Hawaii Sustainability Essay

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Introduction

The increasing number of planned events is a worldwide sensation (Goldblatt, 2000; Weber and Ladkin, 2003). The equivalent is true for event tourism (Getz, 2008). The environment is one of the primary matters for creating an event. Events do not only work as tourist attractions, the incentive for improvement, and renovation of destinations (Getz, 2008) but also produce massive ecosystem consequences (Chernushenko, 1994; Puczkó and Rátz, 2002). The destruction of environmental assets that tourism sequentially relies on will lead to pressing adverse economic consequences (Cater, 1995; Mathieson and Wall, 1992). Policymakers and event planners motivated by profit matters and societal demands are frequently engaged in understanding how to combine environmental sustainability with the management of event tourism to decrease environmental repercussions.

The environmental repercussions caused by hallmark and mega‐events are exceedingly important to shift by host communities (Jones, 2001; Collins et al., 2007). The coordination and articulation of events offer a mixture of undesired by-products, perhaps changing and transforming the condition of the environment.

In a case study by Chernushenko (1994) Montreal’s 1976 Summer Olympic Games and the 1992 Winter Olympic Games were used to illustrate unsuitable and adverse repercussions created by the ostentatious events with limited attention given to post‐event legacies those who were responsible for organizing the event. The impacts incorporated the formulation of hazards for occupants, enhanced air contamination and garbage, ecosystem demolition, and land erosion. Several miniature events have occurred and are just as negligent of environmental conditions and ecological sustainability as mega‐events. Consequently, event organizers should thoroughly control the environmental sustainability of event tourism and discuss their environmental repercussions.

Environmental sustainability regarding event tourism frequently discusses the decline and monitorisation of environmental impacts of event preparation and delivery, the repercussions of events on the host population, and the management of event attendees (Getz, 2005; Ritchie, 1984; Smith‐Christensen, 2009). It is a multi‐level notion including natural resources, biodiversity, and the benefit of natural objects at every level including global, national, regional, and community (Dobson, 2003). Accordingly, the issue that should be discussed is: How can environmental sustainability on a multi-level platform be incorporated into event tourism management to help decrease the environmental impacts that these events bring to local communities and environments?

Environmental impacts of event tourism

Events and the events industry have quickly risen to become one of the most influential components of global capital, this comes with both negative and positive consequences on the environment and host communities.

Not every environmental impact that stems from events is negative. Positive effects are designed and demonstrated at a variety of systems, from mega-events such as the Olympics, where the proposed environmental legacy constitutes part of the bid, to community events that concentrate on picking up rubbish in neighborhood public areas (Case, 2013). Manageable events can remain a viable prospect entirely if those short- and long-term concerns of the surrounding environment are fully understood and looked after. If intelligent preparation and development are not exercised, sustainable event management progress is likely to deliver an unwelcome shift (Puczkó and Rátz, 2002, 2005; Vargáné, 2005)

Throughout the preparation and growth stages, the importance of environment-conscious event designing, and development approach is needed. Events have direct and indirect connections with the environment; from the second someone decides to travel; they instantaneously make an impact on their surrounding environment. Therefore, throughout the preparation and growth stages, the importance of environment-conscious event designing, and development approach is needed. Events have direct and indirect connections with the environment; from the second someone decides to travel; they instantaneously make an impact on their surrounding environment. Natural resources can be classified into two bigger categories; The natural environment, which includes identifiable lifeless natural resources, the plants and animals, as well as the landscape. Secondly, the man-made environment contains everything that has been added or created in a specific area by humans (Puczkó and Rátz, 2002, 2005).

Types of Impacts

Raj and Musgrave (2014) discuss five main environmental areas that are affected by events; water pollution, air quality, geological conditions, depletion of natural resources, and flora and fauna.

Firstly, water pollution, water found in or near event locations is prone to threats from pollution and environmental impacts due to the creation or upkeep of facilities used for the said event taking place. Similarly, there are also indirect effects of events on the water, coming from the use of sun cream by guests of the event, which causes a surface film to the water once it enters. Another impact that negatively affects water areas near events is that of waste and sewage originating from events in the local area. Sewage disposal from events needs to be a multi-stage process and without this proper hygiene cannot be achieved, and this poses a risk of leakages entering local water areas. The collection of these waste materials is called eutrophication, and in severe cases of eutrophication in water areas the water is classed as unsuitable for bathing and can negatively affect health.

The next area affected is air quality, and sound pollution, which can be caused by transportation, the hospitality business, or the development of amusement amenities, these too regard to impacts that affect air quality. The larger the expansion in equipment, shareholders, and business in a specific location, the more powerful the air-polluting consequences display. Sound pollution however an annoyance, bears no actual detrimental effects on the environment, however, events are known to include a quantity of air-polluting exhaust gas and steam emitting properties such as vehicle emissions from road and aviation transportation. Furthermore, there are notable omissions in hospitality and accommodation businesses, as well as throughout events. Consequently, CO2, CO, and NO2 begin to grow and various Freon derivatives are released, which in turn inflates the greenhouse impact.

The geological environment is affected mostly by the littering that is synonymous with events; aesthetically speaking, rubbish left on the ground creates a disagreeable scene. However, littering is not just damaging the image of the area surrounding the said event, the decomposition of rubbish is known to discharge poisonous matter inside the soil. Adverse geological outcomes may be produced by dense minerals that are emptied into the atmosphere by transportation and immersed into the neighboring vegetation, plants, and fauna. Additionally, sewage leaks that are left unresolved can influence the local soil but have also been known to affect subsurface and subterranean springs. Several outside, indoor, residential, and rural events exceeding assigned spaces can produce decay; therefore, certain actions will contribute to the reduction of the vegetation spread, the home of local plants and animals.

The reduction of native resources is quickened by the usage of fossil fuels in transport, warming of accommodation, and the operation of catering facilities. Reckless and irresponsible management of the drinking water stock largely damages the effectiveness of water management and lowers usable freshwater supplies.

Events as previously mentioned can have a positive effect on the natural environment considering event tourism supports important areas and encourages them to receive a protected status, which can then enhance the natural surroundings. Although event attendees profess a small direct threat to the flora and fauna, it mostly happens as a consequence of event participation that there is an obstruction with the order within natural habitats, and this can be known to negatively impact animals’ mating and eating patterns. Agricultural enterprises and locations are reducing in many areas considering those areas have other functions nowadays (for instance, they are established to develop event services). Therefore animals’ homes and crops become smaller. When environmental interference grows to a significant point, wildlife will begin to migrate. Although events are shown to have plenty of negative effects on the surrounding natural environment, they do however promote the subsequent natural factors directly: shifts in the landscape, security, and preservation of flora and fauna, and introduction of different animal and plant varieties.

Case Study – Kokua Festival, Hawaii

The Kokua Festival in Hawaii has had a very positive social impact, as it brings together environmental organizations, eco-friendly businesses, artists, educators, and district heads to support environmental learning in Hawaii (Kokua Hawaii Foundation, 2011). The festival was founded by Jack Johnson in 2003.

The Kokua Hawaii Foundation is a not-for-profit group that promotes environmental learning in institutions and communities of Hawaii, including numerous programs such as Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture in Schools, amongst others. They have been set up to teach pupils about environmental problems and encourage pro-environmental behaviors. In addition to contributions, memberships, and Kokua Festival marketing, the Kokua Festival is the primary fundraiser for those programs (Kokua Hawaii Foundation, 2011).

Conclusions coming from the 2010 Kokua Festival, show that in total, more than 16,000 people attended the 2010 festival; and almost 60% of those guests were Hawaiian locals, with 40% coming from elsewhere. The bulk of guests were among 18 and 40 years old, and parents with their kids. Throughout the festival, 10,000 ‘Kokua Festival Passports’ were given aiming to promote the festival’s guests to get involved in numerous environmental activities. Inside the Village Green, around 1,900 attendees completed the passport, which in turn prompted more than 5,700 green actions at the festival (Kokua Festival, 2012).

Each guest to Jack Johnson’s 2008 – 2010 world tours got a ‘Village Green Passport’ (Johnson, 2011). The passport requests that supporters take part in environmental actions and supplies additional knowledge on the All At Once Campaign. In its entirety, 800,246 guests visited more than 50 shows in 10 nations throughout the globe. Out of these, 29,359 attendees engaged in the All At Once Village Green Passport program, collectively achieving over 105,000 unique activities, including recycling, refilling reusable bottles at water stations, sharing cars, providing to local non-profit allies, and numerous other good deeds.

Water

Jack and his team decreased the usage of single-use plastic containers on tour and backstage. All water came directly from the tap, purified with filtration systems at hydration stations. With concerns about drinking water waste, supporters were prompted to take their own empty reusable water containers, 5,600 containers were refilled at no cost at the water stations provided, and spectators filled their reusable water containers with 6,945 gallons of drinking water. Altogether, 1,050 gallons of water were drunk, which is equal to redirecting 8,400 16.9 oz plastic water containers from the waste stream (Kokua Festival, 2012). As a consequence, the musicians, staff, and spectators saved over 55,000 single-use water bottles from being used; also 6,000 concertgoers took the Filter For Good pledge to become plastic-free.

Recycling and waste reduction

Behind the stage, Jack and the staff made strong efforts to ensure the shows were low-waste events, through recycling, composting, and other means to restrict waste that ends up in landfills. Venue workers and guests did their share of recycling and waste deviation efforts. Furthermore, a car park recycling plan was launched, in conjunction with Live Nation, to give bags and easy-to-find recycling locations within the carparks. An estimated 460 tonnes of waste was prevented from going to wasteful landfill sites because of these efforts.

Travel

The Kokua Festival proposed online ticket purchasers the opportunity to acquire an extra $2 carbon credit to compensate the emissions produced via their journey, guests could then use these credits to purchase locally generated sustainable biodiesel. Supporters who traveled by airplane were urged to make their whole journey carbon-neutral by extra offsets. Locals from Oahu were encouraged to employ alternative methods of transport, such as biking, walking, public transportation, sharing a car, or driving a hybrid or biodiesel vehicle. In addition, the festival offered shuttle buses that had four pick-up locations throughout the island and were used to transport guests to and from the festival. As an encouragement, all shuttle passengers had the opportunity to gain Express Entrance to the venue (Kokua Festival, 2012). The Kokua Festival also arranged for park-and-ride opportunities with additional free electric shuttles that ran for nine hours each day.

As a result of the transportation incentives, more than 26,000 gallons of sustainable biodiesel were used in North America to fuel tour trucks, vans, and on-site generators. Sea freight was handled using shipping gear in an attempt to additionally decrease the carbon trace. Numerous supporters saved petrol, and money and decreased their carbon trail by using the Jack Johnson/Zimride online ride-sharing tool, this resulted in over 100,000 shared car ride miles. In addition, where spectators utilized shuttles, mass transit, and bus assistance to travel to the festivals; these joined attempts saved more than 200,000 pounds of CO2.

Catering and concessions

As part of Farm to Stage catering arrangements, tour catering operated directly with district farmers and purveyors beyond North America to bring locally produced natural foods to the festival. Also, many local farmers helped in disposing of tour fertilizer for employment on their farms. Disposable cutlery was used that was biodegradable and made of potato, corn, or sugar cane starch. Over $18,000 was spent on obtaining organic and sustainable food from local farmers and farmers’ markets in each community the tour visited.

Eco-friendly concert merchandise

All of the tour merchandise being sold was made from sustainable substances, with a main focus on them being reusables and renewables. Fans bought 2,715 exclusive Jack Johnson reusable water containers, which if subsequently used for just one year, would stop 509,062 single-use plastic containers from penetrating the waste stream. Spectators also purchased 9,605 reusable bags, again if used profoundly for just one year, this could potentially save an approximated 12.8 million containers of oil and 14.9 million trees.

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