Need a climate education
In response to Don Baker’s critique of Malama Hamakua (WHT, Dec. 12): Don Baker, I advise you to watch the documentary “Paris to Pittsburgh” for a quick education on why we need to cut carbon emissions into the atmosphere, not increase them. It seems that you are unaware that there has been an environmental impact assessment done on Hu Honua. The unfortunate spill that you reference was an illegal dumping, not an accident. Logging trucks will also add to the carbon emissions dramatically — as they burn diesel they will also tear up the roads much more than the military vehicles and semis that cause Waikoloa road to be in such poor condition as there will be many more of them hauling heavy loads posing much more danger to road traffic.
The health and well-being of the people living nearby Hu Honua will be impacted by the emissions in the air and there is no guarantee that the injected, now chemically contaminated, water will not find its way into the freshwater aquifer and no study has been done on how it will affect the shoreline and nearshore waters flora and fauna.
As for the eucalyptus trees’ economic viability being a justification for Hu Honua, do you really think that one bad decision (growing eucalyptus trees to replace sugar cane) followed by another bad decision (burning eucalyptus trees) equates to a good decision? At the hearing at UH, the people living in the area overwhelmingly testified in opposition to Hu Honua and in favor of clean renewable energy which would also cost less than energy produced by Hu Honua.
Then there is the question of the disposal of the ash, which would entail it being hauled across the island. If you’ve ever driven behind semis hauling cinder, you know they do not do a very good job of containing their load. Imagine if it were ash that they were hauling. Burning things to create energy is 19th-century tech. Clean renewables are the 21st century.
I would say not only Lorraine Inouye, but all of our representatives in the state should move to shut this project down.
Les Iijima
Waikoloa
Legal butchering
I was astonished to find out that female genital mutilation (FGM) is not illegal in our sunny state, Hawaii. FGM is a form of physical assault that involves destroying parts of the female genitalia and this is most often done on young girls, even babies, without their consent.
Recently, a federal ban on FGM was struck down, leaving only state laws for protection and, so far, only 27 states have passed anti-FGM laws. This means girls in Hawaii are not safe from this egregious human rights violation.
This should be a no-brainer for our legislators, but it’s possible, as this change in the law has happened only recently, that they don’t yet know or understand that this practice has been happening on the mainland and that it could happen here. New legislation is needed; let’s not wait until some poor child is subjected to this horrific practice. Call or write your legislator so this protection can be enacted in 2019.
Phyllis Hanson
Keauhou
Getting old is easy living
Mr. Gregory asked “how did I get so old?” Who cares how I got here, I’m just grateful that I have got here — it’s so much better than the alternative.
I am 72 and enjoying being a senior. I don’t know about the rest of the US, but being old in Hawaii gives you a special status, everyone caters to you, you are uncle to everyone, younger women do not consider you a threat, people open doors for you — what more could you ask for?
Life gets easier, you sleep in every morning, the children running around in your home making noise and knocking things over will go home with their parents, leaving you to enjoy your quiet time. Yet I can still get on my motorcycle or go fishing and enjoy most of what I did in my youth — of course, I do keep a good supply of Ibuprofen near me at all times.
My only regret is that I had to wait 72 years to get here. Mr. Gregory, I know you wrote your column with tongue in cheek, and I also know you are enjoying being a senior in Hawaii.
Paul Santos
Ocean View
