Hawai‘i’s beauty is not subtle. Towering peaks, deep gorges, and azure waters paint stunning scenes. These mirror a biological diversity that reflects the unique setting of the land, ocean, and climate. Island beauty extends from mountaintop to coast and plunges into an equally exquisite underwater world. The people of Hawai‘i, also, are known for their open hearts, welcoming and generous attitude, and for sustaining an integrated and unified multicultural society unrivaled on the planet. Yet Hawai‘i is not vast, and almost half the land and nearly every community lies within 5 miles (8 km) of the shoreline. Indeed, no point...

The early settlement history of Hawai‘i is still not completely resolved. Some believe that the first Polynesians arrived in Hawai‘i in the third century AD from the Marquesas and were followed by Tahitian settlers in AD 1300 who conquered the original inhabitants. Others believe that there was only a single, extended period of settlement.¹ Regardless, it was more than 1,500 years ago that voyagers in large double-hulled canoes set sail (probably from the Marquesas Islands), crossing more than 2,000 miles (3,220 km) of unforgiving open ocean. The reward for these explorers was an isolated homeland of fertile islands in the...

In Hawai‘i, humans live in a border area between the land, the sea, and the sky. We are vulnerable to hazards from all three of these environments, but it is the land we live on that is closest to the home we make, the job we hold, and the places our children go. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other geologic hazards are earthly events that may kill people and destroy livelihoods. When they occur, the world becomes a terrible place: the solid ground is suddenly no longer trustworthy, as if the very pillars of Earth were crumbling.

In European culture...

The largest locally generated Hawai‘i tsunami in modern times was triggered by violent shaking on the south shore of the Big Island during a magnitude 7.2 earthquake (some geophysicists argue that the earthquake was larger, perhaps 7.7)¹ on November 29, 1975. Thirty-two campers at Halapē experienced the earthquake and tsunami firsthand. The campers were able to stand during the initial violent shaking caused by the earthquake but soon lost their balance if they did not cling to trees or large rocks for support. A deafening roar rose from the steep cliffs above Halapē as rockfalls rumbled downhill. Many campers, frightened...

Few phenomena in nature compare to the destructive force of a hurricane. Called the greatest storm on Earth, a hurricane is capable of annihilating coastal areas with sustained winds over 100 miles (160 km) per hour, intense areas of rainfall, flooding ocean waters, and huge waves. In fact, during its life cycle a hurricane can expend as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs.¹ In Hawai‘i, although hurricanes are not common, when they do approach and hit an island the results can be catastrophic. This is largely because we have not taken sufficient steps to protect ourselves, to factor in the...

“Born of the heavens, embraced by Mother Nature, entrusted to us to preserve for future generations, water for life—Ka Wai Ola.” This is the opening message on the Web site of the City and County of Honolulu, Board of Water Supply.¹Wai(water) is the lifeblood of the Hawaiian people. Woven into their existence and etched into daily life, this precious resource enabled ancient culture to thrive. Without fresh water life would simply not exist; it is essential to all living beings and becomes ever more critical on land surrounded by a salt-saturated sea.

Water’s natural character and flow...

It is no fluke that one can usually predict Hawai‘i’s daily weather: “Today’s weather will be partly cloudy, with passing showers windward ormauka,and temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to mid-80s.” This balmy climate provides one more reason why Hawai‘i’s moniker is “paradise.” At sea level the warmest daytime temperatures in summer infrequently exceed the mid-90s, and the chilliest nighttime temperatures in winter rarely fall below the high 50s. The difference in average daytime temperature at sea level throughout the year is only around 11°F (6°C), making the Hawaiian Islands home to Earth’s most temperate climate. But as you...

Human waste is not a subject discussed with ease or finesse, yet it is an unavoidable by-product of human existence that can contaminate the surrounding environment and water systems if not disposed of in a safe and deliberate fashion. Within traditional Hawaiian culture, the disposal of human waste was treated with extreme care, associating it with a number ofkaputo protect the purity of Hawai‘i’s water. It was forbidden to relieve oneself in any of the natural water sources, including streams, wetlands, and the ocean. So, on long outrigger canoe voyages, detailed ceremonies were performed to absolve the travelers...

The Sun’s energy heats the atmosphere and Earth’s surface, thus driving the weather and climate. In turn, Earth reflects and reradiates a portion of this energy. Some goes back into space, and some is trapped by atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and others). If greenhouse gases increase in abundance, the amount of stored heat also increases, warming the atmosphere. Without this natural effect, Earth’s average surface temperature would be a chilly 0°F (-17.8°C) instead of its current 57°F (13.9°C),¹ and life as we know it would not be possible. This is known as the greenhouse...

Early in Hawai‘i’s history, government recognized the need to protect certain valuable resources: beaches were not among them. Watersheds were set aside to protect our source of water. Reefs were set aside to protect nearshore fisheries. Forests were protected for their ecological and climate functions. But beaches were never designated as a special environment worthy of protection. This was a mistake, because now beaches are being lost on every island due to seawall building and overdevelopment along our coastline, exacerbated by two centuries of sea-level rise. As a result, local communities and government agencies are engaged in a struggle to...

Aptly named the rain forest of the sea, reefs are rocky marine structures (made of a combination of coral and a hard form of algae)¹ that support one of Earth’s most biologically diverse ecosystems. Although a large and interdependent life force relies on reefs for survival, they occupy a mere 0.2% of the world’s oceans.² Not only are these underwater habitats crucial to supporting the ocean’s biodiversity, they are home to 25% of all marine species.³ But reefs also support the economy for those of us on terra firma. Within the United States, the ocean economy is generally proportional to...

In a traditional Hawaiian approach to conservation, humans play a central role in managing resources that are taken from the natural world. People are not viewed as a problem; rather, they are viewed as part of the living universe. Communities have a responsibility to nurture the land in a reciprocal and sustainable manner. The land is typically used, not left alone, unless for reasons related to the use. The Hawaiian attitude boils down to establishing a relationship between people and their lands. For Native Hawaiians, these islands are theone hānau,the “birth sands,” and so it is a responsibility...