![]() ![]() The Ocean Heroes Network was set up by the marine protection nonprofit Lonely Whale, and the youth engagement organization the Captain Planet Foundation, and it links activists from all over the world. The latest analysis from the UN’s global biodiversity report in 2020 found that not a single one of the targets set in 2010 for protecting biodiversity in the ocean or on land had been met.įaced with this slow pace of change, young activists from the Ocean Heroes Network are taking matters into their own hands. In 2021, a survey of 8,000 Brits found that 94% believed that the fate of oceans and humans were inextricably linked, and over half rated the ocean’s health as “poor or very poor.”īut leaders have been slow to act. “It’s just a reminder of how beautiful our island home is.This is perhaps why protecting the oceans has become such a focal point for young environmental campaigners and the public. “You’re elevated, and you’re looking out at these beautiful landscapes and the diversity of communities across the island,” she said. Her second thought, Miyashiro said, was how striking the scenery was. “The first thought that I had was how quickly we were able to get to the other side of the island.” “My husband’s family all lives on the leeward side of the island, so I’m a frequent driver to that side,” she said. Miyashiro got an early ride this week, and was struck by how much time it saved. This weekend, the Skyline, which will cost $3 to ride, is free to passengers. Residents will be able to use the same payment system for both, and transfer freely between them. It is redrawing bus lines and adding express routes to connect rail stations to more places where people work, learn and shop. The agency manages an extensive bus system in addition to running the trains. Miyashiro said the key to creating a holistic system is to make transferring from one mode to another as seamless as possible, something the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services is working on. ![]() “Not just thinking about what it means for highways and vehicles, but what it means for walking, biking and expanding access to public transit.” “We see the rail coming online as an opportunity to be smarter about how the overall transportation system fits together,” said Melissa Miyashiro, executive director of the Hawaii nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation. To attract as many riders as possible, get more cars off the road, and relieve congestion and emissions, it must be integrated with many other transportation options. Of course, even when fully built, Skyline won’t carry residents everywhere they need to go. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. “Given the history and how many challenges this project has faced along the way, this is an amazingly wonderful accomplishment,” said Kathleen Rooney, director of transportation policy and programs at the Hawaii investment firm Ulupono Initiative. The opening of the first section may help temper some of that pessimism. Critics question whether enough people will ride the train to have made the undertaking worthwhile. Now, it plans to spend about $9.3 billion, with some federal assistance, and finish by 2030 - with the line running about one mile shorter than planned due to rising costs. The city initially said the project would cost about $5.2 billion and be completed by 2020. Voters finally greenlit the idea in 2008, but construction has been stymied by delays, cost overruns, and safety concerns. Advocates said it would alleviate increasing traffic problems, while naysayers called it too costly and perhaps technologically infeasible. Building a light rail line to connect residents with downtown Honolulu has been a controversial idea since its initial proposal in the 1960s. ![]()
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