Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) joined Hawaiʻi officials and climate advocates to call for immediate action to tackle the climate crisis by passing the popular investments in climate, justice, jobs, and clean energy included in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). These critical investments would put the United States on the path to meeting President Joe Biden’s goal of cutting climate-harming carbon pollution in half by 2030, while creating good-paying jobs and boosting Hawaii’s economy. The event was sponsored by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
“The planet is not going to pause it’s warming process while we sort our politics out. We owe it to future generations to figure out what can pass, and pass it. And to keep doing that, every year, at every level of government, for the foreseeable future,” said Senator Schatz. “Despair is not an option. Righteous indignation turned into action absolutely is. We keep fighting.”
Speakers urged the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass the most comprehensive version of the BBBA with these climate, justice, and jobs priorities. The BBBA’s investments in clean energy are essential to tackling the climate crisis. More than 40% of Americans last year personally suffered the impacts of climate change in the form of wildfires, droughts, extreme storms, and flooding. Climate change impacts have been dramatic in Hawaiʻi. According to a new report by NOAA, continued sea-level rise fueled by climate change will present major challenges to Hawaii’s coastline through coastal inundation and erosion.
“Hawaiʻi is a leader in using our indigenous knowledge to help address many of our climate woes. This historic investment by the federal government to combat these issues will allow us to build more resilient and sustainable infrastructure in communities across Hawaiʻi, particularly in areas where Native Hawaiians reside,” said Kūhiō Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. “It is critical as a matter of science, as a matter of economics, and as a matter of justice that our country’s leaders in Congress follow Senator Schatz’s example and fight to carry these climate proposals over the finish line.”
With rising sea levels, historical rates of shoreline recession are projected to double by 2050, and more than 90% of beaches are projected to be in retreat by that time. Native Hawaiians are especially vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and erosion. Floods are projected to impact almost 550 Hawaiian cultural sites and could displace about 20,000 residents. With the BBBA, bold climate action can aid those communities who for too long have been denied environmental justice.
“To support growth in our islands, federal investments like the Build Back Better Act will help to catalyze local adaptation to the inevitable effects of climate change, such as flooding and sea level rise,” said Honolulu City Councilmember Radiant Cordero. “Passage of the climate policies in the BBBA will go hand-in-hand with the work that we are doing to empower our communities to invest in local clean energy, transit and sustainable infrastructure.”
Climate can’t wait. Neither can our economy. Experts say that the $550 billion in climate investments would create millions of good-paying jobs in clean energy and reduce energy costs for Hawaii families. Prior to the pandemic, clean energy jobs were growing faster than the economy as a whole. As of 2020, there were 12,550 people in Hawaiʻi working in clean energy. These investments would add more than 22,000 jobs in Hawaii over the next five years and deliver massive energy savings for Hawaii families.
A video of the press conference can be found HERE.