During
that same decade, however, the seed companies nearly quintupled their
production in Hawaii, growing into a $243 million annual industry —
the most valuable crop in the state. Compare that to the 2011-12
values of flowers/nursery products ($69.6 million), aquaculture ($40
million), coffee ($34.6 million), veggies ($28.8 million) and taro
($2.3 million). According to the 2009 report “Hawaii’s Seed Crop
Industry: Current and Potential Economic and Fiscal Contributions”
by Radford University:
Seed
crop value shipments increased 133% from 2004-05 to 2007-08, an
average annual increase of 33%. The authors are unaware of any other
industry or economic subsector in Hawaii exhibiting such exponential
growth. Hawaii’s seed crop industry average annual value growth
since 1968 (14.2%) greatly exceeds Hawaii’s general economic growth
as measured by GSP (7%). This growth rate difference is even more
dramatic since 1998.
So
while I appreciate the post-march passion of a Facebooker who enthused, “We
made history today. Now our leaders have to listen to us,” it's
not, unfortunately, quite that easy. The seed/chem industry still
has a much louder voice, especially at the Lege. That's why it doesn't seem an effective strategy to channel all this new enthusiasm into simply calling for the passage of HB174. Because that bill, which labels imported GMO produce and does nothing to address the seed industry here or anywhere else, isn't going to quiet that corporate voice.
Meanwhile,
a hostile crowd raised its voice in unanimous opposition Friday night to Green
Energy Team's proposal to lease 2,137 acres of homestead land in
Anahola. The company, headed by Eric Knutzen, wants to harvest
albezia to burn in its south side biofuel plant and reforest the acreage with
eucalyptus. The proposal would tie up homestead land for 30 years and
is touted as a way to generate income for homestead development.
Still, the exact benefit — aside from a "community picnic area" — is unclear, unless you can decipher this:
Homestead Participation Revenue — 2%
of gross equivalent value of thermal power harvested from the lands
and such funds will be used for funding the items identified in the
benefits agreement including employment training and outreach by HCDC
for homestead residents.
Huh? The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will hold public hearings at
6:30 p.m. Thursday at King Kaumualii school in Hanamaulu, and 9 a.m.
Friday at the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel in Kapaa, if you want to voice
your opinion on this plan.
And
jurors, in returning a guilty verdict against Vicente Hilario, voiced
their certainty that he is the man who gunned down Aureo Moore. Their
verdict serves to validate the election of Prosecutor Justin
Kollar, whose opponents — including Assistant Police Chief Roy
Asher — claimed it was important to the case that former Prosecutor
Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho's administration carry on. More
importantly, the verdict vindicates Deputy Prosecutor Melinda Mendes,
the heavy-hitter in this trial who was nearly fired a year ago when
Shay emailed her during the misery of the Brady-Butler horse abuse
case that “this might not be the right
office for you.”
Good
thing Melinda didn't heed that bullying voice.
Posts
14 comments:
I think the numbers lie somewhere in the middle. It looked like closer to 1000. More than tgi estimate of several hundred but don't think we hit 2000. The weather may have kept some people home. It didn't really matter cuz the rain didn't dampen the spirit or enthusiasm of the marchers. My incentive for going was to encourage our lege to hear HB174 at the least, but to pass it out of the Senate as well. Those who support labeling and a basic right to know need to inundate our senators with phone calls and emails to encourage them to give the bill a hearing. We know the Biotech industry will be exerting their own influence and pressure so we need to counter with a huge grassroots effort. Truth is the numbers are growing along with greater awareness of the issue and I think the reason is social media. If we can't get it passed this year, we can grow the momentum for next year. It took years to get the Navy to return Kahoolawe and Walter Ritte brings that experience to the forefront of this food sovereignty movement. It is disgraceful that Kawakami and Kouchi are trying to put the onus on the stores when the biotech/chem corps are making profits in the billions and can well afford to label. Truth is they don't want it because armed with knowledge, consumers will choose non-gmo over gmo.
FYI it's not Kawakami or Kouchi trying to get stores to label. The correspondence I received was from Tokioka. A friend of mine who attended the hearings that Kawakami vice chaired actually said that he was very supportive of labeling and was accommodating towards GMO labeling supporters. It's important to get our facts straight if we want to have credibility. The House passed it unanimously. It's the Senate that is stubborn.
A labeling law will not stop poisons. Everyone has their attention on state but what about county. There is a lot the county could do to control poisons like stop spraying roads and parks
Hilario killed a witness and deserves to get his okole fried. Life without parole is too good for witness killers. Great job KPD and Melinda Mendes.
Regarding the next land theft, you said,
"Still, the exact benefit — aside from a "community picnic area"
And thatʻs what the CON job is all about: programs instead of land and many of the Danner supporting Hawaiians donʻt realize, uh duh.... they wonʻt have ANY programs once the land is gone!
In other words, Danners think all kanaka are stupid. The corrupt sisters have a surprise coming.
3:13 What you like the parks and roadsides turn into a jungle of weeds? It's nothing different than other counties around our nation you clown. Transplants only grumble about everything.
you can control weeds without poisons, genius. It's called 'jobs.'
10:43 you idiot, we locals all use some type of weed control like round-up, etc. periodically to maintain our own personal yards. Its LEGAL you idiot. The County can use legal means of dealing with weeds etc. just like we do you idiot.
another reason to "respect the locals"
1:05 PM
You say "itʻs legal you idiot"
Thatʻs the same as saying "you have a brain, so youʻre smart"
Which btw, youʻre not. And stop hiding behind the loco moco talk, haole.
Brah I suggest you do your research on round-up because recent studies have shown it has health risks. Jus cuz legal no mean safe.
If only the government sprayers would consult with landscapers or somebody on how to do it more efficiently. It seems like they wait until the weeds are tall and seeding before they spray. No make sense.
"Whether you take the low count of several hundred or the high of 2,000, the crowd certainly stands in stark contrast to the handful of people who turned up about 10 years ago at the island's first “no GMOs” meeting, which I did attend."
Joan protested GMO's before it was cool!! So hipster!!
I think that the plantation days cause a lot more damage, poisoning the soil. There are a couple of areas just outside Lihue that could be considered for superfund clean up sites...KNL.
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