Showing category "Legislative" (Show all posts)

Making Clean Energy Accessible

Posted by Robert D. Harris on Monday, April 5, 2010, In : Legislative 

“A coup.”  That’s how one participant described the Sierra Club’s recent forum focusing on “Property Assessed Clean Energy” (PACE) measure.  Over 150 people from around the State gathered to hear from Cisco DeVries, pioneer of the PACE concept, and others discuss what Harvard Business Review has described as “one of the breakthrough ideas of 2010.”  

So what was the hullabaloo about?  Let’s start with a simple question:  why don’t more people install renewable energy system...


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Automatic Approvals -- Good or Bad Idea?

Posted by Robert D. Harris on Sunday, February 7, 2010, In : Legislative 
Every year, bills are introduced that "automatically approve" a project after a set period of time so as to encourage the development of some particular area of industry.  The rationale is that the industry is lacking because the permitting process is too slow or too cumbersome. 

Although the Sierra Club usually supports the development of business like renewable energy or affordable housing, we've steadfastly opposed automatic approvals.  I thought it would beneficial to put out testimony we'...
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HB 2338 - Reducing Citizen Participation in the Land Use Process

Posted by Robert D. Harris on Saturday, January 30, 2010, In : Legislative 

HB 2338, which allows the Counties to reclassify land before the Land Use Commission without meaningfully involving the public, is a terrible idea.


Citizen participation in land use decisions is an essential part of our democratic tradition.  It ensures decisions are based on complete information (which may involved directly challenging biased studies paid for by developers).  It gives decision makers sufficient information so that they can attached protective, enforceable conditions to perm...


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Proposals to Reduce Plastic Bag Use

Posted by Robert D. Harris on Saturday, January 30, 2010, In : Legislative 

The Sierra Club supports reducing the use of single-use plastic bags in Hawai`i by imposing a statewide ban or modest fee.  (See, e.g., HB2645, HB2125, SB2559 and SB2560).  Oil-based plastic bags simply are not a part of Hawai`i's sustainable future.  Consider:

  • Plastic bags contribute to litter and pose a consistent threat to avian and marine life in Hawai`i -- the endangered species Capitol of the world;
  • Plastic bags are manufactured from a polluting resource that is becoming increasingly scar...
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