tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78750699829768122512024-02-18T20:19:50.205-10:00KauaiEclecticJoan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.comBlogger2264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-32380640571766352017-05-10T07:01:00.002-10:002022-02-22T15:30:59.567-10:00All Pau<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;">After nearly 10 years of writing Kauai Eclectic, and getting some 3 million views, it's time for a change. I'm in a very different place — literally and figuratively — than I was when I started this blog. My muse was crying out for a new venue, and <a href="https://joanconrow.net/2017/05/10/in-science-should-all-voices-count/">here it is</a>:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WMHviEKMVgE04wpIAn1HSPd4D9FEeRkLATLeoya2uqgTWLuBvuW7OzTbDqKEL38Aw55TSt7XH31ZsMblBXcQw9hqqxItwI-RSswG9sXgPs7lT12DuaZhFBsPQ5kVUwEiAKNgZtgeynr_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-10+at+10.59.26+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WMHviEKMVgE04wpIAn1HSPd4D9FEeRkLATLeoya2uqgTWLuBvuW7OzTbDqKEL38Aw55TSt7XH31ZsMblBXcQw9hqqxItwI-RSswG9sXgPs7lT12DuaZhFBsPQ5kVUwEiAKNgZtgeynr_/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-05-10+at+10.59.26+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;">Please <a href="https://joanconrow.net/2017/05/10/in-science-should-all-voices-count/">visit my new site</a>, where I will be writing about science, agriculture, GMOs, tourism, philosophy, politics and whatever strikes my fancy.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;">Thanks so much for reading Kauai Eclectic, and to those who have offered words of support and donations, a special <i>mahalo nui loa</i>!</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<i><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #38761d;">A hui hou!</span></i></div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-91407454186841988062017-05-05T07:09:00.000-10:002017-05-05T07:09:33.047-10:00Musings: Friday Finale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this week I wrote about Hawaii
Community Foundation, and how undisclosed donors can funnel money
through such entities to gain tax breaks and discretely influence
policy.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a friend noted:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What's going on at HCF is reflective
of a massive national trend. A lot of new wealth philanthropists are
dumping money into community foundations. It saves them the bother --
and accountability -- of starting up their own foundations and the
more activist types quickly grasp that their donor-advised giving
affords them anonymity. Meanwhile, the working press has been very
slow to catch on to the "new politics" of using NGOs rather
than political parties to advance their causes; hence, the
philanthropy game eludes attention and public understanding. All this
furthers the hard right and hard left and the various forms of
disinformation and silo communities they create and nourish. It's bad
juju and our friends in Russia have figured out that it's also a
platform for creating havoc. </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, President Trump waded into
the issue by signing an executive order that prevents the IRS from
expanding its restrictions on political activity by religious groups.
Currently, a tax-exempt group can lose its exemption if it is found
to have endorsed or actively opposed a candidate for political
office. Though his order does not change that prohibition, it
prevents the IRS from expanding the restrictions
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though the actual order is more
symbolic than substantive, evangelical Christian leader Russell Moore
was already <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/politics/trump-religious-liberty-executive-order/">pushing for more: </a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The very fact that religious
freedom is part of the conversation and religious freedom is being
affirmed I think is a step in the right direction. Now obviously if
this is the end of the story, I'm really disappointed, but I think we
ought to hold out the hope that this is just the beginning and that
there are more steps to be made." </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, a new report shows that the
cultivation of biotech (GMO) crops has reached an all-time global
peak, with nearly 90 percent of the crops grown by small-holder
farmers. Developing nations planted 54 percent of the total. As I
wrote in a blog post for the <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/biotech-gmo-crop-cultivation-hits-new-peak">Alliance for Science</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biotech crops also have achieved
significant environmental benefits, according to the report. These
include cutting herbicide and insecticide use by 19 percent; reducing
CO2 emissions —largely due to reduced tillage — equal to annually
removing approximately 12 million cars from the road; and conserving
biodiversity by sparing 19.4 million hectares of land from
agriculture in 2015.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also found it interesting that GE
crops also expanded in Europe, which is often touted as anti-GMO.
Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic and Slovakia increased their
cultivation of biotech maize by 17 percent between 2015 and 2016.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN51cGtMgOYnhaj4G27UfQQJxFyO_ZqdybnXet1sFpO1NaYpzE2GeZ_qRUKdIu7ox-_-Guty6Ll3otWR7cNynDTO6jpvGk7d4TulxyTQ2INJ4LJ5YD28Fac0MROJDdNqFwz-Q7THNr1KkU/s1600/biotech+crop+countries.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN51cGtMgOYnhaj4G27UfQQJxFyO_ZqdybnXet1sFpO1NaYpzE2GeZ_qRUKdIu7ox-_-Guty6Ll3otWR7cNynDTO6jpvGk7d4TulxyTQ2INJ4LJ5YD28Fac0MROJDdNqFwz-Q7THNr1KkU/s400/biotech+crop+countries.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further GE crop expansion is expected
with the recent approval of two potato varieties and the Arctic
Apple, which is now being sold as packaged slices. In Africa, field
trials are under way to develop pest- and disease-resistant varieties
of cowpea and banana, two important subsistence food crops.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And though Earthjustice has been busy
taking credit for putting water back into the Waimea River, its
recent Star-Advertiser commentary and last night's Kauai community
presentation has been scant on actual details. Here's what the
mediation settlement allows:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
(KIUC) will assume responsibility for the operation and management of
the Kokee Ditch system up to the Puu Moe Divide if it is able to
execute a land agreement with the state Agribusiness Development
Corporation (ADC). Kekaha Ditch will remain under the management and
operation of Kekaha Agriculture Association (KAA).</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>KIUC is allowed to divert a rolling
average of 11 MGD at the diversions, and will be charged with
delivering irrigation to farmers on ADC mauka lands, tenants on
Hawaiian Homelands Puu Opae mauka lands, and farmers on ADC land on
the Mana Plains, as well as providing storage for these irrigation
users at both Puu Lua and Puu Opae Reservoirs. </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Waimea Mauka hydro will continue
operations, but with reduced water being diverted. Waiawa may be
rehabilitated with a smaller capacity and continue operations, but
with vastly reduced water volumes. Both facilities will continue to
be operated by ADC/KAA. </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KIUC has an agreement in principle
for its pump storage hydro project, which includes renovating three
reservoirs, adding two power houses and associated equipment. But it
still must execute final agreements with DHHL, ADC, and DLNR before
it can proceed. The project also needs environmental, historic
preservation and other permits and approvals, and it must prove to be
economically viable for KIUC and its members. KIUC spokeswoman Beth
Tokioka noted, “We anticipate roughly two years of study and
permits before KIUC can make the decision to proceed with the
project.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, <a href="http://time.com/magazine/">Time magazine</a> has a troubling
report on our lack of preparedness in dealing with the next global
pandemic:
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Ebola in West Africa to Zika in
South America to MERS in the Middle East, dangerous outbreaks are on
the rise around the world. The number of new diseases per decade has
increased nearly fourfold over the past 60 years, and since 1980, the
number of outbreaks per year has more than tripled.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research groups are working
feverishly to predict the next pandemic before it even happens.
They’re cataloging threats and employing next-generation
genetic-sequencing tools to speed the discovery of new or mysterious
viruses. They’re helping identify and track outbreaks as they
happen.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But microbes evolve about 40 million
times as fast as humans do, and we are losing ground. “Of all the
things that can kill millions of people in very short order,” says
Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, “the
one that is most likely to occur over the next 10 years is a
pandemic.” </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of risks, one police
department found a humorous way to build traffic on its Facebook page:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpIkJBZscRX67m8kV3ItIkKvPQffyKcmHgaNlQiW9-1l5OUCuz-gD1RkHgkT2asmgSpZqn4-nlsqlWtsWn38BgU8wXpmOzpQw173afZzveWvJtVVtLQ7BuCK_LP7MPMRN4oAIOEbNflXu/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-05+at+10.17.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpIkJBZscRX67m8kV3ItIkKvPQffyKcmHgaNlQiW9-1l5OUCuz-gD1RkHgkT2asmgSpZqn4-nlsqlWtsWn38BgU8wXpmOzpQw173afZzveWvJtVVtLQ7BuCK_LP7MPMRN4oAIOEbNflXu/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-05-05+at+10.17.53+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-65231337859374752462017-05-04T07:15:00.002-10:002018-11-12T13:14:36.310-10:00Musings: Epic Fail is Right<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's easy to hate on the Hawaii State
Legislature. Shoots, everybody has their gripes about what did and didn't get
passed.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But what's with the epic fail shame
strategy advanced by the Young Progressives Demanding Action, Sierra Club, Center
for Food Safety and </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gary Hooser's HAPA</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> as they march on Miller Street this morning?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haven't they learned yet that silly
tactic doesn't work with the Lege, or elicit sympathy from the
general public?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand they're trying to build
participation by allowing folks to indulge their narcissim. But
soliciting selfies with the hashtag #HiLegFail really falls flat.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because truthfully, nobody really cares
if Hawaii Center for Food Safety's Kimiko LaHaela Walter is unhappy
about the fate of HB 790 and HB 1580. Or anything else:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHf04N7xFPTG9r8NnRuj65zTO3KNkUmjiL34Cv80R5KmDvy74IQV42yPTq5BY_IzLJG3FmUVWOLODfnjjLdG65hnMj4ZcIpQlWI5OxBdFfeJCU2zHWP4WsD3ZrhwfZViLAw3AK_LBkqW8/s1600/18194590_300821577015129_2880933162489360454_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHf04N7xFPTG9r8NnRuj65zTO3KNkUmjiL34Cv80R5KmDvy74IQV42yPTq5BY_IzLJG3FmUVWOLODfnjjLdG65hnMj4ZcIpQlWI5OxBdFfeJCU2zHWP4WsD3ZrhwfZViLAw3AK_LBkqW8/s400/18194590_300821577015129_2880933162489360454_n.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho99MeVxUK8VWQVx3HMZ7BewlDDHaenh-YmWZ-Xdxgw6dEsLaTq-oT3ALUjcINulDOkIXM3PnHFHvlecddocQxtkfMkLNSBQAGXcPnuIqQp4HdbSzsflWl7mY2zYj4QBAYxQRfh-GLxtyp/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-04+at+10.04.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho99MeVxUK8VWQVx3HMZ7BewlDDHaenh-YmWZ-Xdxgw6dEsLaTq-oT3ALUjcINulDOkIXM3PnHFHvlecddocQxtkfMkLNSBQAGXcPnuIqQp4HdbSzsflWl7mY2zYj4QBAYxQRfh-GLxtyp/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-05-04+at+10.04.20+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, the effect achieved is just silly. And what's with the
banana? (Which looks like something imported from the despised
corporate plantations in Central America. She couldn't find a
locally-grown variety?)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Center for Food Safety jumped on this
bandwagon with its usual simplisitic view of the world:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>So many bills that would have
benefitted everyday people and the environment died this legislative
session because our lawmakers continued to serve the interests of
large corporations. </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come on. It's not that black-and white,
cut-and-dried. If you're trying to lead a political movement, much
less a revolution, you really need to grasp both the nuances and
complexities of the legislative process. Especially when your own organization is funded by the heirs of large corporations, as CFS is.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I noted in the comment section of
Hooser's Civil Beat column excoriating the Lege and urging folks to
join his shame-blame game:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, Gary, it looks like HAPA
"failed" to convince lawmakers of the value of its agenda,
which was replete with poorly written bills, fear-mongering testimony
and a "my way or the highway" refusal to negotiate or
compromise. And you got this poor result despite spending thousands
of dollars on advocacy (undisclosed lobbying). Maybe you need to look
within, instead of playing your usual blame game.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hooser was trying to make the case that
the Legislature's failure to approve bills he supported “should
hasten the movement for new leadership.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why aren't the Young Progressives
and their supporters — one woman aptly dubbed them faux-gressives —
presenting a proposal on how they would have funded and implemented
all the stuff they demand/desire?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead of “demanding action” from
others in their usual self-entitled way, why not <i>be</i> the
action? Recruit some viable candidates, run for office, do a good
job. But maybe start with articulating a solid platform that includes
<i>how they expect to pay for it.</i> Yeah, that's the tough part. So
easy to dream and demand. Do much harder to do the work and foot the
bill.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In any case, Hooser's Kuleana Academy
candidates mostly fell flat, as did he, despite spending more money
than any other candidate in the history of Kauai elections. That
ought to tell him people's appetites just aren't whetted by either
his menu or its execution and presentation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As one commenter observed:
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HAPA seems more like a one-man band
than a competent movement.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, if Hooser hadn't indulged
his own narcissm and ego, he might still be in the Lege, where he
could be working his will on his colleagues and making his
faux-gressive dreams come true. But instead he abandoned a powerful
post as Senate Majority Leader to make doomed runs for Congress and
Lt. Governor. With his tail between his legs, he returned to the
Kauai County Council, sold out to the anti-GMO movement, and in the last election, was rejected there,
too.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The voters have repeatedly given Hooser
a failing grade. So how is it that he thinks he can now sell them on
his revolution?</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-21339152104179686652017-05-02T07:21:00.000-10:002017-05-02T07:21:45.747-10:00Musings: Reassessing Assumptions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic farming is often idealized —
and commercially promoted — as producing a better product and
treading more lightly on the land. Indeed, folks pay a premium to
indulge this perception.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But two recent articles are casting
doubt on those beliefs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/why-your-organic-milk-may-not-be-organic/2017/05/01/708ce5bc-ed76-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.4d570e403494">Washington Post has a lengthy piece</a>
on organic dairies, which may be much larger and less bucolic than
some consumers imagine. It focuses on the Aurora Organic Dairy in
Colorado, which has some 15,000 cows producing enough milk to supply
Walmart, Costco and other big box retailers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was interesting to read that “the
USDA allows farmers to hire and pay their own inspectors to certify
them as “USDA Organic.” It was also ironic, considering how many
of the Hawaii anti-ag folks dissed the seed companies' voluntary
disclosure of restricted pesticide use as insufficient.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically, the article is saying that
the coveted “organic seal,” which boosted annual sales from $6
billion in 2000 to $40 billion in 2015, is based on “an unusual
system of inspections” that are pre-announced and funded by
farmers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You mean, it's really all kind of a sham/scam? As the article concludes:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The growth of mega-dairies that may
fall short of organic standards and produce cheaper milk appears to
be crushing many small dairies, some analysts said.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<i>The mom and pop — the smaller
traditional family dairies — who are following the pasture rules
are seeing their prices erode,” said [Pete] Hardin, the Milkweed
editor. “It is creating a heck of a mess.”</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You mean, consumers who have bought the
organic marketing speil, but balk at paying a premium, are
undercutting the very system they claim to cherish?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sister, who lives in Portland, likes
to buy Tillamook because she sees their cows grazing on her way out
to the coast. But it claims neither to be organic nor GMO free. In
response to a <a href="https://ahandcraftedlifeblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/tillamook-creamery-responds-to-questions-about-gmos/">consumer question</a>, a dairy spokesperson noted: </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even
organic feed for organic farms is extremely difficult to verify as
GMO-free because of cross-pollination.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it's time to revisit the organic
standards, and re-assess consumer attitudes. Are consumers truly
looking for organic, or do they actually want pasture-raised? Of
course, even pasture-raised doesn't pass muster for some, as we saw
with the opposition to the proposed rotational-pasture dairy farm at Mahaulepu. (Btw, I ran into <a href="http://www.cbf.org/about-the-bay/issues/agriculture/progress/raising-cows-green-equals-more-green">this piece</a> about how very little manure leaves well-managed pastures.) </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do people even know what they want? Or
like the barn-raised dairy cows that had forgotten their natural
grazing instinct, are we so manipulated by marketing that we've
forgotten how to think, how to assess our true needs and desires?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaRnLvqFt4WN33E0u4XL4pX-bQx7XOgK-ENTnrfA7NoOoQKPdqNAK1N7BG50-isMn_ogEsSi-yc2oXdl_vebqnYbenKuX7jXuWOQWBqsFLQXhj2VLsv9kVzbnNRceRtsFQ8iNBX3BuLYP/s1600/e85ca8edfa9bc3022ad277fafb1855d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaRnLvqFt4WN33E0u4XL4pX-bQx7XOgK-ENTnrfA7NoOoQKPdqNAK1N7BG50-isMn_ogEsSi-yc2oXdl_vebqnYbenKuX7jXuWOQWBqsFLQXhj2VLsv9kVzbnNRceRtsFQ8iNBX3BuLYP/s400/e85ca8edfa9bc3022ad277fafb1855d2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, a <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_30953407/mara-abbott-gmo-debate-about-everything-except-gmos">columnist with the Daily Camera</a> is writing a multi-part series on the GMO crop ban recently
adopted in Boulder, a Colorado county where the sensibilities are
akin to North Shore Kauai. The ban was passed, despite unanimous
opposition from county open space farmers, including the organic
growers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Columnist Mara Abbott, who spent five
months researching the debate, starts by citing a 2015 briefing paper
that Colorado State University developed for county commissioners
considering the ban on planting GMO crops in the county's open
spaces:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>[O]rganic crops on six Nothern
Colorado farms used 10 times more water, five times more pesticides
and released six times more sequestered carbon from the soil than
genetically engineered crops. </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I was paralyzed. I had always
self-identified as a good Boulder environmentalist, and figured that
meant that non-organic was a non-starter (and the organic definition
excludes GMOs). Now where was I supposed to buy my kale? </i>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all, the ban's loudest
supporters claimed to be fighting for reduced pesticide use and more
sustainable cropping methods. Commissioner Deb Gardner specifically
cited researching carbon sequestration as a top priority of the
transition.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also turns out that "organic"
doesn't mean "pesticide-free." The pesticides just come
from natural rather than synthetic sources — and apparently some of
those are harmful to honeybees, too. Given that the purpose of an
herbicide is to kill weeds, and an insecticide to kill insects, any
crop protection practice won't be completely benign. Some natural
pesticides are less effective, requiring more frequent applications,
and higher overall life-cycle toxicity.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This isn't to brush off the value of
organic, but it is to say that agriculture is rarely black and white
— and that's actually why diverse approaches are important. Really,
the only way to know what is being put on your food is to know the
farmer who grew it.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's just such a complicated
web in agriculture," third-generation county farmer Scott Miller
told me. "You can't just say you're going to block one thing and
that is going to fix it."</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, we're
reminded that the world is so complex. Try as we might, we can't
contain it into neat little boxes of good-bad. There are no silver
bullets, no one-size-fits-all solutions, especially when human nature
comes into play. We want to blame the corporations, but the
corporations are also us. We want to return to the good old days, but
there's no turning back the clock. All we can do is move forward, and
try to be honest about the issues and our own choices.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In closing, I'll
leave you with this amusing little call to action from the Maui Babes
Against Biotech, which typifies the simplistic, reactionary approach
that underlies so much conflict:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXio0BXbnDYVQ7bf-YzrvsxxejH3GEQfkYqHwkS3cpicFXxRXbh-wvum69xEYcSW3A35KxB0cAewF3EF-y8bTyLQ11tXV_rqTvDJO_k4x3rMBmK0OE723th-LGbv_eQurHG4r-ksYylRS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-05-01+at+7.33.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXio0BXbnDYVQ7bf-YzrvsxxejH3GEQfkYqHwkS3cpicFXxRXbh-wvum69xEYcSW3A35KxB0cAewF3EF-y8bTyLQ11tXV_rqTvDJO_k4x3rMBmK0OE723th-LGbv_eQurHG4r-ksYylRS/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-05-01+at+7.33.29+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, nothing says
home rule like an email blitz from thousands of miles across the
Pacific.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-17667549110435747392017-05-01T07:53:00.000-10:002017-05-01T08:19:24.947-10:00Musings: Giving and Getting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Newly released tax returns offer a look
at the spending priorities, staff salaries and steadily growing
coffers of the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Islands' largest
philanthropic initiative.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The foundation closed 2015 with net
assets of nearly $460 million — successfully soliciting some $45.6
million in grants and donations that year, according to its <a href="http://lauhala.com/hinano/20170501-051117-Hawaii-Community-Foundation-2015-Form-990.pdf">2015 federal form 990. </a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This represents a dramatically upward
trend of undisclosed mainland philanthropists parking money at HCF,
where they are allowed to discretely engage in donor-advised giving.
In 2011, HCF reported gifts, grants and contributions of nearly $16.7
million. That figure increased to $23.9 million in 2012, $27.7
million in 2013 , $30.5 million in 2014 to $45.6 million in 2015.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, HCF cut the total amount of
grants it awarded by $573,897 between 2014 and 2015.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, HCF spent $13.8 million to
award grants of $29.4 million in 2015.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2015, HCF spent some $6.7 million on
salaries, up $266,447 from the previous year. Kelvin Taketa, HCF
president and CEO, was paid $359,792 plus $149,129 in additional
compensation from HCF and related organizations, for a total of
$508,921. HCF's top 11 employees, including Taketa, received
compensation totaling $2.3 million in 2015.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HCF spent $3.2 million on fundraising,
$725,225 on conferences, conventions and meetings, $120,256 on
advertising and promotions and $106,563 on travel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The foundation's giving pattern also
indicates a receptivity to funding organizations that talk about
alternative approaches to farming, as opposed to actually advancing viable agriculture. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, it gave a whopping $476,670 to the Kohala
Center — a Big Island group that <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/990/354/2015-990354676-0cabca18-9.pdf">reported income</a> of $5.2 million
in 2014, with little to show for it. The Center's School Garden
Network is directed by anti-GMO activist Nancy Redfeather.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/04/musings-own-it.html">Malama Kauai</a>, another do-nothing faux
ag group, was awarded $100,000 by HCF — more than a third of the
$274,846 the organization<a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/205/137/2015-205137488-0d16b12a-9.pdf"> reported as income</a> in 2015. The group spent
$121,598 to deliver fruit and veggies to after-school programs and
Kauai food banks, and $35,077 on its community garden and “food
forest.” But what, pray tell, was the value of the food it actually
produced?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Similarly, HCF gave $80,000 to the
<a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/musings-following-anti-gmo-money-part-1.html">Center for Food Safety</a> — ostensibly for “environmental”
programs — while Gary Hooser's <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/465/537/2015-465537123-0d3d927c-9.pdf">Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action</a> was given a $52,500 grant for “public policy and advocacy.”
Yet just today, Hooser published a Civil Beat column bemoaning HAPA's
complete failure to advance any of its objectives in the state
Legislature — while blaming lawmakers, of course.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HCF also gave $12,500 to the Kauai
Community Cat Project (KCCP), which engaged in a <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/05/musings-sacrificial-killing.html">vicious cyber-bullying campaign</a> against former Kauai Humane Society Director Penny Cistaro
and is now suing Kauai County to stymie its efforts to develop an
ordinance aimed at controlling the island's feral cats. Furthermore, the KCCP <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/musings-following-anti-gmo-money-part-1.html">spent $80,000</a> to manage just 510 cats.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And inexplicably, HCF gave $10,000 to
SHAKA, which mounted an anti-GMO moratorium in Maui County that was
later thrown out by the courts. Though SHAKA's 2015 tax return has
not yet surfaced on Guidestar, its <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/464/888/2014-464888079-0c46ff48-9.pdf">2014 return</a> showed income of
$329,056. It ended that year with just $46,053, having spent $87,931
on “management,” another $84,243 on advertising and promotion and
and $30,321 on legal fees. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40y5Lz6zUa6aF__-eVJkaVz14J87pe_pDE_6Qfu5jtxTYxKs4uOrVCw1qO5d_rh76b17m-IRygkprX-gipJqsiHM0E2T5mLRPOadnDZwIfLAXS0i2MyN6RFbh1bajtEjwCYavn5u1UIVw/s1600/SHAKA+%2524.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40y5Lz6zUa6aF__-eVJkaVz14J87pe_pDE_6Qfu5jtxTYxKs4uOrVCw1qO5d_rh76b17m-IRygkprX-gipJqsiHM0E2T5mLRPOadnDZwIfLAXS0i2MyN6RFbh1bajtEjwCYavn5u1UIVw/s400/SHAKA+%2524.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh, so what, exactly, was the public
charitable purpose that SHAKA provided with its money? And none of
its funding sources were disclosed, either.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why is HCF funding groups that are
decidely opaque, and actively working to undermine agriculture and
sow discord in Hawaii? Especially when its mission is “investing in
community well-being” and “strengthening Hawaii's communities.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now compare the grants given to those self-serving groups with their very narrow agendas to the amounts
awarded to organizations that serve a broad sector of the public:
$116,295 to Aloha United Way; $62,000 to Big Brothers/Big Sisters;
$78,600 to American Cancer Society; $85,403 to American Red Cross
Hawaii Chapter; $50,000 to Polynesian Voyaging Society; $55,888
National Tropical Botanical Garden; $10,000 Hawaii Meth Project.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something seems out of kilter here.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do give HCF kudos for listing all of the grants it made. However, in the name of public interest and transparency, it would be even more revealing to see where it's getting the money that is being used to effect change in Hawaii, and what sort of strings the donors have attached.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-55136742383520534132017-04-27T07:19:00.000-10:002017-04-27T07:21:37.639-10:00Musings: Pushing Organics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's troubling to see Kauai Dr. Lee
Evslin use <a href="http://thegardenisland.com/lifestyles/opinion/fat-rats-slow-sperm-and-unhealthy-bacteria/article_c0e47d10-6cdf-5a5d-88d0-426d718e4f9a.html#.WQDPH4qV8QJ.facebook">his column</a> in the local newspaper to promote organic food
as inherently more pure than its conventional counterpart, and some
sort of silver bullet for attaining good health.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this case, he's advancing the idea
that various chemicals known as endocrine disrupters are responsible
for everything from America's obesity epidemic and slow sperm to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in children. And, as he
intones, “the same suspects are on the list: pesticides,
flame-retardants, plasticizers and cosmetics.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though Evslin admits that he's talking
about “a new scientific theory,” which means it's not yet proven,
he has no problem offering a dangerously simplistic “bottom line”
solution to what ails us: “Store your food in glass containers,
stop buying water in plastic bottles and eat organic whenever
possible.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evslin totally glosses over all the
non-food sources of pesticides, including treatments for home and
garden pests, pet flea and tick products and even water, which is
treated with chlorine, a restricted use pesticide.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What's more, he fails to understand
that organic food also is packaged in plastic, grown using pesticides and carries pesticide residues. But in any case,<a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PDP2015AnnualSummaryConsumers.pdf"> according to the US Department ofAgriculture</a>, these residues are considered holistically and present no cause for concern:
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The PDP data show, overall, that
pesticide residues on foods tested are at levels below the tolerances
established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
pose no safety concern.
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]
makes a safety evaluation for pesticides considering all possible
routes of exposure through food, water, and home environments when
setting the maximum residue (tolerance) level of pesticide that can
remain in or on foods.
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">EPA is required to periodically
re-evaluate pesticide registrations and tolerances to ensure that the
scientific data remain up to date.
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evslin also seems to be unaware that
pest-resistant GMO crops, which cannot be labeled organic under USDA
standards, are actually working to minimize pesticide use. One
compelling example is Bt eggplant, which has <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/farmer-perspectives-bt-brinjal-bangladesh">enabled farmers in Bangladesh</a> to reduce their pesticide applications by 80
percent.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to believe that Evslin is
well-intentioned. Sadly, he is not well-informed. Every time a
well-fed, well-heeled Westerner starts beating the organic
drum, he is helping to close the door to GM technology that is
working to <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/scientific-innovations-solving-agricultural-problems">address environmental issues</a> and help hungry people in
developing nations to achieve food security. Though Evslin no doubt
can afford the high price of organics, he seems to have forgotten
that many of his own neighbors are struggling to feed their families.
The last thing they need is some short-sighted doctor guilt tripping
them for not buying organic.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, a number of organic
certificates used on both domestic and imported products —
primarily from China and Africa — <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/enforcement/organic/fraudulent-certificates">are fraudulent</a>, according to the
USDA.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evslin also likes to throw stuff out
there without any citations, so the curious and/or critical are
unable to check his apparently dubious sources. A case is point is
his claim that “Glyphosate is patented as an antibiotic and as an
herbicide and has been shown to affect our intestinal bacteria.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://gmoanswers.com/ask/why-did-monsanto-patent-glyphosate-antibiotic-also-medical-establishment-has-been-preaching">GMO Answers </a>has an interesting segment
on why Monsanto pursued that patent, while noting “to date, nobody
has demonstrated that glyphosate is an effective antimicrobial agent
for treating human or animal infections.” It's really quite
specious for Evslin to make that particular assertion.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If Evslin plans to keep inserting
himself into the conversation about food and pesticides, he really
needs to be more thorough in his research and careful with his facts.
That is, if he wants to be taken seriously, which I'm sure he does.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On a related topic, I noticed anti-GMO
acivist Jeri DiPietro, who presides over the group Hawaii SEED,
advocating in a newspaper article for “the precautionary
principle,” which <a href="http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/pesticide-companies-ask-feds-to-set-aside-results-of-years/article_9a86ca06-4f6d-540c-80c6-11c74ff661e8.html">The Garden Island defines </a>as “an approach to
risk management that requires proponents of an activity to prove its
safety in the absence of a scientific consensus.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jeri's complete rejection of the scientific
consensus in support of GMO food safety aside, there are several
problems with the precautionary principle, as I learned with
attending the American Academy for the Advancement of Science meeting
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<![endif]--><!--StartFragment-->Gary
Marchant, an Arizona State University professor and expert on the
legal issues around genetic engineering, noted:<!--EndFragment-->
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There has always been a degree of
precaution in regulations. To make the precautionary principle the
regulatory standard, it has to be quantified legally, which requires
a very detailed definition. But it's never been properly defined and
all efforts to do that have failed, even in Europe. So we have these
very vague definitions of precaution being used in absurd and
inconsistent ways.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of absurd, it's never been
more cool to <a href="https://heatst.com/culture-wars/nordstrom-now-selling-425-jeans-for-people-who-want-to-pretend-they-have-a-dirty-job/">make like you're a farmer</a> or blue collar worker — just
wear the $425 jeans and forego the actual dirty work!
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz91g1LTT0veFfNk4nMV_rUILyRJU-sMe-QEmpDfaIBFLkrfKTtVqzoyryzf-1Y9c-l7IiF-424X7br959qx43sJv-5sPSA6q38NdG8uu4uEuZxrzfNkMo0jwJmOCime2F-ylpz4WI2bD/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-27+at+10.54.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuz91g1LTT0veFfNk4nMV_rUILyRJU-sMe-QEmpDfaIBFLkrfKTtVqzoyryzf-1Y9c-l7IiF-424X7br959qx43sJv-5sPSA6q38NdG8uu4uEuZxrzfNkMo0jwJmOCime2F-ylpz4WI2bD/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-27+at+10.54.32+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And finally, I'll leave you with this
video montage showing some of the
<a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/global-support-for-science">March for Science events around the world</a>, starting with little
Kauai. Gosh, who knew supporting science could be such fun?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YkaYt3xCxuY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YkaYt3xCxuY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-83233926161917342842017-04-25T08:42:00.001-10:002017-04-25T14:06:57.614-10:00Musings: On the Gamut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel a little sorry for Maui, having
a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yazf24zabYo">chemtrail believer</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCGIf0GSwX8">anti-GMO campaigner</a> leading its fight
against the rat lungworm virus.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm talking about its state health
officer, Dr. Lorrin Pang. He's been a bit distracted in recent years,
which may help explain why he failed to recognize or head off a real
and serious health threat on his island.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still, as one friend observed upon
seeing a news photo of him picking through leaves in search of the semi slugs that spread the disease, “Finally they have Lorrin Pang doing
something productive.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4clWBbdjE_fJO-Joiez_agZFZT81qxfDnSmDEjBLJMhuNGazG2s15zHCguC4PBU8ZTPPb9vYaaeA5uDLO6XM6w99Vt0YAp1HCfQTN3YU_dAuY3f9vTfpqEBS1eCjL7PFjefmTp-edJej/s1600/f6ab0404-b163-40c2-86b4-734448f47088_1.2548e7c0334dfada651188c120198dfd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4clWBbdjE_fJO-Joiez_agZFZT81qxfDnSmDEjBLJMhuNGazG2s15zHCguC4PBU8ZTPPb9vYaaeA5uDLO6XM6w99Vt0YAp1HCfQTN3YU_dAuY3f9vTfpqEBS1eCjL7PFjefmTp-edJej/s400/f6ab0404-b163-40c2-86b4-734448f47088_1.2548e7c0334dfada651188c120198dfd.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's also been interesting to see some
of the anti-pesticide folks avidly embrace poison — sales of rat traps and slug bait are booming — once <i>they</i> feel threatened by a pest.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In following up on <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/04/musings-dishonest-debate.html">last week's water forum</a> on Kauai, the truly telling part came when panelists were asked
whether they condemned or condoned last October's <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/10/musings-water-diversion-vandalized.html">vandalism at the Blue Hole</a> diversion last October. Adam Asquith, Kui Palama and
Hope Kallai didn't consider it vandalism at all; indeed, they felt it
was justified.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While I respect Kui for the
well-researched work he's done to uphold traditional Hawaiian rights,
which included a prolonged (and ultimately successful) <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2015/12/musings-native-rights-upheld.html">court case</a>
following his 2011 arrest for hunting pig on Gay & Robinson land,
Adam more typically incites others to do the dirty work rather than
risk a run in with the law himself. As for Hope, why was she even on
that panel? How is she qualified to be talking about Kauai water
issues?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In any case, those who condone the
vandalism of a fully permitted water diversion that serves a public
utility's hydro plants are standing on shaky moral and legal ground. One, KIUC
customers will foot the bill for the damage. Two, the vandalism was
poorly executed and ineffective in achieving its goal, though it did
dump debris into the stream. Three, it was stupid, especially since
the state and KIUC are already working to establish flow standards
for that stream and revise the diversion so it doesn't take 100
percent of the stream during low-flow periods.
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC_Rabxn4P9nmvbWFC2-iPpk6nG0U9QRgTUPtDow_sgj5c8uSGik-MgwpKYeTq7LgEJ1RJylPzaIOgxTOYGXhW5M1EeUMt8EBk_D9KqRQAOjavEeN9R-2PrE7pG7S5txOkfc2h-kE4hZZ/s1600/rubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGC_Rabxn4P9nmvbWFC2-iPpk6nG0U9QRgTUPtDow_sgj5c8uSGik-MgwpKYeTq7LgEJ1RJylPzaIOgxTOYGXhW5M1EeUMt8EBk_D9KqRQAOjavEeN9R-2PrE7pG7S5txOkfc2h-kE4hZZ/s400/rubble.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rubble dumped in stream from vandalism.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In other words, a solution based in law
and science was already in the works before vandals got into the act.
Moral of the story? Educate yourself before jumping to conclusions
and taking matters into your own hands. And it's always wrong for people who
should know better — Adam and Don Heacock — to use misinformation
to provoke others to do something foolish.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of doing something foolish,
the state Legislature is <a href="http://capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2&year=2017">still considering HB 2</a>, which would allow
the construction of tiny homes on agricultural lands. As written, the
bill currently applies only to Hawaii Island, but it sets a terrible
precedent for allowing the proliferation of housing — and
sub-standard housing, at that — on ag land. The bill is set for a
conference committee hearing today, where hopefully it will be put to
death.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rep. Cindy Evans, who introduced the
measure, deserves an F grade for promoting a really stupid approach
to her island's housing shortage. As a leader, she should be finding
solutions to the housing problem, not allowing non-farmers to profit
by building shoddy shacks on their ag parcels. Talk about a cop out.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continuing on the “something foolish”
track, the Lege is also considering two bills that would allow online
brokers, like Airbnb and VRBO, to collect taxes for the state.
Problem is, <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1471&year=2017">only one </a>would require operators to prove they are in
compliance with county laws, while <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=704&year=2017">the other</a> allows owners to
self-certify.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, why would the Lege want to
undermine the hard work of county planning departments, which are
already struggling to enforce the existing vacation rental
ordinances?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of which, Kauai County
recently scored an enforcement victory when Judge Kathleen Watanabe
found the county acted properly in shutting down Rene Campos' illegal
TVR in Kilauea. Though attorney Jonathan Chun argued the conversion
of a guest house to a TVR was “grandfathered,” the judge didn't
buy it. Planning Director Mike Dahilig praised the action, using
strong language in a a <a href="http://kauai.gov/Portals/0/Mayor/PIO/NR04-20-17.pdf?ver=2017-04-20-152537-497">county press release</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I would like to acknowledge our
legal team in defending our enforcement actions to stop those wishing
to cheat our land use laws because they are tempted by the large sums
of money these vacation rentals can yield. Illegal vacation rentals
like these take valuable housing out of the long-term housing market
for our local residents, and is precisely why our vacation rental
laws need to be respected.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yup.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And finally, Joni Kamiya managed to <a href="https://hawaiifarmersdaughter.com/2017/04/24/a-march-for-humanity/">win over</a> one of the activists <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/04/musings-cowed-by-anti-science-bullies.html">protesting her participation</a> in the Honolulu March for Science on Saturday. Turns out he didn't actually know what he was talking about, and like so many other misinformed activists, wrongly equates Monsanto with all things GMO.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Education is a wonderful thing, so long as a mind is open enough to accept it. </span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-71700117720489625232017-04-21T11:59:00.003-10:002017-04-22T11:29:36.923-10:00Musings: Cowed by Anti-Science Bullies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I suppose it was inevitable that
controversy should intrude into Saturday's March for Science-Hawaii.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though the international event is
intended to be a non-partisan celebration of the scientific method
and scientific innovation, it seems that some folks just can't handle
the presentation of viewpoints that oppose their own, especially when the facts aren't on their side. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, the anti-TMT (Tirty-Meter Telescope) and anti-GMO
activists are all huhu that the Hawaii March organizers dared to
invite speakers who represent the science side of these two issues.
And in their typical “my way or the highway” approach to things,
some of them are calling for a boycott –oh, boo hoo; your absence won't even be noticed — and/or actively trying to
discredit and smear the participants they don't like.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not surprisingly, their ranks include
the Sierra Club's Nate Yuen and failed politician Gary Hooser, who huffed:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQKx-CWzAqrudqxUHuWx_iUBZdaxOZ6ND1bXz-xhHZDc8iXquPxIzHPdU4anzNm0uj3x-TZwdVbOBBLfJDCxXs2ZVIHeCViS6pAWnBeQeQE0Y_nU4H5GlQyvRDkCpcOCt3WksTR4qdlRN/s1600/18049644_10108046787555168_529391611_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQKx-CWzAqrudqxUHuWx_iUBZdaxOZ6ND1bXz-xhHZDc8iXquPxIzHPdU4anzNm0uj3x-TZwdVbOBBLfJDCxXs2ZVIHeCViS6pAWnBeQeQE0Y_nU4H5GlQyvRDkCpcOCt3WksTR4qdlRN/s400/18049644_10108046787555168_529391611_o.png" width="281" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh, for starters, Joni Kamiya is hardly
an “industry hack” — she's a health professional and the
daughter of an Oahu papaya farmer — and it's kind of hard to see
how the Alliance for Science can be a “Monsanto front group” when
we don't get any money or other support from Monsanto. But then, when
you have nothing real to criticize, you just make stuff up.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And truly, what could be less
progressive than Hooser and his faux progressive group HAPA trying to
stifle freedom of speech, open discussion, science and the presentation of
various points of view? But as I've noted ad nauseum, the antis are afflicted with <a href="http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/projection">psychological projection,</a> which is defined as:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Projection is a psychological defense
mechanism in which individuals attribute characteristics they
find unacceptable in themselves to another person. For example, a
husband who has a hostile nature might attribute this hostility to
his wife and say she has an anger management problem.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, Hawaii Center for Food Safety had to chime in:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNG0ysqSXUNRHy7Y8Prh1QXHVOTcYGEq3PfMjlXNuuLWVY1kd_NU6DHVnFTZMG27FKStZJa0I_WCFHLbH0V-cLySKxEYP797y1iiQBVaBPWya20Cj-KNwNJ_mrTeJ0_kp0K5vmrGP4L2a/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-21+at+3.42.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNG0ysqSXUNRHy7Y8Prh1QXHVOTcYGEq3PfMjlXNuuLWVY1kd_NU6DHVnFTZMG27FKStZJa0I_WCFHLbH0V-cLySKxEYP797y1iiQBVaBPWya20Cj-KNwNJ_mrTeJ0_kp0K5vmrGP4L2a/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-21+at+3.42.24+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure, Ashley Lukens, come on down. Science deniers are always welcome at a science march. Sort of like the KKK crashing a civil rights rally.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, this is nothing new. But
what's really sad is how the University of Hawaii, which is hosting the March event, is cowering in the
face of this controversy, rather than standing up to these bullies. Per usual, the antis started attacking Joni on the Hawaii
March for Science Facebook page, which had posted an announcement
about her planned speech, just as it acknowledged the other
speakers in tomorrow's line up at UH.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joni responded to correct the lies and
other science-defenders joined in, pointing out the misinformation
and lack of science that drives the anti-GMO stance.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The organizers —neophtyes to the
ugliness that characterizes the anti-GMO movmement — were appalled
and began deleting some of the nastier comments. This was followed by them asking Joni not to talk about GMOs or pesticides during her 5-minute
talk.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or as a friend quipped:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Dear Galileo -
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We are looking forward to your speech
at the Vatican. We all agree on the value of science. Just please
don’t mention your idea about the earth</span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">going around the sun.
</span></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Love, the Catholic Church</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, Joni hadn't actually planned on
talking about GMOs or pesticides, but nobody likes to be gagged,
especially at an event that is supposed to be about defending
science.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But here's the really troubling part:
the UH organizers said they didn't want any hot topics. Huh? Uh,
guys, that's what the March for Science is all about. Defending
scientific integrity and the increasingly critical need for
evidence-based decision-making at a time when ignorant, anti-science
demagogues and their sheep are making like beliefs and opinions are more
important that facts.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sadly, UH has been intimidated by the
anti-GMO activists for quite a while, ever since Walter Ritte ranted
and raged about GM taro in yet another one of his ill-informed
self-promoting tirades. Never mind that the research involved Chinese
taro, and was being conducted by a Chinese woman. It wasn't Haloa (the taro plant from which Hawaiians believe they are descended) at
all. But UH was so cowed that it not only stopped the research, but
destroyed all the lab work so that it couldn't be continued or replicated elsewhere.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's a pretty sad stance for a
publicly-funded university to take. And it's even sadder when you
consider how far UH has fallen since the College of Tropical Ag (CTAHR) dean asked Dennis
Gonsalves to come up with a solution to the ringspot virus that was
destroying Hawaii's papaya industry. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In response, Dennis developed
the ringspot-resistant papaya — the world's first public sector GMO food crop. Now UH has very little biotech research going on, and it keeps it down low to avoid the wrath of the antis.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm certain UH would not tolerate
bullying in its classrooms, or among its faculty. So why does it
allow the activists to bully its professors, its deans, its March for Science organizers, the people it has invited to speak at events it is
hosting?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unless the people in Hawaii stand up to
this bullying, it's only going to get worse. And if the highly
educated professionals at UH are too afraid to stand up to the
bullies, then it really doesn't bode well for the future of
science-based research and policy-making in the Aloha State.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still, at the end of the day, Joni will
be speaking at the March for Science and the antis will not. So let
them stew at home in their own toxic juices as those who support science, not
fear-mongering, stand up for what's right.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Events are planned on every island. Join the <a href="http://marchforsciencehawaii.info/">March nearest you</a>, and stand up for science, agriculture and t<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment">he values of the Enlightenment.</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a little extra inspiration, I'll leave with you this video from Neil deGrasse Tyson: "When you have people who don't know much about science standing in denial of it and rising to power, that is a recipe for the complete dismantling of our informed democracy. "</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8MqTOEospfo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8MqTOEospfo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-3508582994439529402017-04-20T07:37:00.004-10:002017-04-20T07:37:35.720-10:00Musings: Own It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only Jessica Else and <a href="http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/two-evicted-from-community-garden/article_dc079944-b085-5f16-a77a-c942363eb8d4.html">The Garden Island</a>
would treat a couple's eviction from the Kalihiwai Community Garden
as “news.” I mean, gosh, cutting down a banana tree without
permission? Heinous!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in scanning that tripe, I was
struck by this statement from the Board of Directors of Malama Kauai,
which oversees the garden in Kalihiwai (and has co-opted the
publicly-funded “community farm” in Kilauea by conferring its own
name on the project):</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is our kuleana to hold members
responsible for respectful behavior and our community garden rules
are one way we do this in Kalihiwai.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How curious, that the Board demands
“respectful behavior” from its gardeners, but does not hold its
new executive director, Megan Fox, to the same standard. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Board's statement also noted that
the couples' actions were not “the pono way of dealing with such a
situation in our small community.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmmm. Is the Board even aware of
Megan's own disrespectful behavior, her own ugly history of failing
to “[deal] with things in a pono way in our small community” —
a community with a long memory, a community she has worked to
polarize?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm talking about Megan's role in the
anti-GMO movement, her participation in the <a href="https://nogmomeansnoaloha.com/2013/11/11/the-representatives-of-the-gmo-free-club-of-kauai/">mob mentality </a>that
surrounded the GMO/pesticide regulatory Bill 2491. And more
specifically, her attacks on longtime Kauai flower farmer Johnny Goriness and his business,</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tropical Flowers Express</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. As Joni Kamiya </span><a href="https://hawaiifarmersdaughter.com/tag/dorothy-kulik/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">noted in her blog</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at the time</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the issue of Bill 2491 hit the
island of Kauai last year, some farmers, who know the agriculture
issues in Hawaii, spoke out. Johnny was one of them. Others
stood in the background instead of taking the risk of being a target.
Little did he know that he was not dealing with local folks,
and was barraged with disrespect and hate for submitting testimony
for the bill and for a letter in The Garden Island paper.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of those disrespectful haters was
Megan Fox, who arrived on Kauai from San Jose in 2013. Like so many
other malihini looking to belong, she jumped on the anti-GMO
bandwagon and quickly began trashing anyone who dared to disagree:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCPViJmFuwXYaLOhDgMlNxqORTkbxoBrCp0dJn9YzJYBzLN8nsP9_zG6-yUr_QIiIVmfn0ggJEBsotwGOaFygIdJkgvajSyC6a5gp0bhx6oR_0tmfoFjktHcAoKIy3s8nMyssiJxgbaga/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-20+at+10.37.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCPViJmFuwXYaLOhDgMlNxqORTkbxoBrCp0dJn9YzJYBzLN8nsP9_zG6-yUr_QIiIVmfn0ggJEBsotwGOaFygIdJkgvajSyC6a5gp0bhx6oR_0tmfoFjktHcAoKIy3s8nMyssiJxgbaga/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-20+at+10.37.41+AM.png" width="262" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even rabid anti Joanna Wheeler recognized that wasn't “the pono way of dealing
with such a situation in our small community.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Megan went ahead and left
disparaging remarks about Tropical Flowers Express on
Yelp:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Go87DjzQFAKl8_b4CmzMVpDvP4PpYgEjgDNseU8ad-06f0X7FnWsw4Xaqn8OMta6dMgTPj0xGIV_-YCd_DYQvC53rTQ4lJv_Sn3qfUtO6izPw-YMWabLJkn-u0JFUNLJYC6QoCLSW5oU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-20+at+10.37.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Go87DjzQFAKl8_b4CmzMVpDvP4PpYgEjgDNseU8ad-06f0X7FnWsw4Xaqn8OMta6dMgTPj0xGIV_-YCd_DYQvC53rTQ4lJv_Sn3qfUtO6izPw-YMWabLJkn-u0JFUNLJYC6QoCLSW5oU/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-20+at+10.37.02+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yelp</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> later removed at least one of her reviews “for violating our Content guidelines or Terms of Services.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I think just about anyone would
consider it disrespectful for a JOJ — just off the jet — to trash
talk a local who has devoted his life to agriculture. Especially when that JOJ knows zero, zip, zilch about farming:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnDwdsoc487FE0i1aVMwaat8w5kV3txQQduBryu2I9SzvEAFo6SRLGRG7QT-HRON0-cJsaTjfxwP3qHyBfuVo3yXjF60wQF03SdfmvdnxnP7HFQ8any9XJKzeF6wh7ZDyM8pnFZZvoZe-/s1600/Megan+Fox+Screen+Shot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnDwdsoc487FE0i1aVMwaat8w5kV3txQQduBryu2I9SzvEAFo6SRLGRG7QT-HRON0-cJsaTjfxwP3qHyBfuVo3yXjF60wQF03SdfmvdnxnP7HFQ8any9XJKzeF6wh7ZDyM8pnFZZvoZe-/s320/Megan+Fox+Screen+Shot.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Megan didn't stop at Johnny. She also attacked others who are pillars in the Hawaii ag community, including Jerry
Ornellas, Kirby Kester and Dennis Gonsalves:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSn5gjgMgFp5fabBwNNKlDAzyWMHrHmRXTjdVTGyux9aEotBXOllyW5gOv_BEtlVoG8mLDHCDG1FryqmQp5DE35S4N4GmzjTXS_nYHRteVNFwQCDjohsGMH7Jk5cyDO7kee9cmA0hMy2E-/s1600/Megan+Fox+2+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSn5gjgMgFp5fabBwNNKlDAzyWMHrHmRXTjdVTGyux9aEotBXOllyW5gOv_BEtlVoG8mLDHCDG1FryqmQp5DE35S4N4GmzjTXS_nYHRteVNFwQCDjohsGMH7Jk5cyDO7kee9cmA0hMy2E-/s400/Megan+Fox+2+.png" width="352" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course Megan, who is now trying to
pass herself off as a <a href="http://hawaiipublicradio.org/post/conversation-thursday-april-21st-2016">"farmers advocate"</a> on Kauai, would love to sweep her past under the rug. Which is why, when Joni recently posted about the attacks on small farmers and I referenced Megan's behavior, Megan contacted Facebook to complain, prompting FB to delete the comments for not meeting its "community standards."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I emailed Megan about her actions to wipe out the FB comments, she replied:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm not sure what happened to you to be
so vindictive and hateful but I really hope you go back to finding
aloha for others and not continue to be so focused on dredging up
negative hate. </i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, that's how the antis twist things. When you highlight <i>their</i> self-described "negative hate" you suddenly become the hater who needs to find aloha for others. WTF?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Megan continued:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Our community needs to build bridges, overcome the past and work together towards common future to benefit all. There ARE things we can agree on, and focusing on moving those things forward is much more beneficial than mud slinging and gossip. Why you're so against that I will never know.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I replied:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>If you’re interested in "building
bridges, overcoming the past and working toward a common future to
benefit all," you would have taken that opportunity to apologize
to Johnny Gordines. Instead, you sought to have me censored by
complaining to FB to get the comment removed.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Let me turn your question around: what
happened to YOU to be so vindictive and hateful during 2491? To the
extent of trying to destroy a good man’s business.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I’m definitely not against finding
common areas of agreement and moving forward, though I certainly
don’t see you or any of the other antis working toward that. But it
really grates to see people who were actively working to harm small
farmers now claim to be all peace and love and ag advocates, no less.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Please drop the sanctimony and
self-righteousness. It rings hollow.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To borrow a line from sovereignty and social justice movements, "there can be no reconciliation without addressing the past." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of how one feels about GMOs, there's no denying that the anti movement sowed an ugly divisiveness in the community that chillingly mirrored the <a href="https://vimeo.com/168014736">Twilight Zone classic</a> "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yes, it does grate to see antis now making like nothing nasty ever happened as they try to recreate themselves as "aloha aina warriors" and "agvocates."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If people like Megan want to enjoy a position of leadership and respect in the community, they should start by issuing an apology and showing a little humility. And since they love to throw around Hawaiian words like "pono" and "malama aina," here's one they should learn: <a href="http://www.managingwithaloha.com/19-values-of-aloha/haahaa/">ha'aha'a.</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, let's all move forward — from a place of the antis acknowledging and taking responsibility for their bad behavior, their false accusations against farm workers, their polarization, their lies. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don't come back with "Monsanto is evil." We're not talking about Monsanto. We're talking about real harm done to real farmers and ag workers in your own back yard. Own it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Especially if you plan to start holding others to "respectful and pono behavior."</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-39853189884848828082017-04-18T09:17:00.001-10:002017-04-18T09:17:21.772-10:00Musings: Dishonest Debate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even as the GMO battle still rages, a
new brouhaha is brewing. This time, it's all about water.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've already seen it bubbling up on
Maui, where folks are </span><a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/12/musings-water-wars.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">challenging A&B's</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> longstanding diversion of
East Maui streams, in part through litigation that exposed
deficiencies in the revocable permit process that the <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/02/musings-go-figure.html">Legislature addressed</a> last session.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kauai activists have also tried to pump
it up as an issue, first with unsuccessful attempts to have Lihue
declared a <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2014/10/musings-water-logged.html">ground-surface water management area</a> and later through
<a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/10/musings-water-diversion-vandalized.html">vandalism and false claims</a> about the Wailua diversion.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, in a throwback to the 2013 Earth
Week “pollinators and pesticides” panel that gave Kauai anti-GMO
activists Gary Hooser and Fern Rosenstiel a
platform for pushing Bill 2491, Kauai Community College is hosting a
Thursday afternoon panel discussion on water.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not completely clear who is
actually sponsoring the event, though Josh Fukino, an instructional
support specialist at KCC, sent out the emails solicting speakers.
What is clear is that it's not intended to be an honest debate:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be only one question
presented for discussion and the goal is to come up with some
solutions that all stakeholders can agree upon.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The waters of Wailua, Waikoko,
Ili'ili'ula, Wai'aka, "iole, and Waiahi are taken and used by a
few entities. But the public at large, and certain people and places
with standing, have constitutionally protected rights to those waters
in their free flowing state and for other uses. What do you reccomend
[sic] be done to assure that these constitutional rights are
fullfilled, within the lifetime of some of the kupuna asking for them
(<5 font="" years=""></5></span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorta like asking, when did you stop beating
your wife? Is everybody supposed to agree, with no debate, on the
premise that people have constitutionally protected rights to waters
<i>in their free flowing state</i>? What's more, it's not likely to
“come up with some solutions that all stakeholders can agree upon”
because the key stakeholder — Grove Farm — is not participating,
largely because they correctly perceived it as a witch hunt.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other participants include Adam
Asquith, who was a player in both the water management area bid and
inflammatory emails that were circulating prior to the Wailua
diversion vandalism.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The week's events began yesterday with
a talk by defeated state House candidate Tiare Lawrence, who was
billed as a “Maui Aloha 'Āina warrior and HAPA Community
Organizer” speaking about “Maui water struggles and protection of
coastal resources.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never mind that she has no expertise on
those topics. This is all about pushing an agenda, a particular
point of view, at a publicly-funded community college. And how,
exactly, does that help students develop critical thinking?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of which, Big Island Sen. Josh Green —
a foe of modern agriculture — is eying a run for <span style="font-size: small;">lieutenant
governor. Is he seeking the job because it involves so little work
that the current occupant wants out due to boredom? </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Whatever,
it seems like a great idea to get him out of the Senate, where he
takes bizarre anti-science positions, such as “fixing” farming by
restricting its access to agricultural chemicals.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hmm.
Maybe he could work on classifying homelessness as a medical
condition, so doctors can prescribe housing. How might that work?
(And parenthetically, how much would it cost?) That should keep him
busy with something useful for a while.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">And
finally, Jan TenBruggencate has an interesting piece on mosquitoes in
his <a href="http://raisingislands.blogspot.com/2017/04/zika-now-spread-by-at-least-two-hawaii.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RaisingIslands+%28Raising+Islands%29">Raising Islands blog</a>. As he noted:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mosquitoes are not native to Hawaii,
but we’ve got them, and new evidence is that they’re growing
increasingly dangerous.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hawaii now has eight mosquito species,
he reports, and they're spreading a number of diseases, including
dengue and Zika, which has already caused severe birth defects —most
commonly, a deformed brain — in dozens of American babies. And
Hawai`i has had 16 reported cases of Zika, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, real danger, real
threat. Yet as Jan notes:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Not to make too much of this, but two
key weapons in attacking mosquito-borne illness are targeted
insecticides and genetic modifications to impact mosquito
populations. And in Hawai`i, both insecticides and genetic
modification are being targeted by activists for entire bans or
limitations on use of these products and technologies. Thus far, the
Legislature and the courts have held off these movements.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So does it really serve the public interest to highlight these
misguided movements with lop-sided presentations at KCC? </span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-66570454514094667232017-04-17T08:02:00.002-10:002017-04-17T08:02:36.059-10:00Musings: Oh, the Irony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love irony, especially the
unintentional sort, which the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bulldada&defid=4807617">Urban Dictionary defines</a> as “bulldada.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's frequently apparent in the “anti”
crowd, which, as I have oft noted, seems devoid of introspection:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9YF-C-WRvFoF3lQPmdEjR5FeA3X68JRj2h2JpsZcDa8ltwzmKP09RhfXaxrjWK5e74-klBMb8Qsj9KjPbaYbF-6NVJLWLSWwsMEwOP_YVpvDzVFtdOp4TljHOyXdj67hrJhxAwYRbKBp/s1600/17992341_10154565763617759_1792114591559997524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9YF-C-WRvFoF3lQPmdEjR5FeA3X68JRj2h2JpsZcDa8ltwzmKP09RhfXaxrjWK5e74-klBMb8Qsj9KjPbaYbF-6NVJLWLSWwsMEwOP_YVpvDzVFtdOp4TljHOyXdj67hrJhxAwYRbKBp/s400/17992341_10154565763617759_1792114591559997524_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, Andrew Kimbrell and Ashley Lukens,
if only you <i>would</i> let the scientists speak. Because the suppression of
science — aka, following the anti-GMO playbook — is indeed a real
buzz kill.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's another choice example, from
Gary Hooser's Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action. They got to
<a href="http://www.hapahi.org/news/2017/4/12/leading-with-integrity">waxing philosophic</a> about their recent crop of Kuleana Academy cadets:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The discussion on what it means to be
pono calls on these graduates to make a commitment to exercise that
power with courage and integrity, and to question that power at each
turn. It invites this community of graduates to call each other out
if someone acts in way that is not pono. </i>[</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But be prepared to be trashed and
ostracized if you dare question the antis' power structure, tactics
or funding sources.] </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stepping up is not easy. It takes
courage, strength of character, and a strong moral compass. By
nurturing a community of thoughtful and accountable leaders, we are
investing in a pono future for Hawai‘i.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And you do that by refusing to reveal
HAPA's funding sources and violating federal laws regarding lobbying
and the support of partisan politics by nonprofit “public
charities?” Uh, guys, if the seed is bad, it ain't gonna produce
good fruit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Hooser demonstrates his own
lack of integrity:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY2opDjYEFhfM2QtcXORQvyTksRjj0dfWEE03I64R_AlFFpFjxGQR5pvsk7tMJFUGOUEJ7PObz4ujbpksUU1UgHd586kGbgkMtFOAtNAC_tk4WftKeSbDvHa2l6eY-7RIC54CzvjPeW-Z/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+9.24.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY2opDjYEFhfM2QtcXORQvyTksRjj0dfWEE03I64R_AlFFpFjxGQR5pvsk7tMJFUGOUEJ7PObz4ujbpksUU1UgHd586kGbgkMtFOAtNAC_tk4WftKeSbDvHa2l6eY-7RIC54CzvjPeW-Z/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+9.24.30+AM.png" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTGnE9wic2kQ5xlakD4hLdVNbQ0_6aCd6mAcKv_vAxjurdhrFVH4GCTlOp1yfy75ADuvdZ_4HzQKTZBzy_-MyRbpgi7Oj8tmnSDoga7pcA7Xr4gnjhqbkOS7cAOE_U8NhrPe_pVuY5XzR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+9.25.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTGnE9wic2kQ5xlakD4hLdVNbQ0_6aCd6mAcKv_vAxjurdhrFVH4GCTlOp1yfy75ADuvdZ_4HzQKTZBzy_-MyRbpgi7Oj8tmnSDoga7pcA7Xr4gnjhqbkOS7cAOE_U8NhrPe_pVuY5XzR/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+9.25.09+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUY2opDjYEFhfM2QtcXORQvyTksRjj0dfWEE03I64R_AlFFpFjxGQR5pvsk7tMJFUGOUEJ7PObz4ujbpksUU1UgHd586kGbgkMtFOAtNAC_tk4WftKeSbDvHa2l6eY-7RIC54CzvjPeW-Z/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+9.24.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there's the irony of America's
<a href="https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/demand-organic-food-growing-faster-domestic-supply">increasing appetite </a>for organic food, as stimulated by the antis, who
are heavily funded by the organics industry:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once a net exporter of organic
products, the United States now spends more than $1 billion a year to
import organic food, according to the USDA, and the ratio of imported
to exported products is now about 8-to-1.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of these organic imports are grown
in the European Union, where more than 140,000 farmers are meeting
Europe's weaker organic standards on 12.6 million acres of farmland.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the biggest exporters is
Romania, which relies on cheap labor — the average pay is $485 per
month. Another big exporter of organics is China, where both
standards and safety are suspect. Once you start factoring in the
carbon load, the weaker standards and the labor exploitation factors, organics get an
even uglier profile. But hey, main thing the American consumer can
pretend to be pure and righteous while chanting the mantra: support
your local farmer. Even if he/she is Romanian or Chinese.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some folks in a recent <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7875069982976812251&postID=7198972325290678541&page=1&token=1492448668220">comment thread</a> on this site got into claiming that GMO food is bad because it's making everyone
fat. Hmm. So will they support <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2015/march/special-microbes-make-anti-obesity-molecule-in-the-gut.html">genetically engineered gut microbes</a>
that appear to reduce obesity?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what about the irony of paying more
for a product with the “Non-GMO Project” sticker when there isn't
even a GMO version of that particular food, like almonds? Greg Jaffe has a <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/shopping-some-honesty-sorting-out-non-gmo-claims">good blog post</a> on that subject.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQRmRlJCeJr7tRT2qdsnL27oy437dlD1p3YGWssSVV35LtDywS5OgkYqbZRf79FT2OE90XsODEqnY9c6fQXxXP0nHdV9EYrYxwdn6nB4fGJf6UvJFe5LXmWw_kisavF3fIE1iZ5Ix_Va7/s1600/almonds1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQRmRlJCeJr7tRT2qdsnL27oy437dlD1p3YGWssSVV35LtDywS5OgkYqbZRf79FT2OE90XsODEqnY9c6fQXxXP0nHdV9EYrYxwdn6nB4fGJf6UvJFe5LXmWw_kisavF3fIE1iZ5Ix_Va7/s320/almonds1.png" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or the irony of Simon Russell,
president of the Hawaii Farmers Union United Haleakala Chapter,
<a href="http://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2017/04/stores-make-changes-in-response-to-rat-lungworm-concerns/">bemoaning </a>the fickle, fearful consumers — you know, the kind the
antis cultivate — who are cutting back on local lettuce and kale
purchases because they're afraid of consuming the rat lungworm
parasite:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We can put robots on Mars. Why can’t
we get rid of rats?”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mmm, we can, Simon. But it's going to require
either the extensive use of rodenticides — you know, the poisons you hate —
or a helluva lot of live trapping and killing.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And let's not forget the irony of all those folks who <i>would</i> farm — if only all the land wasn't already poisoned — and their pals, </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the
well-intentioned, but clueless, who figure all they need is Google, a government grant and their other non-farming comrades in Hawaii Farmers Union United:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.poster.1?fref=nf"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Jeremy
Poster</i></b></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/542104919216423/permalink/1336644156429158/"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Yesterday
at 12:31am</i></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>Anybody
interested in a north shore community garden. There are ag lots for
sale near dole plantation. The biggest parcel is 18.37acres. At
$70,000 per acre, that comes to $1,285,900. If 50 people want to
split that, it comes to $25,718 per person. For the money you get
16,803sqft of farm land. Thats almost 1/2 an acre for $25k. We can
get a board together with leaders and rules, maybe some kind of
community building at the farm. Maybe we can have individual plots or
just make a big, permaculture style food forest. Not to live there,
just a farming project</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c6OyJAReyte55j-NY1ACi5gZjCbClmyIG0i6AQSFt8bBMOUQWehpxjQk74Sob2Xl3TT2M5FJHF0_qvYXhi50cXRY-Lx1ImTl8TPaxHjY_zFFg9XOLwBykz-lwkKCrY9z5_HR-8O8a4ZH/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.52.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c6OyJAReyte55j-NY1ACi5gZjCbClmyIG0i6AQSFt8bBMOUQWehpxjQk74Sob2Xl3TT2M5FJHF0_qvYXhi50cXRY-Lx1ImTl8TPaxHjY_zFFg9XOLwBykz-lwkKCrY9z5_HR-8O8a4ZH/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.52.32+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZz3ByA_KzWgSS4QUKsNvMoDLopfimpujmpJXXbZggXhiO0AZ9fMeKFA8uOtMMKLJJlqnf3DVnpzI4dxtLBUvjE6WOZt83PYjfeDSDymelMxLuan1Q2jWLMO_fFWX4yXvjF6miCPJUi2B/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.53.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZz3ByA_KzWgSS4QUKsNvMoDLopfimpujmpJXXbZggXhiO0AZ9fMeKFA8uOtMMKLJJlqnf3DVnpzI4dxtLBUvjE6WOZt83PYjfeDSDymelMxLuan1Q2jWLMO_fFWX4yXvjF6miCPJUi2B/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.53.38+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ8lVqcm1i087xlBwkDyecBL5aMsE-wyaXegQDwJLDAe7HW1H2S1CrUeJqyP_lhVkI0Kc9GdmVcn5agAOb0JnuLknbLWbUqXfOV2xnpEgMC5Q78v5rkIhRuZR-J9-iptOySgRsqHcBkxP/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.54.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJ8lVqcm1i087xlBwkDyecBL5aMsE-wyaXegQDwJLDAe7HW1H2S1CrUeJqyP_lhVkI0Kc9GdmVcn5agAOb0JnuLknbLWbUqXfOV2xnpEgMC5Q78v5rkIhRuZR-J9-iptOySgRsqHcBkxP/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-17+at+11.54.10+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, and all ya gotta do is sell
25,718 bunches of kale at $1 each to make your money back! Oh, the
market is flooded because everyone else is growing kale, too, but nobody's buying it because of rat lungworm? Oops....</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, sometimes irony morphs into an
outright oxymoron, as in:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Center for Food Safety | Fact Sheets</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll leave you with this <a href="https://www.good.is/articles/isnt-it-ironic-not-really">updated version</a> of the Alanis Morissette classic:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6GVJpOmaDyU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6GVJpOmaDyU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-78828574242329897392017-04-14T07:14:00.002-10:002017-04-14T07:42:41.433-10:00Musings: Questionable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Orwellian newspeak-doublespeak
category, Edible Hawaiian Islands has conferred a “local food
hero” award on the Hawaii Center for Food Safety.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's quite a feat, considering that
CFS has done zip to advance either local food production or food
safety. Not to mention its fear-mongering, ignorance-fomenting
activities are decidedly non-heroic. But since when do facts matter?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More revealing was CFS director Ashley
Luken's response:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEt2xC3TsTiaVI5pgKuYRaaCJpDMOzeccdiRVoFjiASWhAIxcs-QR2SuE1gnQ0GxoKPnGxwZu-_x-yaMLcFjYNAJyh9LGwLP-_Bxr_aeFXtQZpA4dAybkBw6TP9gcwXx6tTCo0aNGPclH/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+7.12.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEt2xC3TsTiaVI5pgKuYRaaCJpDMOzeccdiRVoFjiASWhAIxcs-QR2SuE1gnQ0GxoKPnGxwZu-_x-yaMLcFjYNAJyh9LGwLP-_Bxr_aeFXtQZpA4dAybkBw6TP9gcwXx6tTCo0aNGPclH/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+7.12.39+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once again, we are reminded that CFS
represents less than 1% of the state's population, even if we accept
its questionable claim of “nearly 11,000 members." Then there's
the hogwash about how Hawaii folks “fund our work.” As I've
<a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/musings-following-anti-gmo-money-part-1.html">previously reported</a>, CFS receives more than 80 percent of its funding
from mainland foundations, and what cash it does get most likely generates from there, too, since its headquartered in Washington, D.C.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But most intriguing is Ashley's
admission that Hawaii CFS is first and foremost a lobbying entity.
Which raises serious questions about how it can legally pass itself
off as an educational 501(c)(3) public charity, while apparently
violating the federal law that prohibits nonprofits from using
foundation funds to engage in lobbying.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which leads us to a partner
organization of CFS — Gary Hooser's Hawaii Alliance for Progressive
Action. It runs the Kuleana Academy, which claims:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9loSqC2WO8oKIBnBrd89rKlfQGhuvusPQwkWzwj7zfFAnq7G19nsI3zh_qD96i8dVHtEJLFHCSggs_z_EZ_UslrJ3mKPej4Bs8Szhu04u0LowXEyo-stdWAUoD50omWKMhZGDMw7d_CI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-11+at+7.03.44+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9loSqC2WO8oKIBnBrd89rKlfQGhuvusPQwkWzwj7zfFAnq7G19nsI3zh_qD96i8dVHtEJLFHCSggs_z_EZ_UslrJ3mKPej4Bs8Szhu04u0LowXEyo-stdWAUoD50omWKMhZGDMw7d_CI/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-11+at+7.03.44+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Curious, then, to see the comment left
by Russell Ruderman, the decidedly left-of-center and anti-GMO
senator from the Big Island, on a Facebook post showcasing the spring
crop of Kuleana Academy graduates:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE8s8GY-6jW4QmYrlkyvX8r20Gl_9VHqAHSNDZgd3cSBJr1Shh8sWVxptq1-Q5YLLWqVd6hBmcSqwF63OOaczECg1eUwCjHVoidCT50HXCyY6gkunKZxvYOok_R_Ry3-deokj-8YB3Fcc/s1600/KA%252B2017%252BSpring%252BGraduation%252BPhoto-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUE8s8GY-6jW4QmYrlkyvX8r20Gl_9VHqAHSNDZgd3cSBJr1Shh8sWVxptq1-Q5YLLWqVd6hBmcSqwF63OOaczECg1eUwCjHVoidCT50HXCyY6gkunKZxvYOok_R_Ry3-deokj-8YB3Fcc/s400/KA%252B2017%252BSpring%252BGraduation%252BPhoto-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32UI2p-AY8lQgWGKGsNJHY_zzhWVazW_d_mtfSu5yo0z_Ihf9j2W2u6TgCTeCJyufX6g9DGgiCg_mxWaM49WlneJbEo1WVc8VVRLtLXz8fmeQcYWMYi08tJ7Fv_eJQKz9VUsi-p7a8vf8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+11.05.12+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32UI2p-AY8lQgWGKGsNJHY_zzhWVazW_d_mtfSu5yo0z_Ihf9j2W2u6TgCTeCJyufX6g9DGgiCg_mxWaM49WlneJbEo1WVc8VVRLtLXz8fmeQcYWMYi08tJ7Fv_eJQKz9VUsi-p7a8vf8/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+11.05.12+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">Send me some reinforcements? Meet you at the barricades? Phony revolutionary rhetoric aside, that doesn't sound very nonpartisan to me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX69fY43DSs7HkHxo9hPxnFYB0JjJFtSD6NuI_cz04BsLyQxTG_gjXOYSuTEJ9g3_-edsmX6sUYB28QncQLcxTF9gftVmqqV-4igd1_2cLT-Rb6gZ5VKxPIksPUhMTB86e673lnzSYmsca/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+10.29.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX69fY43DSs7HkHxo9hPxnFYB0JjJFtSD6NuI_cz04BsLyQxTG_gjXOYSuTEJ9g3_-edsmX6sUYB28QncQLcxTF9gftVmqqV-4igd1_2cLT-Rb6gZ5VKxPIksPUhMTB86e673lnzSYmsca/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+10.29.04+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Others offering their congratulations
were anti-GMO activists Ashley Lukens and Jeri Di Pietro, president of of
Hawaii SEED, as well as Jonathan Scheuer, the state Land Use
Commissioner who secretly taped <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/09/musings-kick-em.html">a video</a> of then-Big Island Mayor
Billy Kenoi offering a drunken toast to Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho
at a privately-hosted reception at the Hawaii Congress of Planning
Officials.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nope, no partisan politics at work here.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's ironic, then — considering how American
anti-GMO activists idolize Europe — to learn the European Parliament is
starting to cast a critical eye on where non-governmental
organizations get their money, according to <a href="http://www.politico.eu/article/ayman-jallad-ayman-jallad-mystic-money-man-behind-brussels-activists-ngo-funding/?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=14563d5d39-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-14563d5d39-189720725">an article in Politico:</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>On March 27, the Parliament’s
budgetary control committee discussed a proposal put forward by
German center-right MEP Markus Pieper calling for the EU to cut
public funding for NGOs “demonstrably disseminating untruths” or
campaigning for “objectives [that are] contrary to the fundamental
values of the European Union.”</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even MEPs close to the NGO community
are advocating for more transparency about funding. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“It’s legitimate to have sources of
funding from rich individuals who have convictions, but it should be
transparent,” said Green MEP Sven Giegold, who backed a proposal in
the Parliament obliging NGOs, think tanks and trade associations on
the EU’s transparency register to disclose who their donors are.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gee, that might be something for the Hawaii Legislature to consider in its next session: a law requiring nonprofits to disclose their donors. The article continues:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Among the most vocal critics of NGOs
like Corporate Europe Observatory are corporate lobbyists, who accuse
them of pushing narrow political ideologies, rather than the public
interest they claim to represent.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>“Most [NGOS] are open about who is
funding their work,” said Marco Mensink, the director general of
CEFIC, the chemical industry association and one of the biggest
spenders on lobbying in Brussels. “Regrettably, some others don’t
practice the transparency they preach or comply with the letter and
spirit of EU transparency laws.”</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Far from representing the will of the
people, some NGOs distort the public debate “with dubious
arguments, often fake figures and by fear-mongering tactics,” said
Markus Beyrer, the director general of BusinessEurope, the bloc’s
largest business lobby. This “raises broad questions over their
democratic legitimacy and representativeness,” he added.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, as the lobbyists register and
disclose their funding sources, the so-called public educational
charities in America operate in a murky world of “invisible donors,” many of
them very wealthy, who wield undue influence on local and national
politics.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not to mention that the lack of transparency makes it almost impossible to track where money is going and how it is spent. Which leads us to a <a href="http://www.hawaiimoves.com/Home/282170/JRR/5284-Paanau-Road-KOLOA-HI-96756/">recent real estate transaction </a>involving a two-unit parcel across from Koloa School:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QPNsZkB9lWSBwuu3XG6WD2PzovZJP4CrOlWMlTsjFSgINfy3Lq8acn2_u8yZLOCe5YO1Kb2u2iQxg0uEbHM7tijyG1rZaDQ491y8SPC3WJCgRRQPNXM4uJ42r3g8fpk-RiVZVTDPNYHL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+10.49.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QPNsZkB9lWSBwuu3XG6WD2PzovZJP4CrOlWMlTsjFSgINfy3Lq8acn2_u8yZLOCe5YO1Kb2u2iQxg0uEbHM7tijyG1rZaDQ491y8SPC3WJCgRRQPNXM4uJ42r3g8fpk-RiVZVTDPNYHL/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-14+at+10.49.07+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">County tax records show it was bought by Gary and Claudette Hooser last month.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Curious, how a failed politician who ended his last campaign in the hole can afford an expensive piece of southside real estate, even though he still owns his house in Wailua Homesteads. It's even more curious when you consider he is currently not working, and instead claims to be serving in a solely "volunteer" capacity for HAPA.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps he's planning to go into the B&B or TVR business — both of which he vigorously defended, even on ag land — or build that possible third unit. Maybe he's adding to his inventory as a landlord. Or it could all be on the up-and-up.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But so long as Hooser has a reputation as a liar, and access to what is a essentially a slush fund of undisclosed funding and expenditures through HAPA, it raises questions — questions that could be answered with a bit of the transparency he is demanding from agricultural entities and others.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-71989723252906785412017-04-13T06:37:00.005-10:002017-04-13T11:00:46.306-10:00Musings: Real and Imagined Dangers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I awoke to loud rumblings and booms, a
sound that elicits a bit of dread in a place like Alamagordo, New
Mexico, home to Hollman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile
Range. But then I walked outside and smelled the distinctively
wonderful fragrance of rain in the desert, and knew it was thunder,
not a bomb.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm here not for the military, but for
the amazing natural beauty of White Sands National Monument. It's the
world's largest gypsum dune field, 275 square miles of shimmering,
glistening, sparkling white standing in brilliant contrast to the blue New Mexico sky. We hiked five miles through those shifting
dunes, where we saw only the endemic earless ghost lizard, a
fluttering black butterfly that was perhaps migrating from Mexico, a
few ants and a small swarm of gnats. It is not a place conducive to much
life, but it does not feel desolate or dead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr0vg_Ba0WMImS11QB1I51DvjUy5N_9iyM70UoylF3hdNTJuUWN2EhUXq8qc9B9hBOciA2k2-r9FNux7-mq8Trvk842TDxiaXwrmuTYXm60WBItenyvPRFMnLhj_jUVQoxX848wGnDaw0/s1600/IMG_8612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr0vg_Ba0WMImS11QB1I51DvjUy5N_9iyM70UoylF3hdNTJuUWN2EhUXq8qc9B9hBOciA2k2-r9FNux7-mq8Trvk842TDxiaXwrmuTYXm60WBItenyvPRFMnLhj_jUVQoxX848wGnDaw0/s400/IMG_8612.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At two points during our hike
formations of sleek Air Force jets streaked overhead, creating sonic
booms that brought back early childhood memories of Stead Air Force
Base in Nevada, where screaming jets and sonic booms were rather
thrilling to kids too young to understand their chilling purpose.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Afterward, at the visitor center, I
read about how the world's first atomic bomb was tested at the
Trinity site, just 110 miles to the north, in 1945. It had <a href="http://www.losalamoshistory.org/manhattan_project.htm">been developed </a>at the Los Alamos Laboratory, in the northern part of the
state.
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZyNbjxgNljcuFEGRNvw-tdy2y5ME-bX5i4tSvDB04Ba3tf6N-DcT5xJIXIDgeAgfHnFXbpZk9v_b9kzvZldmSVziU5Gs_EwxYewYdoC5Iv-utjzixAzc5QT0aGy2wrdNdCuyUWnAixCn/s1600/IMG_8628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZyNbjxgNljcuFEGRNvw-tdy2y5ME-bX5i4tSvDB04Ba3tf6N-DcT5xJIXIDgeAgfHnFXbpZk9v_b9kzvZldmSVziU5Gs_EwxYewYdoC5Iv-utjzixAzc5QT0aGy2wrdNdCuyUWnAixCn/s400/IMG_8628.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New Mexico has a long atomic heritage
that continues to this day, with rural communities in the southeast
part of the state <a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/storing-nuclear-waste-offers-economic-potential-environmental-risks/article_d9fdef98-850d-5638-930d-89486533f0b2.html">now considering</a> whether they're willing to host the
nation's growing stockpile of nuclear waste, buried in shallow
storage caverns carved from the ground.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some worry about accidents,
contamination of groundwater, the loss of a rural lifestyle practiced
in wide-open spaces. Others see benefits for New Mexico's struggling
economy, the development of jobs in a state with the nation's highest
unemployment rate. A few politicians even speak with pride about New
Mexico's opportunity to serve the entire country by taking on its
nuclear waste burden.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, billboards near the capital
city of Albuquerque advertise legal services to the uranium miners,
Cold War veterans and “downwinders” who are suffering health
problems as a result of radiation exposure. Residents of four
counties in the Tularosa Basin, near the Trinity test site, recently
completed their own <a href="https://www.trinitydownwinders.com/health-impact-assessment">health impact assessment</a> in an effort to be included in
the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which is already
helping downwinders in Nevada and Arizona.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf8JJvnQ1f8o1_3f8UKOs-8SeI2Wbo36APaAdTWNTneEDkrVQm0Uo8pyglQ7uvc7951uyiv9pP5eFOCj03bpWsIumWOE3TIKrOKRXHHTomYmbsjgfnZKa6bomD6YXoBMA-mpx7MpaBheW/s1600/IMG_2099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf8JJvnQ1f8o1_3f8UKOs-8SeI2Wbo36APaAdTWNTneEDkrVQm0Uo8pyglQ7uvc7951uyiv9pP5eFOCj03bpWsIumWOE3TIKrOKRXHHTomYmbsjgfnZKa6bomD6YXoBMA-mpx7MpaBheW/s400/IMG_2099.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coincidentally, The Garden Island
<a href="http://thegardenisland.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/twice-a-survivor/article_b81dc88a-f234-506a-b4df-20dd974c58e0.html">yesterday</a> carried a story about a “downwinder” who now lives in
Poipu and his extensive health problems.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reading about his very real health
problems, and those suffered by others who were exposed to radiation,
got me thinking about the claims that have been leveled against the
seed companies in Hawaii. None of those claims have been documented.
Indeed, assertions of higher cancer rates have <a href="http://health.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Kauai-Cancer-Cases-April-2013.pdf">been disproven</a>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And
though defeated state House candidate Fern Rosenstiel is quoted in
the <a href="http://marchagainstsyngenta.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/March-on-Syngenta_ebook_e_short_20161109.pdf">March Against Syngenta e-book</a> as saying she was prompted to join
the anti-GMO movement after a friend of hers “had a baby with an
abdominal wall defect through which part of its small intestine
protruded,” there's no evidence that ag pesticides caused that birth defect, or that Kauai babies are disproportionately affected. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The antis also have repeatedly asserted that the Hawaii Department of Health is ignoring their health concerns in favor of catering to
corporate interests.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was rather ironic, then, to see a
<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/hawaii">recent report</a> that ranked Hawaii #1 in the country for public health,
#3 in health care quality and #2 in health care access. That's pretty
good, considering all the hysterical assertions about how people and
“paradise” are being poisoned by pesticides — but only the agricultural kind.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the antis have been surprisingly
mum about the rat lungworm disease that actually is making people
seriously ill in Hawaii. You'd think a group that calls itself Center
for Food Safety would be issuing public service announcements about
how people can protect themselves from contracting rat lungworm
disease, especially since it appears to be especially prevalent on
the organic produce that group promotes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then, the whole anti-movement in
Hawaii has never been about safety and health. It's all and only about trying to destroy GMO
crops and conventional agriculture.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still, it diminishes the real suffering
of people like the downwinders when false claims are made about
adverse health impacts to advance a political agenda. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And despite all the money that's been poured into the Hawaii anti-GMO movement, we have yet to see any "evidence" — save for the very <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/01/musings-hair-raising-tale.html">questionable hair samples</a> provided by anti-GMO activist Malia Chun — that Hawaii folks are even being exposed to pesticides, much less harmed. Surely, if it's actually happening, they would have been able to produce one set of test results or some other smoking gun.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-63019903298659568072017-04-07T10:59:00.001-10:002017-04-07T10:59:20.577-10:00Musings: Continuing Conversations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's spring, which means flowers, long
days, baseball.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But to paraphrase the <a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/casey-bat">classic poem</a>
Casey at the Bat, “there is no joy in antiville — Lukens and
Hooser have struck out.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, despite — or perhaps because of
— all their fear-mongering, threats, mob action and baby-toting
mamas flown into hearings, Center for Food Safety and HAPA had a
dismal session at the Lege:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV9UGSQaeuwDmWkA98VM-eErOYNuBhuQlU9Ee0JBJ03XiG1l2FI6OFaiLKMIcORWr62knxELPt_KrnTxXJhKGTaRkpbC1QrMYj4Cq6Im1-baj6KbZdT_bgi4oG1xnicVky4FLALJymM8j/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-07+at+2.21.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV9UGSQaeuwDmWkA98VM-eErOYNuBhuQlU9Ee0JBJ03XiG1l2FI6OFaiLKMIcORWr62knxELPt_KrnTxXJhKGTaRkpbC1QrMYj4Cq6Im1-baj6KbZdT_bgi4oG1xnicVky4FLALJymM8j/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-07+at+2.21.35+PM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, that's all part of the plan.
Because without "bad guys" — seed companies, conventional farmers,
thinking citizens, politicians who don't cower and cave — they've
got no battle. And without a battle, they've got no raison d'être.
And without a raison d'être to attract donors, they've got no cash.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See how it works? It's not about protecting the keiki and kupuna. It's all about
protecting the cash flow.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to laugh when Ashley recently
thought she'd uncovered some dirt on me:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYNYaaVggjx2tFnx6kyom863kv8K0I5p_YmSSKG8NIT5VoZKMnwaemqKtQQO0Ma_g6Pa7WDjBYXVUC8ZfE57ZLKj9GchiGG-9EFQtfF2RM_euVVbtydCVPdJRR1PEZfslxq4Cj0IVZk4E/s1600/Screenshot_20170401-142526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYNYaaVggjx2tFnx6kyom863kv8K0I5p_YmSSKG8NIT5VoZKMnwaemqKtQQO0Ma_g6Pa7WDjBYXVUC8ZfE57ZLKj9GchiGG-9EFQtfF2RM_euVVbtydCVPdJRR1PEZfslxq4Cj0IVZk4E/s640/Screenshot_20170401-142526.jpg" width="323" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it's an unfamiliar concept,
Ashley, but that's what's called <a href="http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2009/07/the-last-roundup/">balanced and accurate reporting</a>. I
wasn't actually building an argument for anything, just presenting
different viewpoints on the use of herbicides on parks and along
roadsides. The counties make a good case for why they still use Roundup.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though she and others have tried to paint me a poison pimp, I've never maintained that pesticides are safe, or that some people aren't extremely sensitive to them. My position has always been that we have essentially no evidence to indicate that the seed companies are misusing pesticides, or that the pesticides used on seed crops are harming human or environmental health. It's always best if the problem can be solved without the use of pesticides, which is what the seed companies do with their Integrated Pest Management practices. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also consistently been my position that the seed companies have been unfairly singled out, even though they use far fewer restricted use pesticides than the termite and pest control companies — something Gary Hooser knew when he introduced Bill 2491. The agenda has <b><i>always</i></b> been to destroy GMO ag, not reduce pesticide use.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Ashley doesn't realize is I was
never “paid off” by the Alliance for Science. I sought them out,
because I wanted to fight people like Ashley. But the Alliance
doesn't do battle with antis. We work to present the facts about crop
biotechnology, share the positive stories of <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/jayne-rapers-research-make-disease-resistant-cattle-africa">public sector research</a> and
<a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/farmer-perspectives-bt-brinjal-bangladesh">amplify the voices</a> of farmers who want to make their own choices
about which seeds to plant.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the Alliance pays me to help them do
that, and I continue fight Ashley and the antis here in my personal blog.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But frankly, I'm growing weary of the blog
battle, largely because the opponents are so banal. This hit home
last week when I actually engaged with a few antis in the comment
section of <a href="http://thepolitic.org/maui-vs-monsanto-the-battle-over-gmos-in-hawaii/#comment-3241324655">an article</a> on Maui vs Monsanto, which is something I rarely do. Nearly all of them were posting under a pseudonym, so it could've been
the same sock puppet posting comments that were the intellectual
equivalent of “your mama wears combat boots.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, I didn't waste much
time in that forum. But made me profoundly sad to think that agricultural innovations developed by brilliant,
altruistically motivated scientists are being stymied by dolts, some
of whom also appear to be mentally ill.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, that injustice also
motivates me to keep going, because I fear for our food future if policies
and laws are dictated by dullards and self-serving demagogues. So I keep pointing out their idiocy and doing my best to marginalize them and undermine their credibility.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, I keep thinking there's got to be a better way. Which is why I have engaged with Dr. Lee Evslin. Though I've criticized his writing, and we disagree on some things, we can talk. He's intelligent, and willing to consider other points of view. He's also actually motivated by a sincere concern for the common good, as opposed to the sickening self-interest of Hooser, Lukens, etc.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our most recent correspondence, where I questioned his support for pesticide bills that were not grounded in science, he replied:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I had a career that contained virtually no contact with the legislative branch of government. This has been a learning experience for me. I did not consider any of the bills perfect and hoped that their issues would be ironed out in conference. I actually made an attempt (at my own expense) to go to Oahu and discuss the bills with the legislators involved. I support the concepts in my column and I made an attempt to point out areas that could be improved in the bills when I met with legislators.</i></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br class="" /></i></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I walked away from this endeavor with the feeling that the legislature is possibly not the place to create legislation of this nature. The DOH sponsored a symposium on Environmental Toxins and the speakers were experts from the West-coast. They spoke about California as it has some of the strictest rules on reporting and is working hard on a buffer zone policy and has a very robust farming economy. Two comments made by the presenters were particularly interesting to me. They said that although they were researchers and were often at the forefront of studies suggesting possible harm from pesticides, they work well with the farms and actually are asked to help the farms safeguard their workers and participate in studies to show if they have been properly safeguarded. They also said that the statewide buffer zone regulation they are working on is being designed by their Department of Pesticide Regulation not the legislature. This certainly provides a very different forum to work out regs. </i></span></div>
<div class="">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I am very interested in this whole area of health and am glad to continue this conversation.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, this is the kind of conversation I am also interested in continuing, and I hope it's the kind of conversation that many more of us can have before the 2018 legislative session convenes. Because the Lege isn't the best place to deal with complex issues like buffer zones and pesticides.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need to exclude people like Ashley, who claimed "there is no debate." There's a lot of debate, and it needs to be done by thoughtful, knowledgeable, reasonable people who are willing to compromise and be guided by science, not anecdotes and fear-mongering.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, perhaps, we can begin to heal some of the divisiveness caused by this manufactured drama and rediscover the joy of a connected, caring community.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-49085765803261979502017-04-06T06:02:00.000-10:002017-04-06T06:02:25.190-10:00Musings: Borlaug's Food for Thought<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In writing an <a href="http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/borlaug-dream-being-realized">Alliance for Science blog post</a> on some really cool public sector biotech research that could
reduce the need for chemical fertilizers — see, GMO crops aren't
just Monsanto and Roundup! — I had occasion to read Norman
Borlaug's Nobel Prize acceptance speech.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those who aren't familiar with
Borlaug, <a href="https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/dr_norman_e_borlaug/about_norman_borlaug/">he developed</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[N]ew wheat varieties and improved
crop management practices [that] transformed agricultural production
in Mexico during the 1940s and 1950s and later in Asia and Latin
America, sparking what today is known as the "Green Revolution."
Because of his achievements to prevent hunger, famine and misery
around the world, it is said that Dr. Borlaug has "saved more
lives than any other person who has ever lived."</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSafjAN9_-bk5UeIPlXy-zPbrqvVKn45tcqEId0qxiIQ0wOHjKzVxrs-9pzBzRT9LuMaEzZ5bUamtLxDC-K0WHvqu9LA_lqHTQBE6im6kXMaDBK3xYOWBLpgMCkJSNl0uUteCIE2f2FWd/s1600/borlaug_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSafjAN9_-bk5UeIPlXy-zPbrqvVKn45tcqEId0qxiIQ0wOHjKzVxrs-9pzBzRT9LuMaEzZ5bUamtLxDC-K0WHvqu9LA_lqHTQBE6im6kXMaDBK3xYOWBLpgMCkJSNl0uUteCIE2f2FWd/s1600/borlaug_portrait.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though it's been 47 years since Borlaug
delivered his <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1970/borlaug-lecture.html">acceptance speech,</a> I was struck that so many of the
dynamics he referenced remain much the same today. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've still got a
huge gap between what Borlaug characterized as "the privileged
world" and "the forgotten world":</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The privileged world consists of the
affluent, developed nations, comprising twenty-five to thirty percent
of the world population, in which most of the people live in a luxury
never before experienced by man outside the Garden of Eden. The
forgotten world is made up primarily of the developing nations, where
most of the people, comprising more than fifty percent of the total
world population, live in poverty, with hunger as a constant
companion and fear of famine a continual menace.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've still got the link between war
and famine, and so-called “progressive” movements in the
privileged world that are actively opposing technological advances —
GMOs — that could help address a core social justice issue:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost certainly, however, the first
essential component of social justice is adequate food for all
mankind. Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.
Yet today fifty percent of the world's population goes hungry.
Without food, man can live at most but a few weeks; without it, all
other components of social justice are meaningless. Therefore I feel
that the aforementioned guiding principle must be modified to read:
If you desire peace, cultivate justice, but at the same time
cultivate the fields to produce more bread; otherwise there will be
no peace.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've still got this massive disregard
in the wealthy, urbanized west, where food is taken for granted, for
the food insecurity experienced by so many developing nations:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The green revolution has an entirely
different meaning to most people in the affluent nations of the
privileged world than to those in the developing nations of the
forgotten world. In the affluent, industrialized nations giant
surpluses of wheat, maize, and sorghum are commonplace; cattle,
swine, and poultry are fed and fattened on cereal grains; meat, milk,
eggs, fruits, and vegetables are within the economic reach of most of
the population; well-balanced diets are more or less automatically
achieved, and cereal products constitute only a modest portion of the
"daily bread". Consequently, most of the people in such
societies have difficulty in comprehending and appreciating the vital
significance of providing high-yielding strains of wheat, rice,
maize, sorghum, and millet for the people of the developing nations.
Understandably then, the majority of the urbanites in the
industrialized nations have forgotten the significance of the words
they learned as youngsters, "Give us this day our daily bread".
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And as we've seen in Hawaii and
elsewhere, there's still a serious disconnect between those who
actually raise food, and those who merely consume it, but
increasingly want to tell others how to produce it:
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They [Western consumers] know that food
comes from the supermarket, but only a few see beyond to the
necessary investments, the toil, struggle, and frustrations on the
farms and ranches that provide their daily bread. Since the urbanites
have lost their contact with the soil, they take food for granted and
fail to appreciate the tremendous efficiency of their farmers and
ranchers, who, although constituting only five percent of the labor
force in a country such as the United States, produce more than
enough food for their nation.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, however, farming and ranching
families comprise just 2 percent of America's population. And though
they're still producing more than enough food for our nation, while
also exporting large quantities to nations in need, they're too often reviled and dissed
by purists and faddists who express disdain for the fruits of their
labors.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And though these same purists and
faddists demand a global conversion to less productive “organic”
and “agroecology” farming methods, we see their ongoing failure
to address the poverty that prevents so many from purchasing even the
basics, much less high-priced organics:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even if present production could be
expanded rapidly by thirty percent in the developing countries —
which I believe is possible based on recent progress of the green
revolution — so as theoretically to eliminate hunger, the hunger
problem as it now exists still would not be solved. There remains the
unsolved social-economic problem of finding effective ways to
distribute the needed additional food to the vast underprivileged
masses who have little or no purchasing power. This is still the
great unsolved problem with which the economists, sociologists, and
political leaders must now come to grips.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6wTPeXDUSBUfiufPylFDPrmCazLG7acvIg9SQBEtB32TxeY2xmLtQFlC8d-CSGmU3hhqxRfDAhpLHivxGBDxWRS_KBggKCqQ0CJ1DoqbpY6OFjJ9kF_vKTlzoymNJbMpffyqonlHz171/s1600/borlaug2_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6wTPeXDUSBUfiufPylFDPrmCazLG7acvIg9SQBEtB32TxeY2xmLtQFlC8d-CSGmU3hhqxRfDAhpLHivxGBDxWRS_KBggKCqQ0CJ1DoqbpY6OFjJ9kF_vKTlzoymNJbMpffyqonlHz171/s1600/borlaug2_portrait.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We still see the same lack of
commitment to funding science education and public sector research,
even as the world's nations blow the budget on weapons of war:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we are to capitalize fully on the
past biological accomplishments and realize the prospective
accomplishments, as exemplified in my dream, there must be far
greater investments in research and education in the future than in
the past.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nevertheless, vast sums are now being
spent in all countries, developed and developing, on armaments and
new nuclear and other lethal weapons, while pitifully small sums are
being spent on agricultural research and education designed to
sustain and humanize life rather than to degrade and destroy it.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And his chilling insights still hit
hauntingly close to home:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malthus signaled the danger a century
and a half ago. But he emphasized principally the danger that
population would increase faster than food supplies. In his time he
could not foresee the tremendous increase in man's food production
potential. Nor could he have foreseen the disturbing and destructive
physical and mental consequences of the grotesque concentration of
human beings into the poisoned and clangorous environment of
pathologically hypertrophied megalopoles. Can human beings endure the
strain? Abnormal stresses and strains tend to accentuate man's animal
instincts and provoke irrational and socially disruptive behavior
among the less stable individuals in the maddening crowd.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We must recognize the fact that
adequate food is only the first requisite for life. For a decent and
humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education,
remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing, and
effective and compassionate medical care. Unless we can do this, man
may degenerate sooner from environmental diseases than from hunger.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a little food for thought, nearly half a century down the road......</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-5303376910961194242017-04-04T06:56:00.003-10:002017-04-04T06:56:59.993-10:00Musings: No Farms, Just Big and Tiny Houses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Big houses with zero connection to
farming have been popping up all over Hawaii's agricultural lands in
recent decades.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now the state Legislature is working to
exacerabate the problem by<a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/HB2_SD1_.htm"> advancing a bill</a> that would authorize
"tiny houses" — mobile or stationary structures under 500
square feet — on ag land. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though these "tiny houses" are
being promoted as a way to "help" farmers by housing their
workers, the potential for abuse is huge, especially given the
inability and/or unwillingness of county governments to enforce the
existing state law pertaining to farm dwellings.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Currently, the bill is written so that
it would apply only to the Big Island, though it won't be long before
Maui County meets the criteria of "a population of more than
180,000 but less than 250,000."
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neither the state Department of
Agriculture nor the Hawaii County Planning Department support the
bill, which would let anyone who pulls a business license build an
unspecified number of tiny homes. Both entities <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2017/Testimony/HB2_HD2_TESTIMONY_PSM-AEN_03-17-17_.PDF">submitted testimony</a>
in opposition, with Big Island Planning Director Michael Yee noting
the "great potential" for "unintended abuse" of
ag lands.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's being diplomatic. The ag land
abuse proposed here is very much intentional. Consider, for example,
one of its proponents, as featured in a recent Civil Beat article:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eila Algood is both a poet and a
farmer. On her 34 acres of agricultural land in North Kohala, Algood
plants trees to help reforestation efforts, and harvests eggs from
her15 chickens to sell. Algood says she can’t afford to hire the
farmhands necessary to expand her operation because paying employees
a living wage in Kohala is not within her means.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fifteen chickens and trees to help
reforestation efforts? That's not farming by any stretch of the
imagination. This bill is simply a ploy to put sub-standard rental
housing on ag land, resulting in a proliferation of rural ghettoes
and the continued erosion of the agricultural district.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If Big Island Reps. Cindy Evans and
Richard Creagan are serious about helping farmers, they should stop
eroding agricultural viability with their crappy bills. Instead,
initiate a process of reclassifying nonproductive ag lands into the
rural district, where they could be properly developed as housing.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, inept legislators aren't the
only ones harming real farmers and making a mockery of the ag
district. The smarmy developers of the Coco Palms Resort are now
trying to create a luxurious gated community of eight homes on 38
acres of ag land in Kapaa Homesteads.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAsr9ir-T_bdY09NqmxNlWWqjWb9NsceQJ0vFvqQVOceWghRsLtvchFPmMxo-kAFvOAmDPdw3AUvYLzlyaZKNM4H3ssSEsMAvsgDPnXTrpmDtUgYRDCLNMs8v4Yf2ciJxHeCgeSFNoexV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-04+at+10.24.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAsr9ir-T_bdY09NqmxNlWWqjWb9NsceQJ0vFvqQVOceWghRsLtvchFPmMxo-kAFvOAmDPdw3AUvYLzlyaZKNM4H3ssSEsMAvsgDPnXTrpmDtUgYRDCLNMs8v4Yf2ciJxHeCgeSFNoexV/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-04+at+10.24.10+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2017/03/30/coco-palms-developers-plan-off-grid-hawaii-home.html">Pacific Business News reported</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GreeneWaters’ Hauiki Hui LLC
purchased the project’s site for about $2.3 million earlier this
year.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dubbed Hauiki Ranch, the project, which
is located on Hauiki Road in Kapaa, will also include 25 acres of
common area for the community.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“This is the most beautiful 38 acres
I have seen on Kauai,” Chad Waters, managing partner of
GreeneWaters, told PBN. “There is a beautiful stream and waterfall
that bisects throughout the property.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prices for the homes are expected to
start in the low $900,000s.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Waters wants to take the project
entirely off-grid using hydropower, Tesla rooftop solar products and
“smaller-scale wind turbines.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stream-diverting hydropower and
bird-killing wind turbines on Kauai? Where has Waters been the past
few years when such proposals have been bitterly beaten back? Not to
mention the community's antipathy toward gated communities.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gee, I can't wait to see the activists
attack a non-ag project for a change, instead of focusing all their
fury on viable agriculture. But will they?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Kauai's anti-dairy group,
Friends of Mahaulepu, joined Big Island Dairy opponents in a bitch session with Gov. Ige yesterday. Never mind that the proposed Kauai
dairy has a different model than the Ookala dairy, which has been
supported by the Ulupono-funded Local Food Coalition. FOM's Bridget
Hammerquist is keen to draw a catastrophic connection.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hawaii County Council Chairwoman
Valerie Poindexter is helping to lead the charge, <a href="http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35052963/disgruntled-big-island-residents-prepare-to-discuss-concerns-with-governor-over-dairy-farm-pollution">using rhetoric</a>
taken straight from her anti-GMO playbook. Big Island Dairy is being
targeted in part because it raises GMO corn to feed its “industrial operation.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bridget is incensed that the
proposed Kauai dairy would “use 3 million gallons of water daily, a
significant impact on a resource that is becoming increasingly more
precious.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet nary a word is said about all the
water used by the Grand Hyatt and other Poipu hotels. Not to mention
Bridget and her other johnny-come-lately homeowner pals on the
southside.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're hitting showdown time, folks. If
people keep bashing ag into oblivion, it's going to be replaced with hotels, tiny home ghettoes and more luxury home gated communities. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The choice is yours. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just don't be pretending that those other uses are somehow impact-free. </span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-90625530645154348702017-04-02T06:25:00.000-10:002017-04-02T06:25:03.758-10:00Musings: Still Tragic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a poignant time of year for Kauai because it marks the anniversaries of two devastating and deadly tsunami.
I always remember the dates because the first happened on April 1,
1946, the day my first husband was born, while the second occurred on
March 6, 1957, the day of my own birth.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each year, when these dates roll
around, I am reminded that coastal residents in Hawaii are living on
borrowed time. Or perhaps more accurately, in a fool's paradise. This
is especially true on the North Shore of Kauai, where the April 1
tsunami leveled the Wainiha-Haena area and at least 14 people died —
many of them children.
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwoizKvLXQiC9nd0J6WARS2V5POtQa6ZliA9RPpPap1kcVpgjsV4jrDuofFZo7lmmRbIBmUxoteNsU7unhjmpXhAZ3RErDUP-NCENbGut9KcoV-WGMehphHAsfMTwrOVH2XLfVPfwCy5L/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.08.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwoizKvLXQiC9nd0J6WARS2V5POtQa6ZliA9RPpPap1kcVpgjsV4jrDuofFZo7lmmRbIBmUxoteNsU7unhjmpXhAZ3RErDUP-NCENbGut9KcoV-WGMehphHAsfMTwrOVH2XLfVPfwCy5L/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.08.24+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now this very same area is lined
with million-dollar homes, most of them sleeps-12 vacation rentals.
Some of them have bedrooms on the ground floor, in
direct violation of federal regulations. Though the YMCA camp at
Haena was destroyed in both the 1946 and 1957 tsunami, it's now
surrounded by expensive homes, including one listed for sale by
anti-GMO filmmaker Teri Tico. It's not far from the ocean front TVR
owned by her co-propagandists, Pierce and Keely Brosnan.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though these Wainiha-Haena vacation
rentals lure their guests with language about the soothing sounds of
the sea right outside their door, they don't offer any sort of
meaningful tsunami evacuation plan, except “head for the hills.”
Or perhaps more accurately, kiss your ass goodbye.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.pacificworlds.com/haena/memories/tsupage1.cfm">media reports</a> about the
tsunami (emphasis added):</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>In addition Haena's isolation and its
link to the rest of the island by several bridges made rescue efforts
difficult. The 1946 tsunai hit with two powerful waves, with a
<b>maximum run-up of forty-five feet in elevation</b>. All the bridges at
Wainiha were washed out, and the tiny village of Wainiha itself was
flattened. At Haena, most of the damage occurred on the flat at the
Wainiha end of the ahupaa.
</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZZlG8a61oq8Czj-PI-j6HXXVK5Sc2usUPQpnhTmLqizwyFmqd_WEXdk9ucGaRUS9JbsUoHycnoRmw-uuU1_Zu47BSfipIBdZVt597afvB5cy78OkKga4EvS5IB8qQKTvz7KyVRouRY7m/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.07.57+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZZlG8a61oq8Czj-PI-j6HXXVK5Sc2usUPQpnhTmLqizwyFmqd_WEXdk9ucGaRUS9JbsUoHycnoRmw-uuU1_Zu47BSfipIBdZVt597afvB5cy78OkKga4EvS5IB8qQKTvz7KyVRouRY7m/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.07.57+AM.png" width="382" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFpLyfTBbmVDPoOrFSXDTk5D0hYXWTR2HJ0nRhl0fbANZW9CEYAkQhNRETsbFZgXtUfmdLb4ctnEs9bYJh1c0NIx1eqthGYave6yBWEWBz_plZbVt1TltShz7gR4X4gM4if0p0Gevu6fr/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.08.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFpLyfTBbmVDPoOrFSXDTk5D0hYXWTR2HJ0nRhl0fbANZW9CEYAkQhNRETsbFZgXtUfmdLb4ctnEs9bYJh1c0NIx1eqthGYave6yBWEWBz_plZbVt1TltShz7gR4X4gM4if0p0Gevu6fr/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-04-02+at+9.08.07+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The area is still isolated, reached
only by crossing the same small bridges that were washed out in '46
and again in '57. But the neighborhoods are now populated primarily with
transients, making it difficult to create a viable community
emergency response team.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet despite these very real dangers,
and the area's vulnerability to tsunami generated by earthquakes in the
Aleutians, it's the hub of high-end TVR action — the very same TVRs
I highlighted in the Abuse Chronicles.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And all those Chronicled TVRs are still there. Even
though I documented that the county had issued their permits
improperly, none of them had their permits revoked. Worse, the county
is still using the bogus valuation forumula that allowed homeowners
along that coastline to rennovate and greatly expand their houses without having to elevate the structures to comply with federal flood
laws.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But most everybody just keeps
pretending like it's all fine. North Shore activists work themselves into a frenzy over imagined agricultural harms on the westside while ignoring the death traps in their own neighborhoods. The county keeps issuing building permits
and collecting the property taxes; the Realtors and speculators keep
flipping houses and driving up real estate prices. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stick your head in the sand, and worry about it later.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though
Wainiha-Haena is perhaps the most egregious example of this complete
disregard for public health and safety, it's happening all along that
Northwestern coast.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the 1957 tsunami resulted in no
deaths, it did cause $2 million in damges — double the amount of
the 1946 disaster. Again, according to <a href="http://www.pacificworlds.com/haena/memories/tsupage4.cfm">news reports</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some 75 homes were demolished or
damaged along the 15 mile strip between Kalihiwai and Haena. An
estimated 250 persons were homeless. An estimated 250 persons were
homeless. More than 1,000 were isolated when the Kalihiwai bridge
crumbled under the power of the waves. Out of 29 homes that once
stood at Haena, only four can now be lived in. A YMCA boys' camp,
recently repaired from 1946 tidal wave damage, was washed out to sea.
Power and telephone lines were down for a mile along Haena flats.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are now far more than 29 homes in
Haena. Coastal areas at Anahola, Moloaa, Kalihiwai and Anini have been heavily built up, and again,
many of these structures are rented to hapless tourists.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started digging into the North Shore TVR issue <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2013/02/musings-ominous-omissions.html">after a tourist died</a> while jumping off an unpermitted dock at Wainiha. That led me down a rabbit hole of county corruption-incompetence that allowed a deadly tsunami zone to become a defacto high end resort.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the county is now starting to work a bit harder on enforcement, and has taken commendable steps to prevent a similar proliferation of B&Bs and homesteads, the core problem remains. Meanwhile, illegal operators and their attorneys know how to game the system, tying up proceedings endlessly in court or contested case hearings as they meanwhile keep operating. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've given up all hope that the county will ever be able to deal effectively with this issue. But I still hope that Mother Nature doesn't provide her own tragic solution to this travesty of land use planning.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-51521882732247660672017-03-31T06:37:00.001-10:002017-04-01T06:54:43.325-10:00Musings: Hashtag #Harumph <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the Hawaii anti-GMO movement loses
ground, its leaders are becoming increasingly apoplectic and
divisive, as evidenced first by Gary Hooser's hashtag bloat:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfoLYis5rOtFYUVaWWtZuh_1aHJjWyOrBYj4kGskDrqa97OjLtRm01gHe0JZBlGseRnGUgOw2xLDnBsFMBPdJ12wTe_5FqucXuXWJ5TveiclgEvggmR0uo6g8zpkNXBjfX6Pr8GtSwzhh/s1600/Screenshot_20170330-224409-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfoLYis5rOtFYUVaWWtZuh_1aHJjWyOrBYj4kGskDrqa97OjLtRm01gHe0JZBlGseRnGUgOw2xLDnBsFMBPdJ12wTe_5FqucXuXWJ5TveiclgEvggmR0uo6g8zpkNXBjfX6Pr8GtSwzhh/s400/Screenshot_20170330-224409-1.jpg" width="297" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzsh7UGW9OJtHgS8Vhf-RcoM4VNwoYzMmG5A1jie6Dsz08mAhxZ0RPV_gs5NUhhknyiIJf5YpN3K7wkAOhbi6OBjl0LoFnLVfTlQ_rGYKdUq-jEFwZP80kof-MdCtrC8Hi3j-TjYi5MNs/s1600/Screenshot_20170330-231133-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzsh7UGW9OJtHgS8Vhf-RcoM4VNwoYzMmG5A1jie6Dsz08mAhxZ0RPV_gs5NUhhknyiIJf5YpN3K7wkAOhbi6OBjl0LoFnLVfTlQ_rGYKdUq-jEFwZP80kof-MdCtrC8Hi3j-TjYi5MNs/s320/Screenshot_20170330-231133-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh, Rep. Lowen, just a small FYI — you may
want to think twice about strategizing with a failed politician.
Because I don't think he really knows too much about winning.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVzZr3mUkEaFhV52AOVO74NYdoBg566gbY_NbnHCDcDUamhHbc21fPUZoIyfssQMPjUxD458PU_U1zxmtHRQrq-mi-KfNpVYVGq12U9NLUdXegL5l_hxcQSeeUw6u1P0p8MmB6DsmUULX/s1600/xTiTnHz4LKeY7zNDvq.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVzZr3mUkEaFhV52AOVO74NYdoBg566gbY_NbnHCDcDUamhHbc21fPUZoIyfssQMPjUxD458PU_U1zxmtHRQrq-mi-KfNpVYVGq12U9NLUdXegL5l_hxcQSeeUw6u1P0p8MmB6DsmUULX/s320/xTiTnHz4LKeY7zNDvq.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maui's Autumn Rae Ness was also
sputtering:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe82ORWPHyPU1shYPFlolTirg3oMc_GSV7FesH2OvfoJedQcNUu8pzNurw-SnSzik0vDyE6BRsuu7doUYsklK8XtXo3uoAkkvZ6m36xBv2iDptWILDWy5HNnXR8adRiy0m5X4nLHjMUoO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+9.59.37+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe82ORWPHyPU1shYPFlolTirg3oMc_GSV7FesH2OvfoJedQcNUu8pzNurw-SnSzik0vDyE6BRsuu7doUYsklK8XtXo3uoAkkvZ6m36xBv2iDptWILDWy5HNnXR8adRiy0m5X4nLHjMUoO/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+9.59.37+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gee, Autumn, we've all seen your tired
playbook. I recall it being trotted out by Dubya, in the days
following 9-11: You're either with us or against us. AKA: We're right,
you're wrong, and there ain't no in-between.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, yes. Intolerance and smug superiority are <i>such</i> effective ways to win
converts, gain consensus and move forward.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Autumn is equally huhu about the
sponsorship of tomorrow's Maui County Ag Festival, not that she and her pals contributed any money or manpower to change things:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViG8VZ125HJcwaLQE3_al7EehD74P1FHpajZvOixeXp94Hv2fatx5o88x_BUioy3Y5uO7oV28_I65E-4nQpBHS-UYRIFukBFozAC97VEq6f0YeUO2_TQFPqBsnYCGuYDDnsTGELOvtJ6c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+10.20.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViG8VZ125HJcwaLQE3_al7EehD74P1FHpajZvOixeXp94Hv2fatx5o88x_BUioy3Y5uO7oV28_I65E-4nQpBHS-UYRIFukBFozAC97VEq6f0YeUO2_TQFPqBsnYCGuYDDnsTGELOvtJ6c/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+10.20.53+AM.png" width="330" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">It was so amusing to see Big Island Sen. Russell Ruderman weighing in with a big "like, "considering how much he and his organic grocery stores profit off imported food.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-j05-NC1Wx6WOLNTDJEHak1AMajl6SMCPUvp70CpUwP7hQvYgxAf4X7A_b0JAro-RrozYOu6cf-VBuvE1LXXX5myGVLANtr8I8Nl6ANza87JmAu257AI5Tnt4sAh3WMkbu76l3PNGm_8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+10.02.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-j05-NC1Wx6WOLNTDJEHak1AMajl6SMCPUvp70CpUwP7hQvYgxAf4X7A_b0JAro-RrozYOu6cf-VBuvE1LXXX5myGVLANtr8I8Nl6ANza87JmAu257AI5Tnt4sAh3WMkbu76l3PNGm_8/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+10.02.01+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah, that's real class, Napua. Talk shit about an event, then hijack it with own rhetoric. That's the spirit of hula, right?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Napua is an example of how
the antis <i>don't</i> win elections on Maui, seeing as how she lost to Yuki
Lei Sugimura. Autumn, on the other hand, has been working for Councilwoman
Elle Cochran, who was outed by <a href="http://thepolitic.org/maui-vs-monsanto-the-battle-over-gmos-in-hawaii/">The Politic</a> as ignorant, and easily
frightened and misled:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While its claims are scientifically
dubious, the SHAKA Movement’s rhetoric had plenty of shock-value.
Its website links to articles that warn readers about dramatic new
scientific studies and claim to provide evidence of epidemic-like
health risks posed by GMOs. While these articles do not convey
legitimate scientific findings, they were effective in creating
opposition to Monsanto, even among Maui’s leaders. In an interview
with the Politic, Maui County Councilwoman Elle Cochran said, “these
companies like Monsanto are putting out poison.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah, yes. Just the kind of thoughtful, well-informed, sane leaders you
want.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It all brings to mind <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-real-reason-americans-cant-agree-on-unemployment-or-just-about-anything-else-2017-03-29?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo&ref=yfp">an article</a> I read the other day about why Americans can't agree on anything:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn't just human nature, but the result of a narcissism that took root in American society after the 1960s and has been growing ever since. Surrounded by affluence, enabled by the internet, and empowered by an educational system that prizes self-esteem over achievement, Americans have become more opinionated even as they have become less informed, and are now utterly intolerant of ever being told they’re wrong about almost anything.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of which:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLExUKb-zEJka7a4ZGtUhEaXydwq0eNiCl9frmrbeiqSMRwfMrll1R2U78GROZDRPy1OXUPoKzA2sCeEKljsDhCZer-fW7xADV-EjHORRS9q11bpEzNGEiWY4UZ4JMlFQw5e5B0Y06qw6/s1600/Screenshot_20170330-230350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLExUKb-zEJka7a4ZGtUhEaXydwq0eNiCl9frmrbeiqSMRwfMrll1R2U78GROZDRPy1OXUPoKzA2sCeEKljsDhCZer-fW7xADV-EjHORRS9q11bpEzNGEiWY4UZ4JMlFQw5e5B0Y06qw6/s400/Screenshot_20170330-230350.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How's about draw the line
at the low-water mark, and they can stand on the makai side. Or
better yet, those who actually farm on one side, and those who just
complain and rhapsodize about farming on the other. And see who feeds you first.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A farmer friend who weathered the anti-GMO battles on Kauai predicted the shit storm would blow over on Maui, too, even though Center for Food Safety is galvanizing its forces there. The scare tactics start to lose their shock value when they're reiterated too many times, with nothing substantial to actually support them, he said. And people get turned off by the extremist, no-holds-barred behavior that characterizes so many on the anti side. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's what happened on Kauai. Just ask Hooser.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So those who are drawing lines and demanding that folks pick sides may want to back up a mile or two. 'Cause bumbye, they may just end up as the odd man out.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-31723127718783583962017-03-29T06:43:00.003-10:002017-03-30T12:14:51.314-10:00Musings: West by Northwest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been in Seattle, land of
construction cranes, low gray skies, $2 million dollar homes with yard signs outlining the occupants' philosophical beliefs and coffee shops. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwnWg7D1hEQOi04ZAHVI4T2r_ve7MeqEV1QO8uV3eb1dumbuP7mX66Y6kvJ2CylWUruHc6lRaq4_NL0KcaxA5iG1htAde16yLiiXOnJ5eRmUE5AHn8CeaHps2MAkIbZ_Oo8Q6Jo_KWpuR/s1600/IMG_2056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwnWg7D1hEQOi04ZAHVI4T2r_ve7MeqEV1QO8uV3eb1dumbuP7mX66Y6kvJ2CylWUruHc6lRaq4_NL0KcaxA5iG1htAde16yLiiXOnJ5eRmUE5AHn8CeaHps2MAkIbZ_Oo8Q6Jo_KWpuR/s400/IMG_2056.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In one neighborhood, I saw three coffee shops all in a row, each with its own personality, and each one bustling in the late afternoon. Even McDonald's was advertising $2 lattes and mochas.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But Seattlites need their coffee to
stay awake and alert in their somnambulent, soggy climate.
Fortunately, the </span><a href="https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">newest dietary guidelines </a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">indicate that “habitual
caffeine intake up to 400 mg per day is safe for adults,” and most
people are staying within those limits. What's more, caffeine also
appears to offer health benefits. Its consumption is associated with
lower risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes,
cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG7PSUXpJKA5mfZfOmfsX4wPul7I-MqCIpiUT_nnadovNuXEDYC1hiEwZx996FcqtgCb5J0IVFdQt_zZ0CS9aHuEcqEnqNzV14tLK4BFC1eLNB6TVQdl2YPi9jvnD6hxUBA2osBLqV79s/s1600/IMG_2050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG7PSUXpJKA5mfZfOmfsX4wPul7I-MqCIpiUT_nnadovNuXEDYC1hiEwZx996FcqtgCb5J0IVFdQt_zZ0CS9aHuEcqEnqNzV14tLK4BFC1eLNB6TVQdl2YPi9jvnD6hxUBA2osBLqV79s/s400/IMG_2050.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The city is also filled with restaurants
featuring farm-to-fork fare. And why not? The
ag-friendly corridor that stretches from Vancouver south
into Oregon produces a plethora of fresh food that easily finds its
way into local eateries and markets. Locally-produced, relatively
inexpensive food — veggies, fruit, livestock, cheese — is such a
familiar facet of life in the Northwest that folks here tend to
believe everyone everywhere can — indeed, <i>should</i> — eat that way.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then you have to deliver a wake up
call: Uh, have you ever been to Detroit? In the winter?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Their easy acceptance of agriculture
contrasts with the constant push-pull in Hawaii, where many folks
claim to want local food — so long as it's not produced within
sight, sound or smell of their world. That stance was perfectly
personified by Dr. Monroe Richman's <a href="http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-tuesday-march/article_8640f32a-0035-5de5-8e44-7bed8ac3e6c9.html">ill-informed, paranoic rant</a> against the
proposed Mahaulepu dairy. What's that old saying? Better to be
thought a fool than to write a letter to the editor that confirms
it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Richman isn't the only one raving. It's
been amusing to see the many conspiracy theories advanced against the
dairy, most recently by the <a href="http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/19378/Omidyar-Wins-by-Losing-Kauai-Court-Ruling-Forces-Farms-to-File-EIS.aspx">Hawaii Free Press</a>, which reinterprets the
press release from Hawaii Dairy Farms:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today the Fifth Circuit Court ruled
that Hawaii Dairy Farms is now required to do an Environmental Impact
Statement, which revokes all of our permits and approvals to date.
While this news is disappointing for Hawaii Dairy Farms, we believe
it could be devastating for animal agriculture in Hawaii.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Translation: Our boss, luxury resort
developer Pierre Omidyar, has achieved his hidden goal. By
voluntarily filing an EIS for our dairy farm on Kauai, Omidyar has
now brought about a court ruling for the first time ever mandating
EIS for farmers statewide. Next year, the Legislature will be
expected to act. And the best part—Omidyar looks like the victim
here when he is actually the perpetrator.
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Omidyar's minions sound soooo sincere.
They really have no idea what their boss is up to.)</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think the dairy's floundering and
missteps are more likely due to plain old ineptitude by its parent
organization, Ulupono Initiative, than any grand plan to surreptiously derail agriculture. Bankrolled by Omidyar's Ebay
fortune, it represents yet another of his vanity dalliances aimed at
shaping the sociopolitical climate of Hawaii. But like Civil Beat, the dream so often fails in the execution.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shoots, Ulupono actually believes its
goal for “more sustainable local food” can be realized by <a href="http://ulupono.com/portfolios/malama-kauai">blowing $351,663</a> on do-nothing groups like Malama Kauai, the failed Utopian
dream of another (though far less flush) tech entreprenuer, Chris
Jaeb.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even though it's funnelled a pile of
dough into so-called “sustainable” ag projects, Ulupono hasn't
been able to appease the antis. Heck, the anti-ag folks on <strike>Maui</strike> correction, Big Island, even
brought over Kauai's Friends of Mahaulepu to help them oppose an
Ulupono-funded dairy there by protesting at a town hall meeting last
night.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ulupono has apparently failed to
realize that conflict activism is a business model for some of these
groups, so they ain't never gonna be happy.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is why I barely raised an eyebrow when I saw this post from Ashley Lukens at Hawaii Center for Food
Safety:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkvY-ZO2Q5KEFcP9W8AnZhQI3IkyLzYwIHZ_ZyT_nMzKYUVGtJhDBJviYdbUvYpo0daiN4_2OuM-Z3igalX0ORLu7KIo3yYbx_3MntMpENP3UE8v0eTztJ_5E59nw2S1N2v8qAIDo6TtY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-28+at+7.57.03+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkvY-ZO2Q5KEFcP9W8AnZhQI3IkyLzYwIHZ_ZyT_nMzKYUVGtJhDBJviYdbUvYpo0daiN4_2OuM-Z3igalX0ORLu7KIo3yYbx_3MntMpENP3UE8v0eTztJ_5E59nw2S1N2v8qAIDo6TtY/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-28+at+7.57.03+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gosh, Ashley, aren't you and your
acolytes, and the other antis from HAPA and Hawaii SEED and and Earthjustice, going to supply our fish and food? I
mean, you keep telling everybody how they can't do this or that,
while <i>demanding</i> more local food. So when are you actually
going to put your elbow grease where your mouth is?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, that's right. I forgot. You
don't actually produce anything other than pilikia and propaganda.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It had been probably 30 years since I
was last in Seattle, and though it's grown tremendously in that time,
it still appeals. I can understand why Hawaii folks like Seattle.
It's got the same close connection with the water, and the damp grayness
creates a softness similar to the Islands. Until the wind gusts, and
then it's brrrr.....</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpwf14606N83b0aLuBLRMrHpgJnIG8FOmnZlOWpMWb5lMZ0HaEjwJ9UOAGHJ6kkWZSS-LaoWpUB2DO1pOCF9mPxMdkH6z45JRyy-D4AySwVyHufWo06jvzB39D4zOzXjjuOh1l2fwccJl/s1600/IMG_2061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpwf14606N83b0aLuBLRMrHpgJnIG8FOmnZlOWpMWb5lMZ0HaEjwJ9UOAGHJ6kkWZSS-LaoWpUB2DO1pOCF9mPxMdkH6z45JRyy-D4AySwVyHufWo06jvzB39D4zOzXjjuOh1l2fwccJl/s400/IMG_2061.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could only smile when a group of
Seattlites, walking between tall buildings, saw the clouds part,
revealing a patch of sunlight. Out came the sunglasses. “Let's go
stand in it,” one woman said eagerly.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Their eyes light up at the mention of
Hawaii — the place that so many of them choose to visit when the
winter gloom gets to them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I don't think they, or the other 8
million tourists who visit Hawaii every year, will be dissuaded by
The Juice Media's <a href="https://thejuicemedia.com/visit-hawaii-honest-government-ad/">hackneyed anti-tourism video</a> —made, ironically,
by an Aussie tourist who was “enlightened” during his visit to
the Islands:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aloha! I had the magical opportunity to visit Hawai'i
at the start of the month and talk with local and native Hawaiians.
They all said the biggest problem they face is the fact that so few
people are aware of the history of ongoing US military occupation. So
on my return to Australia, I decided to make a video about it.
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really? A lack of awareness about the
overthrow and militarism in Hawaii is <i>the biggest problem</i> Hawaiians
face?</span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hate to break the news, but after
spending a lot of time on the mainland in recent years, the hard cold
fact is this: they don't give a shit about the reality of Hawaii.
They just wanna get warm and have fun in the "magical" paradise that has been so successfully packaged and sold in the global marketplace.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As this <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/magazine/hawaii-travels-escape.html">gawd awful piece</a> in the NYT makes clear.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And they're gonna keep on coming, until too many have bad experiences, or climate change kills the trades and Hawaii starts to swelter like Guam.</span></div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-26396263446658925762017-03-22T06:29:00.001-10:002017-03-22T06:29:38.124-10:00Musings: Funny, yeah?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opponents of Hawaii Dairy Farm have
succeeded not only in setting back that project, but dealing a
serious blow to future livestock projects in the Islands.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In response to a motion for summary
judgement filed by Kawailoa (Grand Hyatt) attorneys, a circuit court
judge ruled yesterday that the dairy's effluent ponds qualify as
wastewater treatment plants under HRS 343, and thus require the
completion of an EIS before any permits can be issued.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So now the dairy is back to square one.
And though this pilot project, bankrolled by billionaire Pierre
Omidyar's Ulupono Initiative, can afford to finish the EIS it already
started — when it still thought the process was voluntary — it
sets a chilling precedent for future animal agriculture.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But HDF plans to appeal the ruling,
according to a statement from spokeswoman Amy Hennessey, “because
this dangerous precedent cannot stand if Hawaii hopes to spur new
agricultural projects to meet its goal of providing more local food
for our island community.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come on, Amy. Doncha know people are just saying they want more local food? But when it comes right down to it, not in their back yard. They'll take the stuff brought in by Costco, thank you very much.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, as <a href="http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34914528/health-department-says-overflowing-cesspools-polluting-kauai-stream">Hawaii News Now reported</a> recently:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Department of Health says high
levels of a harmful bacteria called Clostridium Perfringens -- an
indicator of human and animal wastes -- were found during recent
water testing in Waikomo Stream on Kauai's South Shore. The
department says there are 1,600 cesspools and 120 injection wells in
the Poipu area, and some of them are overflowing and polluting the
stream.
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But no, human beings and tourism aren't
causing any pollution problems on the southside. Just agriculture.
Funny how Surfrider and Bridget Hammerquist of Friends of Mahauelpu
had nothing to say about this particular stream pollution, since it
doesn't grind their anti-dairy ax.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aKz-XlygLqP646ZgknN9q5OEzktsyoqqEPAhbIb9sZM8o5TAixsRTwaJ6Sp0luN23HW1Tf4nx1lyajRwF9HglbY-WZ6Xjaj6TiFO2-znNvr7WJkMUGE6Vqej0by1rFYYhkwo8lCbhRtb/s1600/17439752_10155134326754819_919093251_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aKz-XlygLqP646ZgknN9q5OEzktsyoqqEPAhbIb9sZM8o5TAixsRTwaJ6Sp0luN23HW1Tf4nx1lyajRwF9HglbY-WZ6Xjaj6TiFO2-znNvr7WJkMUGE6Vqej0by1rFYYhkwo8lCbhRtb/s400/17439752_10155134326754819_919093251_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of which, Earthjustice
attorney Paul Achitoff is now calling for Hawaii's congressional
delegation to initiate an investigation into Wespac's “senior
leadership,” claiming it's “unlawfully lobbying the Trump
Administration” and taking advantage of an "anti-environmental
president."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As Achitoff fumed on <a href="http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34968917/commercial-fishing-industry-hopes-trump-administration-eases-restrictions-in-papahanaumokuakea">Hawaii News Now</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“That's not Wespac's job. It's not
their authority. Frankly, it's just not legal. They're not here to
advise the President or anybody else on what the provisions of the
monument should be."</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, only Earthjustice and Sierra Club have that right.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Funny, how Achitoff has no problem with
illegal lobbying conducted by his friends in the anti-GMO movement.
Nor did he say a peep about the questionable funding and lobbying
activities that led to the recent expansion of the monument.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And though I'm not a well-paid attorney, like Achitoff, I'm pretty sure that Wespac, as the fishing council
for the West Pacific, has every right to make recommendations to NOAA
and National Marine Fisheries Services.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Oregon is setting a good
example for strict enforcement of pesticide rules. As<a href="http://www.capitalpress.com/Oregon/20170320/high-pesticide-level-prompts-pot-recall"> Capital Press reported</a>:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Oregon Liquor Control Commission
issued its first recall of recreational marijuana after testing of a
brand sold at a Mapleton, Ore., store showed it contained a level of
pesticide residue that exceeds the state limit.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The OLCC , which oversees retail sales
of recreational cannabis, said samples of Blue Magoo marijuana failed
a test for pyrethin levels. Pyrethins are a mixture of six chemicals
that are toxic to insects, according to the National Pesticide
Information Center based at Oregon State University. Pyrethins are
found in some chrysanthemum flowers, and in some cases can be used on
organic products.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OMG! There's an <i>organic pesticide</i>? And
it's “toxic?” You know what they say, if it kills insects, what
will it do to us? And they're drenching pot with this
stuff? Is nothing sacred?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The article continues:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The mistake might qualify as a
violation under Oregon administrative rules, Pettinger said. Failure
to keep proper records is a Class III violation; the first offense is
punishable by up to 10 days of business closure and a $1,650 fine.
Four violations within a two-year period can lead to license
revocation.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shoots, if this had happened in Hawaii,
they'd be calling the EPA and demanding a civil rights investigation
into this blatant violation of human rights by the dirty pesticide pushers.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where's Earthjustic when you need 'em? </span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-73641251800545676782017-03-21T05:31:00.002-10:002017-03-21T10:48:52.277-10:00Musings: So Often the Case<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As is so often the case with Civil
Beat, <a href="http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/03/hawaii-rep-creagan-revives-pesticide-disclosure-bill/">an article</a> there irked — both its content and delivery.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And is so often the case, it was
written by Anita Hofschneider, who, as is so often the case, inserts
her own views into what is supposed to be a news story:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The issue of pesticides is highly
debated at the Legislature, where most legislators have aligned
themselves with the agricultural lobby rather than environmental
advocates.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh, no, Anita. As is so often the case,
you've got it wrong. First, the pesticide debate we've seen playing
out at the Lege is not a pro- vs anti-environmental issue, nor is it
farming vs environmentalism.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is a thin facade for an anti-GMO
movement that is using pesticides in a disingenuous, self-serving,
manipulative attempt to, as Gary Hooser has clearly stated, drive the
seed companies out of Hawaii vs mostly small, conventional farmers
and average folks who are pissed off by the tactics of the antis.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the legislators who have refused to play along did so because the last bill — HB 790 — was poorly written, not because they're aligning themselves with the "agricultural lobby."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Furthermore, please quit making like
farmers are an “agricultural lobby” — read corporate, craven,
big business — while the antis are “environmental advocates” —
read humble, earnest, dedicated to the public good.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come on. Ashley Lukens is a registered
lobbyist for the Hawaii Center for Food Safety. She and others, as
I've pointed in <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/musings-following-anti-gmo-money-part-1.html">parts 1</a> and <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/following-anti-gmo-money-part-2.html">2 </a>of the follow-money posts, are pulling
in serious money — and getting paid — to push their agenda. Which
is fine. But let's not pretend they're doing this out of the goodness
of their hearts and the best interest of the people.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Furthermore, these activists do not get
grab the title of environmentalist, and neither they nor Anita get to
define who qualifies for that role.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With that, let me focus on the content
of the article: Big Island Rep. Richard Creagan's amendment to a
<a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/bills/SB804_HD1_PROPOSED_.HTM">pesticide bill </a>that the seed industry, farm bureau and others
previously supported. The original bill would have allowed the
Department of Ag to use money from the pesticide fund to conduct some
of the studies proposed by the Joint Fact Finding Group.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But Creagan amended it to mandate
reporting of all pesticide use — general, restricted and
experimental — within 60 days of the end of the calendar year. It
would apply to any ag entity that bought or used 10 pounds or 10
gallons of RUPs. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A hearing is set for Wednesday morning. Needless to say, it's silly, since the companies have already agreed to voluntarily disclose this info on a monthly basis. So what good is this language?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Creagan also added a section that calls for
an undisclosed amount of money to go to the UH medical school “to
develop a study that will determine the exposure of chlorpyrifos to
one hundred pregnant mothers on Hawaii island, Oahu, and Kauai by
examining the meconium of newborn babies.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why does the state want to get into
testing women for exposure to a pesticide that the EPA is currently
considering banning, which could render the whole issue moot?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if exposure is determined, then
what?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exactly what is the purpose of this,
other than to further underscore <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/02/musings-creagans-attack-on-ag.html">Creagan's complete capitulation</a> to the antis and cater to Lukens, who proclaimed:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>If lawmakers are not toeing the
corporate line then this kind of language should be something that
they get behind,” she said.
</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, yes, Ashley, it's so black and
white. That may be a great "with us or against us" sound byte for the media, but the
real world, and even the strange world of politics, are far more nuanced
and based on compromise.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ashley may be desperate to appease
critics like Dustin Barca and his followers, who rightly question why
she has been unable to secure one “victory,” despite blowing
millions over the past three years. But as she should have learned
from her last defeat at the Capitol, it's never akamai to back
legislators into a corner.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-23643178570845447102017-03-20T06:15:00.002-10:002017-03-20T06:15:47.411-10:00Following the Anti-GMO Money, Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some Hawaii anti-GMO activists are
now starting to question the money trail that has delivered so much
to the Center for Food Safety — and so little to them — while
accomplishing essentially, well, nothing — except for a lot of huhu and humbug.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the Facebook posts of defeated mayoral candidate and anti-GMO activist Dustin Barca:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IaFCuvCj9Duf0HEOOWB_cKDqqwwk-UMyDzr8Bub9kx_Sxldpf-FOirdn1qjeotoRP5IIDWF0fZiaVMoPh8AHJrI2dU8BGW52UMt8JbT7VvhYcgFzoAZIb0kuX0Ij7EiNhFpYagMINM5b/s1600/17016102_10154376920413297_3628274842450994644_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IaFCuvCj9Duf0HEOOWB_cKDqqwwk-UMyDzr8Bub9kx_Sxldpf-FOirdn1qjeotoRP5IIDWF0fZiaVMoPh8AHJrI2dU8BGW52UMt8JbT7VvhYcgFzoAZIb0kuX0Ij7EiNhFpYagMINM5b/s400/17016102_10154376920413297_3628274842450994644_o.jpg" width="335" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjim9fCgeYZuzxARy9yjDznPzsvvz-wxIDT9FNnD2xxBIxB8a5CgPCXIsa24uVfcyGkyazvrBq0jVG5j-Vt304UwkgDMkiGaoYnuHP7Gr3a9l8tjLKN7Zn7DvFTvJnY4VPRv1IrX7tgRxrn/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+7.34.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjim9fCgeYZuzxARy9yjDznPzsvvz-wxIDT9FNnD2xxBIxB8a5CgPCXIsa24uVfcyGkyazvrBq0jVG5j-Vt304UwkgDMkiGaoYnuHP7Gr3a9l8tjLKN7Zn7DvFTvJnY4VPRv1IrX7tgRxrn/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+7.34.15+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then, political neophytes like
Barca think all you have to do is march and presto, the world is
changed. He doesn't realize that endless struggle, with no progress
toward goals, is the essence of the <a href="http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2016/04/american-narratives-rescue-game.html">Rescue Game</a> and its one main
rule: the game must go on forever.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As articulated by one of its leaders,
Gary Hooser, following a screening of yet another anti-GMO
documentary last week: </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This inspired me to keep the vision alive
and the commitment going until these chemical companies leave our
state.”</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which was followed by his stating an
equally unrealistic goal, seeing as how so few of these activists
have any understanding of agriculture:<i> </i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Let's become the model of
self-sufficiency, of regeneration, of sustainability, of democracy.”</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All while practicing an anti-democratic
model of deception, distortion and zero transparency, as expressed so
well by Maui anti-GMO activist Tiare Lawrence who apparently doesn't realize Hawaii CFS Director Ashley Lukens <i>is</i> a lobbyist:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja07B_9iPAxsPqZ8BSHbXTfXw1g28Z2Y-YF3fJXxVf-labDJDFqflmCV5NiYN2TnoE5IT6cMwDzVAPgAIVojrqYfSZFh0Oufcar-N5a6NuMVJsl3_gKG8f6IJh9cDxJ4O3-UgrzrxCRon9/s1600/17361432_10107848679435428_495873761_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja07B_9iPAxsPqZ8BSHbXTfXw1g28Z2Y-YF3fJXxVf-labDJDFqflmCV5NiYN2TnoE5IT6cMwDzVAPgAIVojrqYfSZFh0Oufcar-N5a6NuMVJsl3_gKG8f6IJh9cDxJ4O3-UgrzrxCRon9/s400/17361432_10107848679435428_495873761_n.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, <i>they</i> should be transparent, but
not us. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and not to mention, silencing and
censoring anyone who dares to disagree — again, from Barca's Facebook postings:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxsac_Yofr6s6MpwxZI6cvWhLuB8IG0I8XFiV8_AvMzhrwcJ-f3eGdC62Tb8nOlCKSzca1oMzhoHDhp37MmOqPy5gRqU5QacvHibv2hlrT9bnhX2X_VCsw3x0-Ji6lv9hyphenhyphenQcxgZSfvIfr/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+7.35.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxsac_Yofr6s6MpwxZI6cvWhLuB8IG0I8XFiV8_AvMzhrwcJ-f3eGdC62Tb8nOlCKSzca1oMzhoHDhp37MmOqPy5gRqU5QacvHibv2hlrT9bnhX2X_VCsw3x0-Ji6lv9hyphenhyphenQcxgZSfvIfr/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+7.35.52+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gee, Dustin, now you know how I feel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which all segues into this next installment. After I published <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2017/03/musings-following-anti-gmo-money-part-1.html">part one</a>, I got this email from a reader:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Great article yet again. But it begs the question (to me) as to WHY do these foundations fund this destructive crap? I mean, what do they get out of it?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I get Gary Hooser doing it – he’s cynically trying to create relevance for himself. I get Neal Norman doing it – he wants to develop the West Side and pocket more money. I get the north shore hippie faction doing it – they’re shallow and easily manipulated and desperate to be able to affect something in a world where they are largely irrelevant. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But why these foundations? Is it some offshoot of my shallow hippie rationale in which “corporate” = “bad” – hippies with bucks?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Have you ever tried to contact someone like Mr. Patel (below) and sincerely ask him Why on Earth would you do this?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By which was meant <span style="background-color: white;">Ricken Patel, one of the co-founders of </span></span><span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avaaz, which in 2015 was CFS' top donor, giving the group $1.3 million. That's nearly double the amount awarded by the second largest donor, Ceres Trust, though Ceres' money comes manufacturing heiress Judith Kern, who appears also to be funneling dough through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Combined, those two sources gave CFS $1.275 million.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">No, I have not asked Patel why he thought it was a good idea to give CFS $1.3 million to set up </span>an “eBay-style” global seed exchange network. But perhaps he thought there might be something in it for his organization, which is all about capturing email addresses as a way to: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Close the gap between the world we have and
the world most people everywhere want. By signing up to receive Avaaz
emails, members are rapidly alerted to urgent global issues and
opportunities to achieve change.”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still unclear
whether the CFS seed exchange venture is credible or gaining
traction. <span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">CFS initially indicated that Vandava Shiva was on board with this initiative, then withdrew her name when she protested that she had not endorsed the project. (</span>Though $100,000 of the Ceres Trust money was supposed to
be passed along to Shiva’s Navdanya group for an “interconnected
movement to save our seeds.”)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CFS helped Shiva establish her own USA
funding apparatus via an NGO called “Friends of Navdanya” some
years ago. Perhaps Avaaz
and CFS thought that a global network of seed savers would
add numbers to the Avaaz email roster, purportedly 45 million at
present, and build the CFS support base, too. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKZ9NZZfVoeSIO5-B_ZXEMoLpiTIlxu6i8FzfZnJlzMJMk43VXCowPsWTglZpSwIvrJcaxNnbkySxD94x1CWgf9HNldDHHDOhl-fsS07FpeyujGQuZcK3yCOePdh8_v2oH4ya92mqx4Wa/s1600/17103303_10154388980168297_2416846690491500764_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKZ9NZZfVoeSIO5-B_ZXEMoLpiTIlxu6i8FzfZnJlzMJMk43VXCowPsWTglZpSwIvrJcaxNnbkySxD94x1CWgf9HNldDHHDOhl-fsS07FpeyujGQuZcK3yCOePdh8_v2oH4ya92mqx4Wa/s400/17103303_10154388980168297_2416846690491500764_n.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Actually, Dustin, they spent more than that.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judith Kern may be more ideologically motivated. Her husband and co-trustee, Kent Whealy, was a key player in the nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange until he </span><a href="http://gardenrant.com/2010/11/lotsa-name-calling.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was booted </a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from the organization for criticizing its decision to send some seeds to the </span><a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/lmd/campain/svalbard-global-seed-vault/frequently-asked-questions.html?id=462221" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">doomsday vault</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at Svalbard, Norway. Now Judith is funding similar activities at CFS, giving $500,000 for the broad initiative "Creating a New Food Future—Protecting
Our Farms, Our Food and Our Environment." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Additionally, the Ceres Trust made seven grants to the Pesticide Action Network totaling $760,000 in 2015<span style="text-align: left;">. This was coupled with a $45,000 grant to CFS for an “Annual Hawaii Strategy Meeting,” a $120,000 grant to </span><span style="text-align: left;">Hawaii Seed</span><span style="text-align: left;"> to “end pesticide exposure and GMO field tests in Hawaii, plus $90,000 to Hooser's HAPA group. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that all this money was flowing into Hawaii the same year that Peter Adler began conducting the joint fact funding study on "big ag" pesticides. </span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">This is the sort of grant-making that eludes press attention when Hawaii News Now makes a feckless comparison of anti-GMO and seed company expenditures. </span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hawaii SEED, which is headed up by Jeri DiPietro and Walter Ritte, reported income of $229,870 for 2014, up from $168,957 in 2013. Like CFS, neither has filed a report for 2015. But both are finding the Rescue Game to be good for business.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As has Hooser's HAPA (Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action). It reported income of $365,747 <a href="https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/465/537/2015-465537123-0d3d927c-9.pdf">for 2015</a> — up from $121,432 in 2014 — though aside from Ceres, it's unclear who else is funding HAPA.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ceres gave HAPA $50,000 for general operating support in 2015 and and another $40,000 to host “Challenging global impacts of the agrochemical industry: An International Food Justice Summit.” But though that summit brought in grants of $105,000, just $45,439 was actually spent on the event. Some $19,759 went to run the Kuleana Academy, HAPA's training ground for so-called progressive candidates. But the biggest chunk, $89,139, was expended in this nebulous manner:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYcHYTQYcGy4WuxZJ8wiaSxpsWj4UI9nAge-NmXno5NpzfCA1dyD045RZp88b-ax3hjJJAXmhZrrlS8Tl3Uyika3KJOOigV9T3UtZelbkJGRIVUqEYcTnRm2P4DB7D4X5R1M4KiVLrYjh/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+9.47.35+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYcHYTQYcGy4WuxZJ8wiaSxpsWj4UI9nAge-NmXno5NpzfCA1dyD045RZp88b-ax3hjJJAXmhZrrlS8Tl3Uyika3KJOOigV9T3UtZelbkJGRIVUqEYcTnRm2P4DB7D4X5R1M4KiVLrYjh/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-03-20+at+9.47.35+AM.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 17.600000381469727px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another $10,703 was spent on "meals and hospitality." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a whopping $65,384 went to travel. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where are these people going? Especially when you consider that Hawaii SEED spent $48,230 on travel in 2014. Are they flying people in to testify at meetings? Footing the bill for the supposedly independent journalists and filmmakers producing all this anti-GMO propaganda? </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's very hard to tell, given the lack of details in the reporting.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps Barca and his friends should be asking Jeri and Hooser where their dough went, too.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because they're all spending large, with no results. And apparently none of that kala — or not enough — is trickling down to Barca.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-88031491234492853102017-03-16T08:09:00.000-10:002017-03-16T08:09:42.219-10:00Musings: Sweet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's so sweet to see Hawaii in the news
for something other than “vacation in paradise,” “buy a piece
of paradise” or “they're poisoning paradise.” Kudos to state
Attorney General Doug Chin for <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39287656">successfully challenging</a> Trump's
latest executive order travel ban. When your intent <i>is</i> to
discriminate, it's pretty hard to disguise it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's some more good news. Kauai's
bees are buzzing along just fine, thank you. Yup, even though a
recent pollen study detected miniscule levels of pesticides, the island's
honey bees are robust, in strapping good health.
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdpOtg8SkXi9SetbOOWAmWKRIsve4bNjTbwM5P25opFWfZX8iY7hkoy4N7GJE20aDQGWrXYz1Qbh0oBkihmb8oNrYyr0JHoFOuu5oiifQ7Wb9mrzLwmbrxaaEzx-J4gX1QA36y893oK4j/s1600/IMG_6685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdpOtg8SkXi9SetbOOWAmWKRIsve4bNjTbwM5P25opFWfZX8iY7hkoy4N7GJE20aDQGWrXYz1Qbh0oBkihmb8oNrYyr0JHoFOuu5oiifQ7Wb9mrzLwmbrxaaEzx-J4gX1QA36y893oK4j/s400/IMG_6685.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Capturing a swarm.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, “Kauai has some of the
healthiest bees in the world — or at least, the country,” said
Scott Enright, director of the state Department of Agriculture.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So concluded Danielle Downey, the
former state apiary specialist who conducted the study in 2015. It
was financed by a $12,000 Kauai County grant, which was issued after people
freaked out during Bill 2491, claiming that the westside seed
companies were killing and poisoning bees.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“This study showed this was not the
case,” Enright told the Kauai County Council yesterday.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“During the infamous Bill 2491, many
claims were made by proponents of the bill,” Councilman Ross Kagawa
said. “And they had some very serious accusations that people were
dying, babies were being born deformed, cancer was on the rise, and of
course, that bees were dying at a rapid rate. So based on your study,
are those claims true or false, regarding the bees?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“False, Enright relied.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And yet another bogus claim bites the
dust. Indeed, not one of those accusations was found to be true.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Downey took 200 samples from 23 sites,
from Kekaha to Haena, and they were tested for 212 different
chemistries. One sample, taken at Kekaha, detected chlorpyrifos
(Lorsban) at 12.5 part per billion, which Downey declared “an
insignificant number.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“It was the only hit for an ag RUP
(restricted use pesticide) in everything,” Enright said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the other hand, fipronil — a
product used in ant, flea, roach and termite control — was found in
every sample. And then there were “chemistries [fungicides] used in
green houses, mostly on the North Shore, that showed up in
concentrations in hives on the North Shore,” Enright added.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Uh, what have we been saying all along?
“Big ag” ain't the problem, folks! It's <i>us!</i> It's <i>you!</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As Enright reminded us, Kauai had the
highest honey production in the world during sugar's heyday.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPQ2OrUuTzAQYB57nBIRNAzU2zkrAR0i7qDZH9Nro3pgTr80pzwewk83Kpq-cuMn87ZWFO4uDeZipnhueJ5Dbgal28t0DGCqxVmKL51Tfu-9mMHzAXrK97gr5NY6wFLqy09JEpu-903Ri/s1600/IMG_0409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPQ2OrUuTzAQYB57nBIRNAzU2zkrAR0i7qDZH9Nro3pgTr80pzwewk83Kpq-cuMn87ZWFO4uDeZipnhueJ5Dbgal28t0DGCqxVmKL51Tfu-9mMHzAXrK97gr5NY6wFLqy09JEpu-903Ri/s400/IMG_0409.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Absolute Kauai honey.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Never one to pass an opportunity to
self-promote, Carl Berg told the council about <a href="http://kauaieclectic.blogspot.com/2016/01/musings-funny-honey.html">a study he did</a> to
determine whether there was any glyphosate (Roundup) in Kauai honey.
It was funded by Surfrider, conducted with dubious protocol —
beekeepers could send in their own honey samples, opening the
possibility for contamination, as opposed to Danielle, who collected
pollen herself — and he's still writing up the results, supposedly
for publication in a scientific journal. We shall see... And it was a
bit disengenous to claim he “collaborated with Dr. Downey,” when
in fact she discouraged the honey testing.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At any rate, Berg supposedly found
glyphosate in 37 percent of the samples he tested — again, in extremely small
amounts, but there is no allowable pesticide level in honey.
Though it's hard to imagine that any honey doesn't have at least some residue,
since pesticides are found in pollen all around the world, and thus ostensibly would be found in the honey. So you might think twice about paying more for "organic" honey.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pollen study “didn't test for
glyphosate because bees don't react to it,” Enright said. “In talking about bee health, they have no reaction. I didn't know about that until I had a
conversation with Danielle.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One would expect a joyous reaction from
beekeepers to the news that Kauai bees are in great shape. Except
when it doesn't fit their agenda, as is the case with beekeeper and
anti-GMO activist Jimmy Trujillo.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking grim as he addressed the
Council, Trujillo said: “What can we do to protect our bees and the
livelihood of our beekeepers? We are prepared to find out.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a beekeeper, Trujillo should know it
starts with good hive hygiene. As in quit neglecting your bees. And
let's not forget he was the one who transported a box with the small
hive beetle from the Kauai Community College apiary to Kapahi, thus facilitating the eastside spread of that destructive pest.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But shhh. Let's just keep blaming ag,
instead of taking any responsibility ourselves.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-60484684633903095762017-03-15T06:42:00.002-10:002017-03-15T06:43:51.968-10:00Musings: Following the Anti-GMO Money, Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Funding for the Hawaii anti-GMO
movement continues to grow, with nearly all of it coming from wealthy
mainland philanthropists, according to the latest tax returns.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indeed,<i><b> grantmaking foundations supply
virtually all the operating money that fuels the national and local
anti-biotech movement</b></i>, even though its leaders love to claim they're
leading a grassroots, citizens' initiative.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still, many details about funding
sources and expenditures remain murky, even as these groups demand
transparency from others.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, even as these groups actively
work to influence the current Hawaii legislative session, we are only
now seeing their financials from 2014, leaving the public and policy-makers
in the dark about their full role in Island politics.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's start with the Center for Food
Safety (CFS). This Washington, D.C.-based group serves as a funding
source for smaller groups, like Babes Against Biotech and Hawaii
Alliance for Progressive Action, and has a satellite office with
fulltime staff in Hawaii.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZbbdaMnKAAFitLo1kkwwgiYsg0mHmE_ScHfqZPClTl6lbs18_hpSfVuBPNY3KtchsAGIq3gjkM-XnyGVomBpYNhcBCi9bmnTJGLQ316Db_gCa3GgCXKATlN6wxKzmXQqh5ccLW72jn2F/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+10.36.51+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZbbdaMnKAAFitLo1kkwwgiYsg0mHmE_ScHfqZPClTl6lbs18_hpSfVuBPNY3KtchsAGIq3gjkM-XnyGVomBpYNhcBCi9bmnTJGLQ316Db_gCa3GgCXKATlN6wxKzmXQqh5ccLW72jn2F/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+10.36.51+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Hawaii CFS presents a distorted view of Island ag.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2014, CFS </span><a href="https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/522/165/2014-522165893-0c254842-9.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">took in $5.231 million</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> — nearly $1.3 million more than 2013. With
these resources, CFS was able to:</span></div>
<ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Increase its total number of
employees from 40 to 52</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Establish and staff a Hawaii field
office with an operating budget of $738,569
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Help win a Maui County (Hawaii)
referendum election calling for a GM crop moratorium</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Distribute $238,500 overseas to
anti-biotech organizations in Southeast Asia and Africa</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Wage a GMO labeling ballot
proposition campaign in Washington State</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Campaign to block passage of the
so-called “Dark Act” in Congress</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Expend $313,035 in lobbying
expenditures, almost all of it to influence legislation.</span></div>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Research conducted by Rory Flynn, who contributed heavily to this post, shows that foundations provided over 90 percent of all “grants and contributions” received annually by CFS for the period 2002-2011. That remained true in 2014, with some 39 foundations identified as contributors that year. Furthermore, the tally of foundation grants received by CFS — and other anti-biotech NGOs — is growing year by year. CFS received more than $16 million during 2010-2014, compared to $7.3 million during 2005-2009, which represents quite a growth spurt.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, anti-activism is a booming
business — though classified as a "charitable" activity by the IRS, and thus subsidized by taxpayers — with the flow of philanthropic dollars essentially untouched
by the recent recession.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So which foundations gave CFS </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">$2,881 million </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in 2014?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.15in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.15in;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Ceres
Trust — $630,789 Ceres Foundation — $500,000 Schmidt Family
Foundation — $250,000 </i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">William
Zimmerman Foundation — $160,000 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Schwab
Charitable Fund (per 2013 990 ending 6/30/2014) — </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">$135,250 </span></span></i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">David
B. Gold Foundation — $125,000 Cornerstone Campaign — $115,000
TomKat Charitable Trust —$100,000 Sacharuna Foundation —
$100,000 CS Fund (2013 990 ending 10/30/2014) — $100,000 Goldman
Sachs Charitable Gift Fund — $100,000 </i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Marisla
Foundation — $75,000 V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation — $50,000 The
Bellweather Foundation II — $ 30,000 </i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Atherton
Family Foundation — $29,000 Appleton Foundation — $25,000 Bill
Healy Foundation — $25,000 </i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Organic
Valley (Farmers Advocating For Organics) — $25,000 Threshold
Foundation — $25,000 Flora Family Foundation — $25,000 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Firedoll
Foundation — $25,000 Silicon Association Valley Community —
$25,000 Gaia Fund — $20,000 </span></i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Cornell
Douglas Foundation Inc. — $20,000 Park Foundation, Inc. — $20,000
Boston Foundation — $20,000 </i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">New
World Foundation — $15,000 Colad Charitable Trust — $15,000
Conservation and Preservation Charities of America — $15,787 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Community
Foundation of Western North Carolina — $12,000 Rudolf Steiner
Foundation (RSF) Social Finance — $11,000 </span></i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Frost
Family Foundation (Maui) — $10,000 Gardner Grout Foundation —
$10,000 Roy A. Hunt Foundation — $7,500 </i><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">The
Leonora Foundation Inc. — $ 5,000 Benjamin J. Rosenthal Foundation
— $ 5,000 Robert P. Rotella Foundation — $ 5,000 </i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">E&H Humbly Bumbly Foundation — $2,476 The Aufmuth Family
Foundation — $200 </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More opaque funding came from other
sources — Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and two organic
companies, Nutiva and Sky Island Organics — which disclosed they
donated, but not how much. The Johnson foundation gave to both the
national and Hawaii CFS offices, while Nutiva contributed to both CFS
and Hawaii SEED. And it got $11,629 from the "combined federal campaign" (federal workers).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CFS also received a $1.358 million windfall
in 2014 from a 2013 class action
lawsuit brought in California against a manufacturer of hair and skin
care products. Plaintiffs claimed they were misled by the
packaging and advertising of purportedly “wholly organic” hair
and skin care products that failed to meet the requirements of
California’s organic standards law, which resulted in a
class-action settlement of $6.5 million. Attorneys’ fees and
administration costs reduced that to $4.866 million.
Claims were capped at a maximum of $28 per person, and people had six
months to file. Apparently, few did, as $2.716 million was left in
the pot when claim period ended. By court order, it was split evenly
between the Consumers Union — the publisher of Consumer Reports, which claims to be non-partisan, but is actively anti-GMO — and CFS. These two
groups, and the lawyers who filed the suit, made out like bandits in
a case that was much ado about nothing.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s a growing argument that <i>cy
pres</i> (“as near as”) awards to NGOs are predatory and
unconstitutional. Basically, CFS received the <i>cy pres</i> funds because
it works to uphold the National Organic Standards Act. In other
words, its “underlying mission” was sufficient to make it a
beneficiary of the settlement, though CFS did not initiate the
lawsuit nor provide legal counsel to plaintiffs. In a more just world,
the court might
have directed such funds to a worthy cause — say, a food bank. But
that’s not how the <i>cy pres</i> doctrine works.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flush with cash, CFS opened a <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/hawaii-cfs">field office in Honolulu</a> in 2014 and hired Ashley Lukens, a political
science PhD, to run it. According to its tax return, the Center for
Food Safety expended $738,569 to open and operate its new Hawaii field office
in 2014.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A CFS press release said the office was staffed by Lukens,
program director, and Kasho Ho, a community outreach coordinator. How
did the fledgling, two-person office manage to expend $738,569? The
tax form provides no details. We know, however, that CFS assisted in
the 2014 GMO moratorium ballot measure campaign on Maui that year.
But the tax form supplies no details about this political campaign
activity and related expenditures.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2014, CFS executive director Andrew
Kimbrell claimed that he received $217,441 from CFS, with an
additional $17,400 shown as estimated “other compensation from the
organization and related organizations.” In fact, he received
nearly twice that amount, or $32,500, in 2014 from the Cornerstone
Campaign, which is led by two Rockefeller heiresses:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9WYfQyaZLpIBbONK553CiFy5qduStzZvunvcU0r6H5r3qKPT3_GvKyyoM3rMTzQAlA0htFN47OEs2YisVvLQCqNb94UnGznSmBllCB9-r4U-TV2MvE5auMd2Xp-Y0psSEBtkh4Wxz1Tx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+10.25.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9WYfQyaZLpIBbONK553CiFy5qduStzZvunvcU0r6H5r3qKPT3_GvKyyoM3rMTzQAlA0htFN47OEs2YisVvLQCqNb94UnGznSmBllCB9-r4U-TV2MvE5auMd2Xp-Y0psSEBtkh4Wxz1Tx/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+10.25.41+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CFS drags its feet in filing tax
returns, which is why we're only now seeing its 2014 return. What's more, the return for its political action fund, which has been used to influence Hawaii politics, is not available on Guidestar, leaving citizens in the dark.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nevertheless, a look
at the returns filed by various foundations gives us a glimpse
of CFS' income sources for 2015:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR_0uGn4NMWhf1lS9QxwnCSvqBTubiTMcZRcAbUzA8LlbpFipt9SiAK27XxUx_XJwWb4CHGApJpEnVCMidvxEofgI-FBoQ_VZCR9tfE504V-202NoELhu3VG5eaApR2mWRjUiZs9yu4Ua/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+9.31.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR_0uGn4NMWhf1lS9QxwnCSvqBTubiTMcZRcAbUzA8LlbpFipt9SiAK27XxUx_XJwWb4CHGApJpEnVCMidvxEofgI-FBoQ_VZCR9tfE504V-202NoELhu3VG5eaApR2mWRjUiZs9yu4Ua/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-15+at+9.31.40+AM.png" width="388" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other foundations that previously
funded CFS have not yet reported on Guidestar. They include: Hawaii
Community Foundation; Marisla Foundation (Anne Getty Earhart);
William Zimmerman Foundation; David B. Gold Foundation; V. Kann
Rasmussen Foundation; Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation;
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.; RSF Social Finance; Appleton
Foundation; Bill Healy Foundation; Flora Family Foundation; San
Francisco Foundation; New World Foundation; Conservation and
Preservation Charities of America; Community Foundation of Western
North Carolina; Hawaii People’s Fund; Nutiva; Sky Island Organics;
Organic Valley; and the Combined Federal Campaign.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, many foundations are now
failing to attach a roster of grants made to their 990-PF form. This
is a disturbing trend that further shields grant-making from public
scrutiny.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So how is CFS using its money, aside from running a propaganda campaign in Hawaii? Though
its own return offers few details, the 2015 returns filed by its funders shed
more light. I'll delve into that in the next installment.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Again, many thanks to Rory Flynn for
his painstaking research.</i></span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-48098373849000007452017-03-13T08:32:00.001-10:002017-03-13T08:32:16.864-10:00Musings: Toxic Dump<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been hearing a lot recently about
the “poisoning” of “paradise,” by which is meant Hawaii,
using a term typically employed in tourism marketing.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After witnessing a slew of videos,
“fake news” articles, misinformed “infographics,”
inflammatory social media memes, biased workshops, poorly written legislative bills, demonstrations, media
commentaries and Facebook rants, I'm beginning to think it's true.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Except the cause isn't, as has been
claimed, agricultural pesticides. It's the mainland-based movement
that is orchestrating this fear-mongering charade with the sole goal
of destroying GMO seed production in Hawaii.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This movement is led in the Islands by
the Center for Food Safety, which spends nearly $1 million per year
on its Hawaii office. With lobbyist Ashley Lukens at the helm, it
pumps out a stready stream of propaganda aimed primarily at spreading
misinformation and fear:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ADo4jb0O92Y8o14g8AHbAay_PClKPqdYiKqbSuI18ZWHQasHMNv_KoIGb-ThVJmS7tnJpn2CY1yMBGHuQXTG7Yh3MfHazASw5JSpq4h1C9Aq0CGZVBWFV2MIK9sxzFbpBwFaWnYovGM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.10.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ADo4jb0O92Y8o14g8AHbAay_PClKPqdYiKqbSuI18ZWHQasHMNv_KoIGb-ThVJmS7tnJpn2CY1yMBGHuQXTG7Yh3MfHazASw5JSpq4h1C9Aq0CGZVBWFV2MIK9sxzFbpBwFaWnYovGM/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.10.50+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just this past weekend, Ashley crowed about
her success in shifting the discussion away from biotechnology, which
was losing traction, and into pesticides – but ONLY ag pesticides:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ou7RFiP82XqWgV9cwh69rc-M30u2n5aNpjok6IP_lFncvabG-HbWIq0nmS0617eRfDsXyHAlprLOjNlfoGjsCioNIzTE6l7RO1wikArOXkYRvVQsytktIgVhjFg8YBdNF0oK-u1USp81/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.13.51+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ou7RFiP82XqWgV9cwh69rc-M30u2n5aNpjok6IP_lFncvabG-HbWIq0nmS0617eRfDsXyHAlprLOjNlfoGjsCioNIzTE6l7RO1wikArOXkYRvVQsytktIgVhjFg8YBdNF0oK-u1USp81/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.13.51+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not surprisingly, the symposium featured people who toe the CFS party line, like <a href="https://www.organic-center.org/who-we-are/science-advisory-board/">Asa Bradman</a>, an organic ag advocate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, as Lukens and CFS bully Islanders to advance their national agenda, they are creating a toxic
environment that is sickening personal relationships, civil debate,
the legislative process and communities.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw it most recently with the Hawaii
House deliberations on HB 790, a broad and vaguely worded bill that
would require agricultural pesticide disclosure, give counties
authority over pesticide regulations and allow citizens to sue farms
over pesticide applications.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After much jubilation as the bill moved
through committees, the antis realized it was going to fall. That's
when they turned vicious.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kauai Rep. Dee Morikawa, whose district
includes seed farms and the people who work for them, was honest
about the bill's shortcomings. In a recent comment on this blog, she
spoke of the attacks she suffered when she “spearheaded the death
of this bill:”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have just exposed myself to the
Public about my position on HB790, through the local newspaper and
wouldn't you know, I get ridiculed through comments and social media,
not to mention the terrible phone calls and threats. Elected
officials don't want to expose their positions, on this issue,
because of this. I don't even look at Facebook anymore, because it
hurts. After working for the County for 35 plus years, I chose this
path because I wanted to help my community with policy and funding
that would make for a better lifestyle. When I first introduced the
disclosure bill in 2013, I was the hero, except that it wasn't good
enough to this group. I'm glad that the good neighbor program was
developed and that the study came out and I felt that here forward we
could start to establish policy that would be workable by the
Departments involved. I, unlike Mr. Hooser, do not believe in shoving
policy at entities that cannot accomplish it. I dig deep within
myself and ask, do I want to do this...then I realize that if I
don't, who will fight against these fear-mongering people.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maui Rep. Angus McKelvey tried catering
to the antis, yet he still suffered their wrath, prompting people
like Center for Food Safety lobbyist Ashley Lukens to trash him in
the newspaper and social media:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn69ALog8_mi3ATVQzpEi2eWLOdjQUZHXxZYMBeXQHbiQIY8pk8r67gNz54VhL228IM8Zkv6OEJkAjV7yE3jm7u-bRNWDBCPmI-w9zMuVQ4R2SFAnWXLQpkesj9_jeo_t9urAWNtwnuPaD/s1600/17098270_1892672937645162_1304275801439339317_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn69ALog8_mi3ATVQzpEi2eWLOdjQUZHXxZYMBeXQHbiQIY8pk8r67gNz54VhL228IM8Zkv6OEJkAjV7yE3jm7u-bRNWDBCPmI-w9zMuVQ4R2SFAnWXLQpkesj9_jeo_t9urAWNtwnuPaD/s400/17098270_1892672937645162_1304275801439339317_n.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This effort, replete with lies, was joined by the SAFE action
fund and Maui Councilmembers Alika Atay and Elle Cochran:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmSNx5papIJZ4jB3B-Tj87sr1mFIX0uL4vV3g51E4nwIJJNDKQnjopbvuTWntxG6iZQwcFvRe4xv5ZmkKgLXXb8qNSHFhY_96G4cPER044joypSS5V3aDpaoq14tEOrLp1ruICwQ4jSeB/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.09.44+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmSNx5papIJZ4jB3B-Tj87sr1mFIX0uL4vV3g51E4nwIJJNDKQnjopbvuTWntxG6iZQwcFvRe4xv5ZmkKgLXXb8qNSHFhY_96G4cPER044joypSS5V3aDpaoq14tEOrLp1ruICwQ4jSeB/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.09.44+AM.png" width="352" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61KxvNd2Id-ktPhOafD78nxeuUSVrFM5wwJKmWPVEampPa4SuvedMJ1mxl0EVhBdZ723B2-ns9SdUCANnmjNIUZnNKzPmj9z37IRx47eb-Z4U2NFKK-JkBkzY7m0exKX1mSnpeSM9RB_o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.10.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61KxvNd2Id-ktPhOafD78nxeuUSVrFM5wwJKmWPVEampPa4SuvedMJ1mxl0EVhBdZ723B2-ns9SdUCANnmjNIUZnNKzPmj9z37IRx47eb-Z4U2NFKK-JkBkzY7m0exKX1mSnpeSM9RB_o/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.10.09+AM.png" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their mob quickly piled on:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqy7ei2AXQNmp_BysTof3DfaaWsqNl0W8bLn_Vrj5cbcTEAU2sN9e3O2l_f2vxOkUsdZFYO2lrWVxk0PUE6SPaJj562ScyaArDmaW-SXQb7wg2z92GeAEwLTTeltVLNNrUr10q4YX8uKr/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.07.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqy7ei2AXQNmp_BysTof3DfaaWsqNl0W8bLn_Vrj5cbcTEAU2sN9e3O2l_f2vxOkUsdZFYO2lrWVxk0PUE6SPaJj562ScyaArDmaW-SXQb7wg2z92GeAEwLTTeltVLNNrUr10q4YX8uKr/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.07.34+AM.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMC5CPQnfsIzXwhHfKUsjoO_tQIftQ57tXNe4U6LLXLGdbmOixoFQ7d5SWpPOATte9EApzW_0eQkhlafPNNWBEhXkTEVXpk5tjNeKkPPQ1r5MjNjoeqII0RWbTGrH2yJqO0BPCdNSk3wU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.08.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMC5CPQnfsIzXwhHfKUsjoO_tQIftQ57tXNe4U6LLXLGdbmOixoFQ7d5SWpPOATte9EApzW_0eQkhlafPNNWBEhXkTEVXpk5tjNeKkPPQ1r5MjNjoeqII0RWbTGrH2yJqO0BPCdNSk3wU/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.08.15+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now it appears his efforts to avoid
the fury of the antis, by burning his colleagues, could <a href="http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/03/lawmaker-may-lose-committee-chair-over-pesticide-bill/">cost McKelvey </a>the
chairmanship of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others, like Gary Hooser and his HAPA group, denounced the House for sending the bill back to committee, which effectively killed it for the session, rather than taking a voice vote:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5ckuQftVELjad5BdzYLSMDqlT89DK7pSshtijzthaJF5DcCN2igH3OCUzXdjPdcch7f5eX2ehgBWJfYg6MQEzsB6uLydxA0VGu_UZR6cCTp0aEQiJRM3nDGHGXP8p_VOI2GS90UTLG2n/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.56.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5ckuQftVELjad5BdzYLSMDqlT89DK7pSshtijzthaJF5DcCN2igH3OCUzXdjPdcch7f5eX2ehgBWJfYg6MQEzsB6uLydxA0VGu_UZR6cCTp0aEQiJRM3nDGHGXP8p_VOI2GS90UTLG2n/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.56.02+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which part of the democracy and transparency says its OK to threaten, badger and harass legislators simply because they don't agree with you? Isn't that the sort of behavior that got "progressives" all huhu about the Tea Party — even as they know adopt those same tactics?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, they promote events like this, with no trace of irony:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zZykGLcJiJAjdctqL-SXBdpAcYgUnY9DM2aPwp3kETPZ1dyG56U42zhyphenhyphenUe7lN8dQ1Vl6t8WsCqJGdtxrUgcB37wBqj1LuBz-1hiUWXig-pz0pOTSfWJACFLIBopj1t1G1sFJIaYsGrOU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.54.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zZykGLcJiJAjdctqL-SXBdpAcYgUnY9DM2aPwp3kETPZ1dyG56U42zhyphenhyphenUe7lN8dQ1Vl6t8WsCqJGdtxrUgcB37wBqj1LuBz-1hiUWXig-pz0pOTSfWJACFLIBopj1t1G1sFJIaYsGrOU/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+11.54.32+AM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where, pray tell, is the positivity in a movement that is built entirely on lies, fear, shaming and bullying?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not to mention threats — leveled by those who are benefitting financially from this war on ag:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGW3vhWemZW5I1A6LLrHxpBy-kO0BxEaaKjOJaM-1fYvPgJJNGRRrVikoP4olIP0YGAyurETBgDupEUssPi1kK0WCMf6eq5ZAQTiPRi5DH0axXmqAPmNvbdyJuOAQPHxUWYITlCkutn4N/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+12.00.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGW3vhWemZW5I1A6LLrHxpBy-kO0BxEaaKjOJaM-1fYvPgJJNGRRrVikoP4olIP0YGAyurETBgDupEUssPi1kK0WCMf6eq5ZAQTiPRi5DH0axXmqAPmNvbdyJuOAQPHxUWYITlCkutn4N/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-03-13+at+12.00.56+PM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that includes Hooser, who authored this:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The word circulating in activist circles now is that many are fed up with being shut down first by the courts and now the State legislature. Soon the so-called "nuclear option" (picketing of hotels and resorts) could be triggered. Already posts are showing up in Yelp and in other travel oriented comment sections warning pregnant women to avoid west Kauai, Moloka'i and parts of Maui.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, <a href="http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/03/house-uses-sleight-of-hand-to-kill-pesticide-disclosure-bill/">Civil Beat</a> and the <a href="http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/03/10/hawaii-news/fear-of-flak-from-public-dooms-bill-on-pesticides/">Star-Advertiser</a>, in their coverage of HB 790, focused solely on the legislative maneuver used to kill the bill. In the process, they failed to discuss why legislators feared the fury of the activists, or the ramifications to civil society of allowing activists to push policy through toddler-like temper tantrums.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the discussion that Hawaii needs to have. Do we want to allow demagogues and ideologues who are not concerned about the health of our people, but advancing their own political agenda, to erode</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> aloha, poison our communities and conversations</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The anti-GMO activists represent a tiny, loud-mouthed minority. It's time to start treating them that way and denounce their attempts to turn Hawaii into a toxic dump.</span></div>
</div>
Joan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.com35