Other recycle options out there
Thank you for your editorial in Tuesday’s edition discussing the challenge of disposal of paper products in Hawaii County. There is probably a ready market and a developing market for these.
Oahu’s H-Power plant is in need of more paper to produce electricity. Last year the City/County of Honolulu had to pay over half a million dollars to H-Power because Honolulu fell short of its contract obligation to supply burnable material.
I bet Honolulu could pay the shipping for all of Hawaii County’s used paper for well less than half a million. When/if Hu Honua comes online it will also be hungry for burnables.
In the long run, of course, we must shift to electric production technologies that do not emit CO2. In the short run, Hawaii needs electricity 24/7. I do not recommend sending our plastics to be burnt because of the toxic gases emitted during the combustion of plastic.
Doug Perrine
Kailua-Kona
Pressure politicians
to push new ideas
I am always glad to hear of an attempt to end the subsidizing of the paper and plastic industrial growth patterns.
Besides being unaware of how much our state is paying to send as much trash as possible back to the mainland, what we see at the state level is indicate of similar behavior at federal levels on the mainland.
Several federal studies shows that when materials to be recycled are shipped over 40 miles, you quickly begin reaching the point where more pollution is produced in the attempt to recycle than producing materials from scratch.
Other research shows that if our glass producing companies produced containers for all fluids sold on shelves in America, it would reduce pollution by 40-70%, depending on the materials used.
How many jobs produced?
Now, last year a record amount of plastic was created in America, and this year production has already been surpassed. And the biggest answer to this problem, I’ve read about so far, is a new tax by one party.
There is a company excellent at turning this plastic into artificial lumber with a life-expectancy of 150 years. Is it possible we could break 49 years of political deadlock against change and outdated science? Could we make our politicians introduce companies that provide jobs and freedom from food stamps?
But what chance is there really in getting politicians to do something new?
Marcus Donsh
Hilo
Wrong people being cited
I traveled the Saddle Road today and witnessed a desecration of our beautiful state and our rule of law. I witnessed six police protecting trespassers who have created a homeless camp with its tarps and trucks and toilets which defy any sense of respect for the land upon which they squat.
How can our government justify paying for cement barriers and other protections while the trespassers prohibit our legal access to our mountain?
Yes, I am a Hawaiian also. I pay taxes and respect the laws. In fact, while driving by the unsightly tent city, I was so amazed at the sprawling shacks, that I was pulled over for speeding (10 miles over the speed limit) while two other commuters were also being stopped on that same stretch of highway. In fact, the focus of the citations and tickets and significant income from fines has been on the commuters, not the trespassers.
Why are we expected to obey the laws while we assign six police officers to protect those who are breaking it? When is our mayor or governor going to take back control of our laws?
Joyce O’Connor
Waimea
