---
title: "Hawaii Declares Climate Emergency Due to Rising Sea"
description: "Hawaii has become the first US state in history to declare a climate emergency, The Hill reports. The state legislature is about to pass a resolution that calls climate change a threat to both humankind and the environment. The resolution also calls for states to collaborate with organizations to alleviate the adverse effects of climate […]"
date: "2021-04-30"
modified: "2021-04-30"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/hawaii-climate-emergency"
categories:
  - "Climate Change"
  - "Environment"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "climate change"
  - "climate policies"
  - "Hawaii"
  - "the digest"
---

# Hawaii Declares Climate Emergency Due to Rising Sea

![Hawaii has become the first US state in history to declare a climate emergency, The Hill reports.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/hawaii-climate-emergency.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/hawaii-usa-cliff-coast-kilauea-4982499/" target="\_blank"\>Image via Pixabay\</a\>\</em\>*

## Climate Emergency

Hawaii has become the first US state in history to declare a climate emergency, [*Grist* reports](<https://grist.org/politics/hawaii-is-the-first-state-to-declare-a-climate-emergency/>).

The state legislature passed a resolution on Thursday that calls climate change a threat to both humankind and the environment. The resolution also calls for urgent action to alleviate the adverse effects of climate change.

"I’m very pleased that the Legislature has taken this step by declaring a climate emergency," Senator Mike Gabbard (D-HI), the primary sponsor of the resolution, said in a statement. "We must take strong action to address climate change related challenges, such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and the protection of our critical infrastructure."

## Rising Tides

The resolution received only one "nay" vote in the state legislature, according to *Grist*.

The news comes after local governments of Maui and Hawaii Island declared a climate emergency in 2019.

"Every day we wait to take action is another day lost," Dyson Chee, the advocacy director for the Hawaii Youth Climate Coalition, said in a statement, as quoted by The Hill. "The climate crisis is a clear and present threat for both current and future generations."

## Clear and Present Threat

According to climate emergency advocates, [1,933 jurisdictions and local governments](<https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/climate-emergency-declarations-cover-15-million-citizens/>) representing some 826 million citizens worldwide have also declared a climate emergency.

Lawmakers in Washington, DC, however, have yet to pass any legislation declaring such an emergency. However, a [House resolution](<https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/794/actions>) was introduced earlier this year, sponsored by representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).

In other words, Hawaii is now blazing the trail, officially recognizing that the world is in for a [harsh reality check](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/humanity-doomed-scientists>). It's a truth that we've known for decades, and the sooner we acknowledge the issue, the faster we can act.

**READ MORE:** [‘Climate emergency’: Hawaii is the first state to call it like it is](<https://grist.org/politics/hawaii-is-the-first-state-to-declare-a-climate-emergency/>) \[*Grist*\]

**More on climate change:** *[Humanity Is Almost Certainly Doomed, Scientists Say](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/humanity-doomed-scientists>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)