 An endangered sea turtle, overshadowed by a piece of polystyrene foam rubbish. Photo from @erinmdillon Twitter |
A STATEWIDE BAN ON SELLING PREPARED FOODS IN STYROFOAM CONTAINERS is moving through the Hawaiʻi Legislature. The state House of Representatives Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Health & Human Services approved the measure on Friday, March 16. The Senate passed the bill on March 6. Without House amendments, it would go straight to the governor for his signature, according to groups supporting the measure. Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Plastic Free Hawaiʻi, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, Surfrider Foundation, and others have advocated for a full ban on use of polystyrene foam in the state for over ten years. These groups have also gone to county governments to propose the ban.
Senate Bill 2498 SD2: "Prohibits the sale of polystyrene foam containers
and serving of prepared foods using polystyrene foam containers statewide.
Authorizes the department of health to include within its administrative rules
a requirement for prepared food vendors to educate their customers about proper
disposal of nonreusable food containers and litter reduction," says the bill summary on the legislature website.
Scheduled to take
affect July 1, 2019, the bill's intent, according to its description, is to lower the leaching
of styrene, a known carcinogen, into the environment and the local food
chain - as it contributes to the potential death of marine animals and avian
populations through ingestion. It also aims to limit the amount of visible litter, as it
negatively affects the tourism industry.
About 500 testimonies came into the legislature, all but seven in support. Those in opposition represent interest groups and companies connected to the food container industry.
Chamber of Commerce Hawaii claimed the bill will raise food costs, hurt small businesses and increase prices to consumers by raising the cost of containers. It could also affect jobs connected to manufacturing containers, the Chamber stated. "Creating a mandate for the use of compostable and other plastic
containers stifles the free market place, where businesses and consumers have
the right to choose among the various types of safe, FDA approved food service
containers."
The Hawaii Restaurant Association testified: "The majority of restaurants that use polystyrene food containers are usually smaller ethnic restaurants with cost as one of the determining factors but their primary reason is safety and performance of the packaging because of the heat and moisture of the food they serve (Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and general plate lunches). Polystyrene packing provide product integrity in holding and safety in transporting the any delicious varieties of ethnic foods here in Hawaii."
K Yamada Distributors, a packaging distributor, claimed, "A ban that singles out food-grade EPS food containers does little to reduce litter or ocean debris harmful to marine life and the environment. Litter is litter; there is no such thing as environmentally responsible litter."
American Chemistry Council stated that its members "certainly support efforts to reduce litter and marine debris; however, tackling this issue requires a broader approach to improving waste management."
The Plastics Industry Association stated they remain, "committed to the recycling of plastic products... to fight pollution and make recycling easier and more available. Marine debris is a serious issue, however the discriminatory approach of selecting and eliminating a given type of food service product has proven an ineffective method to address the issue."
Matthew Rose of Sanikleen Corporation USA called the bill, "a 'feel good' measure to try and please constituents, most of whom do not have a good understanding of the negative impacts, including further increases in food and menu item prices, as well as to take the easy way supposedly addressing our litter problem by forcing an already struggling and challenged industry to make up for the general irresponsibility of those consumers who can't properly dispose of used items, or don't care about how much trash and litter they propagate."
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| Styrofoam bans have also been proposed on the county level around the state, with this symbol as one of the images submitted with testimony. |
K Yamada Distributors, a packaging distributor, claimed, "A ban that singles out food-grade EPS food containers does little to reduce litter or ocean debris harmful to marine life and the environment. Litter is litter; there is no such thing as environmentally responsible litter."
American Chemistry Council stated that its members "certainly support efforts to reduce litter and marine debris; however, tackling this issue requires a broader approach to improving waste management."
The Plastics Industry Association stated they remain, "committed to the recycling of plastic products... to fight pollution and make recycling easier and more available. Marine debris is a serious issue, however the discriminatory approach of selecting and eliminating a given type of food service product has proven an ineffective method to address the issue."
Matthew Rose of Sanikleen Corporation USA called the bill, "a 'feel good' measure to try and please constituents, most of whom do not have a good understanding of the negative impacts, including further increases in food and menu item prices, as well as to take the easy way supposedly addressing our litter problem by forcing an already struggling and challenged industry to make up for the general irresponsibility of those consumers who can't properly dispose of used items, or don't care about how much trash and litter they propagate."
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| Polystyrene foam rubbish from food containers, jumbled together. Photo from Surfrider Foundation O‘ahu Chapter |
The remainder of
the approximate 500 testimonies were all in favor of banning the use and sale of the foam
containers. Many of these supporting testimonies were from individuals associated with and owners of small restaurants. A new program lists of over 150 registered ocean-friendly Hawaiʻi restaurants - one criteria of which is a complete absence of foam containers; they can be found at oceanfriendlyrestaurantshawaii.org.
Read testimonies
here.
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| An evening view of Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava
lake in the "Overlook crater" within Halemaʻumaʻu. Since 2008, when the vent
first opened, this crater has grown from 115 feet wide to about 919 by
656 feet in size. The shield-shaped top of USGS photo by M. Patrick |
A little more
than ten years ago, conditions around Kīlauea Volcano's summit were much
different than today. The caldera floor was open to the public, and the air
above it was normally clear. Halema‘uma‘u was an impressive sight, but
peacefully in repose.
That quiet phase
at Kīlauea 's summit ended abruptly in 2008, ushering in
a new era of lava lake activity that continues today. Here is a review of the
past decade of this summit eruption:
After several
months of increased seismic tremor and gas emissions, there was a small
explosion in Halema‘uma‘u on March 19,
2008 . The explosion marked the opening of a new crater, informally
called the "Overlook crater." During the remainder of 2008, several
more explosions deposited spatter around Halema‘uma‘u, and the Overlook crater
enlarged through collapses of its rim.
During 2009,
small lava lakes were sometimes active deep within the Overlook crater. But
since early 2010, the lava lake has been continuously present, steadily growing
and rising higher.
The rise was
interrupted on March 5, 2011 ,
when the lava lake briefly drained away due to the Kamoamoa eruption on Kīlauea 's
East Rift Zone.
The lava lake
stabilized in 2012, rose to a higher level in 2013, and remained stable in 2014
and early 2015. In April 2015, the lava lake rose abruptly and briefly
overflowed, spilling lava onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u. High lake levels in
2016 allowed lava to be frequently observed from public viewing areas in
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, but a gradual drop in 2017 has made direct
viewing of the lake less common over the past year.
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Just before
|
Halema‘uma‘u now
hosts one of the two largest lava lakes on Earth. It is likely the largest, but
this cannot be said with complete certainty, as regular measurements are not
available from the closest contender - Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo .
Most persistent
lava lakes are difficult to access, either due to geographic location (for
example, Erebus in Antarctica ) or political instability
(for example, Nyiragongo). The size and accessibility of the Halema‘uma‘u lava
lake, as well as the existing network of monitoring instruments, make it one of
the premier locations to study lava lake behavior.
USGS Hawaiian
Volcano Observatory scientists, along with collaborators from other
institutions, are engaged in research to understand how the lava lake works and
what it can tell us about the behavior and hazards of Kīlauea .
For instance, we have learned that the lake rises and falls in concert with
changes in summit ground tilt. This tells us that the lake responds to the
pressure of the magma chamber, so the lake level can be used like a pressure
gauge.
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HVO's HMcam also captured an image of today's rockfall and
subsequent explosion (upper right) as it occurred.
|
Another important
finding deals with the nature of small explosions that occur at the lava lake
from time to time. HVO webcams revealed that the explosions are triggered by
rockfalls from the Overlook crater rim impacting the lake surface. This
observation is further evidence that the lava lake is very gassy, akin to lava
foam. Rocks falling into this gas-rich, frothy lava triggers violent releases
of gas that sends spatter flying.
While the summit
eruption has benefited science, it comes with many challenges, including
persistent volcanic air pollution (vog) resulting from elevated sulfur dioxide
gas emissions from the lava lake. Vog impacts the entire State at times, but
the Ka‘ū and Kona districts on the Island
of Hawai
Visit HVO's
website https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo
for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea daily eruption
updates, Mauna Loa weekly updates, volcano photos, maps,
recent earthquake info, and more. Call for summary updates at 967-8862 (Kīlauea )
or967-8866 (Mauna Loa ). Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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THE NATIONWIDE WALKOUT OF SCHOOL STUDENTS last Wednesday drew support from Hawaiʻi's governor and other legislators.Gov. David Ige's team sent out a message: "As the first governor in the nation to take on the NRA, Governor Ige stands in solidarity with the students, teachers, and administrators across the country who are raising their voices, standing up, and walking out of their classrooms and into the streets to push Congress to act now.
"Under Governor Ige's leadership, Hawai‘i is leading the nation with responsible, common-sense gun laws. We have some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, requiring more rigorous FBI background checks for gun owners to keep guns out of the hands of stalkers, sexual harassers, and the mentally ill.
"But, we need national gun reform. All American children, not just those in Hawai‘i, deserve schools that are safe from gun violence. We are simply asking for a common-sense solution to a fixable problem - our children's voices need to be heard and taken seriously. Ige joined students during a walkout on O‘ahu.Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who is running for Governor, tweeted, "It is very sad, although not surprising, that Trump looks recent gun violence survivors in the eye, promises change, then sides with the NRA," and "The next generation of America's leaders are united on this issue. We should be too. We have to listen and fight for bipartisan legislation to keep America's kids safe and help end gun violence. Our schools must be safe havens for students to learn and grow."
Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted, "These young people across the country are going to save the world. Our job is to listen and follow," and "I'm going to be at the March for our Lives next Saturday in DC and one of the coolest things about it is that they are not letting any politicians or people over 21 speak. There's something happening here."
Wednesday, Sen. Mazie Hirono questioned government witnesses about the importance of closing loopholes in the National Instant Criminal Background Check system and the need to repeal the Dickey Amendment, "which effectively prevents the Centers for Disease Control from studying the effects and causes of gun violence."
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Senator Hirono joins
Capitol to mark National Walkout Day. Photo from Hirono
|
Hirono stated, "So many American students, led by the brave, articulate survivors of Parkland, are standing up, sharing their stories and calling for change. I'm inspired by their determination and will continue to fight alongside them as we work to pass sensible gun safety legislation and an end to gun violence."
Hirono's statement noted that she is a consistent supporter of common sense gun
safety legislation in the Senate. Last year, she introduced a bill that would close a loophole in the Uniform
Code of Military Justice that allows convicted abusers to purchase firearms
and joined Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in reintroducing legislation that would ban the sale, transfer,
manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and
high-capacity ammunition magazines. She has also cosponsored numerous
pieces of legislation that would strengthen our criminal background check
system, ban high capacity ammunition magazines, prevent domestic abusers from
accessing firearms, repeal the Dickey Amendment, and make straw purchasing and
firearms trafficking federal crimes.
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SECOND ANNUAL KA‘Ū WELLNESS FAIR, GET YOUR SPRING, ANNOUNCED
for Saturday, Mar. 31, in the multi-purpose room at Ka‘ū District Gym in
Pāhala, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event features an Egg Hunt and
Healthy Fun-Run-Walk, both of which begin at 9:30
a.m. - registration begins at 9 a.m.
Also offered are a Blue Zones Purpose Workshop, from 10 a.m. to 11 a..m., and Book Time - Read A-Loud with
Friends of the Ka‘ū Libraries, starting at 10
a.m. P.A.T.H. makes a presentation at 10:30 a.m.
Vision Screenings, Keiki I.D.s, and
Biometrics from Ka‘ū Public Health will be available. Several organizations
will also provide information booths for the event: Bay Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural
Health Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural Hospital, Project Aware - Your Mental Health First
Aid, HSTA, Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool and Home Visitor Program, and
more.
KA‘Ū TROJANS BOYS VOLLEYBALL had an away game Friday, March 16,
against Kona. Kona dominated over the valiant efforts of Ka‘ū in the three
games, with Ka‘ū scoring 16, 22, and 21.
The next games
for Boys Volleyball and Girls Softball are both on Monday, March 19, at
KHS. See the full Trojans Spring sports schedule, below.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com
/janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily,
weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html.
February print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes
throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.
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KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE
Girls Softball: Monday, Mar 19, KSH @ Ka‘ū
Thursday, Mar 22, @ Hilo
Saturday, Mar 24 @ Kealakehe
Saturday, Mar 24 @ Kealakehe
Saturday, Mar 31 @ Honoka‘a
Monday, Apr 2, @ Kohala
Saturday, Apr 7, Hawai‘i Prep @ Ka‘ū
Monday, Apr 9, @ Pāhoa
Wednesday, Apr 11 @ KSH
Saturday, Apr 14, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū
Boys Volleyball: Monday, Mar 19 @ KSH
Friday, Mar 23 Pāhoa @ Ka‘ū
Tuesday, Apr 3, @ Waiakea
Wednesday, Apr 11, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū
Friday, Apr 13, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū
Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo
Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
SUNDAY, MARCH 18
PEOPLE AND LAND OF KAHUKU 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. , Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
MONDAY, MARCH 19
DISCOVERY HARBOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING, Mon, Mar 19, 5 - 6:30 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net
TUESDAY, MARCH 20
WALK INTO THE PAST WITH DR. THOMAS A. JAGGAR, Tuesdays, Mar 20 and 27, at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center. Each performance lasts about an hour. To find out more about this living history program, visit the park website: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/walk_into_the_past.htm
THE WONDERFUL WORD OF WINE AND WATERCOLOR, Tue, M
DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. Meeting, Tue, Mar 20, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net
SENIOR BINGO DAY, Wed, Mar 21, free lunch 11 a.m. , free bingo 1 - 2:30 p.m. , Pāhala
Community Center
FRIDAY, MARCH 23
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21
THURSDAY, MARCH 22
STEWARDSHIP OF KῙPUKAPUAULU takes place every
Thursday in March: 22 and 29. Participants meet at Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna
Loa Road , off Highway 11, at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers should bring clippers or pruners,
sturdy gloves, a hat and water; wear closed-toe shoes. Clothing may be
permanently stained by morning glory sap. New volunteers, contact Marilyn
Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com.
KA‘Ū COMMUNITY CHILDREN'S COUNCIL, Thu, Mar 22, noon - 1 p.m. ,
Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Meeting provides local forum for all community members to
come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple
systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, omingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us
FRIDAY, MARCH 23
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY HOSTS A VOLUNTEER WORKDAY on Friday,
March 23, at its Kona Hema Preserve Honomolino (located across Hwy 11 from
Miloli‘i), from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT
Fri., March 23. Participants meet Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center
at 8:45 a.m. Volunteers should wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants, and
bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools provided.
Parental or guardian accompaniment, or written consent, required for volunteers
under 18. Visit park website for additional planning details: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm.
ARTS & CRAFTS: SPRING FLOWER COLLAGE, Fri, Mar 23, 2:45 - 3:45 p.m., Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. For ages 6 - 12 years. Free. Register Mar 19 - 22. Teresa Anderson, 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
SATURDAY, MARCH 24
EDIBLE WILD PLANTS: A
KAIKI STAINED GLASS, Sat & Su
MONGOLIAN BBQ, Sat, Mar 24, 5 - 8 p.m. Kīlauea Military
Camp's Crater Rim Café, Hawai‘i Volcanoes
National Park
WRITING FOR INNER EXPLORATION AND LIFE REFLECTION, Sat,
Mar 24, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. , Volcano
Art Center
ONGOING
KDEN HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES - March 9 through 24. Performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m, Kīlauea Military Camp's Kīlauea Theater, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network performance. KMC open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call KDEN for ticket info, 982-7344.
TŪTŪ AND ME OFFERS HOME VISITS to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.
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