Gov. Josh Green just returned from a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals summit in New York where he spoke about the challenges of climate change and recovering from the Maui fires.
"My message to the world was first, one of thanks for their support because the world has been attentive to our needs and they've been kind to us. I also shared with them that we are no longer anticipating the impacts of severe weather, we're now experiencing them," Green told The Conversation on Thursday morning, prior to a news conference about housing and education on Maui.
"When a hurricane fused with a wildfire, it created a tragic crisis, and other parts of the world are dealing with their versions of these crises, including major floods — all sorts of disasters," he added.
Green said the 2024 legislative session will largely focus on ways to mitigate the risk of climate catastrophes, such as moving the most vulnerable utility poles underground.
"I don't want people to be afraid. I want them to be confident that we will bring resources to every victim and their family and to Lāhainā, but also look at the whole state and have plans that will make us at least somewhat safer," Green said.
Green also told The Conversation he is sticking to the plan to invite visitors back to West Maui on Oct. 8, two months since a fire tore through the town of Lāhaina.
"It's a lesson we learned during COVID, that if we were ambiguous about what our plans were, everything failed," he said.
Green said he does not expect many people to come right away, but reopening has to start somewhere.
"If someone's not ready, of course, because they're still suffering trauma, I don't expect them to go back to work. If they're not ready to welcome visitors, that's totally okay. But others have to work, and so that's why as the state's chief executive, I have to actually look out for all of us."
"I still will make sure that people are very, very compassionate and sensitive if they happen to be near people who have been displaced," Green said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 21, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
