Hawaii Superferry Super-grounded

Posted by Jennifer W. Miner Sep 20, 2007

Luxury travel, for me, also involves some ecological responsibility. It's practically impossible to be a world traveler (one with limited vacation days, that is) without flying. Buying carbon credits is way to offset the CO2 produced by airplanes, and this is growing in popularity. I stay in Fairmont hotels when I can: The luxury hotel chain is a leader of environmental responsibility. Luxury travel and eco-travel are not polar opposites. And, of course, there's the day-to-day stuff like recycling, not driving a gas guzzler, etc.

But when I wrote an article in August 2007 about the Hawaii Superferry, I had no idea that a conflict would soon arise: I thought it was a pretty good idea, to tell the truth. In late August, a bunch of protesters stopped the Superferry from docking at the Nawiliwili Harbor in Kauai, and the next thing you know, there's a major lawsuit barred the Hawaii Superferry from continuing its daily ferry service altogether. Eek!

Seems that the Hawaii Superferry, proud to be using an ecologically safe (well, safer) catamaran, is not in compliance with the Hawaii Environmental Protection Act...yet. Read more about the Hawaii Superferry's legal woes here, and tell me what you think - is this radical environmentalism, or do the plaintiffs have a case? I'm curious to see how this turns out.