Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Grim warning for Hawaii


The Honolulu Star-Bulletin today published an editorial on the critical importance of fighting against invasive species using Guam as an example. This past session, the legislature passed a bill to increase a fee on incoming cargo; the money would be used to fight invasive species. Specifically, it would be used to establish a new biosecurity program to help stop invasive species from entering the state.

The Governor vetoed the bill, HB2843, the legislature overrode the bill, and now the Governor is telling Republican candidates to "frame" the issue as the legislature raising the cost of living.

The story of the brown tree snake invading Guam is not just about invasive species. It's about the impact of invasive species on an entire island ecosystem. The snakes eat the birds, the birds are not there to disperse seeds, without new seedlings the forest starts to diminish, without the forest, the wildlife disappears, and so on.

Not taking invasive species seriously is the real threat to our economy and cost of living, not the other way around.

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