RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Hawai`i is the most remote, inhabited island chain in the world; and

WHEREAS, it is over two thousand miles from California, over three thousand miles from Japan, over four thousand miles from China, and over five thousand miles from the Philippines; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i depends on commercial maritime imports for an estimated eighty percent of its consumer goods; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i depends on imported oil for over ninety-two percent of its energy needs; and

WHEREAS, no other state relies as heavily on oil for its energy needs as Hawai`i; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i's isolation and reliance on imported consumer products and oil make its economy extremely susceptible to outside forces; and

WHEREAS, an oil supply disruption would effect every aspect of our way of life by impacting critical necessities such as the delivery of health care and the food supply; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i's remote geographic location makes timely emergency deliveries of petroleum reserves difficult; and

WHEREAS, for many of Hawai`i's residents, quality of life issues are also impacted by the State's ongoing dependence on other outside resources; and

WHEREAS, this exemplifies why it is essential for the sake of Hawai`i's security to take action to help Hawai`i achieve greater economic independence; and

WHEREAS, one way to achieve greater economic independence is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by encouraging alternative energy production; and

WHEREAS, Hawai`i has yet to fully realize certain indigenous resources such as biomass, hydroelectric power, wave energy, solar and wind power, that it can utilize for energy production; and

WHEREAS, sustainable agriculture has been an ongoing, expanding industry in Hawai`i for the last fifty years; and

WHEREAS, multiple avenues for economic independence can and should be studied and pursued; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii is requested to convene a group of interested stakeholders, including individuals from the business and private sectors, to investigate and recommend ways that Hawai`i can achieve greater economic independence; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii is requested to submit a report, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Report Title:

Economic Independence