Burkett, Tollifson, Mikulina See Climate Imperatives

Monday's guests: Maxine Burkett, Jim Tollifson, Jeff Mikulina

Monday’s guests on Hawaii Public Radio’s Energy Futures program – while representing diverse community interests – nevertheless spoke as one regarding the necessity to halt climate change. Their island home requires it.

Our guests were Maxine Burkett, director of the Center on Island Climate Adaptation and Policy at the University of Hawaii; Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Blue Planet Foundation, and Jim Tollefson, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Each expressed concern that Copenhagen’s Climate Change Conference beginning on December 7 may not reach agreements on future emission targets for the most prolific polluting nations – most especially the United States, China and India.

Sea levels already are rising and are guaranteed to continue that trend based on the amount of greenhouse gases that already are in the atmosphere and are certain to be there in future decades. That’s not good for island and coastal societies.

The program has been archived at HPR’s website. Energy Futures is broadcast “live” 5-6 pm HST on Mondays on KIPO-FM (89.3 in Hawaii) and via HPR’s website with audio streaming. Listeners join the discussion with their comments and questions at 941-3689 on Oahu and 1-877-941-3689 from the neighbor islands and beyond.