HAWAIʻI CLIMATE CHANGE ADVOCACY ADVISOR DEVELOPED BY HIʻILEI K. CASCO Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 02 03 PURPOSE CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE IN THE LEG OVERVIEW Why this resource A review of climate change An assessment and analysis was created for you indicators, impacts, and case of climate-related studies on advocacy initiatives initiatives in the 2019 in the Pacific region Hawaiʻi State Legislature 04 05 06 KEY INSIGHTS + RESOURCES + TOOLS APPENDICES STRATEGIES Sharing advocacy insights Materials to help you get Supporting data and and strategies from started: step-by-step information community members and guides, worksheets, and seasoned environmental resources advocates 2 01 PURPOSE Why this resource was created for you 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WELINA MAI Welcome to the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Advocacy Advisor! Despite the importance of environmental advocacy in ensuring effective decision-making processes and outcomes, smaller community-based resource stewardship organizations in Hawaiʻi often lack the skills, tools, guidance, and capacity to organize their own advocacy plans and strategies. This lack of support has made it difficult to protect and fulfill their environmental interests through an inability to participate in policy and decision-making processes at local and state levels. There is a need to support these groups to develop their own advocacy frameworks and plans, which will ensure their ability to express their views on climate change and natural resource issues that impact them. This resource seeks to support small community-based natural resource organizations in Hawaiʻi to more effectively participate in climate change and natural resource policy and decision-making processes at local and state levels. Through an internship, literature review, and personal interviews, my guidebook assesses the unique challenges small groups face with respect to environmental advocacy efforts, as well as identifies the types of information, tools, skills, and resources needed to address these challenges. This guidebook is intended to empower small groups by using past learnings and research to inform future advocacy successes, and providing the planning and organizational information and tools necessary to voice their concerns on issues that impact them. Overall, greater community participation in legislative processes will uphold just decision-making processes, ultimately improving protection and conservation of the natural resources and biodiversity of our islands now and in perpetuity. 4 WHY CLIMATE CHANGE? As the Earth approaches a 2-3 C increase in global warming, communities in Hawaiʻi are predicted to be among the first and worst places affected. Hawaiʻi residents are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts because of their isolated geographical location, heavy reliance on coastal areas, and unique natural resources like endemic plant and animal species. Climate Change is also unique in the sense that impacts are largely in the future, are relatively uncertain, may be costly, especially to certain parts of society whom are not necessarily powerful political actors. Since advance planning can help to mitigate the effects of climate change on people and environments, it is urgent that advocacy organizations address climate change sooner rather than later. Activities such as lobbying and education can serve as valuable strategies toward the protection of resources threatened by climate change. WHY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY? The ʻōlelo noʻeau “E kū i ka pono” or “Stand or uphold what is right” attests to the immense social, cultural, and ecological importance of advocacy in Hawaiʻi. There are many forms advocacy can take depending on the issues at hand, their contexts, a group’s desired outcomes, and the key decision-making players and processes involved. Legislative advocacy specifically refers to efforts to introduce, implement, or iterate on legislation; efforts to influence the introduction, enactment, or modification of legislation. In Hawaiʻi, legislation is one of the primary forms of environmental protection. Voicing ideas and opinions on environmental issues during this process makes a critical difference in advancing climate action across the state. WHY SMALL GROUPS? Despite the importance of climate change advocacy in promoting effective decision-making processes and outcomes, smaller community-based resource organizations and stewards in Hawaiʻi often lack the skills, tools, guidance, and capacity to organize their own successful advocacy plans and strategies. For example, smaller groups might have limited financial resources, a small member base, and/or few specialized staff with the time and expertise to develop and pursue advocacy plans and programs. Moreover, a shortage of knowledge regarding legislative processes can also negatively impact the ability of such groups to advocate for themselves. This lack of support makes it difficult to protect and fulfill environmental interests, despite strong desires to pursue advocacy initiatives. This resource was created to address this need and provide external support to help groups effectively express their views and enact change. 5 ABOUT THE AUTHORS PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER Hiʻilei K. Casco Hiʻilei K. Casco was a graduate student from 2018-2020 in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her family is from Wailuku, Lāhaina and Kaupō on the island of Maui, Hawaiʻi. As a Native Hawaiian scholar, she utilizes pono research methodologies to mālama ʻāina. Her passions focus on Indigenous knowledges, environmental law and policy, political ecology, civic engagement, and informal environmental education. This resource was produced as part of Casco’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management Master’s of Environmental Management (MEM) capstone project. Please do not quote, claim, or use this work without citing the author. COMMUNITY VOICES As a participatory research project, this resource was developed with the insights and experiences of Hawai’i’s legislative community, including Legislators and staff, natural resource organizations and advocacy groups, environmental scholars, and every day citizens. A special mahalo to: ● Kamehameha Schools ● Blue Planet Foundation ● Common Ground Collective ● KAHEA - The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance ● Maui Huliau Foundation ● Maui Tomorrow Foundation ● Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi ● Young Progressive Demanding Action For sharing their time, support, and knowledge. 6 02 CLIMATE CHANGE OVERVIEW A review of climate change indicators, impacts, and case studies on advocacy initiatives in the Pacific region 7 CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC CAUSES The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) provides an overview of the state of knowledge concerning the science of climate change across the globe. Their findings make clear that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history, driven mainly by population size, economic activity, lifestyle, energy use, land use patterns, and technology. Hawaiʻi has played an important role in tracking CO2 concentration changes via the Keeling Curve, but climate change is largely driven by processes and industries, such as agriculture, beyond Hawaiʻi’s control. For this reason, adaptation efforts, as opposed to mitigation efforts, will be key in securing Hawaiʻi’s environmental and economic future. For more resources about climate change, refer to Ch. 5 Resources and Tools. Anthropogenic emissions The emission of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with human activities. Some activities that generate emissions include the burning of fossil fuels (e.g. coal and oil), deforestation, animal agriculture, and fertilization. Keeling Curve The Keeling Curve is a graph of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere based on continuous measurements taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory on the island of Hawaiʻi from 1958 to the present day. Adaptation vs. Mitigation Mitigation efforts are actions aimed at reducing and curbing greenhouse gas emissions, while adaptation measures are based on reducing vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Mitigation, therefore, addresses the causes of climate change, while adaptation addresses the impacts. 8 Source: 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) INDICATORS + IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE The 2012 Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) identified several important indicators of climate change in the region. These trends pose severe challenges for both human and natural communities in Hawaiʻi. ● Decreasing freshwater supplies ● Increased coastal flooding and erosion ● Increased extreme weather events ● Increased disease propagation “These changes make it difficult for Pacific ● Declining open-ocean fisheries Island communities to sustain their connection ● Increased risk of extinctions with a defined place and their unique set of ● Human migrations customs, beliefs, and languages” - 2012 PIRCA ● Increased wildfires 9 CASE STUDIES ON CLIMATE ADVOCACY This section provides a review of the climate-related initiatives, activities, and contributions of key Hawaiʻi environmental organizations. The purpose of this section is to identify what climate advocacy activities are currently in place. More organizations can be found in Ch. 6 Appendices. BLUE PLANET FOUNDATION Organization Type: Non-profit About: Blue Planet Foundation is a local nonprofit powering the