RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, although we human beings are its users, no part of planet earth is permanently ours to deplete or harm; and

WHEREAS, as the earth's resources and environment are to be used by us only temporarily during our lifetimes, they must be used wisely in a sustainable manner, for worthy purposes, and protected for future generations; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, evidence of abuses of our natural resources and environment abound: dead and barren reefs caused by runoffs of eroded soil, pesticides, and trash; invasive species that choke our forests, streams, and lakes; and the build-up of garbage in remote valleys and mountains; and

WHEREAS, global warming, glacier melting, and rising sea-levels have been attributed to the buildup of green-house gases from forest clearing and fossil-fuel burning; and

WHEREAS, these are early warning signs that the earth is being strained to sustain life; and

WHEREAS, service learning that combines service to the community, including stewardship of the environment, with a classroom curriculum is essential to educate students, who are the future generation that will inhabit this planet, on the fragility of our planet and the need to sustain our resources or lose them for all future generations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Superintendent of Education is urged to meet with the Nature Conservancy and other Hawaii environmental groups to review and update, where necessary, the public school content and performance standards on stewardship and environmental protection and conservation of our planet; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2006, the Department of Education shall submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature, including but not limited to the following:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; and the Superintendent of Education, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the President of the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; the President of Kahea – The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance; the President of Malama Hawaii; the Director of the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; the President of 'Ahahui Malami i Ka Lahui; and the Chairperson for the Conservation Council for Hawaii.

Report Title:

DOE; Content and Performance Standards on Environmental Conservation and Protection.