(CNN) In recent years, bills that might seem too bold to gain traction in other state houses have become law in Hawaii, gaining worldwide attention.

Policymakers in the overwhelmingly Democratic state House -- with 1 Republican state senator and 5 Republicans in the state House -- have pushed forward a wave of ambitious progressive legislation. The state has banned certain kinds of sunscreen, raised the legal smoking age and committed to the Paris climate accord's goals.

Lawmakers say the new laws are driven by a sense of urgency to create a sustainable future for the island's residents.

"We are preparing now because we are seeing the effects of climate change," said State Sen. J. Kalani English, who sponsored a bill to implement portions of the Paris climate deal last year. "We are having intense cold that we've never had before, we are having intense heat. It's a matter of survival for us."

"When you are in an island, you can't run away from your problems," said Joshua Stanbro, Honolulu's chief resilience officer and executive director of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency.

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