General

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.

Read more

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

The Rob Report (From Maui Time)

We have met the enemy, and he is us. -Walt Kelly’s Pogo The 1960’s were a time when Cold War politics dictated that Americans live in fear of the Soviets dropping “the big one,” a nuclear bomb. Thousands of families constructed and stocked backyard fallout shelters. Elementary school children drilled “drop and cover” maneuvers beneath their desks. Fortunately, that bomb never dropped. But, late in the decade there was another explosion of sorts. In 1968, … Read more

Biodiesel & Ethanol Net Energy

Read Rob Parsons Article to which DuByne is responding Read Rob Parsons Response to the DuByne letter   Letter to Maui Time by David DuByne April 5, 2007 (Headings and empahasis added by webmaster) Oilwell Production is Down To follow up on the article “Potential Energy” by Rob Parsons in your Feb. 15, 2007 edition, we first need to understand why the switch to ethanol is happening. It’s called oil depletion or peak oil. Inside … Read more