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A recent letter urges the Legislature to enact measures that will have no impact on global greenhouse gases, but will weigh down Hawaii’s fragile economy (“Time to make good on climate change pledge,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 15). This well-meaning advocacy reflects the erroneous assumption that measures taken locally will have any impact on GHG emissions.
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, global population has doubled; unsurprisingly GHG emissions have increased even faster. Why? China. The 2016 Paris Accord negotiated by President Obama permitted China to peak GHG emissions by 2030. Since 2016, China’s thermal power generation has increased by 42%, constituting 70% of its total electrical power. Today China generates 30% of total global GHG, three times that of any other country.
Local spending should focus on infrastructure to address rising sea levels rather than enacting measures that will be costly for local business, but will not alter the trajectory of GHG.
David L. Mulliken
Diamond Head
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