‘Dangerously Close To Capacity’: Maui Weighs $53M Kīhei Desalination Plant
Community members gave the idea a lukewarm reception when the Maui Department of Water Supply shared details.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
A Viral Hawaiian Monk Seal Changes The Conversation On Molokaʻi
A critically endangered seal’s chance encounter with the owner of a popular local social media account has brought community members together after recent killings of the protected species.
Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat/2026
As Flood Aid Trickles Out For North Shore, Southeast Asian Farmers Are Left Behind
For some Thai and Laotian farmers, language barriers and immigration status stand in the way of seeking help they need after the Kona lows.
The Big Island’s Rare Coastal Pools Are Under Siege
Sea level rise is endangering the fragile brackish waters on the Kona Coast, but it’s also creating new ones.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Community Control Of Kauaʻi Fishery Is Showing ‘Remarkable’ Results
Ten years in, Native Hawaiian fishermen, North Shore nonprofit leaders and scientists are encouraged by what they see in the state’s first Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022
HECO Is At War With Governor’s Energy Partner Over Creating New Utility
A Japanese rival wants build a new liquefied natural gas power plant and start a new regulated utility for Oʻahu, ending HECO’s 135-year monopoly.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Takeout Boxes Are Filling Landfills. This Town Has A Plan To Phase Them Out
As Hawaiʻi island prepares to enact a ban on single-use plastic serviceware, a coalition in Hilo is rolling out the nation’s first comprehensive city-wide reuse program with over $3 million in seed funding.
David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024
Why Heat Is So Deadly And How To Stay Safe
Understand the risks associated with extreme heat and what to do when you’re facing down a heat wave.
Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2023/NOAA Permit No. 19655
The Plan To Make Climate Science Harder To Erase
As climate information disappears from federal websites, scientists are rebuilding it elsewhere.
File Photo
Influential Energy Researcher Quietly Backed By Big Money Climate Group
Governor criticizes energy expert as biased, others defend him as sound and scrupulous.