Hawaii Fires Podcast

The podcast episode discusses the Hawaiian wildfires that occurred in Lahaina, Maui. The fires were caused by an electrical line falling down and have resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 people, the destruction of 2,000 homes, and the impact on 800 local businesses. The cleanup efforts have been progressing well, with over 1,000 fire cells already cleared. The cost of the wildfires is estimated to be over $13 million per day. The EPA and the Red Cross are among the major players in the response, providing environmental cleanup and financial assistance to those affected. It is important to address this environmental issue as it has caused loss of life, damage to structures, and a significant impact on Hawaii's economy. The fires have also destroyed meaningful historical and religious sites and have had adverse effects on air and water quality. The social impact of the fires is significant, particularly for small business owners and the housing market. The health effects, including air Hey guys, welcome to our podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Sir Henry Phillips Moore, who is the founder and inventor of the world. This podcast episode is going to be about the Hawaiian wildfires and everything you need to know around that. Today I am joined by our podcast co-host, Annie Smith, who has a doctorate in social science. What's up guys? I prefer to think of it as having a doctorate in awesomeness, but social science also works. Also joining us is Dr. Kennedy. Hi, it's great to be here today. I'm a representative of the Maui community to experience the fires firsthand and I'm excited to be on this podcast. Before we get started today, this podcast was able to happen because of our wonderful sponsor, Chief Keef. Yo, Chief Keef, say what's up. Yeah guys, I'm Chief Keef. I'm the sponsor. Yeah man, it's great to be here. Yeah, I love Hawaii. Yeah, I'm Chief Keef. Thank you Chief Keef for that. Before we get into the interview and all that, let's have Annie take it away and give us a little background information on the topic. On August 8th, 2023, in Maui, Hawaii, the people and community of Lahaina were seriously impacted by horrible fires, which were first caused by an electrical line falling down. These types of fires have been an ongoing issue in Hawaii. Just under 100 people have died. 2,000 homes have been destroyed and 800 local businesses have been impacted. As of today, the fires have stopped, but that doesn't mean that the problem is solved. People of the island are going to have to be cleaning up the mess for years to come. Oh no. Let's start by interviewing Dr. Kennedy to tell us a little bit about how the cleanup of these wildfires are going so far. So the cleanup of the wildfires are going pretty well. And on 18 news, you can see that it says as of September 29th, the EPA had completed cleanup on over 1,000 of the 1,598 fire cells that need to be cleared across Maui. Whoa, that's really impressive. I'm sure the fires have caused a lot of property damage. How much has it cost so far? There's not a specific amount of how much it has cost, but over the past few months, Hawaii has already lost more than $13 million per day. Damn. Who are the major players in the response? Who helped extinguish and save Lahaina community from the fires? So there's a lot of people who helped, but specifically there's the EPA who are the environmental cleanup team. There's also the Red Cross. They helped a lot with providing financial assistance to people who lost their home in that community. And on foodtake.com, you can find a lot more Hawaii-based organizations that are helping the cause. The people listening might be thinking, why should we care about this? So tell us, Dr. Kennedy, why should we fix this environmental issue? Many reasons to care. Dozens of people have died because of wildfires, along with animals and landscapes. It is very important to fix this environmental issue because if we don't, more people's lives and stability would be taken away. Over 2,300 structures were destroyed and damaged, as well as at least 97 innocent people were killed, and many others were injured or went missing. One of the main ways that Hawaii's economy grows is with the help of tourists, too, and the money they pay to stay at a short-term rental house or hotel. However, with the recent fires and the buildings burnt, for now people aren't interested in going, creating a big fall in Maui's economy. Then what other environmental considerations should we think about? There's a lot of history that was in the area that got on fire. We should consider how meaningful places are now destroyed. We should also consider how the air quality destroyed... from the fires. What kind of history? It was the fourth capital of Hawaii, actually. Also, on the religious aspect, Latina is the home of Shehauini, who's a goddess in Hawaiian religion. However, I have a question for you, Dr. Ernie. Since you're a social scientist, how do you think the fires have impacted Hawaii socially? Is this tied to social justice as well? Beautiful! Well, Dr. Kennedy, as we mentioned earlier, the biggest groups impacted by the fires are, of course, Maui, but more specifically, the business owners of small shops whose shops were burned down, and hotel-slash-short-term rental owners. Businesses in Lahaina generated more than 70 million dollars per month in revenue, employing about 8,500 individuals. West Maui supplies more than 10,000 rooms in hotels, timeshares, and vacation rentals, about half of the island's total visitor accommodation capacity. According to the Maui County property data, residential structures within the burned area were valued at 550 million dollars. Displaced families are now searching for houses in one of the nation's most expensive markets. Wow, that has really affected the Maui community. That's not even all. The health effects of the disaster are profound. They go beyond the tragic loss of life and the immediate injuries that many people suffered. Air and water pollution from chemicals released by the fire posed health risks, especially for people with pre-existing respiratory conditions and weakened immune systems. One of the biggest challenges, both immediate and incoming years, will be the mental health of survivors. People in Hawaii are struggling, and so are people all around the world. One of the ways that you can help as an individual is to donate to the Red Cross Foundation, who will put the money to good use and help those in need. Thanks for tuning in for our podcast, Environmental Drama on the Hawaii Fires. We hope to see you next time, and have a wonderful week. Bye!