MAKE A CHANGE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

I was born and raised in Hawaii and I cannot help but love the environment. We are at a point in this global economic crisis that we are going to have to work to keep our environment beautiful. People today are always concerned with expansion, and they should be; as a society we will need to grow and adapt to survive.

But for so long we have grown and thrived to the detriment of the land. We need to shift our values as a society to benefit the land. We need to have a better and more in-depth understanding of the land and sea. Smarter development and a better understanding of our ecosystem isn't enough to solve all the problems. It has to start with us, the people of Hawaii. Conscious changes need to be made in our everyday lives. I'm not saying to go out and hug a tree, but just make a change to leave a greener, healthier world. If we, the consumers, demand changes, companies will produce and develop accordingly. That's how our economy works.

Saving the environment can become a profitable business, and it can be what the people of Hawaii need to become a sustainably beautiful island community.