President Barack Obama returned home to Hawaii this evening for a short trip to stress the importance of addressing the dangers of a rapidly changing climate.

Obama arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam aboard Air Force One before 6 p.m. and was greeted by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, commander of Pacific Air Forces. After greeting some members of the military on the tarmac, Obama then took the short motorcade trip to the East-West Center at University of Hawaii at Manoa, where crowds lined the street.

A group of protesters chanted that the military needed to leave Hawaii: “People of the world, scream and shout. U.S. military get the hell out.”

At the center, the president spoke for about 12 minutes during a combined reception for the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and the East-West Center Sustainability Summit. There were about 200 invited guests in attendance.

“Welcome to Hawaii. Aloha,” he said. “It’s not often that I get to welcome folks to my home state.”

Before delivering his prepared remarks, the president noted that Hawaii was facing the threat of two hurricanes and urged the public to be prepared and to listen to the instructions of local and state leaders.

He then turned to the theme of his two-day visit, fighting climate change.

“No nation, not even one as powerful as the U.S. is immune from a changing climate,” he said.

He referenced conditions in Alaska where the “sea is already swallowing villages” and glaciers are melting at an unprecedented pace in modern times, as a “preview of our future.”

He also highlighted his administration’s strides in encouraging the adoption of more clean energy, which has become economically competitive with dirty energy sources. “So there is no conflict between a healthy economy and a healthy planet,” he said.

He spoke about his latest environmental accomplishment: quadrupling the size of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to cheers from the audience.

“Thanks to the hard work of many people in this room, including Sen. Schatz, I created the world’s largest marine preserve,” he said.

Obama closed by saying how his visit at UH Manoa’s East-West Center was “especially meaningful,” noting that “a lot of my life started within a mile radius of here.”

He said his mother and father met “probably a couple hundred yards” from the East-West Center. He went to school about a mile from UH’s campus (at Punahou School), and he was born about a mile away (at Kapiolani Hospital).

He also noted that he brought his children to Hawaii for Christmas vacation every year. “I want to make sure that when they are bringing their children here or grandchildren that they are able to appreciate the wonders of this island,” he said in closing.

The president departed the UH-Manoa campus in his motorcade at about 7 p.m. to dine at Morimoto Waikiki.

On Thursday, the president is scheduled to take a trip to Midway Atoll in Papahanaumokuakea. Air Force One will depart in the morning, so motorists can expect more traffic delays and rode closures as his motorcade travels from his rental home in Kailua to Hickam.

On Friday, Obama leaves Hawaii for China where he will attend the Group of 20 major economies summit and meet with China’s president. Before returning to Washington, Obama will also visit Laos.

Previous coverage

Update 7:10 p.m.

After speaking at the East-West Center, President Obama’s motorcade departed from the UH-Manoa campus and headed toward Waikiki.

Update 7 p.m.

President Obama’s speech lasted less than 15 minutes. “No nation … is immune to a changing climate,” he said. The president spoke of the expansion of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the importance of addressing climate change, and his administration’s accomplishments on environmental issues. He also noted his close family ties to Hawaii and even the area where he was speaking. He said his parents met nearby while at UH-Manoa, he went to school nearby (at Punahou), and his grandparents lived a few blocks away.

Update 6:45 p.m.

President Obama began his speech at the East-West Center by welcoming the attendees to Hawaii followed by an enthusiastic “Aloha!” Before giving his prepared remarks, he noted that Hawaii was in the path of two hurricanes and he urged the public to listen to state and local officials and prepare for the storms. He also said the local government officials were working with FEMA to respond to the storms.

Update 6:30 p.m.

President Obama arrived at the East-West Center in Manoa where he will give a speech to attendees of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, which kicks off tomorrow. Obama is expected to talk about his decision last week to expand the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

After his arrival, Honolulu police reopened H-1 eastbound and overpasses.

Update 6:10 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, commander of Pacific Air Forces, greeted the president after he exited Air Force One shortly after landing. The president briefly shook hands with members of the military gathered to witness his arrival, and took a photo with Caldwell at the mayor’s urging. Obama then departed in a black SUV as his motorcade headed to the East-West Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The ride promises to be quick with the eastbound H-1 and other roads on the way to Manoa closed to all traffic.

Update 6 p.m.

President Barack Obama arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam aboard Air Force One just before 6 p.m. and Honolulu police were shutting down H-1 eastbound and overpasses. The president will be traveling by motorcade to the East-West Center in Manoa where he will give a speech at 6:30 p.m.

Previous coverage

President Barack Obama left Lake Tahoe, Nev., for Honolulu this afternoon for a quick visit that will include an East-West Center speech on protecting the environment, a day trip to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and traffic … lots of traffic.

Rush hour came early as commuters left work early ahead of the president’s motorcade. From about 3 p.m. until after 5 p.m., traffic backed up on the freeway and surface streets in town as commuters tried to get to where they were going before the chance of a freeway shutdown starting as early as 4 p.m.

Instead, they got caught in a massive traffic jam that cleared before the president’s plane arrived.

City officials at 4:30 p.m. said surface street traffic was heavy, and mauka-bound traffic was “very heavy” on Ward Avenue from Kapiolani Boulevard to Prospect Street. Officials said they are adjusting traffic light timing and warned motorists to avoid blocking intersections.

Earlier Tuesday, city officials had warned the public to avoid traveling between Aiea and Manoa today from 4 p.m. into the evening, or risk the possibility of spending hours stuck in traffic.

Motorists responded by hitting the roads early, with jammed roads and gridlock reported after 3 p.m. from Pearl City to Kahala. A tweet from the state Department of Transportation reminded commuters to use the bathroom before hitting the road.

Remember to use the restroom before leaving work and starting your afternoon commute today #HItraffic — Hawaii DOT (@DOTHawaii) September 1, 2016

Air Force One was expected to land at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam just before 6 p.m.

City officials had said eastbound lanes along the president’s motorcade’s route from the airport to Manoa could be closed from about 4 p.m. until Obama arrives at the East-West Center, where he is scheduled to speak at about 6:30 p.m.

Obama plans to formally announce the historic expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument at his speech to attendees of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, which kicks off tomorrow.

When Obama departs UH-Manoa, westbound lanes along the route that the president takes to his rented home in Kailua will also be closed, Assistant Honolulu Police Chief Clayton Kau said at a news conference Tuesday. “Probably until 7, or 7:30, just to be sure,” he said, reiterating that all times are dependent on the president’s schedule.

“Drivers are advised to expect significant delays,” Kau said.

City acting Transportation Services Director Mark Garrity said the Department of Transportation will be monitoring traffic cameras and make adjustments to signal-timing where needed. “But we do anticipate major impacts to traffic so we want to apologize in advance and we appreciate people’s patience,” he said.

On Thursday, Obama plans a day trip to Midway Atoll in the national monument where he will take a tour and receive a briefing on the monument from U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials.

The president flies out of Marine Base Hawaii in Kaneohe in the morning, so there shouldn’t be an impact on the morning commute.

He returns from Midway to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Thursday night at around 9:15 p.m. and will spend the night again in Kailua.

Obama is slated to leave Honolulu for China on Friday, but is expected to leave during non-rush hour times, Kau said. In China, Obama will attend the Group of 20 major economies summit and meet with China’s president. Before returning to Washington, Obama also was to become the first sitting president to visit Laos.

Earlier today, Obama gave a speech on conservation and climate change at the 20th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit in Stateline, Nev.

“From here, I’m going to travel to my original home state of Hawaii, where the United States is proud to host the World Conservation Congress for the first time,” Obama told the summit. “Tomorrow, I’m going to go to Midway to visit the vast marine area that we just created and to honor those who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom. Then I head to China, with whom we’ve partnered — as the world’s two largest economies and two largest carbon emitters —to set historic climate targets that are going to lead the rest of the world to a cleaner, more secure future.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Remarks by President Obama to leaders from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

Aloha! You know, it’s not often I get to welcome folks to my home state. But it’s always wonderful to be here, even if it’s only for a day. It’s even rarer that not one but two hurricanes are set to pass through the islands over the next few days. So we’ve been working with the Governor and FEMA to make sure Hawaii’s got everything it needs to keep our folks safe. And, in the meantime, I’d just ask the people of Hawaii to listen to your state and local officials, and make sure you and your families are prepared for the storms. But the Governor says he’s got it all taken care of. He’s pushing them all south.

I want to thank East-West Center President, Charles Morrison, for hosting all of us this evening. I want to recognize, in addition to the Governor, we also have Senator Brian Schultz — Schatz here. Where is Brian? There he is. I want to thank the 8,000 delegates from more than 180 countries who will share their expertise here at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, including President Zhang Xinsheng and Director General Andersen. To the world leaders and ministers who are here from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders, thank you for joining us tonight. And I know many of you will be in Washington next month when Secretary Kerry hosts our 2016 Our Oceans Conference.

But today, the United States is proud to host the IUCN Congress for the first time. I just came here from another beautiful place — Lake Tahoe, Nevada. And in my address there I talked about climate change and conservation, and how those two things are inextricably linked. Few people understand, I think, the stakes better than our Pacific Island leaders, because they’re seeing already the impact. Rising temperatures and sea levels pose an existential threat to your countries. And while some members of the U.S. Congress still seem to be debating whether climate change is real or not, many of you are already planning for new places for your people to live. Crops are withering in the Marshall Islands. Kiribati bought land in another country because theirs may someday be submerged. High seas forced villagers from their homes in Fiji.

And no nation, not even one as powerful as the United States, is immune from a changing climate. I saw it myself last year in our northernmost state of Alaska, where the sea is already swallowing villages and eating away at shorelines; where the permafrost thaws and the tundra is burning; where glaciers are melting at a pace unprecedented in modern times. And it was a preview of our future if the climate keeps changing faster than our efforts to address it.

And that’s why I’ve devoted so much of my time and my energy to making sure that we get this right while we still have time. I spoke about this at length in a speech earlier today, but over the past seven and a half years, America has worked to generate more clean energy, use less dirty energy, and waste less energy overall. And it’s made a difference. Our investments have tripled wind power, multiplied solar power thirtyfold, and, in many places, helped clean energy become cheaper than dirty energy. And we did all of this while fueling the longest uninterrupted streak of job growth on record.

So there’s no conflict between a healthy economy and a healthy planet. And that’s why I’ve committed, along with Canada and Mexico, to get 50 percent of U.S. electricity from clean sources by 2025. And with many of our biggest businesses switching to clean energy, I’m absolutely confident that we can meet that goal.

But that’s not all. I’ve also made sure we’re better prepared for the impacts of climate change, because even as we need to hit the brakes so that we don’t go over the cliff, we’re not going to come to an immediate stop. We know that there is still going to be an inevitable impact as a consequence of rising temperatures. And that means conservation has been a cornerstone of my presidency.

Since taking office, I’ve protected more than 548 million acres of our lands and waters for our children and our grandchildren. I have to say that Teddy Roosevelt gets the credit for starting the National Parks system, but when you include a big chunk of the Pacific Ocean, we now have actually done more acreage than any other President. We’ve designated national monuments from Maine to Ohio to California. And just last week, thanks to the hard work of many people in this room, including Senator Schatz, I created the world’s largest marine preserve — (applause) — quadrupling the size of our monument at Papahanaumokuakea. This is an area twice the size of Texas that’s going to be protected, and it allows us to save and study the fragile ecosystem threatened by climate change.

Tomorrow, I’m going to travel to the Midway Atoll to see it for myself. Seven thousand species live in its waters, a quarter of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Ancient islanders believed it contained the boundary between this life and the next. Hundreds of brave Americans gave their lives there in defense of the world’s freedom. So this is a hallowed site, and it deserves to be treated that way. And from now on, it will be preserved for future generations.

So I’m very proud of these achievements, but we always have to remind ourselves no nation can do this alone. We’re going to have to tackle climate change together. Nations like many of yours obviously feel a special urgency about this. The biggest emitters, like my country and China, have a special responsibility to act to make sure that countries willing to do their part move past the dirty phase of development to move into a clean energy strategy. That was a key principle in the Paris agreement. And I was mentioning to the leaders here, we could not have gotten a Paris agreement without the incredible efforts and hard work of the Island nations. They made an enormous difference, and we’re very proud of the work that they did.

And this is why we’ve been working to accelerate public, private clean energy innovation, making sure that resources will be there for countries that need help preparing for the impacts of climate change that we can no longer avoid. It’s also why, tonight, I can announce more than $30 million in new commitments for our friends in the Pacific — funding for investments like stronger infrastructure, more sustainable development, and safer drinking water.

From here I’m going to be traveling to China, where we’ll be meeting for the G20 Summit, and climate will be a centerpiece of our agenda. Joint U.S.-Chinese leadership on climate was part of the reason that we were able to get Paris done, and I’m going to push to build on that record as long as I occupy this office and probably even after I leave it.

There’s an old Hawaiian proverb that loosely translates to: “Unite to move forward.” It seems simple enough, but the natives used it as a reminder that if you want to row a canoe, every oar has to be moving in unison, otherwise, I don’t know, you go in circles. You just go around and around. Your pace slows, you drift. You get caught up in the currents, and you get off course.

Well, when it comes to climate change, there is a dire possibility of us getting off course, and we can’t allow that to happen. That’s why our united efforts are so important. Government has a role to play, but so do scientists and inventors and investors, all working to revolutionize clean energy production. Entrepreneurs and academics and leaders in this room are collaborating across continents. And everyday citizens of the world are going to have to push their own communities to adopt smarter practices, and to push those of us in positions of power to be less concerned with special interests and more concerned about the judgment of future generations.

And that’s why we’re all here. That’s what this is all about. And for me, this is especially meaningful. I was telling my staff, a lot of my life started about a mile radius around here. My mother and father met probably a couple hundred yards from here. It’s true. I went to school about a mile from here. I was actually born about a mile from here. My grandmother and my grandparents lived most of their lives a short way away from here.

And so since Malia was born, since my oldest child was born, I’ve brought them here every Christmas for the last 18 years now. And I want to make sure that when they’re bringing their children here, or their grandchildren here, that they are able to appreciate the wonders and the beauty of this island and of the Pacific, and every island.

So I know you have the same feeling, and that’s why we’ve got to “unite to move forward.” We have to row as one. If we do, we might just save the one planet that we’ve got.

Thank you very much, everybody.