Hawai‘i Should Adopt a “Whole of Government” Approach to Destination Management

April 29, 2023

Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas, and James Mak Hawai‘i has a long history of publishing community-based tourism plans with various version of these plans going back to the 1970s. Despite these well-intentioned efforts, tourism in Hawai‘i has not been effectively managed and has, thus far, been unable to achieve the vision articulated by the Hawai‘i Tourism […]

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New publication explores the socioeconomic costs and value of indigenous Fijian funerals

A new publication by Kimberly Burnett, Ron Vave, and Alan Friedlander in World Development Sustainability looks at financing and expenditure of indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) funerals in Fiji. Perceived obligatory adherence to an immutable culture, plus emulation, can compel families to carry out a costly funeral. To balance a respectable funeral against household survival, families reduced […]

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Balancing culture and survival: An urban-rural socioeconomic assessment of indigenous Fijian funerals in Fiji

Abstract: As a final act, families of the deceased strive to implement funeral rites that are befitting of their loved one. However, perceived obligatory adherence to an immutable culture, plus emulation, can compel families to carry out a costly funeral. Yet, no data exist on financing and expenditure of indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) funerals in Fiji, […]

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You’re Invited: An Evening with Dr. Nicholas Christakis on May 18, 2023

April 13, 2023

UHERO is excited to host Nicholas Christakis (Yale University) to present a public talk in networks and health. Dr. Christakis’s lecture, which features his latest book Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, is open to the public. The lecture will take place on May 18 at 6:30pm. The event will be held at […]

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Steven Bond-Smith receives the Spring 2023 CSS Research Support Award

April 6, 2023

Congratulations to UHERO’s Steven Bond-Smith for receiving CSS research support funding for his project titled “Is Hawaii Being Left Behind?” Each year, the College of Social Sciences (CSS) announces the availability of funds to support faculty efforts to develop and submit a nationally competitive research grant proposal. These funds are from overhead monies (RTRF) generated […]

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Dissolving the Hawaii Tourism Authority

April 5, 2023

By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas, and James Mak State lawmakers in the 2023 state legislature are bashing the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)…again! This year, the existence of HTA is at stake. Two bills (Senate Bill SB 1522 SD2 and House Bill HB1375 SD3) propose to repeal the HTA although they differ in the entity that […]

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New publication analyzes the effects of a state-level carbon reduction strategy for Hawai‘i

March 16, 2023

A new publication by Makena Coffman, Paul Bernstein, Maja P. Schjervheim, Sumner La Croix, and Sherilyn Hayashida looks at the effects of Hawai‘i’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a state-level electricity standard that requires 100% electricity generation through renewable sources by 2045. In the paper: Makena Coffman, Paul Bernstein, Maja P. Schjervheim, Sumner La Croix, Sherilyn […]

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A Comparison of State-Level Carbon Reduction Strategies: A Case Study of Hawai‘i

Abstract: State-level electricity standards are proliferating and becoming more ambitious, with numerous US states adopting a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and a small but increasing number of states participating in carbon pricing programs. The State of Hawai‘i has an ambitious RPS that requires 100% electricity generation through renewable sources by 2045. This study uses a […]

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Puʻulani: Biocultural restoration of agroforestry in Heʻeia, Oʻahu

March 13, 2023

By Leah Bremer, Zoe Hastings, Maile Wong, and Tamara Ticktin Puʻulani (heavenly ridge) sits above the loʻi kalo (taro patches) that Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, a community-based organization in Heʻeia, Oʻahu, has been actively restoring since 2010. Just five years ago, in 2018, 100% of the trees at Puʻulani were non-native species. Since then, a partnership between […]

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