Hawaii is an island known for its beautiful scenery. A place blessed with unique scenic beaches. A popular tourist destination for people aiming to unwind and become one with nature, opting for some downtime away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. With the locals ever friendly, the Aloha state is undoubtedly a gem in its own right.
Of its 132 islands, only seven are entirely inhabited. The rest are covered by dense tropical rainforests. This provides a perfect designation for you to bike, hike, sail, kayak, swim, or even just lay on the beach and enjoy the suntan.
With tourism being the key driver of the Hawaiian community and economy, the locals and the government are actively engaged in conservation measures to protect and enhance biodiversity in the aloha state.
Part of the measures includes establishing lottery funds. This fund is expected goes a long way to benefit the environment. Here are seven ways in which the lottery fund could be used to benefit the environment.
Carbon Footprint
While playing the Hawaii Lottery explained here, a percentage of the ticket cost will be set aside. With the money collected from the lottery ticket sales, the established lottery fund can be used to sponsor communities and groups in the highlands to reduce their overall carbon footprint.
The money can be used to set up wind farms on the island. The wind farms will help harness wind energy and provide clean, renewable energy to the villages on the island. The fund can also help set up recycling plants, enabling residents reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic. This will significantly reduce the carbon footprint in the area.
With less use of plastic in the region, indigenous lifeforms both at sea and in water are saved from pollution. The fund can also help push and set up farms in the area, moving the locals from what would be primarily an animal-based diet to a more sustainable plant-based alternative.
Setting up and cleaning duties
With crowds of people flocking to Hawaii each summer, there is bound to be a mess that needs cleaning. The mess is not only found at the beaches. The hiking trails and the forest trails are often filled with litter.
The money collected can help set up organizations that focus on restoring the excellent quality of the environment that Aloha is synonymous with. The beaches, coral reefs, and water can be cleaned with the organization ensuring that the plastics collected are disposed of appropriately.
This will enable marine life to thrive around Oahu. The mountains and footpaths will also stay clean, aiding in protecting the wild places of the earth.
Civic Education
Educating the masses is essential when dealing with an issue of this magnitude. These means taking care of trainers and volunteers and booking Venues to host the talks.
The lottery funding could be used to facilitate all this. With the introduction of civic education, the masses will be well prepared better conserve the environment. Civic education will ensure that the message on the importance of Hawaii’s biodiversity effectively conveyed to the locals and tourists alike.
Endangered Species
There are numerous unique species found in Hawaii. Some of these species are already endangered and facing the risk of extinction due to human encroachment. Green Sea Turtles and Monk seals are examples of endangered species in Hawaii.
Organizations that monitor the movement of these animals by keeping a close eye on them require funding. With a fund of this magnitude, the proceeds can be used to set up a watchdog organization and facilitate research into saving.
Biodiversity has a number of advantages for humans and animals as well. With it comes increased ecosystem productivity, with each different species playing their individual roles.
Freshwater resources are also better protected with increased biodiversity. A variety of crops and plants are supported by better biodiversity and soil protection. The fund will greatly help with catering costs involved with conservation.
Restoration Projects
With proper funding, it’s possible to sustain restoration projects across Hawaii. Hawaii’s natural reefs and mountains face unusual amounts of wear and tear. The reefs, which are the habitat of an array of animals and some indigenous plants, if destroyed, would be catastrophic.
The money may be used to set up a form of reef watch and restoration group tasked with maintaining the damaged parts. This will ensure that the animals and plants are well protected.
Restoration may also occur in the natural tropical forest, with groups practicing reforestation and planting indigenous trees in places where they may have been cleared.
Endangered tree species may be protected by the erection of fences around the areas of the forest needing attention, prohibiting animal and human movement into the areas.
Watershed Areas
With the mountainous areas of Ko’olau providing up to 133 billion gallons of water annually, watershed areas need considerable protection. This protection is from animals and species of invasive weeds.
Invasive weeds are a problem in regards to how quickly they encroach an area and the difficulty involved in removing and/or controlling them. With the funds, specialized care can be afforded in this area, and professional expertise can be sought in this matter.
Waste Dumping
Waste dumping is a big concern, especially in Hawaii. Waste dumped into the sea by water vessels is a big problem, and concern for the practice has been reflected in the current regulations aimed at curbing waste dumping.
Though there exist stringent laws to that effect, implementation is not as effective, with the regulation of Hanalei River boating being the loudest spectacle of the apparent failure.
With the money from lottery funds, more watchdogs can be enlisted, and adequate arming of relevant authorities can be done to aid in the fight against dumping.
Final Thought
Tourism and the environment are clearly highly interdependent. Tourists are responsible for the largest environmental carbon footprint in Hawaii. This high number is no doubt attributed to the outstanding quality of the natural environment there.
However, tourism affects this environment somewhat negatively, and conservation measures need to be taken. Lottery funds will go a long way in boosting environmental conservancy.