The editorial, “Toll on nature raises talk of tolls” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, June 7), recognized the huge toll that 10 million tourists a year take on our fragile island ecosystem. It also questioned the state’s obsession with “pumping up the raw visitor numbers” — dumping public funds into a highly profitable industry generating less and less economic returns to Hawaii.

But charging fees for tourist access to our natural resources is only a limited response to a deep, systemic dysfunction.

The root of the problem is overtourism and the 12 million airline seats annually available to people flocking to “paradise.” We simply cannot accommodate them without ruining our ecosystem and quality of life.

Decisive measures are needed. Government should sharply restrict the numbers of aircraft coming into Honolulu, and a moratorium placed on new hotel development. This is pono, but given the immense power of the tourism industry lobby, it remains a fantasy.

Which means to save Hawaii and aloha, we need to create a Hawaii Residents Association to fight for our interests. Are we up to it?

Noel Kent

Manoa

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