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and black carbon, as well as water vapor that can form heat-trapping clouds. These emissions take place in the upper troposphere where their effects are magnified, producing as much as 2.7 times the warming effects of carbon dioxide alone.
Because Hawaii is the most remote air travel destination on Earth, the negative environmental impact of Hawaii air tourism is enormous. This cannot be easily moderated short of reducing the number of visitors.
Considering this, can Hawaii tourism really be ethically promoted or encouraged? Are we putting Hawaii’s economic “health” above the larger interests of all humanity?
Bob Lee
Hilo
Hilo’s ‘health spa’
The Hilo community has been blessed with having the parks and facilities to make the area mauka of the proposed oceanfront trail from the Hilo bandstand south to “Rotary Park” the best year-around walking area in the world.
In fact, with its soccer, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, lap-pool swimming, canoe-paddling, fishing, boating, golfing, picnicking and beaching facilities close by for the public’s and tourists’ use, it is truly a remarkable area that should be referred to collectively as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Health Spa.”
Michael Combs
Hilo
