Hawaii has become one of the leading U.S. states in terms of environmentally friendly initiatives. The island has created several policies that contribute to environmental conservation, some of them being strict bills aimed at tourists and natives alike. While these pieces of legislation and funded programs can be contentious, each one shows promise in terms of helping the earth. For those interested, here are four environmentally friendly policies Hawaii has implemented.

1. Carbon Farming Bill

Another bill signed in 2017 was related to carbon farming and created a task force of its own, as recorded by a court reporter Hawaii. This bill focuses on the health and storage potential of Hawaii's soil, as well as the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Agriculture and aquaculture are being examined in order to find ways to help this process. In essence, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air can greatly contribute to environmental preservation. Soil has the ability to safely store carbon, a task that has been proven difficult but necessary. In fact, worldwide soils are already storing over 2,000 gigatons of carbon.

2. Greenhouse Gasses Bill

Hawaii made a bold and innovative move in 2017 by signing in a bill aimed to reduce greenhouse gasses. This was particularly noteworthy as it follows the guidelines of the Paris climate agreement, something which the U.S. had planned to pull out of by that point. It was signed to give Hawaii legal maneuverability when it came to making substantial changes. The bill was in response to Hawaii's rising tides, deteriorating coral reefs, intense weather and eroding coastlines. It plans for a commission to be made that will tackle the rising sea levels in Hawaii, along with other hot button climate change issues.

3. Prohibition of Specific Sunscreens

One of the most publicized policies Hawaii has put into effect is disallowing certain sunscreens, particularly highly popular brands. Octinoxate and oxybenzone, two chemicals found in many popular sunscreens, have been found by scientists to be harming coral reefs. When washed into the ocean, these chemicals can cause coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is when algae is removed from coral polyps, thus hurting the reef as a whole. While it may seem odd, literal thousands of tons of sunscreen are brought into the ocean by swimmers, particularly in the Caribbean and Hawaii. This bill, which is intended to go into effect in 2021, will likely vastly decrease the amount of harmful chemicals brought into the ocean by both native and visiting swimmers.

4. Nets To Energy Program

This program is a form of highly efficient recycling. In essence, it takes trash and general rubbish from the ocean, particularly nets, and transforms all of it into electricity. Hawaii is plagued by these nets due to extreme ocean winds and currents coming from the North Pacific, as well as its island status. This program has been in place since 2002, and it's made a large impact since then. About 800 tonnes of nets have been collected and turned into electricity. Nets to Energy is effective in that it creates energy, helps animals who might've become caught in a net and helps to keep the ocean clean, which is a major concern for the island state.

Environmentally friendly initiatives are essential in the modern age. It may take time for these policies to produce tangible results, but odds are that most will prove to be effective in some way. Hawaii has portrayed initiative in this regard, ensuring that the state can take action and help its ecosystems. For anyone interested in helping as well, write to a local politician and ask that action be taken.