Tiger Shark task force needed
It’s increasingly clear that Hawaii has a tiger shark problem. We now have incidents every few months, when historically it was every few years. The attacks are more brazen, in clear water during the day. The predation system is very likely out of balance, too many tigers, not enough food.
I call upon our mayor, the DLNR, and the scientific community to create a task force to study the specific issue of tiger shark attacks and find solutions. Tracking tiger shark populations, increasing food supply, controlled population reduction. Everything should be looked at in a responsible way, and decisions should be made.
The state is clearly not up to the task; let’s address this on a county level.
Dionys Heimgartner
Waimea
Electric the vehicle of change
George Will on April 18 expressed his opinion as to why the government at the behest of the wealthy demographic transferred money in the form of tax credits from the average Joe to themselves so they could buy and enjoy electric vehicles.
He goes on to tell us how this sabotages the free market and benefits only the elite. Without the subsidy, indeed, electric vehicles and photovoltaic house panels would die a market death.
Well, George Will and the Republican Party are missing the point. I bought an electric vehicle, second hand because the new ones were just too expensive even with the subsidy, not to sabotage the free market or transfer wealth. I did it to transfer health to our planet and our people.
Gasoline, like coal and gas, is mined and will run out eventually. Burning petroleum products in vehicles is a major cause of global climate change. It is a cause of many respiratory diseases. It is the cause of nations spilling blood for oil. The extraction of petroleum is not a clean industry. It causes many spills and destroys the terrain of wildlands and whole nations. Spills at sea are huge killers of species. Transportation of petroleum products also causes massive spills and fires and deaths.
Yes, petroleum is convenient. it packs an energy punch per liter. Newer vehicles do burn more efficiently and cleaner. But, they still produce billions of tons of CO2 globally annually. This is terrible for the environment and people in it. Take a look at any major city in the world and you will see smog. And people in that exhaust soup are suffering and dying. Granted, electrical energy production is often done burning coal. And electricity to charge electric cars uses that energy unless one has rooftop photovoltaic and charges using the sun. But there again, PV is subsidized by the government.
George would say that the wealthy are using the government to pay for their toys. My answer is that how else will you get people weaned off oil? Sure, gasoline is affordable. For now. Have you looked at those signs at the filling stations lately? In Waimea it is $4.19 for regular. Do you really think that price will be going down in the future?
So, my answer to Mr. Will is that I bought an EV because I care about this Earth and our people. That car was not cheap, but it was an investment in the future of earth. We have to stop this madness somewhere.
Forward-thinking politicians see the need to wean the population from oil and LPG and natural gas. The population of this planet was 7.53 billion in 2017. Our use of petroleum is unsustainable and must change. The sun and wind and waves and geothermal can and should provide the energy we need. They can and should replace coal and petroleum.
Buy an electric vehicle. Buy PV panels for your roof. Drive by those signs at the filling stations and feel good about what you are doing for the Earth and your community.
Tom Beach
Waimea
