Olowalu Beach Cleanup

Saturday, October 12,  9-11am Sponsored by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Meet at mile marker 14. This is the 2nd cleanup at Olowalu as part of international Coastal Cleanup month. After the first cleanup it was evident that this special area,chosen as a priority site for the Maui Coral Reef Recovery Plan, needs a lot more love! Bring your beach and snorkel gear for fun in the sun and a possible guided reef tour afterwards.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Hawai’i is ground zero for GMO experimentation.  The National Sierra Club has these policies:

CONCERNS WITH GMOS: WHAT IS THE SCIENCE?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) foods have the potential to cause a variety of health problems. For example, they may produce new allergens and toxins, and spread harmful traits to non-GMO crops. In addition, at least one major environmental impact of genetic engineering has already reached critical proportions: overuse of herbicide-tolerant GE crops has spurred an increase in herbicide use and an epidemic of herbicide-resistant “superweeds,” which will lead to even more herbicide use. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment they cannot be recalled.

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No Tsunami Debris Spotted Yet

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Bulletin January 2012 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 9 and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) continue to collaborate with Federal and State partners as well as external stakeholders to assess and monitor the movement of the Japan tsunami marine debris.  Because computer models predicted that debris may begin impacting Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge now (January/February 2012), our recent efforts have focused on monitoring strategies in the vicinity of … Read more

Blue Earth Biodiesel Plant

From Haleakala Times by Karen Chun One of the largest biodiesel plants in the U.S. is proposed for Maui. BlueEarth Biofuels will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company to build a 120 million-gallon-per-year plant in three stages. First stage is 40 million gallons earmarked for the Maui Electric Company electrical generators.  Any excess biodiesel will go to other HECO facilities. The plant will enable MECO to switch from diesel to cleaner-burning biodiesel. MECO already uses biodiesel … Read more