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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the scheme of things, a proposing to direct a study of creating more national parks in Hawaii, may not seem like the most monumental of issues.

But in addition to it being an “exciting moment” for Hawaii’s economy and environment, as Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz described the measure on Tuesday, it was the latest sign that Schatz, a mere year and a half from a special election to keep his seat, is placing an emphasis on environmental issues.

And for a freshman senator, who according to a recent poll suffers the problem of many voters not knowing who he is, it was an opportunity for press coverage. To top it off, several Hawaii environmental leaders were on the line to give him cred during a conference call with local and national reporters.

To be sure, during his brief tenure in Congress, Schatz has issued statements on budget matters, including opposing the sequestration budget cuts.

And he also issued a press release on Tuesday about co-hosting a meeting between native leaders, including representatives of the Lanikuhonua Cultural Center and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs with senior Democratic senators, at which the issue of federal recognition of Native Hawaiians came up.

Shortly after the press conference about national parks, his re-election campaign held a fundraiser at a restaurant blocks from the Capitol, where labor leaders like Hawaii Government Employees Association executive director Randy Perreira were present. Civil Beat was barred from entering.

But clearly the environment is where Schatz is trying to make his mark. In the past week, Schatz, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and chair of the Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced he is co-sponsoring a bill that would begin a discussion on charging oil manufacturers and others a fee for emitting carbon. He also penned a for The Huffington Post calling on Congress to take action on climate change.

At Tuesday’ s press conference, Schatz said the measure would “protect what makes Hawaii special, while adding an asset to Hawaii’s economy.”

The bill directs the U.S. parks service to study three areas in Hawaii for national parks, and specifically mentions Midway Atoll, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau as sites for additional parks.

A national park won’t pop up overnight and probably not before he runs for re-election in November 2014. But environmental leaders — including the state directors for the , the Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy — said the bill was at least a start.

“We support Senator Schatz’s efforts to expand National Parks in Hawaii because Hawaii’s long-term well-being, environmentally, economically, and otherwise, is directly linked to the land and the choices we make about it,” said Ted Clement, executive director of theHawaiian Islands Land Trust.

How a focus on environmental issues will play out in a special election, in which he could face a tough challenge from U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, remains to be seen.

For one thing, it’s unclear what tangible results he’ll have to show when action on climate change still faces tough opposition and is mired in partisan politics. His carbon-pricing immediatey drew fire from the National Association of Manufacturers.

In an interview last week, Schatz acknowledged it will take additional education of the public and members of Congress and “the public intervening to compel the Congress to take action” for meaningful legislation to occur. The carbon-pricing bill, indeed, was presented as a “discussion draft” to invite input on how charging manufacturers for carbon pollution would work.

There is optimism, however. “One insight (since taking office),” he said, “is that this is not as strictly partisan as it may seem. Several Republicans quietly admit climate change is a major isssue. A portion of Republicans wold love to work on this issue for seveal years before the issue became so toxic.”

In particular, Schatz said, the public is seeing the impacts of chlimate change in the recent spate of unusual storms.

“Senators from both parties are seeing the real impacts. Coastal areas are seeing real damage. Some states are really melting … There is still a portion of the population that believes it’s not happening or thinks it’s not solvable, but the severe weather has brought it home for many folks. There are solutions on the table and it’s not hopeless. We can make changes and solve the problem.”

Climate change, he said, has taken on national security concerns. Indeed, The Hill reported recently that the head of the Navy’s Pacific fleet, Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, climate change the most significant threat to long-term security in that region.

Still, Schatz said more education is needed to change the political climate enough for even sympatheric Republicans to sign on. Something that may be able to get bipartisan support, he said, would be helping homeowners save money through energy conservation measures surrounding heating and cooling. He said he’s working on such a measure.

So far, Schatz has won accolades from environmental groups. “He certainly has a lifelong passion that he demonstrated at the state level. He’ll bring the same sort of commitment to the Senate and I expect he’ll be helping lead the charge,” the League of Conservation Voters spokesman, Jeff Gohringer, said in an interview.

In addition, the press coverage around his proposals may help in what appears to be one of the challenges for a lieutenant governor-turned-Senator who did not go through an election campaign.

An internal Hanabusa poll obtained by Civil Beat found Hanabusa leading Schatz 54 percent to 32 percent. Hanabusa who is rumored to also be considering a run for governor, leads Gov. Neil Abercrombie 55 percent to 28 percent.

The poll found 41 percent of Democrats had a favorable impression of Schatz, but an equal percentage either had no opinion of him or had never heard of him.

Steady press coverage “is helping to keep his name in the news and on the radar as an advocate for climate change and renewable energy issues,” said Carlos Juarez, chairman of Hawaii Pacific University‘s Department of Social Sciences who served on the congressional staff of former Democratic California Sen. Alan Cranston.

The Hanabusa poll also found that Hanabusa is strongest with younger voters. At the same time, younger voters, according to a Pew Research Center , overwhelmingly support finding alternative fuels. Older voters are more evenly split between alternative energy and expanding the exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas.

And, said John Hart, chairman of HPU’s communications department, climate control and environmental issues “play well in Hawaii.”

On the other hand, environmental issues may not provide a stark contrast for Schatz. Hanabusa has thus far focused on budget issues, particualrly on easing proposed cuts to Hawaii’s defense industry. However, she also boasts a strong environmental record, scoring a 94 percent on the scorecard last year and a 96 percent through her entire time in Congress.

And for a candidate who will need campaign money to raise his profile, environmental groups didn’t represent a large pot of cash in Hawaii’s congressional races last election cycle. The League of Conservation Voters was the only environmental group among Hirono’s contributors, placing 18th, according to the .

Ultimately, the consultants said, Schatz will have to go beyond environmental issues. They say Schatz would benefit from linking environmental issues to the economy — a move Schatz attempted Tuesday, noting Hawaii’s seven national parks generated $259 million for Hawaii’s economy in 2011.

HPU’s Juarez noted that, “As a senator for the state, he also needs to be mindful of other critical issues, namely the economy and jobs, which includes our travel and tourism industry, and the military.”

At Tuesday night’s fundraiser, Perreira said the union hasn’t decided on an endoresement yet. Asked how Schatz was being viewed, he said the senator seemed to have adapted to Congress quickly.

“As far as I know labor groups haven’t had a problem with him,” Perreira said – hardly the kind of ringing endorsement often heard at a campaign event.