Musings: In the Know

A faint little rain, barely more than a mist, was falling from pink-stained skies when the dogs and I went out walking this morning, me shivering in short sleeves. Curious, how it's been such an uncharacteristically cool spring.

And interesting, how an issue is considered newsworthy in Honolulu, but not on Kauai. I'm referring to the Hawaii News Now piece on the reported “mass exodus” of attorneys from the Honolulu prosector's office, where half the legal staff has left since Keith Kaneshiro took over.

Same thing has been happening here, only worse, but nary a word is reported about it.

As Justin Kollar, who is challenging Kauai Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, noted in a Facebook post today:

Even the alleged 50% turnover in the Honolulu Prosecutor's office is far lower than the approximately 150% turnover at the Kauai Prosecutor's office since December, 2008. My administration will lower the turnover rate dramatically by mentoring team members in a supportive environment.

It was amusing to see Kaneshiro blame the departed deputies for being lazy, which is the same stance that Shay has taken, although she threw in dishonest, too.....

Speaking of Justin, I'll be hosting a show on KKCR from 4-6 this afternoon, and he'll be my guest in the studio for the first hour. I've also asked Council candidates to call in and tell us why they're running. They'll get three minutes, same amount of time they give the public to testify. In the second half of the show, the KISC folks will be talking about the mongoose capture. So please tune in.

Meanwhile, in a followup to my last post, the Office of Information Practices on June 5 ordered the Kauai prosecutor's office to turn over the documents I requested within five days. Or, if it intends to deny my request, provide me with the legal justification for doing so. First deputy prosecutor Jake Delaplane responded by sending me a form asking exactly what I'm requesting — as if he doesn't already know. But I dutifully filled it out. Again.

Speaking of in the know, at the request of Councilman Mel Rapozo, the Council was given a briefing yesterday on just what happened with the sewage spill that dumped an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater into the ocean, prompting the closure of Kalapaki Bay for 10 days in May.

It apparently was caused when a power failure within the plant's electrical system shut down the new filter and disinfection system, as well as a valve that diverts water to the injection wells. Since it was an internal electrical outage, no alarm was sounded, so the workers didn't know there was a spill until they came in the next morning and found water on the ground.

Anyway, they are installing an alarm system on that circuit. “My apologies to the public,” said Ed Tschupp, Chief of the  Wastewater Division. Mel said it was important for the public to understand what happened, and the steps taken to rectify the problem. Already one business owner has filed a claim against the county for damages due to lost revenues from the closure.

Of course, doodoo and shishi aren't the only contaminants in wastewater. It also contains all the drugs people are taking, as well as cleaning products, beauty products, etc. These substances are having a serious effect on wildlife, and also, apparently, on some of the humans who use them.


Researchers have identified signs of autism in fish swimming in water contaminated with psychoactive meds, like Prozac and other antidepressants. Besides messing up the fish, the  findings suggest "a potential environmental trigger for autism in genetically vulnerable people." 


As the friend who sent me the link noted: "Don't swallow ocean water!"   Or even drinking water....

To continue on this cheery note, researchers writing in the journal Nature are warning "the world is headed toward a tipping point marked by extinctions and unpredictable changes on a scale not seen since the glaciers retreated 12,000 years ago." 

In an interview with Live Science, researcher Anthony Barnosky, a professor of integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley, said:

"You can envision these state changes as a fast period of adjustment where we get pushed through the eye of the needle. As we're going through the eye of the needle, that's when we see political strife, economic strife, war and famine."

Today, Barnosky said, humans are causing changes even faster than the natural ones that pushed back the glaciers — and the changes are bigger. 

Meanwhile, humans may well be knotting our own noose as we burn through Earth's resources.

"These ecological systems actually give us our life support, our crops, our fisheries, clean water," Barnosky said. As resources shift from one nation to another, political instability can easily follow.

Pulling back from the ledge will require international cooperation, Barnosky said. 

"We're at a crossroads where if we choose to do nothing we really do face these tipping points and a less-good future for our immediate descendants."

Just thought you might want to know.....