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| Researchers have discovered a ghost-like cephalopod in Hawaiian waters. See more below. Image from NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration & Research, Hohonu Moana 2016 |
KUA O KA LA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL’S online virtual academy in Miloli`i took second place in the middle/intermediate school division of the ninth annual E Ola Pono statewide initiative. The annual campaign rewards student-led efforts to increase peace, kindness and belonging. As a cultural response to bullying and other negative behaviors in schools, student groups are encouraged to actively “Grow Pono” to create a more welcoming and safe environment for everyone at their school.
In the academy’s Aloha `Aina and Kapu Aloha Project, “we wanted to show that our projects within the community showcase peace and pono at its highest, focusing on our fishing projects, `aina-based projects and projects that talk about the body, mind and spirit — pono through fishing, pono through `aina and pono through our kino (body), teacher Kaimi Kaupiko said. “We wanted our community to learn that we can return to a way of balance, peace and prosperity. Our program has eight students, however, our campaign impacts our entire school of 170 students and 20 staff, and it also impacted our community of Miloli`i with more than 300 people who live and call Miloli`i home.”
Six schools in three school divisions are receiving recognition and monetary awards for their winning student-led campaigns — $1,000 for first place and $500 for second place.
To learn more and get involved, see www.growingponoschools.com.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
To learn more and get involved, see www.growingponoschools.com.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Deep waters off Necker Island are home to the octopod. Map from NOAA |
AN OCTOPOD SEEN IN DEEP WATERS of the Hawaiian Archipelago “is almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus,” said Michael Vecchione, of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association. Vecchione reported that the sighting occurred on the first operational dive of Okeanos Explorer’s 2016 season, which explored depths of over 4,000 meters northeast of Necker Island, or Mokumanamana. At-sea and shore-based science teams are making some of the first deepwater observations in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
According to Vecchione, “the appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod.” A distinctive characteristic of the cephalopod was that its suckers were in one instead of two rows on each arm. It also lacked pigment cells and it did not seem very muscular, Vecchione said. “This resulted in a ghostlike appearance, leading to a comment on social media that it should be called Casper, like the friendly cartoon ghost.”
The Okeanos Explorer mission continues through March 18. The expedition will provide a foundation of publicly accessible baseline data and information to support science and management needs in and around the monument. The effort also provides critical information about emerging regional issues like deep-sea mining and the potential U.S. Extended Continental Shelf.
See oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
The Okeanos Explorer mission continues through March 18. The expedition will provide a foundation of publicly accessible baseline data and information to support science and management needs in and around the monument. The effort also provides critical information about emerging regional issues like deep-sea mining and the potential U.S. Extended Continental Shelf.
See oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
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| Former PUC Chair Mina Morita Photo from Energy Dynamics |
MINA MORITA, FORMER CHAIR of Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission, defended Hawaiian Electric Company’s recent decision to pull out of large solar projects with SunEdison. On her blog at minamoritaenergydynamics.com, she cited a recent Bloomberg news article that she said “captures SunEdison’s financial situation succinctly.”
As Morita quotes Bloomberg: “The world’s biggest clean-power developer was expected to have about $1.2 billion at the start of the year, an amount that may drop to $270 million if a pending court case doesn’t go its way, according to an estimate by Patrick Jobin, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG. …
“SunEdison has tried to run too quickly – seeking hyper growth at the same time capital markets are challenged – constraining their balance sheet, Jobin said in a research note.”
“It appears HECO had good reasons to get out when it could,” Morita said. “SunEdison’s missing contractual milestones gave HECO solid justification to exit a situation that would be untenable in the future if it chose to overlook the situation (damned if you do, damned if you don’t). This decision gave HECO a better chance of controlling the unfinished project and unused reserved capacity rather than be tied up in bankruptcy court holding the bag with unfinished SunEdison assets.”
Morita said the purpose of her blog is to educate and share information to understand and discuss the dynamics of Hawai`i’s clean energy transformation. “I started Energy Dynamics because I am concerned that the significance of Hawai`i’s energy transformation and paradigm shift, with its challenges, have not been adequately discussed with the general public and electricity customers who must, inevitably, pay for these costs,” she said.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
“SunEdison has tried to run too quickly – seeking hyper growth at the same time capital markets are challenged – constraining their balance sheet, Jobin said in a research note.”
“It appears HECO had good reasons to get out when it could,” Morita said. “SunEdison’s missing contractual milestones gave HECO solid justification to exit a situation that would be untenable in the future if it chose to overlook the situation (damned if you do, damned if you don’t). This decision gave HECO a better chance of controlling the unfinished project and unused reserved capacity rather than be tied up in bankruptcy court holding the bag with unfinished SunEdison assets.”
Morita said the purpose of her blog is to educate and share information to understand and discuss the dynamics of Hawai`i’s clean energy transformation. “I started Energy Dynamics because I am concerned that the significance of Hawai`i’s energy transformation and paradigm shift, with its challenges, have not been adequately discussed with the general public and electricity customers who must, inevitably, pay for these costs,” she said.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
TOTAL CLIMATE COVERAGE on broadcast networks decreased in 2015, according to a report by Media Matters for America.
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| Major networks' coverage of climate change dropped last year after after three years of increased coverage. Graph from Media Matters |
Combined climate coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox networks decreased five percent from 2014 to 2015, the report stated. In 2015, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox collectively aired approximately 146 minutes of climate change coverage on their evening and Sunday news shows, which was eight minutes less than the networks aired in 2014.
“This five percent drop occurred even though 2015 was a year full of significant actions to address climate change, including the EPA finalizing the Clean Power Plan; the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants; President Obama rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, citing the need to fight climate change; Pope Francis releasing the first-ever papal encyclical on climate change; and leaders from 195 countries agreeing to a landmark accord to lower greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations climate summit in Paris,” the report stated.
Researchers Kevin Kalhoefer, Denise Robbins and Andrew Seifter also reported that PBS NewsHour aired more climate coverage than all other nightly news programs combined. It aired 58 climate-related segments in 2015, while ABC aired eight and NBC and CBS each aired 20. Also, PBS NewsHour’s climate coverage increased from 2014, when it aired 45 climate-related segments.
“With the little time devoted to climate change, these Sunday shows continued to mislead their audiences by including climate denial as part of the discussion,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said. “The facts are clear. Scientists, governments and major corporations around the world have accepted the facts about climate change and are having real debates on solutions. In this consequential election year, it’s time for news broadcasters to do the same.”
“This five percent drop occurred even though 2015 was a year full of significant actions to address climate change, including the EPA finalizing the Clean Power Plan; the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants; President Obama rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, citing the need to fight climate change; Pope Francis releasing the first-ever papal encyclical on climate change; and leaders from 195 countries agreeing to a landmark accord to lower greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations climate summit in Paris,” the report stated.
Researchers Kevin Kalhoefer, Denise Robbins and Andrew Seifter also reported that PBS NewsHour aired more climate coverage than all other nightly news programs combined. It aired 58 climate-related segments in 2015, while ABC aired eight and NBC and CBS each aired 20. Also, PBS NewsHour’s climate coverage increased from 2014, when it aired 45 climate-related segments.
“With the little time devoted to climate change, these Sunday shows continued to mislead their audiences by including climate denial as part of the discussion,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said. “The facts are clear. Scientists, governments and major corporations around the world have accepted the facts about climate change and are having real debates on solutions. In this consequential election year, it’s time for news broadcasters to do the same.”
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| Flags are at half-staff to honor the late Nancy Reagan. |
See mediamatters.org.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
NATIONAL AND STATE FLAGS are at half-staff at the direction of the President of the United States at the State Capitol and at all state offices and agencies. President Barack Obama issued the order as a mark of respect for the memory of former first lady Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday at her home in California.
Flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of interment.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
To read comments, add your own and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.
NA`ALEHU SCHOOL CAFETERIA is the Ka`u site for tomorrow’s Republican Party caucus. Residents can vote for their presidential candidate from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Other polling locations, which do not include all standard voting sites, are listed at gophawaii.com.
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| The Flower of Life is a valued image for Altogether: We Are One. |
ALTOGETHER: WE ARE ONE, presented by the Sisterhood of All Women on Earth and the Brave Brothers, begins tomorrow at 2 p.m. and continues into the evening at Hawai`i Nature Retreat in Wood Valley. Fee is $25.
HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK rangers demonstrate how to make ti-leaf capes Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Free; park entrance fees apply.
Free; park entrance fees apply.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
