Environment
The Challenges of EV Efficiency In Hawaii
Earlier this month, U.S. Department of Energy launched a website that calculates “the cost of fueling a vehicle with electricity compared to a similar vehicle that runs on gasoline”. The mission of this gadget is to encourage consumers to switch to electric cars by: • bringing greater transparency to vehicle operating costs • helping drivers determine how […]
Read MoreMost of Hawaii’s commercial seafood is imported, but recreational catch tips the scales back
Hawaii sits in the middle of the largest ocean on earth. So the majority of the seafood consumed on these islands must then come from local waters, right? The answer might surprise you. The average 2000 to 2009 annual commercial consumption in Hawaii was 38.9 million pounds per year, which is roughly 28.5 pounds per […]
Read MoreExpensive Exotics: Snakes in Hawaii
Last month a juvenile ornate tree snake (Chrysopelea ornate) was captured by military personnel near the airfield at Hickam Air Force Base. Inspectors from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture were notified and took custody of the foot-long snake. Ornate tree snakes are mildly venomous and are related to the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), which […]
Read MoreWhat is a Watershed and Why Does it Matter?
Over the years, the term “watershed” has evolved from signifying the divide separating one drainage basin from another to the drainage basin itself. A drainage basin or catchment area is a section of land drained by a river and all of its tributaries. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes, and the U.S. Environmental Protection […]
Read MoreInvestigating the Potential for Seawater Air Conditioning in Waikiki
Researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa recently concluded a study into the potential for seawater air conditioning (SWAC) in Waikīkī. The study was led by the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (UH Sea Grant) in partnership with the the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i (UHERO) to investigate various […]
Read MoreEnvironmental Security in the Asia-Pacific Ring of Fire: Exploring the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
This month, UHERO’s Project Environment will be commencing a joint project with Japan’s Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN). Climate change and economic development are causing increased pressure on water, energy and food resources, presenting communities with increased levels of tradeoffs and potential conflicts among these resources. The water-energy-food nexus is one of the most important […]
Read MoreSustainable Development and the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative: An Economic Assessment
The connection between the emerging field of sustainability science and the economics of sustainable development has motivated a line of interdisciplinary research inspired by the notion of “positive sustainability.” This notion is founded on three principles or pillars: (1) adopting a complex systems approach to modeling and analysis, integrating natural resource systems, the environment, and […]
Read MoreA dynamic approach to PES pricing and finance of interlinked ecosystem services: Watershed conservation and groundwater management
A theory of payment for ecosystem services (PES) pricing consistent with dynamic efficiency and sustainable income requires optimized shadow prices. Since ecosystem services are generally interdependent, this requires joint optimization across multiple resource stocks. We develop such a theory in the context of watershed conservation and groundwater extraction.
Read MoreTax Credit Incentives for Residential Solar Photovoltaic in Hawai‘i
Solar photovoltaic (PV) tax credits are at the center of a public debate in Hawai‘i. The controversy stems largely from unforeseen budgetary impacts, driven in part by the difference between the legislative intent and implementation of the PV tax credits. HRS 235-12.5 allows individual and corporate taxpayers to claim a 35% tax credit against Hawaii […]
Read More