Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Environmental concerns have become one of the many issues that have surfaced during this year’s gubernatorial race and teams have included in their publicized campaign platforms their priority on such an important subject.

During the American Samoa Bar Association’s second gubernatorial forum last week, the question on environmental priorities was asked of the candidates. Questions on the second ASBA forum that took place at the American Samoa Community College Multipurpose Center were submitted by the public.

“What are your top three environmental priorities?” was the question to three of the four gubernatorial teams in attendance. The team of Gaoteote and Fai’ivae wasn’t present due to a prior commitment.

I’AULUALO AND TAPAAU

“One of the most important environmental issues, that we have looked at is climate change. The actions that we take now will impact the planet that younger people will have to live in and the generations to come,” was the response from candidate for lieutenant governor Tapaau Dr. Dan Mageo Aga.

“We believe in the science of climate change. We believe that burning fossil fuel emits carbon into the atmosphere, that causes greenhouse gases that’s making the earth warmer, and warmer,” he pointed out. “And that global warming is causing a lot of damage to the environment — rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and more storms that could happen. So that’s our first environmental priority.

Second priority “has to do with economic development. We propose open sea fish farming — but to do that properly. We have to do an environmental impact assessment to make sure the ocean surrounding us is protected.”

Priority three is that “there is too much scrap metal on island,” he said and noted that the “bigger problem” is the landfill in Futiga.

“Our land mass is limited and the landfill in Futiga is a serious problem for us,” he said. “No one really wants to look at this because it’s trash — but unless we do something about this soon, that will create many serious problems for our island.”

NUA & SATELE

Candidate for lieutenant governor Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr., noted that “one of the things and responsibilities that we as leaders have to have is be able to leave this island a better place, for our young place, the next generation, to live in. And it begins with us understanding how important it is to recognize what’s going on around the world.”

He recalled the governor’s executive order issued in 2017 to promote climate change collaboration. He said the governor recognized at the time that there are some strategies and mechanism that need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore the governor and the government formulated and communicated a long-term low greenhouse gas emissions project, he said.

For the Nua and Satele team, he shared three things they want to do, and first, “put together a plan that will allow us to move away from fossil fuel” which is detrimental to our sea life.

“We want to make sure that along the coastal areas, we put together a plan where we can teach and bring awareness to how important it is, that we keep our shores and our ocean clean,” he explained.

“So these three things we want to make sure - get away from fossil fuel, we want to make sure our reefs are clean, we want to make sure we bring awareness to our young people [and] that we want to keep the ocean and our lands clean of pollution,” he said.

LEMANU & TALAUEGA

Candidate for lieutenant governor Talauega Eleasalo Va’alele Ale said the number one priority is “to lower and hopefully end our reliance on fossil fuel. Now we have done a good job of implementing solar farms in American Samoa. It would be our goal to significantly expand that, to quickly end our reliance on oil that comes from off island.”

“And the same thing with wind farms. We are currently looking at programs to establish those in Aoloau and Aasu and we like to continue those services to eliminate fossil fuel which has significant damage to our environment,” he said.

(Samoa News points out that the solar farms and wind farms are current projects implemented by the American Samoa Power Authority.)

Second priority is “to look closely at laws to control things such as plastic bottles,” he said and recalled during his tenure as attorney general the anti litter law was passed and implemented.

“The third component, which is the most important, is an educational and public awareness campaign which looks at bringing the attention of important issues to our mind, bringing it to the forefront, to encourage things such as recycling, to encourage behaviors that focus on using natural resources,” he said. “Let’s go back to the days when we used coconuts instead of a plastic cup.”

“And I think these are things we can encourage through public awareness and education so we can move away from plastic and things that are imported and let’s use the things that grow in our own back yard,” he concluded.