In a move that is rattling the tourist industry in Hawaii and beyond, the Sierra Club filed suit in January against the Hawaii Tourist Authority, seeking to force the state agency to perform a statewide environmental assessment before launching an aggressive marketing plan aimed at luring more visitors to the islands. “Seven million tourists descend on Hawaii each year, drinking our water, using our electricity, generating sewage and garbage, and filling our beaches,” said Jeff Mikulina of the Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter. “An environmental assessment would tell us whether Hawaii’s physical and natural infrastructure can handle more tourists.” If the Hawaii Supreme Court decides in favor of the enviros, there could be major implications for the tourist industry throughout the U.S.
