Given Hawaii’s status as the nation’s endangered species capital, establishing effective protections here against threats — from urbanization to climate change — should be a priority. A lawsuit filed last week by the Center for Biological Diversity contends that the federal government is failing on that score.

Six years after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed a set of 15 plant and animal species in Hawaii as endangered, a required next step of critical habitat designation is in place for just one species. That sluggish pace increases the risk of extinction. Altogether, Hawaii has 503 endangered species; the runner-up, California, 287.

Kailuans get an open road home

“You Can’t Go Home Again,” the title of Thomas Wolfe’s novel, is also a phrase muttered by Pali Highway commuters caught by the nightly closure of their chosen route.

Turns out, the latest update about the Pali’s rehabilitation is better news than many thought. Starting last night, Kailua-bound drivers have at least one lane available to them 24/7: The roadway narrows between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. weeknights.

Let’s hope traffic moves well in that one lane. Might be best not to wait until 8, all the same.