There’s been a lot of talk about Hawaii reducing its emissions. U.S. emissions in 2022 was 6,343 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. In 2021, Hawaii’s emissions were 20.18 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. So, Hawaii contributes a mere 0.32% to total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. From the Legislature to the media to the public, the common wisdom seems to be that Hawaii can and should do something to stop global warming. It can’t.

Should our priority be to try to make an imperceptible contribution to global carbon dioxide reduction, or take meaningful steps to mitigate and adapt to whatever climate change may bring?

UH scientist Chip Fletcher believes the immediate threat is sea level rise. Whether you believe that or not, we actually can do something to protect our shorelines. The tail seems to be on the wrong end of the dog.

Brian Barbata

Kailua

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