Examining Mufi's Environmental Record
No surprise; a recent Civil Beat poll showed Hawaii voters want a candidate that will protect our environment and move us towards a clean energy future.
That's perhaps why Mufi Hannemann recently sent out an email to thousands trying to "green" his environmental record. While some stretching of the truth is normal in politics, the Sierra Club is concerned voters would be mislead by these misstatements. The purpose of this site is to separate fact from fiction. Without resorting to name calling, this site reviews Hannemann's environmental record by linking each observation with a source.
In the spirit of full disclosure, the Sierra Club has chosen to endorse Tulsi Gabbard as the candidate who will do the best job of keeping Hawaii green. We invite you voters to review the facts on this site and make their own informed decision.
 | - Mufi on EnergyHannemann brags about signing the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. But under Hannemann's administration, energy use by the City and County of Honolulu jumped 20%. |
- Mufi on OpalaMufi takes credit for implementing curbside recycling, but in reality he was the biggest opponent to this popular and common sense idea. He fought islandwide curbside recycling for years until he was forced to implement the program by law enacted by voters in 2006. Hannemann cancelled the curbside recycling program when he started his term and then proceeded to oppose efforts to create a program at the City Council, the State Legislature, and the City Charter. |  |
 | - Mufi on Water PollutionAfter ignoring warnings that the Beach Walk sewer main was in "extremely critical" condition, Hannmann oversaw the worst water pollution episode in Honolulu's history: 50 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Ala Wai and Waikiki waters, shutting down Waikiki beaches and earning international embarrassment. Despite the debacle, Hannemann continued to waste taxpayer money by fighting the Environmental Protection Agency and community groups in court, paying a mainland attorney millions until being forced to settle the lawsuit and upgrade facilities to 21st-Century standards. |
- Mufi on Protecting the 'AinaHannemann didn't "save" Waimea Valley--he proposed to divide the Valley and develop it. Only after that plan was blocked did he choose to pay off the wealthy New York owner of the Valley--ignoring pleas by advocates to simply let the court condemn the land at a fair market value. Hannemann also supported the massive Turtle Bay expansion, beachfront development near Laie, and urban sprawl over productive farmlands in central O'ahu. |  |
So who's the GREENEST candidate?The Sierra Club firmly believes that Tulsi Gabbard is the best candidate in the CD2 race to advocate for policies that protect Hawaii's environment and move forward with our clean energy future.
Tulsi's environmental agenda includes:
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