Archive for the ‘Protect the 'Aina’ Category

Raising Awareness for The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance

Aloha SKY,

My friend Heidi Byron forwarded me the letter below.  Similar to the grassroots internet work that helped to secure the protection of Punalu’u / Black Sand Beach, your involvement online can be of service for putting more beneficial protections and programs in place for our environmental heritage.  Thanks in advance for giving a damn and taking a few moments out of your day to give attention and support to this.

Thank you~ Zhenya

Mahalo for your dedication to the sacred wahi pana of Hawaii! Thank you for taking action and going to sign the NWHI hui’s petition calling for the strongest possible protections for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands–now called the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Today, we hope you will please forward the call to action below to all those in your life who share the powerful conviction to malama and protect this sacred and uniquely Hawaiian place. Ask them to take just one minute to add their name to the NWHI hui petition!

We must make it clear that the public wants only the best and strongest protections for the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.  What is at stake is a public trust resource and the last pristine coral reef of its kind on the planet.

These are the Kupuna Islands–the path of souls into the afterlife.

EVERY NAME COUNTS! We only have till July 8th to collect broad public support for stronger protections for the NWHI in the Draft Monument Management Plan.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW:

1. Sign KAHEA’s Petition to Fully Implement Protections for Papahanaumokuakea (and read the NWHI hui’s talking points)

2. Click here to submit your own comments,

3. Send this important call to action on to all your friends and family, either by forwarding this email or by clicking here,

4. Learn more about the grassroots effort to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by clicking here.

NOW is the time for ALL to participate in the plan that will regulate all human activities in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands for the next 15 years! Two years of closed-door meetings by government agencies has resulted in a Draft Monument Management Plan (DMMP) for the conservation of the NWHI that actually expands the human footprint in this fragile and unique 1,200-square mile marine reserve.

Without public outcry, approval of this plan will mean:
-Construction of a “small municipality” on Midway, new cruise ships, more extractive research, and opening the NWHI to bioprospecting.
-No opportunity for meaningful Native Hawaiian input on management decisions or support of cultural research, education and community outreach.
-The NWHI’s eight-year-old citizen’s advisory council will be disbanded, leaving management oversight entirely to government agencies.
-Continued military contamination and new Navy missile interceptions, chemical warfare simulations and sonar activities within the NWHI without any mitigations.

Is this an appropriate vision for this sacred, fragile marine area? Such activities must not be allowed in this unique pu’uhonua. The NWHI hui has been reviewing the management plan in detail and we join with the former and current Reserve Advisory Council members, cultural practitioners, scientists, resource experts, and long-time advocates for our Kupuna Islands in their call for major changes in this Monument “development” plan.

It will take all of our voices to uphold the public’s vision that there be no further human footprint on this unique wilderness. Please forward this alert!

Mahalo for your continued support and participation in the effort to ensure the strongest possible protections for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and all of Hawai’i’s public trust resources!

Imua kakou!
Us Guys at KAHEA
KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance
kahea-alliance@hawaii.rr.com
888-528-6288 toll-free phone/fax
www.kahea.org

In closing, I’d like to ask you to “Just Say No” to greedy money-mongers!  This is our land, our home and our agenda!!!  No bones about it.

Technorati Tags: hawaii, kapuna islands, northwest hawaiian islands, papahanaumokuakea marine national monument, petition, sacred wahi pana

Aloha Army Officials/Public Comment,

Recently as I’m sure you’re already aware it’s been brought to the attention of the greater public out here on the Big Island of Hawaii that ammunitions and other weaponry necessary to Army operations/training (Stryker Brigade) carries with it radioactive material harmful to people and the environment.

I don’t think I need to long wind whoever is reading this and passing it along. Isn’t it simple? We all know radiation hurts us – even in small concentrations. We know the great risk, courage and danger our men and women in uniform put themselves in to defend our freedom. We know that those same men and women are putting themselves at risk every time they use the weapons that carry those radioactive substances. -link”>(more…)

Technorati Tags: army military uranium stryker hawaii big island superfe

Aloha United SKY~

It is with elation in my heart that I write tonight to inform you that yesterday September 19th, 2007 a major victory was won. The next step is already underway – Resolution 169-07 Passed!!!

This resolution will allow the county to begin negotiations for the purchase of 150 acres at Punalu`u that will protect all lands at Punalu`u within 2,000 feet from the shoreline.

The passage of this resolution is an important first step in protecting all of the sacred lands at Punalu`u.

This a STEP mind you. I do not like to think of life in terms of a fight, but that is what comes to mind when I think about how much effort it takes for us – the people that care about nature and natural resources (like beauty) being available for future generations – to protect our land, our ‘aina. So wake up you Peaceful Warriors. No time for complacence or laurels-resting. This victory is like a drink of clean, fresh water, intended to strengthen us and give us hope of “new heavens and a new earth” as we march forward, each one of us learning to make change and be effective in our own way.

I’m feeling good because though I did not make it down to the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort (got my email too late) as soon as I realized that the meeting was in progress I stopped my day and imagined Ka’u preserved forever, in all it’s glistening black, blue and green glory – open, wild, free. My thoughts were free of fear and certain in the rightness of this beautiful place lasting forever. This place is key.

If you want to see the email Press Release, read on. It’s not up on the Press page of http://www.malamapunaluu.org/press/ yet, so I am reposting here. (more…)

So you want to be conscious?

It is a great responsibility.  Are you ready for it?  It means that you must now make choices and take actions that are in alignment with your core beliefs.  Thankfully, you are not alone.  With a bit of due diligence, you can make conscious choices that have a less negative or a more positive impact  on your surrounding world.  Thank you!

Painting…Consciously

I noticed while checking out an apartment for possible tenancy that the ceiling was being painted.  That is a good thing, because the place needed to be brightened up.  I was a little concerned, however, with the smell of the paint…and then as well with the effect the off-gassing (aromatic hydrocarbons) might have on my health.

There is a solution, folks!  I urge each and every one of you to do a little extra research when undertaking a home or office construction work – do so consciously!  A quick search in Google for “low voc paint” will produce many suppliers of non-toxic paint.

You can also very simply request “low v.o.c paint” from any of the paint stores – most name brand paint companies carry a line of non-toxic or low-toxic paint.  Benjamin Moore, for one.  Sherwin Williams,  for another.

Thanks for making a choice to be green.  xoxo Z

Last week protesters (400 on land, and more than 60 in the water) prevented the Superferry from docking at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai. They were confronted by Homeland Security, black-clad swat teams, and every form of law enforcement. World Can’t Wait put out a call to people to go to the Pier 19 to join a DMZ-Hawai`i sponsored picket in support of the Kauai protesters. We received a lot of harsh criticism for putting out this call.The World Can’t Wait planning committee held an emergency meeting to discuss the SuperFerry and unanimously concluded to support the protests against the SuperFerry. Furthermore, we felt the criticisms we received revealed an enormous lack of knowledge about the SuperFerry, and also concluded that we needed to do a lot more education. Consequently, we are putting together a brochure about the Superferry. Following is a draft of the contents. We encourage you to read it, investigate the sites we refer to, discuss it, and send us your comments.

STOP THE HAWAI`I SUPERFERRY!

Some Superferry facts:
* Carries up to 250 vehicles and 900 passengers.
* Travels at speeds in excess of 40 miles/hour
* Current Superferry scheduled make a round trip between O`ahu and Kauai each morning; between O`ahu and Maui each afternoon, 6 days a week. A 2nd Superferry scheduled to begin daily trips between O`ahu/Hawai`i in late 2008 or early 2009.

The Superferry and the Military

The majority stockholder in the Superferry is J.F. Lehman & Company. It’s chair, John F. Lehman, is the Chair of Hawai`i Superferry. John Lehman is the former Secretary of the Navy (Reagan administration), a signatory to the Project for a New American Century, a member of The Heritage Foundation, and a Commissioner on Bush’s National Commission on Terrorist Attacks. He’s an outspoken neocon and military hawk. For info on John Lehman: J. F. Lehman.J.F. Lehman & Company “is a private equity investment firm that focuses exclusively on acquiring middle market companies in the defense, aerospace and maritime industries…” Their focus is military. Their Board of Directors reads like a military who’s who (including General Fogleman, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force; and General Kelley, former Commandant of the U.S. Marines; both members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). Six of the Hawai`i Superferry’s 11 member board are Lehman Company executives. See: Lehman Company.

The March 28, 2005 issue of Pacific Business News reported that J.F. Lehman & Company had invested $58 million in the Superferry, acquiring its controlling interest, and said:

“With Lehman’s expertise, the Superferry plans to operate a Westpac Express, essentially to carry military equipment and ferry vehicles from Oahu to the Big Island on a daily basis. At present, the military has to make shipment plans six months in advance to put them on a barge, said Tim Dick, president and chairman of Hawaii Superferry. The ferry will save the military dollars and take 25 percent of the time,” Dick said. [Lehman said:] “This logistical plan will make it easier for soldiers to train when the Stryker Brigade comes to Hawaii. The brigade will be stationed on Oahu and conduct training exercises on the Big Island…The Superferry is strong enough to take Stryker vehicles,” “Hawaii Superferry provided the Army with a cost analysis and expects to negotiate a long-term contract, Dick said.” See PBN: pbn

The “Westpac Express” refers to the first Superferry built by Austral, the builder of Hawai`i Superferry. Westpac Express is operated by a subcontractor for the Third Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan and is used to transport military cargo and personnel. It was chosen for use in Okinawa to mask U.S. military presence on an island where the majority of the people oppose them. It is virtually identical to the SuperFerry. See: Austral.

Last week it was revealed that the State of Hawai`i entered into an agreement with the investors (J. F. Lehman and the U.S. Dept of Transportation) to exempt the Superferry from an EIS. Exemption was a pre-condition to investment. The Executive Director of the U.S. Transportation Dept’s Maritime Commission testified to the Maui Circuit Court that the SuperFerry would be useful for the military’s transport of cargo between the islands, and that the Maritime Commission had therefore provided $140 million in loan guarantees. He further testified that the Superferry has ALREADY been “approved for inclusion in the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement program, which provides the military access to commercial sealift capacity in times of war” (and we are currently at war!).

The Hawai`i Superferry is fundamentally a military operation – a “joint-use” operation deceitfully sold to the people as a strictly civilian ferry that will better people’s lives.

Environmental Concerns:

One of the major concerns Superferry opponents have raised is environmental, and they are demanding an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Environmental concerns are serious and demands for the EIS must be complied with. However, regardless of whether or not an EIS is granted, we oppose the Superferry because it is one more military operation that is being foisted on Hawai`i. It’s a stealth military operation. It’s mission is to strengthen Empire. And we know that ultimately military concerns will over-ride environmental concerns – just as they have with the Stryker, Makua, Pohakuloa, Pearl Harbor, Waimanalo, etc. Here are some of the many environmental concerns that have to be considered.

Fuel Consumption:

The Superferry burns 5,600 gallons of fuel to travel 110 miles between Oahu and Kauai. This is more than 3 times the fuel used per air passenger. There are more fuel efficient ferries but they could not carry Strykers and other heavy military equipment. For example, a new hybrid solar/wind ferry will be used in New York Harbor that carries 600 passengers (www.solarsailer.com). Emissions that pollute the air and water are minimal. The redesigning of such an energy-efficient ferry for ocean use was not considered.

Danger to Whales and other marine animals:

The Superferry is huge, and it is fast. It cannot divert course quickly enough to avoid marine mammals. Nor can whales swim fast enough to avoid the hulls reaching 14 feet into the ocean which act like razors at high speeds. Dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals, smaller whales species, and sea turtles are also put at great risk. Whale deaths went from 1-2 every two years to 7 each year in the Canary Islands when high-speed ferries started operating. The Oahu/Maui route goes directly through the whale sanctuary.

Transport of invasive species and toxins:

Introducing 250 vehicles/day into the fragile neighbor island environments poses huge risks of transporting invasive species. This has been minimized by people comparing the Superferry to a Matson Liner, or a Young Brothers Ferry, or even the airlines. Each of these means of transport increases the risk of bringing invasive species to the islands, and environmental regulations and laws have to be strengthened to mitigate those risks. However, that’s no excuse for introducing more risks! Bringing in 250-500 vehicles each day, many of which will be used off-road to reach isolated fishing and hiking locations, will greatly heighten the risk of spreading invasive species such as miconia. The State sponsors TV ads telling people to wipe off their boots after hiking in one area and before entering another, but then subsidizes the spread by unwashed vehicles being transported on the Superferry.The use of the Superferry by the military, in particular, will also expose people to potentially higher levels of toxins – including depleted uranium (now confirmed at Schofield and Pohakaloa, where Stryker training is being conducted), arsenic, lead, RDX, TNT, HMX and other toxins.

Disregard for The Voices of the People of the Neighbor Islands

The people of the Neighbor Islands have consistently opposed the Superferry. Their reasons are many, including their “way of life,” which has been ridiculed by some to be a crass “not in my back yard” attitude. But why should the neighbor islands become mirror images of O`ahu with traffic congested highways and traffic jams? Why should the people there suffer from increased asthma and respiratory diseases from the pollution that fills the skies? Why should the fish population be depleted by weekend fishermen who will load up their SUV’s and head for isolated shorelands? Yes, everyone wants to enjoy the beauty of the neighbor islands. We want to camp, fish, hunt and hike. But this should not be at the expense of the land or the people of those islands. Being forced to take the plane and rent a car to do this is a drag and all of us wish for inexpensive and convenient means of travel between the islands. But the Superferry is not the answer.

O`ahu Centrism

Decisions effecting the neighbor islands are being made on O`ahu with no respect for the wishes of the people living on the neighbor islands, or concern for the unique environment of each island.From the beginning, neighbor island legislators have opposed the Superferry and have demanded an EIS. They have been consistently over-ruled by the far more numerous O`ahu legislators, whose major concern has been making the State “business friendly.”

The people on the neighbor islands have attended hearings, have distributed petitions, and have written letters to the editors. Neighbor Island newspapers have opposed the Superferry but their articles were never seen on O`ahu. Instead the Ferry/Military friendly O`ahu media has ridiculed their opposition. Is it any wonder that the people of the neighbor islands are outraged? They are, in effect, being told that they don’t matter! Business marches on – and they portrayed as obstructionists and “unwilling to change.”

Stop the Superferry

The people of Kauai came together in unprecedented ways to Stop the Superferry. People of different ethnicities and concerns came together with one voice. The protests were from the heart. They are just and must be supported. Were some protesters rude? Yes. Were some drivers rude and try to run them over? Yes. But what did the media choose to focus on? The few who targeted riders and not the ferry. The protesters who pounded on a car, but not the car that tried to run them over. Focus on what is principal, not the isolated incidents that are being used to discredit the hundreds of protesters who actually stopped the SuperFerry.Everything about the State’s actions with regard to the Superferry has been unjust (and even illegal!). They granted a huge project, of unprecedented proportions, an EIS exemption. They refused to disclose any SuperFerry/military contracts, even though we know such contracts were on the table. They are unwilling to address environmental concerns. And then they have the audacity to allow the SuperFerry to sail before schedule, and in violation of the spirit of the Supreme Court’s ruling that an Environmental Assessment must be performed. It is the State and the SuperFerry that should be on trial – not the protesters who put their lives at risk to stop it. But what happened? Federal, State and local law enforcement (led by Homeland Security/Coast Guard) called out Swat Teams, aimed Coast Guard high caliber weaponry at surfers, and threatened people with being charged as terrorists if they continued to protest. And now the Federal, State and local law enforcement is implementing even harsher means to prevent protests and protect the SuperFerry. Even if people support the SuperFerry, they should be alarmed by this militaristic attack on dissent. What happened is the rising face of fascism and needs to be called out for what it is.

We call on everyone to: (1) get educated about the Superferry; (2) look beyond your narrow interest of getting to the neighbor islands quickly, and ask yourself whether you’re going to be part of the increasing militarization of the islands, the degradation of its unique environment, and the well-being of its people; and (3) do everything you can to support the protests against the SuperFerry.

For more info:
http://homepage.mac.com/juanwilson/islandbreath/
http://www.superferryimpact.com
http://www.boycottsuperferry.org/action.htm
http://www.hui-r.info/

Thanks Yvonne Gilbert for forwarding me this info via email – Z

In response to the news below, I sent Mayor Kim the following email. I suggest you all pen some prose yourselves. The more the merrier!

Dear Mayor Kim,
in denial, or if you have a personal interest in a different outcome. Your job is to serve the public good. WE are the public, and we have been unwavering in our response to a possible crime against this Hawaiian land.

I suggest you double triple check your motives because your actions are speaking volumes about your character. I would hope that as the Mayor of the Big Island that you love this place and realize that if we strip it out and sell it off to developers there will be nothing left to appreciate in a short amount of years. This is unspeakable and it is your JOB to protect the interests of this beautiful place and its people.

I will spread the word among my family and friends about your actions – and I feel they will conclude as I have – that you are not being forthright, that you are showing yourself to be deaf and dumb when it comes to accurate representation of your people. Just like George W. Bush is finally starting to see the results of his disdainful actions, don’t put yourself in a similar place, for all of Heaven and Earth to judge.

Thank you for taking my words into consideration and choosing what is best for the people and the land. Spend that $80,000 to improve the poor food that is served in our schools or I’m sure there are many other good places for those funds to go in helping Hawaii.

Do good. We are watching.

Sincerely,
Zhenya D.
Kealakekua, HI
The news that prompted the email.

August 17, 2007

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAYOR TO SPEND $80,000 ON “KA`U LISTENING PROJECT

Rather than attending the Public Hearing in Ka`u back in June (and after months of surveys and hearings that clearly showed the majority of people in Ka`u want Punalu`u protected and support the passage of Resolution 169-07) Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim is spending $80,000 of tax payers money to conduct a month long (that’s $20,000 a week!) “listening project” to determine how the people of Ka`u feel about the proposed development at Punalu`u. In a recent letter to Mayor Harry Kim, Ka`u Preservation Senior Attorney Ron Self writes:

“Ka’u Preservation will not participate in any matter where Hawaiian history, culture, and practices will be compromised or eliminated, and endangered species will be destroyed or threatened. Such is the case of the proposed housing and commercial development by Sea Mountain Five at Punalu’u, Ka’u, Hawaii.”

LET THE MAYOR KNOW HOW YOU FEEL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact the Mayor today and let him know how you feel about spending $80,000 and postponing the passage of Resolution 169-07.

Send your emails to: cohmayor@co.hawaii.hi.us

Those of you that have been on the island long enough have invariably driven through the Ka’u region. It is breathtaking, inspiring, pure magic.

Developers want to steal Punalu’u Black Sand Beach! Love & Save Our Beach…

That’s why we need to join together in stronghold to take a stand for our land. I attended one public hearing on June 3rd, 2007 with Hadley (she was reporting for the Big Island Journal). About 80% (and that is a LOW estimate) of the people there were resoundingly in favor of Resolution 169-07 which seeks to turn the beach into a protected park living trust that cannot be messed with again. I saved a flyer I received while at the hearing and scanned it and uploaded it here for you to educate yourselves.  The Truth About Resolution 169-07

Please pay attention to this important issue – even if you are not able to actively participate, simply by focusing your awareness upon it and shining the light of your consciousness along with your prayer and your mana / breath, I know that energy will make a difference in protecting this crown jewel of our wild island. You can also visit the preservation stand here: http://www.kaupreservation.org/

Thank you South Kona Youth! You are a Powerful force, and we are going to get stronger and make sure that our agenda for environmental and social peace and consciousness flowers, blooms and thrives!

Let the Blessings of Heaven Rain Down Upon You

Vote YES on Resolution 169-07

Love, Z