THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	12
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATEWIDE SERVICE PROJECT TO PLANT ONE MILLION TREES AND CLEAN BEACHES ACROSS THE STATE BY OCTOBER 2010, AS PART OF THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH MONTH CELEBRATION.

     WHEREAS, in October 2009, the Hawaii State Legislature's Keiki Caucus sponsored its 16^th Annual Children and Youth Summit; and

     WHEREAS, two of its top priority issues identified by the children, youth, and adults who attended the summit are to plant more trees and clean our beaches; and

     WHEREAS, trees are essential to a healthy environment for Hawaii, and increasing the number of trees planted in Hawaii would improve Hawaii's natural beauty and provide other needed benefits; and

     WHEREAS, trees supply oxygen in the air we breathe and keep the air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide; and

     WHEREAS, trees provide shade and shelter, reducing annual heating and cooling costs in the United States by $2.1 billion; and

     WHEREAS, tree roots stabilize the soil, prevent soil erosion, support the capture and conservation of our water supply, and help remediate pollutants; and

     WHEREAS, trees cut down on noise pollution by acting as sound barriers; and

     WHEREAS, trees lower air temperatures by evaporating water from their leaves; and

     WHEREAS, in the 1980s, Hawaii successfully planted 1,200,000 trees for the "A Million Trees of Aloha" initiative; and

     WHEREAS, across the nation, in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, New York City, and other places, communities are working to plant a million trees in urban settings; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's beaches are famous for their crested turquoise waves crashing onto pristine, golden shores; and

     WHEREAS, however, Hawaii is situated in the center of the north Pacific sub-tropical gyre, which is several ocean currents that rotate around the islands; and

     WHEREAS, this natural phenomenon results in Hawaii being a natural magnet for thousands of tons of non-biodegradable rubbish from all over the ocean; and

     WHEREAS, synthetic rubbish from both sides of the Pacific, southeast Asia and South America, is washed up on Hawaii's beaches daily; and

     WHEREAS, clearing marine debris from the ocean and beaches is important not just for restoring the natural beauty of beaches, but also for saving marine life; and

     WHEREAS, birds and animals mistake rubbish such as plastic bags, cigarette lighters, and other brightly colored plastic as food and may suffer from internal injury, intestinal blockage, and even starvation; and

     WHEREAS, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, sharks, and seals get caught in fishing nets, lines, and other debris such as six-pack holders; and

     WHEREAS, marine debris comes from land-based sources and water-based sources, and can last for years in the ocean before disintegrating; and

     WHEREAS, local efforts to clean up Hawaii's beaches include the Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii, which distributes pocket ashtrays to avoid cigarette butts on beaches and teams with Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa at the Ala Moana Center to recycle bottle caps; and

     WHEREAS, these efforts demonstrate the community's strong desire to clean up Hawaii's beaches, preserve their natural beauty, and protect the ocean and land environment for future generations; and

     WHEREAS, statewide coordination of these efforts through a centralized website provided by Kanu Hawaii can provide the necessary support for community groups to clean every beach in Hawaii and control the litter and marine debris problem; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the Hawaii State Legislature's Keiki Caucus, Children and Youth Month Planning Committee, and Kanu Hawaii, in partnership with other community organizations, are requested to establish and coordinate a statewide service project to plant one million trees and clean beaches across the State by October 2010, as part of the Children and Youth Month celebration; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the community groups are requested to partner with local growers to plant indigenous trees and fruit trees, when feasible, and log their efforts on the Kanu Hawaii website:  kanuhawaii.org/milliontreesofaloha; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Keiki Caucus, with the assistance of Kanu Hawaii, is requested to establish Malama o ke Kahakai, a public service project for volunteers to care for Hawaii's beaches by picking up litter and debris, and encourage community groups, churches, businesses, and individuals to pick up litter and debris and beautify beaches across the islands, and log their efforts on the Kanu Hawaii website:  kanuhawaii.org/caringforourbeaches; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted via e-mail or mail to the Governor, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of Department of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Transportation, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Dean of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, members of the Hawaii State Legislature, county Mayors, members of the county councils, Chairperson of the Children and Youth Month Planning Committee, Executive Director of Kanu Hawaii, Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Museum, Executive Director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, President of Kamehameha Schools, Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific American Foundation, Hawaii State Student Council, attendees of the 2009 Children and Youth Summit, 2009 and 2010 participants of Children and Youth Day and Month; and all forms of radio, televisions, and newspaper media that serve the State of Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Keiki Caucus; Trees; Planting