Would a climate warning label at the gas station pump change the choices people make?

James Brooks, chair of the nonprofit Think Beyond the Pump, believes so, even though he acknowledges many may not even actually read the label at all while filling up at a gas station. Still, he stands behind the power of labels, saying most people do not draw the connection between gas at the pump and climate change.

“The literature shows what labels will do is communicate what we already agree with,” said Brooks, who co-authored a study on their effectiveness. “Most people are concerned about climate change and public health. What labels do is increase the salience of those issues at the pump.”

Hawaii SB 506 would require retail self-service stations to put labels on gas-dispensing equipment advising consumers of the effects of fossil fuel consumption on human health and the environment.

The bill was introduced by state Sen. Mike Gabbard (D, Kapolei-Makakilo- Kalaeloa), with companion HB 1277 introduced by state Rep. Lisa Marten (D, Kailua-Lanikai-Waimanalo).

The proposed label would be one sentence long, similar to the ones in Cambridge, Mass., which in 2020 became the first U.S. city to require their placement on gas and diesel pumps.

The Cambridge labels say: “Warning: Burning Gasoline, Diesel and Ethanol has major consequences on human health and on the environment including contributing to climate change.”

Brooks said, “What they do in the long-term is create that little nudge, that little impetus to consider what the alternatives are to conventional fuels.”

The idea is also to educate people at the right time and place, and spark conversations.

Most people have a poor understanding of the public health impacts of fossil fuels, he said, such as nitrogen oxide as a key pollutant from the combustion of unleaded fuel, or the long-term effects of every gallon of fuel putting 20 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere.

The labels would be similar to the required warnings on cigarette packs about the negative health consequences of smoking, he said. They also align with the City and County of Honolulu’s 2020 lawsuit against various oil corporations seeking damages for the mounting costs of dealing with climate change.

“Oil companies also need to be transparent,” Brooks said. “The public should know about the effects, and the public’s knowledge about the effects are very poor.”

Testimony before the Senate Committee of Agriculture and Environment Jan. 30 was mixed, with some supporting the bill, others opposed and yet others questioning the need for such a label.

The Climate Protectors Hawai‘i coalition strongly supported the bill, saying that burning these fossil fuels releases pollutants that are warming the planet, resulting in more intense storms, sea-level rise, floods and droughts.

“Gasoline often includes toxic additives such as benzene, toluene and xylene,” wrote Ted Bohlen of Climate Protectors Hawai‘i. “Burning gasoline, diesel, and ethanol can lead to early death, heart attacks, respiratory disorders, stroke, asthma, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease. Consumers should be warned at the pump that burning gasoline, diesel, and ethanol has major consequences on human health and the environment.”

Li Cobian, who described himself as a Department of Defense environmental contractor professional, testified he sees the bill as a “campaign to demonize people who still prefer the use of gas cars.” He pointed out that the manufacturing process for batteries for electric vehicles involves harmful mining practices and yet there is no label at EV charging stations warning of this.

Natalie Iwasa testified that she opposed the bill, saying “We don’t need any more labels on fuel pumps.”

“Please work on other issues that are more important,” she said.

The state already set a target of 100% renewable energy by 2045, and the state’s four major counties pledged to transition all ground transportation from fossil fuels by then as well.

Ground transportation accounts for 30% of the state’s petroleum use, according to the Hawaii State Energy Office.

The cost of implementing the labeling measure would be minimal, according to Brooks, at about $10 per label for the pumps at an estimated 400 gas stations statewide.

Following the action by Cambridge, Mass., he said Sweden also implemented a similar law in 2021, and gas station owners there absorbed the cost of installing the labels.

If it becomes law here, Hawaii would be the first state to require the climate-warning labels.

Gabbard said he wanted to build on the momentum started in 2021 when Hawaii became the first U.S. state to declare a climate emergency.

“To me, weaning ourselves off fossil fuels is a no-brainer when it comes to protecting our health and our environment from the effects of climate change,” he said in a statement. “Placing warning labels on gas pumps across Hawaii sends a strong message and would be a major step toward increasing awareness nationally — even globally. What better way to help educate people on this looming threat, then by setting our beautiful island paradise as an example?”

Marten, who introduced the companion House bill, said warning labels alone will not necessarily change behavior, but that she supports working every angle.

“Many Hawai‘i residents are concerned about climate change and the costs we are facing to adapt to rising sea levels and changing weather patterns, but there is a disconnect between these concerns and personal transportation choices,” she said in a statement. “The top selling car in 2022 was the To­yota Tacoma. Having warning labels reminds those pumping gas that they are contributing to the problem, even if they think of themselves as environmentalists.”

Marten also introduced HB 1146 supporting a carbon emissions tax — a tax on producers and importers of fossil fuel to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases.

Other bills, including HB 198 from state Rep. Nicole Lowen (D, Kailua-Kona-Honokohau- Puuanahulu), propose the state offer an EV rebate program for low- to moderate-income households. HB 1252 would offer rebates to developers that install EV-ready parking stalls in new affordable housing projects.

The goal, Lowen said, is to make the transition to renewables more equitable for Hawaii.

“This opens it to more people to be able to participate,” she said.

HB 198 is supported by the state Department of Transportation, which would administer the program; Hawaiian Electric; and Blue Planet Foundation. Several individuals testified in opposition to it, including Ruth Love, who wrote that EVs are a “nice novelty for a rich person’s child” but not yet cost-effective for low- to moderate-income residents.

In January, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reported there were 22,806 passenger EVs, which represent about 2.1% of total registered passenger vehicles in Hawaii.

SB 506 passed second reading and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

—

Climate change-related bills

>> SB 506: Requires self-service stations to put labels on gas-dispensing equipment advising consumers of the effects of fossil fuel consumption on human health and the environment.

>> HB 198: Establishes a state rebate for the purchase or lease of EVs by low- to moderate-income households and nonprofits that serve these households.

>> HB 1252: Provides rebates for eligible EV-ready parking stalls in new construction of affordable housing.

>> HB 346: Requires and appropriates funds for new state facilities to be EV-charger ready; establishes goal to retrofit state facilities to be EV-charger ready.

>> HB 1146: Establishes carbon emissions tax credit; expands the environmental response, energy and food security tax to include carbon emissions.