ConcernedVoices

"Mottainai - don't waste what Nature gives you..."

2011-11-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

"Mottainai - don't waste what Nature gives you..."

Hawaii Entertainer Makana Sings Occupy With Aloha

2011-11-14T12:58:00.001-08:00

Makana, a Hawaii Entertainer, took his chance while performing for the dignitaries at the 2011 APEC dinner, to sing his new song Occupy With Aloha. Feeling afraid to sing a song to these people concerned Makana and he felt that he needed to do it. As he talks about, if we are afraid to sing or voice our opinions to certain individuals, than things really are wrong.
Makana managed to get in about 45 minutes of his song in different variations.

2011-09-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

It's good to understand your budget.

Just a cool video to break things up.

2011-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

This time lapse video of an earth fly over looked pretty cool. The lightning at 18 seconds in was interesting.

Maui Clean Sky Ordinance Draft Presented

2011-09-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

During the recent Maui ChemTrails/GeoEngineering Symposium, Bruce Douglas presented the preliminary draft from Maui SkyWatch on the Maui Clean Sky Ordinance Draft. The ordinance can be seen at www.MauiSkyWatch.com. It might be good to print out a copy and watch the presentation here to get a feel for what it is all about. It seems reasonable that is anybody wants to put stuff in our air, we should have a say in it.
Here is an excerpt, "No entity may engage in disbursement of aerosols, chemicals or any particulate matter into the skies that may enter into the breathing atmosphere, into the rain or that may land on the soils of Maui County, or engage in geoengineering, climate engineering or any other activity that may alter the weather or alter the sunlight of Maui County, without first presenting an Environmental Impact Statement to be approved by the Maui County Council, and also receiving the written informed consent from the Maui County Council.
Exempt from this law are approved products and by-products of normal industry, agriculture, commerce and transportation.
Any entity found to be in violation of this ordinance shall receive a mandatory $250,000 fine for each day that a disbursement violation is detected, and shall be subject to civil claims for health and environmental damages and clean up costs."

2011-09-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

During the September Maui ChemTrail/GeoEngineering Symposium at the Studio Maui in Haiku, Bruce Douglas with Maui SkyWatch had Rosalind Peterson join the symposium via skyp to give a presentation and do a Q & A. Bruce showed a collection of satellite photos.

Chemtrails, activism and emotional health

2011-09-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

At the Maui ChemTrails/GeoEngineering Symposium in September at Studio Maui in Haiku, Satya Douglas did a presentation around being active in issues like the Chemtrails and Whale protection from sonar and yet being able to keep your emotional health and balance intact. As with many places, Maui has many issues that people are very passionate about and yet keeping a balance that doesn't create personal health challenges is a fine line.

Maui ChemTrail/GeoEngineering Symposium Q & A

2011-09-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Maui ChemTrail/GeoEngineering Symposium recorded at Studio Maui in Haiku, on Maui, Hawaii. This is the Q & A part 1 and 2 done with Michael Murphy after the showing of his movie "What in the World are they Spraying?"
Part 1

Part 2

2011-09-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

Michael Murphy did a presentation after showing his movie "What the hell are they spraying" at the Ho'ike'ike Hawaiian Heritage and Environmental Sustainability event held in Lahaina at the Kamehameha iki park. The first portion is mostly just the audio because it was played on a TV and too far away. The copyright was lifted, so you can find the movie online pretty easy now. Although buying a copy will help to support Michael Murphy's work in bring a Maui Clean Sky Ordinance to thye council to be passed through with the help of councilwoman Elle Cochran. For more on these videos and other related ones check out www.ConcernedVoices.com.

2011-09-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

On September 10, 2011, Councilwoman Elle Cochran did a presentation at the Ho'ike'ike Hawaiian Heritage and Environmental Sustainability in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.The presentation discussed different aspects of sustainability which included the subjects of water and ChemTrails/GeoEngineering of the islands. The Maui Sky Watch is helping draft The Maui Clean Sky Ordinance and Elle Cochran has said she would take the final draft to the council.

Maui Chemtrail/Geoengineering Symposium

2011-09-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Maui Chemtrail/Geoengineering Symposium
Sunday Sept 25thStudio Maui, Haiku, Maui

6pm-7:30pm: Documentary "What in the World Are They Spraying?" followed by Q& A with producer Michael Murphy

7:30pm-9:30pm: Educational SymposiumFocus of this Maui Chemtrail/Geoengineering Symposium:

1) Introducing the proposed Maui Clean Sky Ordinance, requiring any geoengineering activities over Maui to first present an Environmental Impact Statement and receive our Informed Consent.
2) Formation of the Maui Skywatch organization and website.
3) Updates from Rosalind Peterson of CaliforniaSkyWatch.com & AgricultureDefenseCoalition.org
4) Updates on new aerosol dispersal methods: Chem Bombs and Aerial Explosions.
5) Community building break out groups for conscious solutions and action.

Proposed Maui Clean Sky Ordinance: (tentative and subject to revisions)
“No entity may engage in disbursement of aerosols, chemicals or any particulate matter into the skies that may enter into the breathing atmosphere, into the rain or that may land on the soils of Maui County, or engage in geoengineering, climate engineering or any other activity that may alter the weather or alter the sunlight of Maui County, without first presenting an Environmental Impact Statement to be approved by the Maui County Council, and also receiving the written informed consent from the Maui County Council. Exempt from this law are approved products and by-products of normal industry, agriculture, commerce and transportation. Any entity found to be in violation of this ordinance shall receive a mandatory $250,000 fine for each day that a disbursement violation is detected, and shall be subject to civil claims for health and environmental damages and clean up costs.”

For more info, contact: MauiSkyWatch@gmail.com or visit www.MauiSkyWatch.com

2011-09-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Auntie Mahealani Ventura spoke at an event in Lahaina on September 10th, 2011. Speaking about her role as part of the ad hoc Conciliation Commission, a civil society organization, that is registered by the United Nations department of economic and social affairs. Her kuleana (responsibility) is documenting and archiving instances of human rights violations and providing that data to governments, companies and people throughout the world.She can also be found on facebook at Human Rights Hawaii.

Dr. Lorrin Pang Maui District Health Officer Hawaii on Monsanto's Roundup.

2011-08-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Lorrin Pang on August 1, 2011 gave a talk for the Maui UpCountry Sustainability Tavares Community Center's pool meeting room.
The subject of his talks were on Food Safety, Chem Trails and Monsanto's Roundup.
This is the two part video on the talk about Monsanto's Roundup.

Monsanto Roundup Part 1

Monsanto Roundup Part 2

Food Safety talk by Dr. Lorrin Pang the Maui District Health Officer Hawaii

2011-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Lorrin Pang on August 1, 2011 gave a talk for the Maui UpCountry Sustainability group in Pukalani at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center's pool meeting room.
The subject of his talks were on Food Safety, Chem Trails and Monsanto's Roundup.
Here is a two part video on the presentation Dr. Pang did on Food Safety, especially as it relates to Hawaii and Maui.

Food Safety Part 1

Food Safety Part 2

Chem Trails discussed by Dr. Lorrin Pang the Maui District Health Officer Hawaii

2011-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Lorrin Pang on August 1, 2011 gave a talk for the Maui UpCountry Sustainability group in Pukalani at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center's pool meeting room.
The subject of his talks were on Food Safety, Chem Trails and Monsanto's Roundup.
This is the two part video on the talk about the alleged Chem Trails above Maui.

Chem Trails Part 1

Chem Trails Part 2

FOOD SAFETY, CHEM-TRAILS & ROUNDUP~Presented by Dr. Lorrin Pang

2011-07-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 1st 2011, UpCountry Sustainability will host this presentation at their public meeting, August 1, 6:00- 7:30, at the Tavares Community Center’s Poolroom, in Pukalani. (next to the public pool).

The scheduled presenter is Dr. Lorrin Pang, the Maui District Health Officer for the State of Hawaii.

He be speaking about Food Safety, Chem Trails and Roundup, with time for questions on each subject.

A $50,000 battle at good.is

2011-05-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Celebrity battle for $50,000 to give to their favorite charity happen May 16, 2011.

200 Million Metric Tons of Aluminum in the Air We Breath?

2010-12-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

Before I begin, I want to preface this article with the fact that I am no expert or claim to be one, in the areas of health, cloud formations, chem trails or most anything else represented in this article. These are my personal observations and comments and other's that I have learned of, but do not necessarily endorse. This information is for each individual to draw their own conclusions or just for entertainment purposes.

I have heard about Chem Trails for a number of years. The first time was at a conference on sustainable energy, myself and a friend were talking outside after the conference and were approached by someone that went on and on about these things called "Chem Trails."

I was obvious the person was very passionate about his beliefs, not an unusual thing on Maui, but even with our open minds, my friend and I had a hard time not thinking that this rang of "conspiracy theories and paranoia."

Some time passed and I would read, watch videos and listen to podcasts about these chem trails, still trying to decide what to believe about them.

Through personal observation on Maui, having lived here for 42 years, I did notice that the skies seemed to have some real prominant differences for a period of time. Sometimes we had very clear rich blue skies, with a few puffy clouds and other days it might start out clear and then within a few hours, by about 8 or 9am, the clouds would amass into a thick and almost hazy, multi-layed, full sky over cast situation and remain that way throughout the day and maybe for days on end.

Yesterday, being the beginning of my 54th year on this planet, actually the only planet I think I've been on, though some might want to send me to the moon on occasion, I awoke to a cloudy day and rain that started, as predicted by the weather people, on Sunday. The thing about that morning was I awoke with heavily congested lungs and spent the day coughing and having a hard time breathing, much like a person with asthma. While others in my family, as well as friends have had allergies and asthma, I fortunately have never had any allergies, nor many breathing problems, so this was a bit disconcerting. Besides my breathing issues, everyone else in the house has also begun coughing and had sore throats.

It's not unusual for people living around each other to come down with colds, flus and other dis-orders during the winter, and around Christmas in particular. The part that makes me wonder is that myself, grandchildren and others I know have been sick on and off for at least the last six months. Coughs, sinus infections and other respiratory issues. The doctors just keep handing antibiotics and decongestants like they were vitamins. While not really correcting the problem, it seems to make matters worse by killing off all the beneficial flora in our guts and if a heavy regime of putting them back in isn't adhered to, the body starts exhibiting many of the symptoms that accompany a gut over run of the un-beneficial bacteria. These sysmptoms being:

depression
irritable bowel syndrome
fibromyalgia
chronic fatigue syndrome
multiple sclerosis
lupus
psoriasis
celiac disease
crohn's disease
ulcerative colitis
autoimmune thyroid disease
rheumatoid arthritis?
Just plain sick and tired all the time
Being told it is all in your head

These are just a few symptoms related to an imbalance of gut flora. Here is a link that also has many other links to reports by agencies that are considered as authorities, although many "authority" sites are very conservative and reluctant to go very far with their finding due to liability, laws and control the major corporations have over the medical industry as a whole, ours and other governments not excluded.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15751747

This was not intended to be about gut flora, but in talking about cold, flu and respiratory issues, I felt that a broader picture does need to be included.

So back to chem trails, my observation is a tendency within my circle of family and friends, that despite doing many, many things to pro-actively protect their health, we all seem to be fighting a losing battle. Recently I had a hair analysis done for the second time in just over a years span, and found that many metals were in an alarming concentration. They have varied between the two tests, but the common factor is a medically un-diagnosable variety of dis-ease and ailments that I seem to be going through.

Yesterday, at the Haiku Temple of Peace, was the Maui Premier of a new movie by Michael Murphy called "What In The World Are They Spraying?" It includes footage taken on Maui.

So without beating this subject to death, here are some videos on the subject.

Please leave me some comments or information that you may have on these subjects.

Discussion is a good thing!

Osama's is Laughing. November 24th Opt Out Day!

2010-11-24T02:42:00.000-08:00

I think this video pretty much says what most people are talking about, but will the fear of embarassment in public over ride the embarrassment in private? It seems that we've given the control up in fear of losing it. We now are still as vulnerable from the outside, but have more reason to fear the inside.

Abraham Lincoln talked about our country will not be torn apart from the outside, but rather from the inside.

Concerned About Gods Good Creatures in Hawaii's Paradise.

2010-10-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hawaii, the land of enchantment, warm weather, lots of sand and considered paradise by most. The weather is indeed warm and the sun bright, but it tends to send many scurrying indoors looking for shelter from the elements.

In most cases I don't mind sharing my shelter with God's good creatures. They all have a purpose and, yes even Cockroaches, ants and Centipedes help keep other pests in check.

I put up with the occasional 4 to 6" Centipede running across my living room and hiding quickly where my Grand Children play, but for some reason walking around from room to room in the dark has me a bit jumpy when a new guest arrives!

It's not that Scorpions mean to cause me harm, heck they are just out for some late night dining. It's when you turn on a light and see that you came within 6" of stepping on the poor creature that you realize maybe we were not meant to co-habitat.

I find that the race car my Grandson left in my boot as a surprise to me before work and seeing what I think might be shadows or things slipping away during the daylight, is what tend to get me a bit anxious and the adrenalin coursing through my veins. Maybe it's time for a little house cleaning and intervention.

Other than a few Creatures, Hawaii is a Paradise to Most!

Who Will Really Pay the Bill for BP's Oil Spill?

2010-05-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

While the BP oil spill by BP is not directly concerning Maui or the Hawaiian islands, indirectly we will all pay the price. As a State that is highly dependent on oil for so many of it's needs we will pay the price.

Looking at the list of government agencies, not to mention the untallied number of volunteer hours and supplies, who could possible tally it all up. If you or I were to create a mess somewhere, you can bet we would be personally liable for the cost to clean it up.
Beyond what BP has already spent to "try" to stop the link over one month later it is still flowing.

Will BP be made accountable for the total cost to all the agencies listed on the White House website? I highly doubt it. At a time when our money and resources could be directed towards long term self sustaining jobs for America, we are instead being sucked dry to help a profit hungry corporation that will continue to make profits and is not likely to be held responsible for the enormous cost to clean up this mess, nor the years and years of impact it will have.

I like the line in the bottom about "Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in stores at this time". How many of us our going to rush to those States for some great seafood anytime soon?

I had the good fortune of going to New Orleans Mardi Gras just prior to Hurricane Katrina and I think the most striking thing to me was as we flew out of New Orleans I got a good look at the shore line and how the ocean and the marshland seemed to blend into each other. So I can just imagine the nearly impossible task of cleaning up an are like that and the long term effect of the spill on all the life in those states.

The info on the bottom was taken from the White House site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment/deepwater-bp-oil-spill

Information on Spill-Related Damages and Claims
Fishermen and those affected by the BP Oil Spill who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 1-800-440-0858. For those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, can call the Coast Guard at 1-800-280-7118. For more information on assistance for small business owners and others in affected areas, visit DisasterAssistance.gov.

What You Can Do
Request volunteer information and register to volunteer: (866)-448-5816
Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system or submit alternative response technology, services or products:
(281) 366-5511
Report oiled or injured wildlife: 1-866-557-1401
Report oil on land: 1-866-448-5816
State specific volunteer opportunities:

Louisiana
Mississippi
Florida
Alabama

Federal Response Resources
Check out the links below to find out how federal departments and agencies are responding to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill:

Joint Information Center
At the beginning of the event, the Coast Guard elevated the response and established a Regional Command Center and Joint Information Center in Robert, La., inviting all partners in the response to join. Get the latest updates from the partners on the ground in the Gulf Coast: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com

Facebook
Flickr
Twitter
YouTube

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Since the moments after the oil rig explosion on the night of April 20, DHS has played a lead role in federal response efforts—deploying the U.S. Coast Guard to search and rescue the 126 people aboard the rig, and quickly leading efforts to establish a command center on the Gulf Coast to address the potential environmental impact of the event and to coordinate with all state and local governments. Secretary Napolitano leads the National Response Team, an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution events.

U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard has played a major role from the very beginning, when it responded to the explosion on a search and rescue mission to save lives. Pursuant to the National Contingency Plan, Rear Admiral Mary Landry was named the Federal On-Scene Coordinator to lead a Regional Response Team which was stood up that included DHS, DOC/NOAA, DOI and the EPA, as well as state and local representatives. As the event escalated, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen was announced as the National Incident Commander for the administration’s continued, coordinated response—providing additional coordinated oversight in leveraging every available resource to respond to the BP oil spill and minimize the associated environmental risks.

Department of the Interior (DOI)
The morning after the explosion, Secretary of the Interior deployed Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes to the Gulf Coast to assist with coordination and response to the event, and provide hourly reports back to the administration. Since then, DOI has played a vital role in overseeing BP’s response efforts while—at the President’s request—working to deliver a report with recommendations on what, if any, additional safety measures should be required for offshore operations. Secretary Salazar has announced that inspections of all deepwater rigs and platforms are underway.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Since the BP Oil Spill, EPA has provided full support to the U.S. Coast Guard and is monitoring and responding to potential public health and environmental concerns. Environmental data, including air quality and water samples, will be posted and frequently updated on this site as it is collected and validated by EPA’s response teams along the impacted coastlines. This data is meant to determine potential risks to public health and the environment: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon
Weather Forecast: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/

Small Business Administration
SBA is making low-interest loans available to small businesses in the Gulf Coast regions of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi suffering financial losses following the April 20 Deepwater BP oil spill that shut down commercial and recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are available immediately in designated counties and parishes of each of the four states to help meet the financial needs of qualifying small businesses following the oil spill: http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/

Department of Defense (DOD)
DOD continues to support the ongoing response effort by lending Naval and Air Force bases to provide vital staging areas for boom deployments and other activities, and providing C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Aerial Spray Systems, which dispense chemical dispersant—capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight. DOD also plays a significant role in the National Response Team, helping to lead the coordination of response actions for the federal government. Secretary of Defense Gates has authorized use of Title 32 status for up to 17,500 National Guard members in four states: Alabama (3,000), Florida (2,500), Louisiana (6,000) and Mississippi (6,000).

Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service
The Fish and Wildlife Service continues to support the joint agency response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with experienced specialists, land managers, and support personnel. Booms to capture and deflect anticipated oil are being deployed at Breton National Wildlife Refuge, where thousands of brown pelicans and shorebirds are currently nesting. The Service also is initiating Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration activities in this incident to assess and address the long-term damage to impacted resources: http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill

Department of the Interior’s National Park Service
The National Park Service is focused on human safety and resource protection in eight national parks in the Gulf area. These parks are working to assess resources, collect baseline data, coordinate boom placements, plan for responsible cleanup, install barriers for shore bird and turtle nest protection, and plan for potential park closures, if necessary: http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Oil spill response workers may be exposed to many different chemical, physical, biological, and psychological hazards. These hazards vary depending on the type and location of the oil spill, type and stage of response, degree of coordination between entities involved in response and recovery, and the workers’ specific tasks. Therefore, occupational and environmental hazards need to be identified, assessed, and monitored in each oil spill response: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse

Daily Updates
A chronology of the ongoing administration-wide response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill, beginning on April 20, is available here.

Information on Air, Food, and Water Safety
Air: With the prevalence of vapor concerns from oil near the Gulf coast and the controlled burning to help contain the spread of oil, air quality is a health concern. EPA has initiated an air monitoring effort to ensure the safety of local residents and track any developing air quality changes.

Food: Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in stores at this time. There is no reason to believe that any contaminated product has made its way to the market.

Water: NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure is effective immediately. Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 1-800-440-0858.

China's Economy compared to the United States

2009-11-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

While reading an email from Michael Moore about President Obama's Westpoint Speech, in which it was said he was planning on sending more troops to Afghanistan, I turned on the TV and there was a program featuring some people from china in a moderated discussion about China's role in the world economy and how they viewed it.

There were three speakers from the Chinese side and unfortunately one of them I didn't catch his name and he spoke a bit fast for me to really absorb what it was he was talking about.

the two other Speakers, Wing Thye Woo and Kiao Geng had some things to say that did catch my attention and get me thinking about how both of our countries look at the world economy. These are some of my thoughts I wrote down on my Blackberry to post. They may not be entirely correct, but it was based on my take of what they said.

Wing Thye Woo speaking at Brownings Institution as a Non Resident Sr. Fellow
Part of Chinese Global

He brings up points about American companies with their bad debts cause the Chinese Government to look to places like Africa to lend their money. This being a natural business reaction. (I'm not sure why Africa is a better place to lend money, unless it's because of resources available).

Wing Thye Woo also points out that having companies such as Better Buys come to try and sell China electronics and most technical equipment makes no sense. The Chinese already produce most of the goods and can sell to themselves cheaper. (Made sense to me.)

Where China does need imports is in the areas of education to create a higher level of education and Phd's. In addition they are looking for more education to help in bringing increased individual entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The drawback for this is that people need to be able to own or control their own land areas in order to secure monies to be able to build their own businesses.

Kiao Geng
Brookings Center-Tsinghua Center (Beijing) Director

He says that the Chinese have plenty of money, they have land to give away and are very interested in assisting businesses.
Chinese have become highly urbanized and building the business models that can work on smaller scales, is where they need help and are looking to the outside for that help.

Most of their money is going to the top and larger companies. While they do employ a majority of workers, it's the smaller service and private sectors that need to be helped more within the Chinese economy.

My take on this is that the Chinese have made loads of money and still do from Countries such as the United States that are more than willing to purchase and continue to purchase these products.This continues to move the money from the United States to China.

All of this has taken place slowly over the years until we now find ourselves in a position where the United State's debt is out of control, we have unemployment rates at all time highs, major industries such as automobile makers that have gone bust, neighborhoods with building after building hanging for lease signs because small businesses just can't afford to stay in business.

We have little faith in the United State's big businesses that cry about their lack of business and yet fragrantly wave their mismanagement, high management compensation and all the while continuing to lay-off the workers and yet keep creating jobs within the upper end of the companies.

They are telling the worker that there are no funds for training. Not only training but retraining workers for the jobs they are already trying to do and will continue to expect the worker to do more work without the adequate training for these unfamiliar areas.

The Government continues to award monies to companies based on the companies applications and how they will use the money. In many, if not most cases, it seems the money goes into areas that it was not intended for.

Instead of investors putting their money into promoting the United States through education and helping small business compete with the countries such as China by educating our own people. They choose to instead stop all the incentives The American Workers have and instead allow more people from other countries to not only utilize our educational facilities, but enormous amounts of American monies to help educate and then employ these foreign workers.

While local workers continue to stand in unemployment lines, collect welfare, lose their homes to banks that have been given millions of dollars with no conditions as to how they use it or account for it.

We need to take a very hard look at how we support our own people and provide the support and money that needs to be spent on the United States to bring back the various manufacturing, high tech and training for our people.

Had we not run around lending and giving money to other countries with little or no hope of having it returned, forgiving the debts for other countries and yet pressuring and increasing the cost of money to our own people, who are already over their heads in debt and continuing to go into debt.

Because it's the Holiday Season (now just a facade for encouraging commercialism). This will only bring on more debt and stress for families when the credit card bills come due, along with utility bills, food, gas. All while the banks use every trick in the book raise rates and go unchecked in creating any sort of fee they want to.

One bank I used to deal with reported 3 times the income from just fees alone compared to what they took in from interest charges.

Somehow we all need to take more personal responsibility in creating what it is we want in our lives.
---Get out of debt.
---Buy American.
---Support small business enterprises.
---Buy and spend locally.
---Eat foods that are grown locally and not shipped hundreds and thousands of miles.
so we can buy them at low prices and subvert the local producers.
---Insist on nutrient dense foods that help to improve our lands and our bodies.

It's up to each of us to take the personal responsibility to be the change that is needed and not look to others for the answers, maybe their knowledge and experience, but not to expect them to be the answer to our problems.

While I am all for education. I think it needs to be made available to the citizens of the United States at affordable prices and the Government and companies need to back this up.

I also believe that we need to rebuild our technology and manufacturing abilities and employ our own citizens to create goods that are well made and at reasonable prices.

It just doesn't make sense that we can ship manufactured goods thousands of miles to be used here in the United States rather than import the materials needed to do our own manufacturing.

We know that the cost of labor has the most to do with this happening, and it happened because Governments allowed major corporations to dictate these practices based almost solely on the return of capital and ignoring the good of the people in the process.

I did it!

2009-11-27T22:46:00.000-08:00

It took awhile, but after trying to create some new blogs, I somehow messed up my log in to this blog among a few. I have finally got it figured out. Now if I could just get them to all show up under one dashboard and make life simpler.

In the meantime if you want to keep up with some of my blogging you can visit http://EmpowerMaui.blogspot.com to see the latest blog posts.

I also have my website at http://www.EmpowerMaui.com you can visit and I even have a Twitter name of EmpowerMaui if you care to follow me.

hopefully I will be able to better sort just how and why I use my blogs in the future. But for now they pretty much concern themselves around th idea of promoting Sustainability and a Sustainable Life Style.

It's good to be back!

Flipper for Dinner?

2009-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

I attended a showing of "The Cove" a movie/documentary about the thousands of Dolphins that are captured each year and either sold off to Aquariums or SeaLife type parks.

They get enormous amounts of money per Dolphin sold, like $150.00 each. What's even more disgusting is the 23,000 Dolphins that aren't sold and are instead herded in to "The Cove" in the village of Taiji, Japan.
Here they are slaughtered and sold for their meat at a few dollars a pound.

Most people, especially in Japan may think they are eating Whale and not realize it's Dolphin.

Because of the ocean's food chain, Dolphin meat has pretty much the highest concentration of mercury.

They were going to start feeding it to the school kids through their lunch program.
This was stopped, but only because two Japanese councilmen were brave enough to expose the plan.

It is playing in Kihei on Maui, Hawaii through Thursday Sept. 11th thanks the Earth Foundation found at www.EF123.org.

The trailer is at http://www.thecove.com or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw5qgVp0jng.

Not being a big animal activist (primarily because I a spread too thin right now) and having grown up watching the Flipper TV series and now a movie with my Grand Kids, this movie was a real eye opener.

We are one planet and can't close our eyes to this sort of thing and everyone needs to take a stance to stop this sort of useless slaughter of our fellow life on earth.

Even most Japanese don't know this happening. There is no real reason these days for this to continue, except to enrich a few people's pockets and some impoverished Countries willing to take Japanese money in exchange for voting in favor of continuing this behavior by voting in favor of allowing Dolphins to be caught and slaughtered by the millions.

About one hour into the show is the scene that shows them slaughtering the Dolphins, so if you don't care to see it, take a five minute break. The bay used for this literally turns bright red from the killing.

The world needs to know about this and it's up to us all to pass it on.

Jim Hall

www.EmpowerMaui.com

Attempting to pull it all together

2009-08-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have been involved with learning and working with various aspects of sustainable living, especially as it applies to life on the island of Maui in Hawaii. I have created a number of blogs and websites in an effort not only to learn about the entire process, but in hopes of finally being able to provide information and education to the widest possible audience.

Being a part of a Non-Profit 501c(3) and assisting in helping to educate people about the importance between the health of the soil and the relationship it plays through our food and ultimately to our bodily health, I have promoted others to become part of the internet through blogs and websites. I try to link to them and would hope to encourage people to visit their sites too.

There is a wealth of information available to the world via the internet and no reason we should have to reinvent the wheel.

My hope is that Maui can be a shining example of putting together the best practices to encourage a sustainable life, not only because as an island in an island State of Hawaii thousands of miles from anywhere, but because we all need to take personal responsibility for our lives and together we can create the kind of world we can live in and pass on to other generations.

By working on multiple websites as part of the new Web 2.0 which involves more social networking via blogs, videos, interactive forums and websites, my goal is to try and post on all these sites as often as possible.

Many of us are overloaded with information already, so I will try to keep it short and sweet, as well as to the point.

As I finish up sites I will try to prioritize and pass on information about the sites and what type of information they contain. Ultimately they will lead to a main blog that I have not chosen yet. the details will relocated on the sites or links to relevant sites, but the blog will be the area to help decide what is of interest to the reader and they can than follow the link to the appropriate site to obtain that information.

I wish all well and as technology continues to advance, hopefully easier ways to update multiple site will come along.

Presently for short up dates or maybe a site to check out you can always follow me on www.twitter.com/EmpowerMaui. My latest site with Maui related info and video can be found at www.EmpowerMaui.com

Mahalo to all

Look Back Farming

2009-05-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

A look at some old video about the wheat farmers. It might be good to see how we got where we are and where we really want to be in the future with out food supplies. It's good to feed many people, but at what cost to our health in the later years?

We all know how media plays into the way we have chosen to eat. Here are a few videos that speak to that point.

Post Brand was a well known brand through the years.

Sugar Crisps

Kellogs is another well known cereal producer.

2009-02-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Some great discussion took place today with many of our leaders in the United States at a summit sponsored by T. Boone Pickens. We need to all rally behind this type of thought and create action towards a better future and planet, through what ever kind of efforts we can make.

Here is a video from T. Boone's site, www.PickensPlan.com. I hope to link to today's conference later.

Year To Date, the World's Oil Consumption

2009-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be great if this Oil Consumption counter slowed, stopped or even reversed in favor of Energy Conservation or Clean Energy in our Children's or Grand Children's lifetime?

codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0"
WIDTH="305" HEIGHT="170" id="oil_consumption_counter_6">

2009 Already!

2009-01-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

It's amazing that I haven't posted since Last November and yet the whole world seems to have shifted and continues to shift. 2009 will definitely be an interesting year to say the least.

While change can be hard, it's always an opportunity. I look forward to it.

With only days away from a new President of our United States, I go back to the old quote of "It's not what our Country can do for us, but what we can do for our Country".

It's all about personal responsibility. If everyone took their own, we could all carry the load together.

Maybe 2009 should be named the "Year of Personal Responsibility".

Bamboo Clothes?

2008-11-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

I never would have thought that Bamboo would be something that could be comfortable to wear.

I was recently given some while helping to put on the 2008 Maui Body and Soil Conference on Maui. I found out first hand just how comfortable they are!

They are made from Sustainable Bamboo and Produced through new Sustainable Manufacturing processes.
the company that produces them gives a portion of their proceeds to protect Red Panadas and their Habitat.

They would make a great Christmas or anytime gift and can be ordered at www.MauiGrown.com.

Thinking out of the box

2008-11-27T05:05:00.000-08:00

Generating more Free power than we use.

Bee Aware Creates a Sweet Buzz!

2008-09-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

The first in a series of four "Bee Aware" presentations took place on Friday September 12th at the Maui Electric auditorium. These presentations are being presented as a free service of Maui Aloha Aina Association in conjuction with their up coming 2008 Maui Body and Soil Conference on Maui. See www.MauiGrown.org for more information.

There was a great turn out of at least 60 people to hear a talk by a local Bee keeper Dennis Morihara of Tropical Apiaries. Judging from the long question and answer session at the end of the talk, it's quite apparent that if the life of bees was not at the top of most people's minds before, it's really causing a buzz now.

As important as the move towards good, nutrient dense organic food is, it's very much apparent that without the pollinators such as the Honey Bee, there isn't much hope to produce the quantities of food we need for our populations.

When Dennis Morihara brought up the point that it takes as many as 250,000 flower visits for a bee to create 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey and that 1/12th is what is used within a single cell of a honey comb, it has to make you realize that there is just no way for humans to replace the work of the pollinators.

It is very important that each and everyone of us do some part to help.
That can be as simple as:
- Choosing bee friendly plants for landscaping or gardening.
- Planting trees to help abate the heavy winds that blow on Maui.
- Keeping in touch with our government officials to let them know that we need to support the farmers that are willing
to produce the nutrient dense high quality healthy foods
that Maui should be eating.

Beyond just having good healthy foods and growing a little extra to help those who can't, it can go along way towards improving our own food security and ability for us to sustain our population on our island.

For more on Maui Food Security, please visit www.MauiFoodSecurity.com.

*Picture courtesy of Dennis Morihara and Tropical Apiaries.

Bee Aware on Maui

2008-08-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Maui Aloha Aina Association, a 501c3 non profit, has announced a series of talks entitled "Bee Aware".
These talks taking places in four districts of Maui will explore the life of a Honey Bee through the eyes of a local Bee Keeper. Dennis Morihiro of Tropical Apiaries in Wailuku has been raising Bees on Maui for 22 years.
Dennis will share his experience and observations around the conditions that allow Bees to survive and thrive. Between the loss of critical habitat and the introduction of the Varroa Mite, the Bees have a real challenge.
The first presentation is:

Date: September 12th, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Location:
Maui Electric Auditorium
210 Kamehameha Ave
Kahului, HI USA 96732
Island Area: Central Maui
Cost: FREE

For more on the schedule of presentations throughout Maui, Please check the listings on CalendarMaui.com

This event is part of Maui Aloha Aina's upcoming Body and Soil conference on Oct 11-12th.
For information on the 2008 Body and Soil Conference, visit www.MauiGrown.org.

Food Security in Hawaii

2008-08-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

For everyone interested in Food Security (if you eat, then you should be), there is a new website. Mark Sheehan and Rob Parsons are the co-chairs of Maui Tomorrow’s Renewable Energy and Food Security committee. The site is http://mauifoodsecurity.com.
They are hoping to post worthwhile articles, links, event listings,
and news to share on the topic of growing much more of what we eat closer to home.
in announcing the site via email, Rob Parsons says "We’d like to ask your assistance in spreading
the word and helping this blogsite to become a dynamic resource for our entire community, and beyond.
So, please forward the link to those in your `ohana who may be interested, and let us know what kinds of
information would be helpful for you to see posted. We’ll do our best to keep fresh, crisp, tasty food postings
coming your way."
If anyone wants more info or to help spread the work or link to them, Rob Parsons or Mark Sheehan can be emailed through through the Site.

Cool It On Energy Use Now!

2008-08-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

The time is right to cool it on your energy use and replace that old refrigerator. The U.S. Department of Energy through it's Energy Star program has started a new website called RecycleMyOldFridge to promote the replacement of your pre-1993 refrigerator.
The new website offers all kinds of facts and tips about refrigerators and be sure to check out the page on the Art Fridges. Some great stuff and I can see Maui doing that with a number of appliances that now litter the roads.

Concerned about Energy

2008-07-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

I was looking through a cool site that has an extensive list of great events that involve Sustainable Living called EcoPalooza. It's a great site for planning out your year if you like attending these various events.
One of the event sites that caught my attention was The Pennsylvania Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Festival.
Looks like a great festival. I found a picture of Jerry Brunetti from Agri-Dynamics. He's an excellent speaker and has been a presenter at many well known events, including this years Body and Soil Health Conference held in October on the Island of Maui in Hawaii.
Definitely a conference not to miss. Early registration at Maui Aloha Aina Association's website could get someone a chance to have breakfast with Jerry Brunetti and the other speakers, Dr. Richard Olree, Dr. Paul Hepperly and Bob Shaffer.

Sister Energy Islands?

2008-07-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2008

U.S. and New Zealand Take Steps to Launch International Partnership to Further the Development of Clean Energy on Island Nations
U.S. to Work with New Zealand to Encourage Utilization of Natural Renewable Energy Resources

This is a press release from The Department of Energy's website. During a meeting in the Bahamas, Alexander “Andy” Karsner, the DOE's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, met with New Zealand’s Ambassador to the U.S. Roy Ferguson, where they signed terms of reference for the International Partnership for Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN), an initiative to further the development of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies on island nations and territories.

For more of the details on the initiative you can go here.

The part that caught my attention was that Governor Linda Lingle from Hawaii was also in attendance during the EDIN launch where she praised the partnership. Highlighting the ongoing efforts of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which was launched in January with the DOE to supply 70 percent of the Hawaii’s energy needs through the use of clean energy by 2030, reducing Hawaii’s dependence on crude oil and greenhouse gas emissions.

Hawaii and Maui in particular are moving towards energy independence, Although with all the technology taking place in Hawaii not all of it seems to make complete sense, but there is potential.

Hawaiian Electric Company has an agreement with Sopogy for Concentrating Solar Power. See the press release below:

July 9, 2008

SOPOGY PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 7/7/08
Contact: Zeina Jafar – Corporate Communications
zjafar@sopogy.com
808-237-2324

Subject: SOPOGY BREAKS GROUND ON WORLDS FIRST MICROCSP SOLAR FARM AT THE NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII.
Honolulu, HI – Keahole Solar Power, a Concentrated Solar Power solar farm, breaks ground Wednesday July 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. with an event hosted by Sopogy, Inc. on the Big Island at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. The solar farm will be built in phases over several acres and is the first of its kind in the world to make large-scale use of Hawaii based Sopogy’s proprietary solar concentrating systems known as MicroCSP technologies.

MicroCSP systems use reflectors and optics that harness the energy from the sun to create heat that passes through a turbine to produce electricity. The Sopogy MicroCSP solar collector system is a robust and elegant concentrating panel that was modeled after the very successful installation of concentrating panels in the Mojave Desert in the mid 1980’s. These traditional panels at the Solar Energy Generating Station have been producing 354 megawatts energy for over 2 decades, enough power for the Big Island and Maui. “MicroCSP technologies combine the efficiencies of traditional Concentrated Solar Power collectors but incorporate new key elements that are required for operation in Hawaii. These elements include a stronger more durable frame that is able to withstand against storms and operating temperatures that enable Hawaii’s contractors to install and service the system,” said Darren T. Kimura the President and CEO of Sopogy.

“Our leading edge MicroCSP solar research began in Kona in 2002 with one concentrating system and it is appropriate that Kona is the home for the world’s first deployment of a MicroCSP solar field,” Kimura said. “Our technologies create energy from the sun, a sustainable and renewable energy resource and will help Hawaii break its bonds to imported fossil fuel.”

“This is the first renewable energy project at the Natural Energy Laboratory in over 30 years” stated representatives from NELHA.

Selected dignitaries including former Governor George Ariyoshi, Sopogy, Inc. Chairman of the Board of Directors and Founder, Darren T. Kimura, Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu and others will be on hand to participate in the highly anticipated ground breaking ceremony. Once the first Phase is completed, Keahole Solar Power will produce electricity for over 100 Hawaii homes. In its entirety, the project can scale up to a 1 megawatt solar farm capable of powering 500 Hawaii homes and off setting over 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of removing 367 cars from Hawaii roads.

The blessing will be done by Sopogy’s Hawaiian Kahu and event will be powered by renewable solar energy and the greenhouse gas emissions from the travel, preparation, set-up and all festivities will be offset with green certificates.

About SopogySopogy specializes in MicroCSP solar technologies that bring the economics of large solar energy systems to the industrial, commercial and utility sectors in a smaller, robust and more cost effective package. Please visit www.sopogy.com for more information.

In addition to CSP, Maui Electric Co. Ltd has entered into an agreement with A&B Land and HR for building an Algae plant to provide power for their Maalaea power plant.

Maui to Get Algae Facility for Biodiesel

Written by Courtney Carlisle

Published on July 15th, 2008

Recognizing the potential for algae as an energy crop, a Hawaiian conglomerate has come together to pursue the joint development of a commercial-scale microalgae facility on Maui to produce lipid oil for conversion to biodiesel and other products, such as animal feed.

While a number of factors still need to be put in place before the first phase of the program can begin, the anticipated start date could be as early as 2011.

“This innovative partnership can help move Hawaii one step closer to securing energy independence and achieving our goal of having 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from clean sources by 2030,” said Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.

Hoping for very high levels of oil production per acre from algae, Maui, which currently fuels about 85 percent of its combustion generation with petroleum diesel, could meet the biodiesel feedstock need with the Ma’alaea algae facility when combined with other locally grown vegetable-oil crops, such as jatropha or palm.This innovative step is being spearheaded by HR BioPetroleum, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALEX), Hawaiian Electric Company and Maui Electric Company, subsidiaries of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE).

“As we move toward siting an algae facility next to Maui Electric’s power plant, we will meet more of our energy needs at home and also reduce our carbon footprint,” said Dr. Karl Stahlkopf, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president for energy solutions and chief technology officer. “This project entails some uncertainly. Stepping forward to be a first implementer of a new idea always does.”

“However, it unites the best of the new Hawaii high-tech industry with two long-established Hawaii infrastructure companies in a unique partnership. We have good reason to be confident it will be a step toward energy self sufficiency, not only for Hawaii but for the nation and the world,” Stahlkopf said.

Tags: (NYSE:HE), Alexander & Baldwin, algae, alternative fuels, biodiesel, energy efficiency, Hawaiian Electric Company, HR BioPetroleum, jatropha, Maui, Maui Electric Company, microalgae, NASDAQ: ALEX

Water can be Used to Extend Gas Mileage

2008-05-04T06:23:00.001-07:00

$49.00 – Convert YOUR CAR to RUN on WATER.
Find out How to Double Your Gas Mileage by running your car on Waterhttp://www.ad-alyzer.com/727/WaterForFuel

One World?

2008-05-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

With the North American Union and V-Chip you don't have to wonder why the economy is going in the direction that it is going. Awareness is the key here. Through awareness we are then able to flow in the direction of life.

Dick Cheney and David Rockefeller involved in crafting the One World Order?

President Bush finds the talk about the North American Union comical and the press down plays it pretty well. Of course the world events seem to generally help in creating enough diversion.

It's funny how a comedian like George Carlin can tell us wat is happening and yet we still don't get it. Sorry for the language, but George Carlin tells it like he sees it.

The World Is What We Make It

2008-04-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend I heard about a car that used water in part to run it's engine. to most people it seems like if the technology is there, why wouldn't we be using it? It's a good question, especially when you see so much information about technology that is available today.

Converting water, known as H2O into hydrogen is a relatively old technology and it seems that there are ways to do it in a smaller and more controlled way than is normally talked about.

Here are some videos I've found on what is out there today!

Inexpensive Conversion Kits for your car

It's An Amazing World!

2008-04-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

When the animals of our planet have such an appreciation for art, we need to do everything in our power to make the earth a cleaner and safer place for all it's inhabitants?

I can't imagine how you would teach an elephant to paint, but regardless it's pretty amzing and it's got a steady trunk than I have hands.

Still more pictures painted by elephants!

Where Have The Mountains Gone

2008-03-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

While explaining to my 5 year old grandson how paper is made from trees and why he should waste toilet paper, I looked for some info about paper making and harvesting forests. This let me to a site about coal companies destroying mountain tops in order to strip out the coal under them.
The website called www.ILoveMountains.org had a video that I posted below. One of the spokesmen in the video was Maui's own resident Woody Harrelson. It's pretty amazing the amount of forest land that is being destroyed and how much by-product and waste is left to cause problems.
On Maui we may primarily use oil, but many of the products we use can be traced back to energy derived from burning coal.
It's just one more of the many reasons that we need to do anything we can to encourage energy efficiency and sustainability. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, in that order.

Don't Ignore The Elephants

2008-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Go Sleep Airlines?

2008-02-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Living on Maui in Hawaii we have only three main airlines for traveling between the islands. So it's a bit disturbing to think that the pilots could be napping. It reminds me of an old Bill Cosby routinue where the driver reasons that the car is going straight and the road is going straight and that it wouldn't hurt to take a nap.
The pilot and co-pilot of a 50 minute flight operated by Go! Airlines, fell asleep and flew 15 minutes past their destination. The tower was unable to get a response for 25 minutes and was on the edge of having to notify the authorities that the plan may have been hi-jacked.
It's not like they can just pull over and grab a quick nap. Makes you wonder about all the drivers on the road. In fact those pilots may have had to drive to get to work.

abcnews story on this.

Raising Sunflowers and Loving It!

2008-01-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a farmer that loves all the aspects of raising sunflowers. My friends at Kahanu Aina Farms grow some of the best Sunflower Sprouts around here on Maui. Vince has some pictures of his farm at his blog http://MauiAlohaAina.blogspot.com.

Homeopathy, Grapes and Good Farming Practices

2008-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

Sustainable Student Farms at Yale College

2008-01-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

Health Begins With What You Put In Your Mouth

2008-01-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

More information on our food systems.

King Corn will be playing on Maui, Hawaii at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) on February 20th, 2008. See my earlier post for more infomation and be sure to attend if you can.

A Cold Day on Maui

2008-01-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Haleakala on the island of Maui rises 10,000 feet off the ocean and today we woke to see the top covered in snow. The clouds covered most of it throughout the day, but I did manage to get some pictures as it cleared some in the afternoon.

A World Made of Corn

2008-01-17T00:26:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday February 20th, 2008, Maui will have a second chance to see King Corn. The last time it was to show, Maui was in the midst of a very big storm.

Fortunately for the Non-Profit Maui Aloha Aina (Ma'a), King Corn will be brought back by Barry Rivers of the Maui Film Festival and Ma'a will be the benefactor.

Ma'a has managed to include Ian Cheney, one of the Co-Creators of King Corn to be on Maui for a Questions and Answers session during the two showings at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC).

Also on hand to talk after the films is Charles "Chuck" Walters, creator or ACRES magazine and sponsor of the yearly ACRES conferences.

This is a showing not to be missed.

I am pretty sure most people don't realize the many ways they actually ingest corn. This is an eye opener.

Here is a synopsis from King Corn's press kit:

Almost everything Americans eat contains corn: high fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat, and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet. Ready for an adventure and alarmed by signs of their generation’s bulging waistlines, college friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis know where to go to investigate. Eighty years ago, Ian and Curt’s great-grandfathers lived just a few miles apart, in the same rural county in northern Iowa. Now their great-grandsons are returning with a mission: they will plant an acre of corn, follow their harvest into the world, and attempt to understand what they—and all of us—are really made of.

Ian and Curt arrive in the Midwest enthusiastic about their new endeavor. Iowa’s newest farmers lease an acre of land from a skeptical landlord and fill out a pile of paperwork to sign up for subsidies. The government will pay them $28 to grow their acre of corn—the first of many steps that reinforce the idea that more corn is what America needs.

Ian and Curt start the spring by injecting ammonia fertilizer. The chemical promises to increase yields fourfold, fueling the mission of abundance laid out for them. Then it’s planting time, and with a rented tractor, Ian and Curt set 31,000 seeds in the ground in 18 minutes. Their seed has been genetically modified for high yields and herbicide tolerance, and when the seedlings sprout, Ian and Curt apply a powerful spray to ensure that only their corn will thrive on their acre.

But where will all that corn go? Ian and Curt leave Iowa to find out, first considering their crop’s future as feed. In Colorado, rancher Sue Jarrett says her cattle should be eating grass. But with a surplus of corn, it costs less to raise cattle in confinement than to let them roam free: “The mass production of corn drives the mass production of protein in confinement.” Animal nutritionists confirm that corn makes cows sick and beef fatty, but it also lets consumers eat a $1 hamburger. Feedlot owner Bob Bledsoe defends America’s cheap food, but as Ian and Curt see in Colorado, the world behind it can be stomach turning. At one feedlot, 100,000 cows stand shoulder-to-shoulder, doing their part to transform Iowa corn into millions of pounds of fat-streaked beef.

Following the trail of high fructose corn syrup, Ian and Curt hop attempt to make a home-cooked batch of the sweetener in their kitchen. But their investigation of America’s most ubiquitous ingredient turns serious when they follow soda to its consumption in Brooklyn. Here, Type II diabetes is ravaging the community, and America’s addiction to corny sweets is to blame.

The breadth of the problem is now clear: the American food system is built on the abundance of corn, an abundance perpetuated by a subsidy system that pays farmers to maximize production. In a nursing home in the Indiana suburbs, Ian and Curt come face-to-face with Earl Butz, the Nixon-era Agriculture Secretary who invented subsidies. The elderly Butz champions the modern food system as an “Age of plenty” Ian and Curt’s great-grandfathers only dreamed of.

November pulls Ian and Curt back to Iowa. Their 10,000-pound harvest seems as grotesque as it is abundant. They haul their corn to the elevator and look on as it makes its way into a food system they have grown disgusted by. At a somber farm auction, Ian and Curt decide to tell their landlord they want to buy the acre. The next spring their cornfield has been pulled from production and planted in a prairie, a wild square surrounded by a sea of head-high corn.

Virtual travel cuts back on carbon

2008-01-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting concept.

Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) wasn't able to be in Washington and attend the United Nations Climate Summit in Bali all at the same time, so he used the virtual world called OneClimate.net to give a speech to attendees of the Bali Conference.

Congressman Markey was not only able to address the conference, save the taxpayers a few dollars, he also brought attention to the use of technologies that can allow government and citizens to communicate worldwide.

The YouTube video of his speech can be viewed below.

(Here is a tip. I use SpeedBit to accelerate the videos on YouTube and it works pretty good. They are a free download at http://www.speedbit.com)

There is also a press release that can be viewed here.

Just another way in which Concerned Voices can be heard in today's world.

Shopping for old cars?

2008-01-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

It seems that the dumping of old cars has taken a little twist these days on Maui. The dumping of old vehicles has moved to shopping centers like Safeway and Kaahumanu.
If they are not being dumped or abandoned, maybe more security is needed. The van at Safeway looked more like three wheels were stolen while it was parked on the side of Safeway just before New Years Eve.

Endangered Species and Something for Free

2007-12-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post with some information about a website that offers Free Ringtones that are recordings of Rare and Endangered Species. In this world filled with electronics sounds all around us, maybe the sound of an Eendangered Rock Hopper Penguin or a BowHead Whale would sound better in a crowd than the usual rings or some Hip-Hop Song and it could help preserve our Wildlife in the process.
So here is the link to the site. RareEarthTones.

Neighbor Wars

2007-12-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is a pretty special place when it comes to tolerance and acceptance of others. In general the people of Hawaii accept our differences and can joke around about them. Often people that visit from outside Hawaii are not sure how to take it.

There is a song called Mr. San Cho Lee that was written and performed by Keola Beamer. This song is a good example of the differences in our various races living in Hawaii and how amazing it is that we can all live in the same place.

While we do have an amazing ability to get along in Hawaii, we are not without our problems. Often just the simplest situations can grow into grudges that can last a lifetime.

It is Christmas morning and I was enjoying the morning with my daughter and grandchildren when I heard what sounded like a very large dog barking next door. Knowing that most of the dogs in the neighborhood were small, I had to wonder. It dawned on me what the sound might be.

At this point I’ll back up to explain some issues in my neighborhood. First of all I want to say that all my neighbors are good people, they just don’t necessarily get along. Awhile back my neighbor (I’ll call neighbor “A”) and his neighbor (I’ll call neighbor “B”) had some issues with each other over B’s cats coming in A’s yard to do their business. Cat’s being a pretty free roaming animal made it difficult for them to resolve the issue and to make matters worse, the more deterrents that A put in, the more the cats seemed to want to wander in A’s yard. This created the beginning of the “Neighbor wars.”

Over the last six months, neighbor B has added a pack of small dogs to there array of animals. I’m not sure if they used to have any dogs, but I know that there is about three and they are very vocal throughout the day and night.

Apparently when neighbor A would venture into his backyard, the dogs would take great delight in barking continuously at him. One day he decided he had had enough and took his hose to them. I’m not sure if this worked very well or just made the dogs more determined, but apparently one day neighbor B decided that they had had enough of neighbor A's hosing the dogs and neighbor B then hosed neighbor A!

Well, it wasn’t long before neighbor A had the Police at the house and made a report about the neighbor B’s hose attack. Again I am not sure of what became of the Police report, but I know that tensions only escalated between neighbors A and B.

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about explaining the Christmas day noise. It just takes some time to put the story in perspective.

Neighbor B has since put shade cloth on their side of neighbor A’s fence to shield the dogs from being sprayed by neighbor A. Neighbor A has repeatedly knocked the shade cloth off and even put up a sign warning neighbor B that the fence is his and the shade cloth would create wind resistance that could knock over the fence. At this point the cloth remains and neighbor A is now planning on having the police come to the house while he removes his fencing. The idea being that neighbor B can build their own fence and if their dogs then decide to venture into neighbor A’s yard, he will then have the right to deal with them as he sees fit.

So here we are on Christmas day. The fence is still up and I’m wondering where this very large dog bark is coming from. I had a pretty good idea it had to do with the neighbor wars and so I went out to the backyard to take a look.

Sure enough, neighbor A had installed a motion detector alarm that sounds like a very large dog. Now when ever neighbor B’s three small dogs come around his fence, the very large dog alarm sounds.

Somehow I don’t think this will help the situation. However, I do know that beyond the sound of neighbor B’s three yapping small dogs, I will get to listen to the sound of a very large dog’s woofing. Since I already sleep with the windows closed and air conditioner on just to block all the neighborhood noise, I’m not sure how this new source of noise will figure in. Add that to the fairly regular sound of sirens passing up and down the street, the illegal and sometimes legal fireworks, neighborhood rooster’s crowing, on-going construction and backyard drinking parties. I can really relate to the Mr. San Cho Lee song’s ending line “it’s amazing that we can live in the same place.”

I would hope that all who read this can join me in finding the humor of it all and use it as an opportunity to practice Ho'oponopono. Especially on Christmas day, we can all look inside ourselves for the love and forgiveness. Accepting our own responsibility in everything that becomes a part of our experience, we are then able to help to heal the world around us.

My hope on this Christmas is that we can all heal ourselves and in turn the world will follow.

Merry Christmas
Mele Kalikimaka

Toxic Toys

2007-12-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for toys. Have you looked at how many toys are made outside of the United States? With concerns of lead and other toxic paints, plastics and chemicals used in these products, the Steel Workers Union has created a video to raise awareness. Beyond just the fact that many coutries don't regulate what is used to make these products and allow the manufacturer to use whatever they can get away with, there is also the issue surrounding our trade agreements and helping the workers in the United States in their fight against unfair trade laws that help corporations cheat americans out of good jobs.

Take a look at the video and decide for yourself if it is something to be concerned over. If you want to raise your ConcernedVoices you can go the the AFL-CIO's website WorkingFamiles and help them support changes to the laws.

Healing the World From Within Ourselves

2007-12-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is home to a very special therapy called Ho'oponopono. This therapy involves self identity and a deep understanding and awareness of who we are and how our actions, reactions and everything we do affects the world around us.

There is a book released this year called ZERO LIMITS The Secret To The Hawaiian System For Wealth, Health, Peace and More. It is co-written by Dr. Joe Vitale, who you may have seen in the movie The Secret and Ihaleakala Hew Len, PhD, Chairman Emeritus of The Foundation of I, Inc. Freedom of the Cosmos.

Because this blog deals with many issues that are based on the Concerned Voices primarily in Hawaii and Maui, I thought it was only fitting to be sure to include information about Ho'oponopono and teachers of that therapy.

While it is important that we speak up on issues that affect us all, we must also take personal responsibility and look within ourselves for the answers to the problems. Our world is in need of a great deal of healing and we can't expect the next person to do it. We collectively need to take the position that we can only change ourselves and through that change we will create the changes that are needed in the world.

I am no expert in Ho'oponopono and I am reading ZERO LIMITS and learning what I can. I would just hope that each and every person that reads this blog would learn more about this practice and adopt it into their lives. If we all practiced Ho'oponopono in our daily lives while driving our crowded roads, shopping in our malls and stores, attending movies and events, we can then put our Concerned Voices to work in healing our families, our homes, our islands and our planet. It's not an impossible task. Just one we all need to begin.

On a More Somber Note

2007-12-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

On November 5th, 2006 at about 11am, Susan Scanlan was last seen leaving her home on Hoonani Road in the town of Koloa on the island of Kauai. She has not been seen since. Her Family is asking for any help in locating her. If you have family or friends on Kauai that may have information on the possible whereabouts of Susan Scanlan or may have family and friends you can forward this information to that may in turn have family or friends on Kauai, please by all means share this information.

The link for the news story about her disappearance is at http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?s=7483972.

We all thank you for any help or just your positive thoughts.

Mahalo from many Concerned Voices.

Up To Our Necks In Water During A Drought

2007-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful Sunday morning again on Maui. The sun is shining, the surf has subsided enough to again enjoy being in the ocean and people are flocking to the beaches to enjoy the break. At least those of us that don't need to spend the day cleaning up after the storm.Even the least hit areas have some clean-up involved. Just catching up on the normal chores is a challenge. With the power out for a half day yesterday at my house, many things were put off until today. The yard is full of debris that either originated in my yard or came from neighbors. Actually it's a good time to socialize or meet neighbors as you return belongings blown into your yard such as trash cans that traveled a block with the winds.

So after a week of incredible rainfall, I guess most of it ran into the sea because we apparently still have a drought. One friend I spoke with last night tells me that the property she lives on in Olinda was pretty well designed and managed to divert the water in a very efficient manner to avoid damage. She said that even with all the reain, the ground under her cottage was still dry and powdery.

It is unfortunate that when we have rainfall it tends to run down the mountain and into the ocean, rather then being absorbed and recharge the aquafier. As man tries to control nature and the environment while increasing development, it's usually nature that has the final say. Nature may not always be the winner, but it will give us all a quick slap and a wake-up call.

There were many people commenting about how this is the worst storm we have had in years. The way I see it is that its not that this storm was so much worse than others, but it took place at a time when Maui has been developed to the point where even an average storm could do plenty of damage.

To draw a comparison to the body, when we focus on individual parts of the body's health without regard to the body as a whole, we can often times do more damge than good. Maui has been developed with the focus on individual areas and most of the time without regard to Maui as a whole.

We are concerned with how development can affect the traffic, electric, water and just people in general, but Maui is an island. The island was formed over many thousands of years based on weather patterns that may have long periods between big storms It is not whether these storms will come, it's a matter of when.

Places like Kihei are the results of heavy run-off from many, many of these storms. When flying over the Kihei shoreline, it is possible to see the underwater siltation zones, such as the area surrounding the Maui Sunset.

The area around from Kula to Ulupalakua is very steep and while it rarely sees heavy rains, it is the most likely area to feel the full brunt of the heaviest Kona storms as evidenced by the last week. Driving through the area I noticed that much of the undisturbed pasture land was pretty much unaffected by the heavy rainfall and resulting run-off.

It seems that where development has taken place in the areas that were once pastures, the streams have been neglected and turned into small forests of Wattle trees and shrubs. Its this foliage that seems to be the debris that was uprooted and carried down to eventually hit the bridges, culverts and roads. As this debris blocked the culverts under the roads, water then diverted to run down the roads themselves.

In the case of the highway, the water and debris now found another new obstacle, the guardrails. These guardrails held up pretty well to the onslaught of storm driven debris and created a very nice retaining wall. With the newly created retaining wall, the road itself became the main stream and the debris-filled water then flowed to where the guardrails ended. This was either a road or an old-style cattle fence. The water then continued on downhill through the roads into subdivisions like Waiohuli or through pasture areas and on to either Kihei or any subdivions that laid in it's path.

On many occasions throughout the week, we saw streams flood and resede again, but a glance up on the slopes of Haleakala, when it could be seen that is, would bring the realization that there was a lot more water rushing down the slopes. It just hadn't reach the bottom yet. There really is a reason for those flash flood warnings.

I am sure there are many very capable people that work very hard to create and design Maui's development's, it just seems to me that there needs to be more attention to designing with Maui as a whole. I know that this ultimately means much more money up-front and would require an on going effort between public and private sectors to be sure Maui's streams are cleared, the roads are maintained and the natural terrain of Maui is kept in mind during the design stages, but what is the alternative? The money is either spent in the design or spent later to provide repairs to the areas that are ravaged by the resulting floods, mudslides and wind damages.

Ultimately we all pay to make the repairs after the fact, either in taxes or through increased insurance premiums. Many people not only have to help pay through their taxes or insurance premiums, but suffer damage that can not be recuped by government assistance or insurance.

The time to take note of the problems is while they are happening. There may be much to much going on for awhile to address the problems, but it is very important to try and keep a focus on them and strive to correct them during the stretches of good weather. I'm quite sure that in the days to come we will be faced with more days of heavy rainfall and wind. Will we act or just react?

In the meantime, despite that we were up to our necks in water over the last week, we do remain in a drought and water conservation measures are still needed.

Storm Ravaged Maui

2007-12-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

It's been a wet and wild week here on Maui and the State of Hawaii for that matter. As I write this the rains are continuing. The island has been restored to power in most areas. The Wailea and Kihei area got their power back late today and the Maui electric crews continue to try and bring back power to the upcountry areas. Kula has many parts that are still without power.

A new section of the storm is rolling in with thunder and lightning on the horizon. there isn't much doubt that the restoration will continue in the days to come.

We hope and pray that everyone will make out alright and be safe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have lost their homes.

When It Rains, It Pours.....

2007-12-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

After all the lamenting about our lack of rain on Maui, we finally have rain. Unfortunately, it is not necessarily the kind we wanted.

Maui's been hit pretty hard by some heavy and even torrential rainfall over the last few days, some of which is coming down as I write this. The streams are swollen, the grounds are soaked and the wind is toppling utility poles and trees by the score.

The direction of the rain is from the south and south-west. Something we call Kona storms in Hawaii. The areas that see the least amount of rainfall are the hardest hit and generally the least prepared for it. Much of the developments and construction has been in areas that historically are run-off areas for when we have these large Kona storms.

Yesterday the Haleakala National Park was closed from the rain. The roads became nearly impassible as the streams flooded their culverts and became raging rivers across the roadways.

Further down in the Kula area, at the Waiohuli subdivision, houses were being flooded by the rapidly moving waters. One house was swept off it's foundation and into a gulch. The occupants had to be airlifted from their roofs.

Omaopio and Pulehu roads were closed from major water carrying debris and boulders across the roads. The trees in just the Kula areas, not normally subjected to this type of weather or wind direction, came down all over Kula and blocked road ways, the entrance to Kula Community center, fell on parked cars and took out numerous electric and telephone cables.

In Maalaea the rain, soft ground and strong winds managed to topple 7 major transmission poles that help carry the 69,000 volt power to various locations.

The damage is far and wide and this is just Maui. Oahu and other islands are no doubt reeling from the effects of the storm too.

It will be days before roads are cleared and power is restored. And we still have a conservation notice about water usage. Not because of a lack of it, but with no power the pumps can't fill the holding tanks and so we can still run short of water.

Now is a good time to mentally note all the areas that we need to work on when it comes to Maui's infrastructure and design. This is the time to remember and when things have settled then is the time to hear from all the Concerned Voices on Maui.
When the storm is over and life has settled down, let the powers that be hear from the Concerned Voices of our island and State until our voices like the rain begin to pour.

Rain Rain everywhere and not a drop to drink.

2007-12-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how hard it can rain and even for a few days at a time and yet we are in a declared drought restriction. I was speaking to a friend Mr. Stephen Cabral Sr. yesterday in Haiku. He is the former manager of the EMI East Maui Irragation Water Shed System. He was pointing out that he can drive by many streams going towards Hana, which he can also name individually, and the streams will be flowing full speed to the ocean. Upon his return in a few hours, he finds the same streams only trickling along. His feeling is that the water shed is dying and not being maintained. That water is not controlled so as to keep it in the mountain to allow it to saturate and fill the aquifer. One of his pet peeves is the encroachment of the African Tulip trees. I know 30 years ago in Haiku there were very few of these trees growing around my home in Haiku. Today they spread out from Haiku to Hana. Their seeds carry wide and far. They have also become a popular tree to plant and can be found lining the streets in the upscale subdivisions on Haiku Hill. These trees are invasive and crowd out the more native plants. Between Micronia and some others he named, we are loosing the battle against these plants. The Australian Fern (Hapuu) was being grown on Alii Chang's former Nahiku land Alii Gardens, not owned by Olivia Harrison, George's widow. the Australian fern literally took over the Alii Gardens and continues to spread on it's own. Mr Cabral enlists his grandkids to help him rid his yard in Kailua from them, where he grows true Hawaiian Hapuu Ferns. One look at Haiku and it is apparent that the ornamental trees that do look nice, but can have devastating effects on the make up of the plants on Maui, have proliferated. It's nice for these estates to be all spiffed out with these plants, but they do tend to spread on their own and literally change the landscape of our forest. Stephen points out how he used to gather Maile for leis along Hana Highway and now has to go as high as 4000 feet into the mountain just to find Maile now. We live on an island in a closed environment. Everything that takes place and grows on Maui can have it's good or bad effect on the native flora and fauna. Please Maui take awareness, for even the Maui I grew up in over 30 years has changed so drastically that my grandkids won't see the things I saw. Stephen points out that in his 8 years since retiring from EMI the forest have grown into a variety of plants that weren't there 8 years ago. Malama the Aina! Please bring forth all your concerned voices so that with all the rain we do get we can have a forest and water shed that holds the water, because then and only then will we and our children find that full drink of water and not a regulated 10% cut back on our glass. One of my Concerned Voices.....

A moment from the lighter side of life

2007-12-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

I know this doesn't really relate to ConcernedVoices, but we all need to just enjoy a few minutes of life once in awhile. This video should appeal to gadget and music lovers, as well as others. It's about 3 minutes long so just enjoy the break.

A'ole Super Ferry?

2007-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

The opponents of the Super Ferry were out Saturday morning fronting Longs Drugs on Ka'ahumanu avenue. They were carrying signs and chanting "A'ole Super Ferry" as the traffic flowed by on a busy Saturday morning. Many of the motorists responded with their horns or a loud yell out the window.

It seems that Wednesday December 6th, the day the Super Ferry again sails into Maui's harbor, should prove to be an interesting one.

Again a day for Concerned Voices to be heard.

Some sites that oppose the Super Ferry are boycottsuperferry.org, boycottsuperferry blog, Hawaii SuperFerry blog (not part of Super Ferry) and The 507 Effect.

One Man's Music is another Man's Noise

2007-12-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

Many years ago my eldest son brought home a pair of Coqui Tree Frogs. I didn't even know about them until one day I heard a barking type noise in the house and tracked it down to an aquarium my son had set up in the porch area. Why these made a barking sound rather than the usual two-tone call I'm not sure. Apparently he had bought them in a local pet shop called Alive and Kicking on Maui.

The Coqui frogs were cute little things, but sounded like a small dog. When I would go near the cage they quieted down and hid away in their cage.

Over the next month they managed to get out of their cage and be found again a number of times. Eventually one disappeared and we lost it. Maybe our cats found it.

The last Coqui frog did manage to escape once to the outside and after following the sound of the Coqui frog's bark and climbing up a ladder to the top of about a 15 foot banana tree in our yard, I finally found it.

Of course the Coqui frog quieted down when I got up close, but I did spot it nestled down in the crotch of the banana leaf and managed to recapture the elusive amphibian. The next escape was that Coqui Frog's last. Whether the cats got it or it managed to cover some ground during it's escape, I'm not sure, but in either case we never heard it again.

That was about fifteen years ago and since that time Maui and especially the big island of Hawaii have been over run with Coqui Frogs. While the big island of Hawaii has a nearly impossible task of eradicating the Coqui Frogs, Maui does still stand a chance.

Today's lead story in the Sunday Maui News is about a Maui Invasive Species Committee, MISC for short, project that is getting ready to attack the problem. The MISC project will involve pipes, tanks and pumps that are similar to those used in farming operations to deliver a 550 foot wide spray to deliver a biodegradable non-toxic citric acid at a rate of about 1000 gallons a week. Their plan is to add these systems to 10 different sites throughout the Maliko Gulch area to try and eradicate what is presently the largest concentration of the Coqui Frogs. Presently, there are about 14 sites identified throughout Maui with smaller populations of Coqui Frogs. Many sites will be hand eradicated through capturing them.

While eliminating these pests is very important to protecting the environment of an island community that should not be the home to these Coqui Frogs, we need to be careful of our methods we use. I realize that citric acid has been a much better alternative to the pesticides that they could be using and that the citric acid is biodegradable and in itself non-toxic, but what happens when we now take 10,000 gallons a week, 40,000 gallons a month and spray this solution in a limited area like Maliko Gulch?

Maliko is a valley that runs from Olinda/Makawao down to the ocean. The outfall of Maliko's stream runs into the sea and with the normal currents, this fresh water flow makes it's way across the beginning of our reef area, past our World Famous Hookipa and all along our outside reef which ends by Kahului and Kanaha Beach Park.

On days like today when we have heavy rains and large north shore ocean swells, the surf action mixes with the fresh water coming out of the many streams and particularly Maliko and the water literally runs brown from Maliko towards Kahului. This is a visual reminder of the interaction between freshwater run-off and our ocean.

I would question what the possible consequences are when large amounts of citric acid can wash into the stream with the rains and find it's way into our ocean and along our already faltering reef system. Maybe there is nothing to worry about? Maybe there is! I just wonder if this is being questioned or studied at all prior to moving ahead on a project like this?

I wouldn't want to stir up controversy where there is no reason. After all, with the SuperFerry coming to Maui next week and concerns over water conservation, the last thing Maui needs is another controversy.

In Puerto Rico they love the sound of the Coqui Frogs. It's music to their ears, but then again, Maui is not Puerto Rico and by all rights should be known for it's peace and quiet.

I guess what is one man's music is another man's noise.

That's one of my ConcernedVoices.

Beyond Organic and Sustainable Farming

2007-11-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

Back in October, there was a great conference put on by Maui Aloha Aina Association at the Kumalani Farms in Olinda on Maui. It was a wonderful two days with speakers from the mainland like Jerry Brunetti, Gary Zimmer, Bob Shaffer and Sherrill Sellman. We were presented with so much information our cup runneth over.
Frank Pulaski III with MauiToday.tv did the filming and just recently uploaded about an 8 minute summary of the event. He has placed it on Mauitoday.tv and I embedded the video here on my blog. It's located in the right side bar if anyone would care to watch it.
The relationships that exist between a living soil and the plants that grow in it, is crucial to animal health. Not everyone believes people should be omnivores, but for those that are, this link is indeed an important one.
It is really amazing how a lot of people just view soil as dirt. It's so much more! In fact soil should be alive. The soil is made up of minerals, organic matter and most importantly the living organisms that feed on the organic matter and break down the minerals, allowing the plants to take them in.
For animals of any kind to benefit from the nutrients contained in the plants, the plants need to take them up from the soil. It is really an amazing process. It's too bad we tend to disrupt it by trying to poison what we consider pests, thereby killing the good, rather than strengthening the plants by improving their conditions.
I'm no expert on all of this. It just seems that it is time we really became intimately aware of the earth and it's soil around us. It's great to look at changes in the foods we eat and how we produce them, but we may need to do even more and look beyond just organic and see what is truly sustainable.

Maui on the water?

2007-11-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Looks like both sides of the Superferry issue are gearing up for December 6th, the day the Superferry will visit Maui. It seems the Coast Guard's imposed security zone around the ferry will now encroach on a popular surf spot within Kahului harbor.

It is funny how the security zones that were imposed awhile ago around big ships and cruise vessels has never affected the surfers or too many users of the harbor in the past. Maybe it's partly due to the docking location of the ferry, but even then it seems like it would have been brought up from day one.

I have to agree with many others that it does look like once again the government is using laws that were implemented for a particular reason, to be bent to accomodate big business.

I wasn't opposed to the ferry in the beginning and though I would probably not use it much if given the choice, there is a chance I still may. I will wait to see if they live up to their promises. What I am opposed to is the way our government has chosen to manipulate and change the laws to allow the ferry's operation. Even if it's on a temporary basis.

I would think that there are many other causes that deserve to have laws changed quickly to ensure that they can survive and succeed. For that matter, how about just putting even half of the effort into resolving the issues with our roads, water and other infrastucture? Don't the citizens of Maui deserve to have our island improved before worrying about whether another big business can profit from it's resources?

It looks like Maui's needs are again sidelined and the focus is once again turned away from our many problems that have existed for years.

I am guessing there will be a big turn out at the harbor come December 6th. Maybe the best vantage point to see the action will be from the ferry itself.

So for those that don't fly to Honolulu and make the trip back on the Superferry Alakai, I guess I will see most of Maui's population on dry land at the harbor since the Coast Guard won't be letting Maui on the water that day.

Seashells by the seashore

2007-11-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

I spent Sunday morning walking around in various stores and malls on Maui just to get an idea of what is still around for Christmas after the infamous Black Friday had passed.
While browsing through a few stores that cater to the tourists, it struck me just how many different products they carry with seashells in, on or made completely from shells. I couldn't help wondering "Where all these shells come from?" I wondered how many people depend on gathering them or making them into gifts as part or all of their income.
This then made me think about just how many are gathered before they have died and wash up on the beaches naturally. I really can't imagine that there are so many just lying around waiting to be gathered up.
This brings me to another question. Is this significantly impacting the ocean, reef and it's inhabitants?
I haven't come across any articles and a quick search on the internet just came up with more gifts. After learning about the loss of reef fish to aquariums and the impact of feeding them, I am now wondering just how many seashells are left on the seashore.

Fish in the sea

2007-11-27T06:43:00.000-08:00

Living on Maui, I see and hear many voices that are concerned about our island state. Many times the concerns come from or are about places outside our state and how they affect us in Hawaii.
One concern that is coming to the top lately is the practice of feeding our ocean fish. This is something that started years ago and allowed tourist to get a good look at the variety of fish on our reefs.
Now after years of that sort of practice, the fish have become so dependent on being feed that they won't eat their normal fare of seaweed and algaes. A snorkler or diver without food may actually find that the fish are taking chunks of their flesh, either thinking their getting something to eat or maybe out of protest for not feeding them.
The lack of grazing by the fish population tends to lead to reefs that are overgrown withvarious seaweeds and algaes, not to mention allowing more invasive species of seaweeds and algaes to take hold and actually get a choke hold on the reef.
These reasons alone should make everyone think twice before feeding our ocean fish.
So we stop feeding the fish and the population swells and we have a reef that is again in balance and full of colorful fish for all to see! Sounds reasonable, but their is one other factor that is of concern.
We have a growing ocean aquarium trade. An aquarium is a great way to bring some beauty and tranquility into your home or place of business. While this is true for people, if you don't look at the time, expense and stress when the fish are all belly up one day, it's not really true for the fish and our reefs.
Over the years many of the reef fish such as the Yellow Tang have been fished out by aquarium fisherman. There were probably only a handful of these tye of fisherman and they took a few trashcan size catches. As happens so often with unregulated industries, the ones who profit the most don't worry about regulating themselves. Very unsustainable practices in a world that needs to focus on sustainability.
The fisherman have used various methods to improve their catch, but at the expense of the reef and fish population. Over-gathering of particular species, actually smashing the coral reef apart to herd the fish into their nets and continuing to fish even deeper waters.
These fisherman can make pretty darn good money harvesting these aquarium fish, but it is already proving to be short lived. It sounds like it's time for the public to become more aware of this practice and speak up with their concerned voices.

For more info on this you can see an article in the Maui News. Here is a link to it http://www.mauinews.com/news/2007/11/26/02reef1126.html.

An advocate for the reef Snorkel Bob was just on a Kaoi 1110 am show called on the upside with Teri http://ontheupsidewithteri.com/. He has a foundation that has more information about this at http://www.snorkelbob.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/sb_foundation.htm?L+scstore+vpvs3884fff4a5f4+1205924771.

I have no connection with any of these sources, but they opened my eyes to the problems that exist in our ocean around Maui.

In the world of Blogs

2007-11-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

Well here I am, in the world of Blogs. I've resisted having to create one and spent my time learning more about websites, forums and video.
When something came up that was of concern or I just felt like writing about, I would add it to a website, but with the technology available to post via email or my cell phone, I can now just add short posts that allow me to voice my concerns.
I think I may like what a blog has to offer.