hawaii

Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Ban on Coral-Damaging Sunscreen

Hawaii Lawmakers Pass Ban on Coral-Damaging Sunscreen

Lawmakers in Hawaii passed a bill Tuesday prohibiting the sale of sunscreens that are harmful to ocean ecosystems, including coral reefs. The bill now heads to Governor David Ige for his signature. If signed, Hawaii will ban these sunscreens starting Jan. 1, 2021 and become the first state in the nation to enact such a […]

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    States Lead the Way Toward 100% Renewable Energy

    States Lead the Way Toward 100% Renewable Energy

    Lawmakers in California and Massachusetts have recently introduced bills that would require their respective states to get all of its electricity from renewable energy sources. California Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who introduced SB 584 last Friday, would require the Golden State to have a carbon-free grid by 2045. It would also accelerate […]

    Local Governments Can Prohibit GE Crops, Says U.S. Court of Appeals

    Local Governments Can Prohibit GE Crops, Says U.S. Court of Appeals

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its decisions Friday on whether federal and Hawai’i state laws preempt Hawai’i counties’ authority to regulate genetically engineered (GE) crops and pesticide use. Of significance to state and local communities throughout the U.S., the Ninth Circuit ruled that federal law—specifically, the Plant Protection Act—does not […]

    7 Bees Facing Extinction Added to Endangered Species List for First Time

    7 Bees Facing Extinction Added to Endangered Species List for First Time

    The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has added seven bee species to the endangered species list, a first for bees. Native to Hawaii, these yellow-faced bees are facing extinction due to habitat loss, wildfires and invasive species. Cantankerous Yellow-faced Bee photographed in Hawai’i County, Hawaii.SteveMlodinow / Flickr The tiny, solitary bees were once abundant […]

    3 Tropical Storms Threaten U.S. for First Time in Recorded History

    3 Tropical Storms Threaten U.S. for First Time in Recorded History

    For the first time in recorded history, three tropical storm systems are threatening the U.S. simultaneously and a fourth could quickly join the ranks. Hurricanes Madeline (left) and Lester (right).Earth / Nullschool Two back-to-back storms—currently Hurricanes Madeline and Lester—could hit Hawaii’s Big Island this week, while two others are forecast to impact North Carolina and […]

    Obama to Create World’s Largest Marine Reserve in Hawaii

    Obama to Create World’s Largest Marine Reserve in Hawaii

    Citing the danger that climate change poses to the oceans, President Obama will establish the largest marine reserve in the world today, protecting nearly 600,000 square miles off the coast of Hawaii. Commercial fishing, mining and extraction are prohibited in the expanded Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, though subsistence fishing and scientific research will be allowed. […]