Musings: Constructed Wetlands

If you're interested in the issue of sewage treatment for the restrooms at Kee Beach in Haena State Park, here's a link to a story I wrote for The Hawaii Independent.

While the jury's still out on whether the state will be able to properly manage such a system at Kee, the concept of using a constructed wetlands approach to sewage treatment seems to be a good one. It's been used quite a bit in America for a number of years now, and is currently processing wastes from a slaughterhouse on Oahu.

Learning that made me think it might have applications here on Kauai, where efforts are under way to develop a mobile slaughterhouse facility that could help keep our ranching industry alive. At the moment, much of Kauai's ag land is being used for pastures, so if the cattle business folds, it could lead to increased development pressure.

Plus, if you are a meat-eater, the local grass-fed beef that is "born, raised and slaughtered on Kauai," as Kojima's advertises, is the best way to go. The animals are healthier, their meat has less fat so you'll stay healthier and they're not crowded into the feedlots that create really bad conditions for the animals and various environmental problems. The meat tastes way better, too, because the animals aren't fed all the hormones and antibiotics that are part of the feedlot scene. And there's no risk of mad cow disease because they're eating grass, like cows are supposed to, rather than chicken manure, feathers and other creepy crap that's forced on feedlot cattle.

It's also a way to support your local markets, as they're the only ones that stock the stuff. I always buy liver for Koko at Kojima's, and the other day ran into a guy who was picking up some kidney and bones for his happy dog.