“Oceanfront Property Tied to Obama Granted Exemption From Hawaii’s Environmental Laws”
This story was co-published with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.
Officials in Honolulu have granted the developers of a luxury, oceanfront estate tied to Barack Obama a major exemption from environmental laws designed to protect Hawaii’s beaches.
The shoreline permit, issued by Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting on Monday, clears the way for the controversial multimillion-dollar renovation of a century-old seawall in the heavily Native Hawaiian community of Waimanalo.
Under state and county laws, such projects are typically banned. Scientists and environmental experts say seawalls are the primary cause of beach loss throughout the state, and officials expect older ones to fall into obsolescence.
But the property owners, including Marty Nesbitt, chair of the Obama Foundation, argued they needed an exemption to protect the sprawling compound they are building in eastern Oahu. State officials and community members say the former president, who was born and raised in Hawaii, is expected to be among the property’s future occupants. Representatives for Nesbitt and Obama did not return requests seeking comment for this story.
As the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica reported this summer, the so-called shoreline setback variance is just one of several loopholes that developers have exploited across the islands over the past two decades to get around policies that are supposed to protect the state’s treasured beaches and sensitive coastlines.
The consequences are stark. Oahu has already lost about a quarter of its beaches to seawalls, which essentially cause beaches to drown. Future projections are more dire, with scientists warning that most of Hawaii’s beaches could be lost if hundreds of homes, condos, hotels and roads that line the coasts aren’t moved inland.
Their scam has netted them millions ; yet they still fly in their jets
— 🦅 Eagle Wings 🦅 (@CRRJA5) June 5, 2023
Hypocrisy as they do whatever they please and get rich pic.twitter.com/xnChzOZCOQ
Climate Activists Are Now Deflating Tires in 18 Countries
Vandals deflating the tires of SUVs under the guise of climate activism are now active in 18 countries.
The Tyre Extinguishers have deflated over 10,000 SUVs across the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, and Portugal, Fox News Digital reported.
There is no leader and essentially anyone can take part in it. The organization’s website has a pamphlet for participants to place on cars explaining their mission.
“If I buy an SUV will it be vandalised by climate protesters?” Yes. Yes it will. The @Telegraph tells its readers not to buy SUVs in case we target them. Our campaign is working. We will make it impossible to own an SUV in the world’s urban areas. But only if you join in!
