Beyond Sustainability
It is time we expand our goals and our vision beyond sustainability.

Dramatic change on the national stage has ushered in a new era in American civic and political life and our community must act quickly to capitalize on the opportunity and momentum that is now before us. We have been challenged to change how we act at home and abroad on many fronts. Nowhere perhaps is there a greater need to inject change than in how we think about the idea of sustainability.

Bandied about till its meaning has been worn threadbare, taken over by corporate interests and high-jacked by pop culture, sustainability is a term that today demands us to move forward and beyond the cliché. At this time of enormous drain on our resources and challenges to our political will to protect and manage those resources properly, we would do well to step back from the doomsday scenario of a planet in peril and remind ourselves of the scope of what we do not know about the planet and its vast mysteries yet to be revealed. Rather than repeat the mistakes of the past and continue on a path of simply plundering what we discover, we should use this moment at this critical time to remember what our elders knew and what we have largely forgotten. We need to learn once again how to listen better, how to focus on what is good for the community, not just for the individual, and how to treat the earth with the reverence our ancestors once did.

Restoring the idea of sustainability to a platform that not only requires environmental stewardship but rewards that stewardship with economic prosperity are only two critical components. To truly move beyond sustainability means to also embrace social justice and civic involvement — two thoughts that are perhaps President Obama’s biggest gift of leadership to the nation and to the world. Hawaii, with its rich Native Hawaiian culture, close knit community and the diversity of the people who call it home, has the opportunity to build on the national platform he has provided: to demonstrate that we can get beyond limited notions of sustainability.

Our children deserve more than a static no growth scenario envisioned by some in search of a so-called sustainable future. Prosperity and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. We must do more than merely protect our environment and actually enrich and re-grow those areas that have been damaged and neglected. We must not only create a thriving agricultural industry in order to feed ourselves but take it to the next step and create niche export markets that can help our farmers to prosper and grow. Energy independence is a goal we must achieve but we need to even now think beyond that limitation to expanding the export of newly developed renewable energy technology.

Small farms, small energy producers, small but numerous and diverse groups of committed individuals: that’s where the strength of our community lies. Gone are the days of big single crop plantations and large monolithic energy producers. At this moment when we have been badly let down by once respected models of corporate and institutional behavior, we need to lift ourselves up by reinventing new ways to do what we did before. We need to find better, smarter ways to grow our own food, harness the diverse sources of energy we are blessed with, and provide our children a quality education.

The truth is if we focus on the environment, food production, energy independence and education, the economy will take care of itself. When we take care of these four cornerstones of value, our economy will boom and we will command the attention of businesses from around the world. A robust economy translates into good paying jobs and an increased over-all quality of life for all Hawaii residents.

This year, the 2009 legislature has been driven by the need to balance our state budget while dealing with a recession the effects of which have been felt state-wide. In the midst of this struggle have emerged several pieces of legislation that can truly help our state move “beyond sustainability.” HB1464 takes a huge step towards ending Hawaii’s dependence on imported fossil fuel by banning the construction of new power generation plants that use fossil fuels. There are important electric vehicle incentives contained in SB1202, and with a very modest increase in the “barrel fee” on imported crude oil, Hawaii could take a huge leap forward toward achieving energy and food self sufficiency.

I remain optimistic that if the legislature and the community can work together toward a common vision and purpose, these important forward-thinking public policy initiatives can help move us significantly beyond tired notions and clichés of yesterday to a bright and prosperous future that is truly beyond sustainability.

Gary Hooser
Hawaii State Senator
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor 2010
Watch the online video "The Hooser Story" at http://www.garyhooser.com