Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Jan. 19, 2015

Ranger-led hikes are available today as Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Photo from NPS

WITH HAWAI`I STATE LEGISLATURE opening Wednesday, the Ka`u News Briefs will provide profiles of each of the four local legislators.
      Russell Ruderman was elected to the state Senate in 2012, representing all of the district of Puna and Pahala.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

      Ruderman graduated from Overbrook High School, Philadelphia, PA in 1971 and received a BS in Biology from Penn State in 1975. In 1998, he founded Island Naturals, a group of retail grocery markets. Island Naturals is supports local farmers and value-added producers and has been a constant champion of environmental issues like eliminating plastic bag pollution. For his work, Ruderman was named Small Businessperson of the Year for Hawai`i County by the Small Business Administration in 2007 and also received Hawai`i County’s first Keeping it Green award the same year for his many innovations at Island Naturals.
      Ruderman has served on Hawai`i County’s Agriculture Advisory Committee, Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Environmental Management Commission and UH-Hilo’s Performing Arts Center Advisory Committee. He was spokesperson for Big Island Rainforest Action Group and an intervenor before the state Public Utilities Commission in its first renewable energy Integrated Resource Management docket in 1991. He has served as president of the Wa`awa`a Community Association and a member of Think Local, Buy Local.
      Items on Ruderman’s 2015 legislative agenda include marijuana, homeowners’ insurance and recovery efforts for Puna residents. According to an Associated Press story by Cathy Bussewitz in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, Ruderman plans to introduce a bill that would decriminalize marijuana.
      Another bill would keep insurers from canceling policies on homes that could be in the path of lava that is currently threatening areas near Pahoa.
      “You don’t cancel insurance when it’s needed, but some companies are trying to do that in advance of the lava threat,” Ruderman said. “I think that’s grossly unfair.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Some Hawai`i coral reefs may recover from bleaching.
Photo from NOAA

HAWAI`I’S CORAL REEFS COULD POSSIBLY RECOVER from bleaching due to global warming, according to research recently published in the journal Nature. Unlike other reefs worldwide that were unable to recover from a mass bleaching event in 1998, Hawai`i’s reefs are in deeper water and more complex in structure. These factors make recovery more likely, according to Nicholas Graham, of Australia’s James Cook University, who studied 21 affected sites and correctly predicted 98 percent of the time whether or not a reef would recover. 

      The research may help authorities decide which reefs to manage while working to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
      Graham told Adam Vaughan, of The Guardian, “If emissions continue as they are, the longer-term future is likely to still be bleak, even for those recovering at the moment (from bleaching), because the projections are coral bleaching will become more and more frequent. In a way it’s (the study’s findings) buying us time to keep as many reefs in good shape as we can, while we tackle some of these global, bigger issues.”

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Fifty years ago, marchers in Alabama, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.,
wore lei to symbolize their peaceful intentions.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK waives entry fees today to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
      King visited the newly formed Hawai`i State Legislature on Sept. 17, 1959, where he spoke on Hawai`i’s accomplishments and the nation’s status in race relations at the time.
      “I come to you with a great deal of appreciation and great feeling of appreciation, I should say, for what has been accomplished in this beautiful setting and in this beautiful state of our Union,” King said. “As I think of the struggle that we are engaged in the South land, we look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country, and you can never know what it means to those of us caught for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man’s inhumanity to man, to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice.

      “We have come a long, long way. We have a long, long way to go. I close, if you will permit me, by quoting the words of an old Negro slave preacher. He didn’t quite have his grammar right, but he uttered some words in the form of a prayer with great symbolic profundity and these are the words he said: ‘Lord, we ain’t what we want to be; we ain’t what we ought to be; we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God, we ain’t what we was.’ Thank you.”
      Weather forecast at the park today is mostly sunny with a high near 73. Scattered showers are expected this afternoon; chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounting to less than a tenth of an inch is possible. North winds of eight to 11 mph become east this morning.
      Visitors can choose from many self-guided hikes or join a ranger-led hike. Check selections and times at Kilauea Visitor Center.
      In the park, the vent within Halema`um`u Crater is easily viewed from the overlook at the Jaggar Museum. The Pu`u `O`o vent 10 miles east of the summit, on the remote east rift zone of Kilauea, is not accessible to the public.

Whitney Vault contains Thomas Jaggar's century-old
seismographic equipment. Photo by Ron Johnson

       Fumes and glow from the lava lake within the vent at the summit of Kilauea may be seen from the Jaggar Museum overlook and other vantage points along Crater Rim Drive.
      During the day a robust plume of volcanic gas is a constant and dramatic reminder of the molten rock churning in a lava lake within the crater. After sunset, Halema`uma`u continues to thrill visitors and park staff with a vivid glow that illuminates the clouds and plume, weather permitting.
      Park rangers are on duty at the Jaggar Museum to assist visitors drawn to the site, which has been erupting within the crater since March 2008.
      For more information, see nps.gov/havo.

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EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS are discussed during two programs tomorrow in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Thomas Jagger to life during A Walk into the Past. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and head to the Whitney Vault, where Jaggar installed seismographic instruments in 1913.
      An earthquake sequence leading to Mauna Loa’s summit eruption in November 1914 was the first to be tracked by the equipment. Though primitive by today’s standards, this was an early success for monitoring and research efforts on Hawaiian volcanoes.
      U.S. Geological Survey Geophysicist Paul Okubo talks about the relationship between earthquakes and eruptions on Mauna Loa at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. He also provides updates on the volcano’s current status and how HVO’s seismic network has evolved over the past century.
      This After Dark in the Park program is part of Volcano Awareness Month.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

Haunani's Aloha Expressions return to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Wednesday.
Photo from NPS

HAUNANI’S ALOHA EXPRESSIONS present a hula performance Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. This popular, award-winning hula halau is comprised of an all-Hawaiian volunteer group of kane and wahine kupuna from 70 to over 90 years old, singing and dancing hapa-haole mele and hula. They share the aloha spirit with malihini (visitors) on visiting cruise ships and at Hilo International Airport. The kupuna also entertain patients at many of Hilo’s senior kokua (caring) organizations and have performed at the park’s annual cultural festival on several occasions. 

      Free; park entrance fees apply.

KAHUKU `OHANA DAY IS SATURDAY from 10 am. to 2 p.m. at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. Children of all ages are invited to join rangers and experience the medicinal values, cultural stories, and uses of Hawaiian plants with Momi Subiono as she shares her knowledge of la`au lapa`au, traditional Hawaiian medicine.
      Participants bring water, sunscreen, hat and long pants. The free program is ponsored by Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association and Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center.
      Call 985-6019 to register.

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Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar first used instruments housed in the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology to track an earthquake sequence leading to Mauna Loa's summit eruption in November 1914. Photo from USGS/HVO

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO IS OPPOSING AN AMENDMENT proposed by Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, that would dismantle the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act.

The Jones Act is named after its sponsor,
Washington Sen. Wesley Livsey Jones
Photo from wikipedia

      The Jones Act requires maritime vessels engaged in shipping goods between U.S. ports to be built in the United States, at least 75 percent owned by U.S. citizens and operated by U.S. citizens.

      According to Hirono, the amendment has three strikes against it. “First, shipbuilding is a major job creating industry,” Hirono said on the floor of the Senate. “According to the Maritime Administration, there were 107,000 people directly employed by roughly 300 shipyards across 26 states in 2013. Additionally, shipyards indirectly employed nearly 400,000 people across the country.
      “Sen. McCain’s amendment would specifically knock out the Jones Act provision that requires U.S. flagged ships be built in the United States, jeopardizing good-paying, middle-class jobs. To me, that’s reason enough to oppose this amendment.
      “Secondly, this is not the time to create the instability this amendment would directly cause. After struggling through tough times, America’s shipbuilding industry is coming back. Both this Congress and the administration have long stressed need for creating and keeping manufacturing jobs here at home in the United States. According to the Navy League, there are 15 tanker ships being built here in the U.S. right now and slated to join our U.S. flag fleet.
      “The third and final strike is the fact that the amendment would undermine our national and homeland security.
      “The Jones Act’s requirements — along with the American shipbuilding and maritime industries they underpin — provide American-built ships and crews for use by the Department of Defense in times of need. It is easy to see why the Navy and Coast Guard strongly oppose repeal of the Jones Act. The Defense Department has concluded: ‘We believe that the ability of the nation to build and maintain a U.S.-flag fleet is in the national interest, and we also believe it is in the interest of the DOD for U.S. shipbuilders to maintain a construction capability for commercial vessels.’”

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Sen. Brian Schatz voted against construction of Keystone
XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Map from U.S. State Department

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ VOTED AGAINST advancing a bill to authorize construction of Keystone XL, a pipeline that would transport dirty tar sands oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Prior to the vote, Schatz spoke out on the Senate floor to oppose authorization of the pipeline which he said would undermine efforts to combat climate change and endanger health of American families.

 

      “For me, and for many Americans, a vote against this bill is a vote to preserve and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink,” Schatz said. “It’s a vote to ensure that we continue to reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change. It is a vote to leave our children a healthy world.”
      While President Obama has vowed to veto any legislation authorizing construction of Keystone XL, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate advanced the bill, voting 63-32.

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AS PART OF VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, January Volcano Watch articles are addressing how USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory responds to threatening lava flows. This week, scientists focus on use of satellite data to track lava flow activity. 

      “Although satellites were in orbit and transmitting images of Earth’s surface in 1990 when the Kalapana community was inundated by lava, their data were not used to map lava flows. Without the Internet, satellite imagery could be distributed only by copying the data onto tapes that then had to be mailed. This process could take weeks, so the images were typically not used to help monitor a rapidly evolving crisis. In addition, computers in 1990 were not fast enough and did not have enough memory to work with large satellite datasets. Loading and viewing an individual image could take hours!

      “Instead of satellite imagery, HVO relied upon high-altitude aerial photos for occasional broad views of the Kalapana lava flow field in 1990. Some of these photos were taken by HVO scientists who aimed cameras through holes cut in the bottom of Hilo-based airplanes, while others were taken by a private Honolulu-based company that specialized in aerial photography. The photographs then had to be developed, printed, and delivered to HVO — a process that required a few days. The information was therefore largely outdated by the time HVO received it, but the aerial photos formed an important base for ground-based mapping (the topic of next week’s article).
      “With today’s Internet, we can now obtain timely satellite data about the June 27th lava flow within hours of image acquisition. Modern computers can also process massive amounts of data rapidly, enabling scientists to fully exploit the multitude of satellites that are now orbiting and imaging Earth.

Satellite imagery is one of many tools scientists use to track Kilauea's
volcanic activity. Map from USGS/HVO

      “Thermal images, which show the temperature of Earth’s surface, are perhaps the most obvious type of satellite data used to monitor lava flows. Thermal data allow HVO scientists to identify hot areas that correspond to breakouts of lava on the flow field. These data can be used to determine the lava eruption rate — a key monitoring parameter — by assuming that the temperature of the lava flow field is related to the amount of lava on the surface. 

Visual data — essentially photographs from space — are also available from satellites. Many of these data have exceptionally high resolution and are capable of discerning objects less than a yard in size, which helps HVO scientists make detailed maps of the lava flow and document changes over time.
      “Thermal and visual satellite data, however, both suffer from a major weakness: clouds. As most Hawai`i residents know, Puna is frequently covered by clouds, which obscure the view from space. Fortunately, there is one form of satellite imagery that can see through cloud cover —radar! 

      “Whereas visual and thermal satellite images are essentially photographs that rely upon light or temperature generated by, or reflected from, Earth’s surface, radar provides its own energy. Radar satellites transmit a pulse of energy to the surface and then measure the strength of the reflected energy, much like a flash camera. These radar signals can ‘see’ through clouds, and lava flows are easily distinguished from the surrounding forest based on their strong reflection. Unfortunately, it is difficult to distinguish active from inactive lava flows in radar images. 

      “HVO, therefore, uses an array of complementary satellite tools to monitor the June 27th lava flow — thermal, visual and radar. Because satellite data are easily shared via the Internet, the images can be viewed from anywhere. In fact, USGS scientists across the country, from Virginia to Alaska, assist HVO by examining satellite data of the Puna lava flow field and sharing their results and interpretations with HVO scientists. 

      “Some of these data, especially those provided by NASA, are accessible via public websites, so anyone with access to the Internet can examine satellite images of lower Puna.”

      See Volcano Watch and daily volcano activity updates at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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Ka`u High soccer players move the ball toward the goal.
Photo from Taylor's Treasures Photography

KA`U BOYS BASKETBALL JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM won its game against Pahoa last night. The game went into overtime, with a final score of 35-32. Varsity lost 37-77. Both teams lost to Hawai`i Prep Wednesday, with a Varsity final score of 46-64 and 16-36 for Junior Varsity.
      Also yesterday, HPA TKO’d Ka`u boys soccer team 9-0. Earlier in the week, Raycin Salmo-Grace scored one goal against Christian Liberty’s eight.
      Friday at Kea`au, Ka`u both girls basketball teams fell, with a JV score of 8-28. The Varsity team tied Kea`au’s second-half scoring but could not rally enough to make up for the first half. Final score was 46-64.
      On Wednesday at Honoka`a, the girls teams also lost. Final scores were 10-44 for Junior Varsity and 19-63 for Varsity.

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WATCHING MAUNA LOA SHAKE is the topic at After Dark in The Park Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes’ National Park. An earthquake sequence leading to Mauna Loa’s summit eruption in November 1914 was the first to be tracked by newly installed seismographs at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Though primitive by today’s standards, this was an early success for monitoring and research efforts on Hawaiian volcanoes. U. S. Geological Survey geophysicist Paul Okubo talks about the relationship between earthquakes and eruptions on Mauna Loa, including an update on the volcano’s current status and how HVO’s seismic network has evolved over the past century.

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Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015

Kilauea is the hottest volcano on Earth, according to recently announced research. Photo by Peter Anderson

RANDY IWASE IS THE NEW CHAIR of Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission. Gov. David Ige appointed him after accepting Chair Hermina Morita’s resignation earlier this week.

Randy Iwase

      According to Ige’s office, Iwase’s expertise in this arena stems from his years as the Supervising Deputy Attorney General, whose division provided legal counsel to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Public Utilities Commission. He is also a former state legislator and former Honolulu city council member. Recently, he was Chair of the Hawai`i State Tax Review Commission.
      “Randy Iwase’s extensive experience makes him the right person to lead the Public Utilities Commission during this time of transition and transformation,” Ige said. “He has tackled tough issues in the past and has a strong record of commitment to the public. I know he will hold the regulated industries accountable to the people of Hawai`i.”
      Iwase earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
      “I thank Gov. Ige for this opportunity to help resolve some of the most urgent issues of our time,” said Randy Iwase. “The state’s long-term success depends on the affordable and environmentally appropriate generation and distribution of energy. I’m eager to get to work.”
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Doug Chin

GOV. DAVID IGE ALSO NAMED DOUG CHIN, local attorney and former managing director for the City and County of Honolulu, as Attorney General. Chin served 12 years at the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s office. He is leaving his current post as managing partner at Carlsmith Ball to take the position. 

      “Doug Chin is a man of integrity who has the skills and experience to perform his duties as the state’s attorney general at the highest level,” Ige said. “He is able to defend the state in court, facilitate and negotiate agreements, manage a large department and communicate well. It’s rare to find someone who can do all those things.”
      Chin earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Stanford University and added a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai`i.
      “It’s an honor for me to join the administration and serve as the attorney general. This is an opportunity to solve problems, and I welcome it.”
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KILAUEA VOLCANO RANKS HOTTEST on Earth in terms of total energy, according to a study of 95 volcanoes in the period of 2000-2014. Robert Wright, of Hawai`i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, came to this conclusion based on data acquired by NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites.
      Kilauea, which has been erupting for more than 30 years, spilled lava continuously throughout the study period. It made national headlines in Nov. 2014 when the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a disaster declaration for the area impacted by its recent lava flow.
      See http://earthsky.org.

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Ka`u's state Sen. Russell Ruderman
is Chair of the Ag Committee.

WHILE KONA FARM BUREAU HAS STAYED out of the GMO issue, Ka`u Farm Bureau’s former president Chris Manfredi spoke and testified against GMO regulations and has taken that stance while lobbying the state Legislature for Hawai`i Farm Bureau and now as new statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau President. 

      According to a story in West Hawai`i Today, Hawai`i Farm Bureau asked Rep. Richard Onishi, who represents East Ka`u, Volcano and Puna into Hilo, to sponsor a bill to “amend the state’s ‘right to farm’ law by stating local governments shall not enact laws restricting the ‘right of farmers and ranchers’ to use agriculture technology and other practices not prohibited by federal or state law.” Onishi is Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee.
      Senate Ag Committee Chair Russell Ruderman, who represents West Ka`u and Puna, told reporter Nancy Cook Lauer that “no progress will be made on the GMO issue per se” during the legislative session that opens Wednesday. While Ruderman supports GMO regulation and labeling, House Ag Chair Clift Tsuji last year was named a co-legislator of the year for his support of agriculture bioscience by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
      “The overall issue of agriculture is something we agree on,” Ruderman said. “We’ll focus on the 80 percent of issues in the middle that are common goals.” Those issues include biosecurity, food safety, drought mediation and invasive species.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HAWAI`I HEALTH SYSTEMS CORP., which operates Ka`u Hospital and 12 other facilities statewide, has asked the state Legislature for $267 million over the next two fiscal years, reports Pacific Business News.
      HHSC CEO Dr. Linda Rosen said the increase for FY 2016 includes $80 million for collective bargaining costs, $35 million for fringe benefits and $30 for revenue loss due to new coding standards.
      HHSC is seeking $48 million in emergency appropriations for the current fiscal year to cover unfunded collective bargaining pay raises for the past two fiscal years. It was originally appropriated $82 million.
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.

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Sen. Josh Green

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, has scheduled an Informational Briefing on the health risks of pesticide exposure, particularly to children and other sensitive populations in Hawai`i. The briefing will be held in Room 414 of the State Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. 

      “Exposure to pesticides has been linked to diseases from autism to cancer,” Green said, “and may be especially harmful to children and pregnant women, so it is very important for us to understand the risks of pesticide exposure to Hawai`i’s most sensitive populations if we are going to make the right decisions to protect them.”
      The Senate Health Committee will hear evidence presented by experts on public health, epidemiology and toxic exposure, including Michael J. DiBartolomeis, Chief of Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Program & California Safe Cosmetics Program for California Department of Public Health; Janie Shelton, researcher and epidemiologist at UC-Davis’ Department of Public Health; and Paul Towers, Organizing and Media Director for Pesticide Action Network North America.
      “Hawai`i’s children should be able to play outside without having their health put at risk,” Green said, “and we can provide them a safe and healthy environment to grow up in if we make the right choices now.” 

      Green is an emergency room doctor with 15 years of experience caring for families on Big Island, including at Ka`u Hospital.
      For more information, contact Green at 808-937-0991 or sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov.
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PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER THE HAWAIIAN goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi`iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Epic stories are depicted in the natural landscape on this easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. Free. 

`O KA`U KAKOU’S SEVENTH ANNUAL Keiki Fishing Tournament & Canned Food Drive is a week from today on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Punalu`u Beach Park. Ages one to 14 check in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. for fishing from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. OKK provides poles, bait and free lunch. Registration is available at local schools and businesses.
      Call 217-2253 or 937-4773 for more information.

COMING UP TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY on Saturday, Jan. 31 is a jazz concert to support an afterschool music program at Ka`u Middle School. The school has a band room full of instruments that have not been used for years due to budget cuts. Through a grant to Volcano Art Center from the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture & the Arts, Volcano Choy will begin teaching afterschool music classes this winter and spring.
      The jazz concert at Pahala Plantation House will help raise funds to restore the brass and woodwind instruments, to buy sheet music and cover other costs of the program. 

      The outdoor concert will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with food and drinks available for purchase. Suggested donation is $15. Donations may also be made directly to VAC. Call 967-8222.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.