Thursday, June 7, 2012

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.....

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Clean air, clean water and arable land are not as important as commerce. Short term, baby, cause we'll all be dead eventually.

Anonymous said...

This blog is a bummer to read...So many bad things.

Anonymous said...

It's OK, just bury your head in the sand ---- but not at Kalapaki.

Anonymous said...

Here's a good link to invasive species



http://www.livescience.com/20816-invasive-species-japanese-tsunami-dock.html

Anonymous said...

This blog has become the best news source on Kauai. Please stay on OPA which under Iseri has become criminal because if targeted abuse of power based on personal bias with a racist tinge. But mostly just petty personal bias.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:30am -

So I guess u care not what happens to your descendants or generations thereafter? Life ends w/ us? That self-centered mentality is what got us here, and what drives our demise.

Anonymous said...

Why haven't Hawaii's news shows caught wind of the COK OPA? It's amazing.

Anonymous said...

I was being facetious.

Anonymous said...

the public deserves to know the truth...keep up the investigating OPA...GOOD JOB

Anonymous said...

Good to hear your interview with Justin Kollar on KKCR.

I was going to vote for him against Shayme, but after hearing him speak and answer questions on the radio, I will now vote for him because he seems honest, interested in Hawaiian issues, Truth, Integrity and serving the community.

Great Job Joan!

Dr Shibai

Anonymous said...

I agree, we really need to set an example for the state and other county juristictions and focus anti-drug intradiction on Ice and prescription drugs.

Fighting a god created marijuana plant is a useless and unwinnable battle. Ice and oxies are manufactured drugs. They are shipped in and it is possible to stop them at the FOB points.

Use federal moneys to fight the real killers.

Make taser videos undeletable!

Mahalo Joan for all your good work and trying to make Kaua'i a real place to live and not an american hypocracy.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you, 7:56 AM!!! Great job again, Joan!

Anonymous said...

10000% agreed, I second this motion!

Anonymous said...

ICE is not only shipped here, it is also cooked here. TGI did a unfathomable thing a week ago and posted the ingredients to making meth. It will not only be proven to be a mistake of dire consequences but will mimic the advertising and exploitation of the narcotic prescription epidemic that is going on. This was only possible when TGI wrote an article about the Pill Mill in Kapaa from a Dr who is under investigation and was sued for medical malpractice. The DEA and other agencies extradited the family from Florida who has destroyed many lives on Kauai. This should have not happened and cannot happen again.