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Politics, Environment
Politics, Environment 
Entries in Environment (17)
Tuesday
05Aug
Ford takes aim at Waiawi biocontrol plan
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 08:17AM Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford will introduce a resolution calling for the federal and state departments of agriculture to stop the release of a scale insect imported from Brazil that, according to researchers, would reduce the harmful effects of waiawi, or strawberry guava, on native forests in Hawaii. (Proposed text of the resolution is here.)
Thursday
31Jul
Banana poka fungus found to kill passion fruit
Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 09:46AM 
SID SINGERCoqui frog and waiawi advocate Sid Singer of Opihikao has discovered a New Zealand report indicating that the fungus being used to kill banana poka by the state Department of Agriculture in Hawaii also kills passion fruit.
Singer said a hunter in Honokaa recently told him about the fungus affecting passion fruit, or lilikoi, and found the DOA has known about it since 2004, yet continued to use the fungus on banana poka. The glib summary by DOA director Sandra Kunimoto conveniently overlooked the alarm that New Zealand researchers raised for that country's commercial lilikoi crop, only noting that the NZ study's findings "exceeded expectations." Actually, the New Zealand concluded this way:
Tuesday
29Jul
Waiawi control and more on rubbish
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 08:59PM A couple of Stephens Media stories today warrant some comment. First, in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald is this story about how waiawi could make Hawaii as dry as the Sahara if left to grow unchecked.
Thursday
24Jul
Ban plastic, charge for paper
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 06:48AM At about the same time this story came out about the County Council discussing a ban on plastic shopping bags and fretting over whether a ban would lead to the destruction of forests when people switch to paper, this story came out with the possible solution.
Sunday
20Jul
County's lagging recycling plan buried
Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 11:28AM "Money offered to study curbside trash service"
Ho-hum, yeah?
"County lags on recycling grant, loses $100,000 "
Got your interest?
Friday
18Jul
Red hibiscus and a welcome storm cloud
Friday, July 18, 2008 at 10:26AM 
I used flash on the flower in front of dark clouds moving in at dusk last night. The clouds carried a few needed showers but not enough yet to end the recent drought.
My tank's down to less than 15 inches as we juggle the needs of house guests, thirsty plants and kids home for the summer.
But I have a feeling (not to mention a forecast) that says cooler, wetter weather is on the way to stay for a while.
Thursday
03Jul
Monday
30Jun
Gumapac, Kanaka Council go pro-guava
Monday, June 30, 2008 at 09:25AM Kale Gumapac and the Kanaka Council are part of a coalition of groups battling a federal plan to lessen the threat of waiawi, or strawberry guava, to native forests by introducing a foreign species of insect. Researchers say the insect will hinder waiawi's ability to spread by causing the plant to produce less fruit, and that harm to any other plants or species would be unlikely.
Sunday
15Jun
Council thinks plan is 'too good,' too
Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 05:03PM County Council members had much the same reaction to the plasma arc proposal as I did, saying it sounds "too good to be true" in this Hawaii Tribune-Herald article Sunday. Everybody just seems to be waiting for the bad news.