Think of some of the reasons why you live in Hawai'i: surfing, loco moco, rainbows and crimson sunsets. Not traffic, sky scrapers, crowded schools and mass transit taxes.

As much as we would like to continue loving our Hawai'i for its simplicity and beautiful culture, we can no longer hide the problems of population growth. We must take an active role in controlling Hawai'i's population growth.

How does Hawai'i's growth rate compare to the national average? The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reports that we have the 18th largest population growth in the nation at about 1 percent annually. This rate has significant consequences: 13,000 new residents looking for housing and fighting traffic each year.

But won't a light-rail system fix our problems? The proposed mass-transit system is praised by politicians, but as the Alliance for Traffic Improvement reminds us, only 7 percent to 8 percent of Hawai'i commuters use our extensive bus network, and there is a general decline in the use of public transportation.

This indicates that a light-rail system will not stop our rising population from putting more cars on the road. The 2004 State of Hawai'i Data Book reports that in Honolulu County there are eight registered vehicles for every 10 people. If our growth rate continues at 1 percent there will be 6,881 more vehicles fighting traffic in Honolulu alone.

What little gains from increased mass-transit usage will not solve the traffic problem caused by population growth.

Population growth affects more than just our roads. There will be a loss of undeveloped public and private lands. Look at the Kaka'ako debate that sparked a public reaction in the Jan. 24 protest. Open park land may be converted into buildings for business and housing. People would no longer be able to drive and park within 50 yards of the ocean, grab their fins, climb down the rocks and body surf.

This is not an isolated problem. What about the 87 acres of agricultural land that may be lost to Stanford Carr Development? Or the Sunset Beach housing development that now stands fortified on the North Shore? Population-driven development is disfiguring the few remaining open spaces of Hawai'i.

What I fear most is exponential growth and development of our Islands over the next few decades. We continue to hear developers and politicians enthusiastically speak of reaching a "critical mass." We can all appreciate decreased reliance on tourism and a diversified economy, but have we thought about how this economic boom will affect population?

Regardless, the tax breaks, exemptions and credits for new businesses are working. Enterprise Honolulu reports paid employment in Hawaiian biotechnology soaring 550 percent over the past five years, drawing new people to the Islands.

But the fact remains: New people need new homes. In the Islands, a record $8.6 billion worth of property changed hands in 2004 in the State Data Book, as well as a 10 percent jump in state-issued building permits. Population growth is turning Hawai'i from island paradise to urban sprawl.

Development has left people homeless and others frustrated with their rapidly urbanized home.

The 2004 State Data Book shows that since 2000, 24,790 people fled the heart of this urbanization, Honolulu, moving to other island locations; and 11,986 left the Islands. The major cause of this exodus is the skyrocketing real-estate. Property tax is directly proportional to the value of land and improvements. Hawai'i is losing people who have made up its culture for years. People can't afford to live where they grew up.

It is clear that population growth is a problem, but how should we confront it? Hawai'i once led the nation in population-control measures in the 1960s by implementing urban growth boundaries and preservation of natural land. We should return to these roots today and establish laws that better protect our land and culture from poorly regulated population growth.

We could address population growth through property sales. Just as the current property tax structure favors the elderly, we could alter taxes to encourage long-term residence and increase costs for moving to Hawai'i. Property tax would be based on the number of years lived in Hawai'i. Longtime residents would be more able to afford living in Hawai'i, while new residents would pay higher taxes. Hawai'i's population growth would be slowed, and its rich culture preserved in its people.

We have a choice: Let our keiki grow up in the beautiful and culturally rich land we know or force them to walk the concrete sidewalks of an ambiguous urban city. We must remind ourselves why we live in Hawai'i.

Noa Sakamoto is from Manoa and is a student at Stanford University. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.