In response to a letter by Mr. Gregg Gardiner (TGI- l/19), the Kaua’i Group of Sierra Club welcomes the opportunity to examine in greater depth the important principles at stake in a recent action challenging the Hawai’i Tourism Authority’s use
In response to a letter by Mr. Gregg Gardiner (TGI- l/19), the Kaua’i Group of
Sierra Club welcomes the opportunity to examine in greater depth the important
principles at stake in a recent action challenging the Hawai’i Tourism
Authority’s use of taxpayer monies.
Since 1892 the Sierra Club’s mission
has been “to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to
practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and
resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of
the natural and human environments.”
The club has virtually pioneered the
field of responsible tourism – now often referred to as “Eco-tourism.”
In
a conscientious and deliberate way we have developed policies that urge
governmental agencies, planners and environmental groups promoting or
supporting tourism to adhere to sound principles, such as: Plans must respect
the right and needs of indigenous human populations. Plans must respect the
carrying capacity and bio-diversity of the environment. Development of tourism
should be integrated with broader land-use planning to avoid destruction of
ecosystems.
Our request for judicial review of the Hawai’i Tourism
Authority is founded on these sound principles as well as a proper
consideration of our laws.
The law is clear and appropriate to this case.
If the industry wants to promote tourism with public money, they need to
disclose the impacts to the environment and the economy.
We support a
healthy and sustainable economy for our families and our future and take
important lessons from nature about the virtues and inherent stability of
diversifying our economy.
A healthy economy can only exist in symbiosis
with a healthy environment. Blindly throwing public money at increasing tourism
growth may just be bad medicine, leaving our economy sick, our environment
sick, and our government broke.
Finally, it is the height of
disingenuousness for Mr. Gardiner to try to heap “shame” on the Sierra Club.
Our members’ values and altruism speak confidently through their work trying to
ensure that Hawai’i is the paradise that it promotes itself.
Nearly every
weekend Sierra Club volunteers are out clearing trails, restoring native
species, and cleaning up the environment. We fight to protect our coastlines,
open space, and environmental pollution laws every session at the state
legislature.
Our faithful and consistent adherence to sound environmental
and ethical principles has served us well for over 100 years. That is something
to be quite proud of!
Kaua’i Group Sierra Club
Lihu’e
