The Aloha Spirit and Carbon Neutrality
Every few days we get a new report of another country or state/province within a country that’s passed a law that sets an ambitious target date for going carbon neutral. Here, it’s Hawaii, and the year is 2045.
Hawaii’s goal is similar to every other such example, in that they all tend to feature:
• A high price of competitive (mostly fossil) energy sources.
• At least decent (and in many cases magnificent) renewable resources.
• A reasonable way to store or use energy from variable resources (e.g., Denmark’s selling excess power to Germany, and Costa Rico’s selling to other Central American countries).
• Most importantly, a population of people who, in general, carry with them a sense that environmental stewardship is morally important.
Heartiest congrats to Hawaii, in following through on the aloha spirit!
Btw, I’m so glad I took another couple of minutes to learn just a bit about what precisely is meant by the so-called “aloha spirit.” Check this out:
from Chapter 5 of Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes:
§ 5-7.5 “Aloha Spirit”. (a) “Aloha Spirit” is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, “Aloha“, the following unuhi laulā loa may be used:
“Akahai“, meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness;
“Lōkahi“, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;
“ʻOluʻolu” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;
“Haʻahaʻa“, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;
“Ahonui“, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.
These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii’s people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ”Aloha” is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ”Aloha” means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. “Aloha” is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ”Aloha” means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.
(b) In exercising their power on behalf of the people and in fulfillment of their responsibilities, obligations and service to the people, the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, executive officers of each department, the chief justice, associate justices, and judges of the appellate, circuit, and district courts may contemplate and reside with the life force and give consideration to the “Aloha Spirit”. [L 1986, c 202, § 1]
