Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, March 30, 2017

Nā‘ālehu sixth-graders do the “dab” dance move with teachers Nellie Davis and Amber Keohuloa and
PREPARES coordinator Kathy Bertram during their Spring Break trip to Alaska, representing Ka`u.
 See story below.

UBER LAUNCHED IN KA`U with local drivers on Wednesday. With Uber drivers based in Ka`u, wait time is short for local rides and longer journeys to the far-away airports in Hilo and Kona.
     Uber drivers will also provide rides to and from local parties to which one may not want to drive. Uber service is islandwide.
     Contacting Uber for a ride is accomplished through an app that customers download through www.uber.com or itunes. Anyone with questions can contact a local Uber driver at kamahinahawaii@gmail.com.

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HAWAI`I DECLARED ITSELF HO`OKIPA, the welcoming state, through a resolution introduced by a Hawai`i Island legislator and passed by the state House of Representatives this week. Penned by Rep. Joy San Bueanaventura, of Puna, House Resolution 76 cites the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing state sovereignty and protection from unreasonable demands to enforce federal government directives.

     Buenaventura, in her second term in the state House, is an attorney, mathematician, former judge and former professor of business at University of Hawai`i - Hilo.

Rep. Joy San Buenaventura penned
the new Ho`okipa Resolution declaring
Hawai`i as the welcoming state.

      Her  Ho`okipa Resolution does not automatically make Hawai`i one of the sanctuary jurisdictions where President Donald Trump has threatened to cancel federal funding for refusing to cooperate in some federal immigration enforcement matters. However, the Ho`okipa Resolution could be interpreted as creating “sanctuary,” said one of Hawai`i’s few Republican state legislators, Gene Ward, of O`ahu. He said federal funding could be threatened. He called it “sticking our finger in the eye of the Trump administration.”
     The introduction to the resolution points to Hawai`i’s state motto, Ua mau ke ea 'o ka ‘āina i ka pono, which means, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." The resolution says the motto “reminds us that our deepest community values compel us to welcome the visitor and care for the wanderer in our midst.”

    The resolution describes the Hawaiian value of Ho'okipa, and says this “open-hearted hospitality calls us to welcome the visitor and the stranger alike, and to unselfishly extend to others the best that we have to give.” HR76 declares that “Hawai`i is justifiably proud of its diverse immigrant heritage, which has woven the many people of this State into a rich tapestry of races, ancestral groups,

The motto on the state seal "reminds us that our deepest
community values compel us to welcome the visitor and
care for the wanderer in our midst," says the Ho`okipa
Resolution authored by Rep. Joy San Buenaventura.

religions, cultures, and languages from all over the world.” It points out that “Hawai`i's unique spirit of inclusiveness allows its diverse people to live in relative harmony because of our respect and aloha for each other and our commitment to peace and justice.”
    The Ho`okipa Resolution says, “our state and county governments cultivate a culture of inclusion when they ensure that all people in our communities receive equal protection under the law and respectful treatment, without regard to their race, national origin, ancestry, or citizenship status.”
    HR76 turns to the federal government and its new practices: “Hawai`i's inclusionary and peaceful culture is now threatened by inflammatory rhetoric and harsh federal policies that vilify immigrants, divide communities and families, and create fear and suspicion among different racial, ethnic, and ancestral groups.”    
     The Ho`okipa Resolution puts forth that the U.S. Constitution “provides that the federal government may not commandeer state and local officials by demanding that they enforce federal laws and regulatory programs” and guarantees that “each state, and municipality within each state has the sovereign power to choose how they allocate their resources and cannot be forced to carry out the federal government’s agenda.”    

     HR76 contends that “local law enforcement agencies should not be required to bear the immense financial burden of enforcing federal immigration laws.” It requests that the “State of Hawai`i and its political subdivisions recognize that immigration is a federal function and that local law enforcement agencies should decline to work with federal immigration agencies.”
     The Ho`okipa Resolution asks that the State of Hawai`i and its political subdivisions refrain from expending state and county funds and from entering into “any agreements under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act or any similar agreement with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or by engaging in any other law enforcement activities that collaborate with ICE or any other federal law enforcement agency in connection with the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have not been convicted of committing a violent crime.”

    Testimony supporting the resolution came from many organizations, including the Filipino-Amercian Citizens League, Filipino-American Advocacy Network, Japanese American Citizens League, Imua Alliance, American Civil Liberties

Union, Hawai`i J20+, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawai`i, Aloha Dream Team, Hawai`i Friends of Civil Rights, Muslim Association of Hawai`i, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, as well as church leaders, professors, students, attorneys and many other individuals.
     One petition asked that Hawai`i bccome an official Sanctuary State and Honolulu a Sanctuary City.
     See testimony at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HR&billnumber=76&year=2017

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NA`ALEHU SIXTH GRADERS HEADED NORTH TO ALASKA during Spring Break. Seven from Nā‘ālehu Elementary represented Ka‘ū thanks to Preparing Responsive Educators using the Place-based Authentic Research in Earth Systems Program, affiliated with Alaska Pacific University.

Sixth-graders Ariel Cohen, Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley, Smith James, 

Madison Okimoto, Hulali Baji, Jessa Mae Tamayo and Candace 

Keohuloa (front) share Hawaiian implements with Alaskan peers.

     Nā‘ālehu sixth grade teachers Amber Keohuloa and Nellie Davis both participated in the program which, according to the PREPARES website, “seeks to expand, implement, and conduct research on a framework for providing indigenous students with the skills and knowledge needed for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.” In doing so, PREPARES supports teachers with curriculum to help students learn about effects of climate change on Hawaiʻi and Alaska.
     This year’s participation included a cultural exchange with Nā‘ālehu students meeting with their Alaskan peers in person. Student participant Candace Keohuloa recalled watching native Alaskans share dances about hunting seals for food and clothing as one of her favorite memories of the trip. Another trip highlight included learning about the Iditarod and meeting dog sledder Mary Shields, said Jaydah Pilanca-Emmsley. Jessa Mae Tamayo, of Nā‘ālehu, said Shields even let them pet her dog sledding team of huskies and shared racing stories.

Nā‘ālehu elementary students experience real Alaskan snow for the first time

 during an educational exchange with Alaskan students over Spring Break.

For most, it was also the first time in a cold climate with falling snow. Both Madison Okimoto and Smith James recalled going to an ice park filled with ice sculptures and trying their hands at sledding as most memorable. However, for sixth-grader Ariel Cohen, night sky phenomena would be unforgettable. “My favorite memory was when I first walked outside and I saw the green stripe where the Northern Lights were, and cried happy tears,” she said. Hulali Baji also attended as the seventh member of the NES student team.

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Murder on the Nile - Performances Kilauea Theatre are through April 2 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets prices are $15 general, $12 seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea'au Natural Foods, the Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door. For reservations and more information call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Lava Ocean Tours and other operators of boats taking visitors past the Kamokuna entry of lava into the ocean
are asking the Coast Guard to reduce the new restricted area that keeps them atleast 984 feet offshore the entry.
Photo from Lava Ocean Tours

HAWAI`I FEDERAL JUDGE DERRICK KAHALA WATSON put a preliminary injunction on President Donald Trump's travel ban on Wednesday, allowing continued arrival of refugees and residents from six Muslim-majority countries. The judge turned a temporary restraining order issued earlier this month to prevent the ban, into a preliminary injunction after hearing new arguments from Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin. 

       Chin opened his arguments Wednesday by saying, "We do not fault President Trump for being politically incorrect. We fault him for being constitutionally incorrect." Chin talked about Hawai`i's dependence on tourism and compared the ban to a "neon sign flashing 'Muslim ban, Muslim ban.'"

Derrick Kahala Watson is a graduate of Kamehameha
Schools, Harvard College and Harvard Law School

     Trump's federal attorney chad Readler argued that Hawai`i's contention that the ban affects students and tourism is generalized and has no effect on Hawai`i. He also asked the judge to allow the U.S. to resume the portion of the ban that would keep out refugees. Watson rejected the arguments, allowing refugees, and others with visas from the six Muslim-majority countries, to continue to arrive.
     When the Trump attorney said that since 2010 only 20 refugees from the Muslim countries have resettled in Hawai`i, the judge asked, "Is this a mathematical exercise that 20 isn't enough? What do I make of that?" When Trump's attorney noted that 20 is a small number, Watson replied "In whose judgment?"
     The preliminary injunction covers the entire United States as the case moves forward toward a permanent solution.
     After the decision, the Hawai`i Attorney General tweeted: "While we understand that the President may appeal, we believe the court’s well-reasoned decision will be affirmed.”
     Amnesty International executive director Margaret Huang issued a statement, saying,"The courts have once again clearly rejected the Muslim ban. Like the previous travel ban, the new order is indefensibly discriminatory. President Trump must abandon this failed agenda and immediately revoke the ban."

Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin and Gov. David Ige explain
Hawai`i's role in the Trump's travel ban case. 

    The Hawai`i Attorney General's filings argued the discriminatory intent of the President, including quotes from Trump. After the judge earlier rejected Trump's first ban, Trump came up with his second ban and said, "This is a watered down version of the first one. This is a watered down version. And let me tell you something, I think we ought to go back to the fist one and go all the way, which is what I wanted to do in the first place."
     In another display of discrimination, the AG quoted Trump as saying that is was "very hard" to assimilate Muslims into Western culture.
    Stated the AG, "These discriminatory and unlawful provisions of the Executive Order have no place in Hawai`i."

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Mufi Hanneman, CEO of

Hawai`i Lodging and 

Tourism Association

Photo by Julia Neal

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S TRAVEL BAN HURTS TOURISM TO HAWAI`I AND ALL THE U.S., according to Hawai`i Attorney General Doug Chin and numerous travel business analysts. In a press conference earlier this month, Chin said the ban causes a "chilling effect." He said, "There are already reports that due to these executive orders and travel bans, people are less inclined to travel to the United States."
     Mufi Hanneman, President and CEO of Hawai`i Lodging and Tourism Association, and founder of the Punalu`u Sweetbread bakery and visitor stop in Ka`u, said the ban, "flies in the face of the spirit of aloha, a key reason people come to Hawai`i." About a third of the state's nearly nine million visitors a year come from foreign countries.
     Travel Wire News reported Wednesday that the travel ban and "an inhospitable political climate cold punch an $18 billion hole in tourism by international visitors over the next two years" nationwide. TWN reported that "Foreign tourism is a $250 billion-a-year business in the Untied states, and Trump's original and revised executive orders temporarily banning travel from majority Muslim countries - put on hold by federal courts - have dampened interest worldwide in visiting the United States."
     A decline in airline bookings followed travel bans announced by the Trump administration on Jan. 27 and March 6, with a decline in hotel bookings as well, reported TIN.
    Tourism Economics estimated that 4.3 million fewer international travelers will come to the U.S. in 2017 because of the bans. Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, told USA Today that “’America first’ rhetoric, which was pronounced during the campaign and Trump’s inauguration speech, is finding consistent expression in policy. On multiple fronts — diplomacy, trade, border control, visa policy — international markets are receiving a message that America is no longer a welcoming destination.”
     "The U.S. has put an unwelcome mat at our front door," said travel research executive Henry Harteveld. See more at www.travelwirenews.com

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Kamokuna ocean entry lava flow on February 24, 2017.  Photo by J Wei/NPS

LAVA FLOW TOUR BOATS MUST STAY AT LEAST 984 FEET AWAY from the Kamokuna lava entry into the ocean, according to rules issued on Tuesday by the U.S. Coast Guard. Captains and owners of boats sailing closer can face an $88,000 fine and Class D felony. The Kamokuna Lava Delta Safety Zone was established to extend in all directions upon the ocean surface from lava coming out of the coastal cliffs in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
     The Coast Guard lists risks, including the possibility of a collapse of the growing lava bench hanging out over the ocean. Along with the unstable seacliff, the lava emits toxic gasses and shrapnel.
      Boat captains say they have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in new vessels to accommodate the growing visitor interest in the lava. They say that equipment would sit idle with their customers unable to see the lava from nearly 1,000 feet offshore. They are asking the Coast Guard to reconsider the new safety zone.
       A May 8 public meeting had been set to discuss safety but the Coast Guard announced that the safety zone was needed immediately due to the instability of the cliffs and other risks.
       Hawai`i Volcano National Park's website on Wednesday, provided warnings for hikers and bikers to the area:  "As a strong caution to visitors viewing the ocean entry (where lava meets the sea), there are additional significant hazards besides walking on uneven surfaces and around unstable, extremely steep sea cliffs. Venturing too close to an ocean entry on land or the ocean exposes you to flying debris created by the explosive interaction between lava and water. Also, the new land created is unstable because it is built on unconsolidated lava fragments and sand. This loose material can easily be eroded away by surf, causing the new land to become unsupported and slide into the sea. In several instances, such collapses, once started, have also incorporated parts of the older sea cliff. This occurred most recently on December 31. Additionally, the interaction of lava with the ocean creates a corrosive seawater plume laden with hydrochloric acid and fine volcanic particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs."
     See fact sheets for additional information: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/


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Coffee Talk, Fri, Mar 31, 9:30 – 11 a.m., spotlights Footprints in the Ka`u Desert. Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. A monthly series of talks on various subjects. nps.gov/havo or 985-6011
Murder on the Nile - Performances Kilauea Theatre are through April 2 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets prices are $15 general, $12 seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea'au Natural Foods, the Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door. For reservations and more information call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Mauna Loa Baseline Atmospheric Observatory recorded an increase in carbon dioxide for 2015 and 2016
that reached an unprecedented level in the 59 years of recording at the observatory.
Photo by LCDR Eric Johnson/NOAA

THE ROLLBACK OF CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS on Tuesday drew strong response to the Executive Orders of President Donald Trump from Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz:
     Said Hirono: “This executive order is clear proof that this Administration is not committed to an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy. The President continues to promote alternative facts over empirical scientific evidence of climate change and unravel the clean and renewable energy progress that we have made over the past eight years.
     “While the President can afford to live in this alternate universe, Hawai`i and other island communities are forced to grapple with the reality of climate change. Our coral reefs are dying because of historically high ocean temperatures. By 2100, Hawai`i’s sea levels will rise by more than three feet. We owe it to our keiki to listen to our climate scientists, and build upon, not erase, the progress we’ve made.”

Climate change monitoring day and night at Mauna Loa Observatory revealed that carbon dioxide levels rose at a record
pace for second straight year in 2016. Photo by Forrest Mims III

     Schatz tweeted: “Good news is that the clean energy revolution cannot be stopped. Bad news is this administration just doesn't get it.” He also pointed to the quick response from two governors on the mainland whose combined states make up the sixth largest economy on the planet. In a joint statement, Gov. Jerry Brown of California and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York wrote:
     “Dismantling the Clean Power plan and other critical climate programs is profoundly misguided and shockingly ignores basic science. With this move, the Administration will endanger public health, our environment and our economic prosperity.
     “Climate change is real and will not be wished away be rhetoric or denial. We stand together with a majority of the American people in supporting bold actions to protect our communities from the dire consequences of climate change.

     “Together, California and New York represent approximately 60 million people, nearly one in five Americans – and 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. With or without Washington, we will work with our partners throughout the world to aggressively fight climate change and protect our future.”
    To sign the Executive Order, Trump took coal miners with him to the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday and claimed he could bring back jobs by allowing new coal mining on federal lands and dashing coal mining restrictions against polluting streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. He announced to coal miners, "You're going back to work."

Mauna Loa Observatory is a premier atmospheric research facility, continuously monitoring and collecting data related to atmospheric change since the 1950's. Undisturbed air, remote location, and minimal influences of vegetation and human activity are ideal for monitoring constituents in the atmosphere that can cause climate change. The observatory is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) - Global Monitoring Division (GMD).

    The Executive Order led to further debate on the decline of coal mining, with economists saying that mechanization in remaining coal mines is reducing the number of jobs. There is also a decline in the use of coal in favor of less expensive gas, oil, solar, wind and hydroelectric, making coal an energy source of the past.
     The Executive Order also eliminated a number of Barack Obama's Executive Orders dealing with climate change, including requiring federal agencies to consider climate change impact when analyzing environmental permits, and including a requirement to address "social cost of carbon," when making decisions on pollution. Trump's orders could make it nearly impossible for the U.S. to live up to the Paris climate accord, which the U.S. signed along with 193 other countries to reduce emissions in order to address climate change. Those countries range from Afghanistan to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Cook Islands and Egypt to the countries of the European Union, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, both Koreas, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and United Kingdom. See the complete list at Paris Agreement.

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CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS ROSE ON MAUNA LOA TO A RECORD LEVEL IN 2016. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Baseline Atmospheric Observatory measured an increase of 3 parts per million to 405.1 parts per million (ppm), an increase that matched the record observed in 2015. NOAA released the findings earlier this month from Mauna Loa, which is considered one of the premier observatories in the world with some of the best conditions for gathering scientific data.
        According to the NOAA statement, "The two-year, 6-ppm surge in the greenhouse gas between 2015 and 2017 is unprecedented in the observatory’s 59-year record. And, it was a record fifth consecutive year that carbon dioxide (CO2) rose by 2 ppm or greater, reported Dr. Pieter Tans, lead scientist of NOAA's Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network."
     Tans has reported over the years that there is now more carbon in the atmosphere than there was two million years ago. When announcing the new record, Tans stated, “The rate of CO2 growth over the last decade is 100 to 200 times faster than what the Earth experienced during the transition from the last Ice Age. This is a real shock to the atmosphere.” Globally averaged CO2 levels passed 400 ppm in 2015 — a 43-percent increase over pre-industrial levels. In February 2017, CO2 levels at Mauna Loa had already climbed to 406.42 ppm.
     NOAA has measured CO2 on site at the Mauna Loa observatory since 1974. To ensure accuracy, air samples from the mountaintop research site in Hawai`i are shipped to NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, for verification. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which first began sampling CO2 at Mauna Loa in 1956, also takes independent measurements onsite.

Mauna Loa monitoring has been recording the elements of the atmosphere for 59 years.
Photo by Forrest Mims III

   Emissions from fossil-fuel consumption have remained at historically high levels since 2011 and are the primary reason atmospheric CO2 levels are increasing at a dramatic rate, Tans said. This high growth rate of CO2 is also being observed at some 40 other sites in NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. 

     NOAA explained the greenhouse effect with the following statement: "Carbon dioxide is one of several gases that are primarily responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere. This “greenhouse effect” maintains temperatures suitable for life on Earth. Increasing CO2 levels trap additional heat in the atmosphere and the oceans, contributing to rising global average temperatures.
     "Atmospheric CO2 averaged about 280 ppm between about 10,000 years ago and the start of the Industrial Revolution around 1760."
     Interested persons are able to track CO2 concentrations at Mauna Loa and other global locations online.

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KA`U UNITY CELEBRATION aims to bring together young talented members of the Ka`u community to perform on Saturday, April 29  from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at t Ka`u District Gym. youth in grades K-12 are invited to showcase their talents by signing up at the Ka`u District Gym. The event is organized by a consortium of local community groups BISAC, County of Hawai`i Dept. of Parks & Recreation - Pahala, Hi-Pal and Pahala Boys & Girls Club, along with Chloe Gan, Monique Hughes, Daryl Moreira, Dexsilyn Navarro, Brennen Nishimura, and Kevin Sun. Partnering to put on the event are O Ka`u Kakou, Catholic Charities of Hawai`i and Imua Ka`u.     Educational booths, entertainment, food and prizes are on the agenda. Youth who want to sign up to participate with their talent and displays can call 928-3102.

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MURDER ON THE NILE - Performances Kilauea Theatre are through April 2 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets prices are $15 general, $12 seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea'au Natural Foods, the Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door. For reservations and more information call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.