There is now continuous emission of ash from the new gas vent in Halema`uma`u Crater,
Hawaiian park officials have closed some roads and trails because of dangerous gas emissions from the Kilauea volcano, whose main crater exploded Wednesday for the first time since 1924.
An explosion atop the long-erupting Kilauea volcano rained gravel-size rocks onto a tourist lookout, road and trail before dawn last Wednesday.
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THE FIRST ANNUAL ‘AUMAKUA FEST.HONOLULU: — A stellar lineup of Hawai`i musicians will appear in a benefit for the ‘Aumakua Music Project (AMP) at 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 12th 2008, in the Richard T. Mamiya Theater,
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LIHUE, Hawaii — Hoping to cheer up his dad who has been recuperating at Wilcox hospital, a Kauai man thought it would be a good idea to bring his a horse to the hospital for a little get-well visit.
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Hawaii is world famous for our sunny warm climate so it may come as a surprise to learn that 40 percent of an average home’s energy costs comes from heating water. County and State legeslatures are looking at ways to support the move for homeowners to save with the conversion to solar power.
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Honolulu based Styrophobia has begun making biodegradable utensils, cups, bowls, plates and carryout containers available in Hawaii. Krista Ruchaber, founder of styrophobia uses catchy slogans like “Don’t Plastic the Pacific” and “There’s no home for foam!” to spread the word about biodegradable products and legislation to ban the use of Styrofoam in Hawaii.
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Is this really ballet? I asked myself after watching video clips of the Cuban dance company Danza Voluminosa (Voluminous Dance) most of whose dancers range in age from 23 to 41and all of them weigh mo
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Supporters of a Senate bill aimed to impose a 10-year moratorium on the developing, testing and raising of genetically modified taro are relieved, after waiting for more than a year, that the bill will be heard on March 19.
After Senate Bill 958 was first introduced in January 2007 it failed but was carried over to the 2008 legislative session.
“We were very stubborn telling them (lawmakers) the bill needs to be heard,” said Chris Kobayashi, a Kaua‘i taro farmer. “The 10-year moratorium is just a time out so things could be explored further.”
Jeri DiPietro of GMO Free Kaua‘i agrees.
“(The bill) asks for a temporary moratorium, a time out,” DiPietro said.
“It is a moment to evaluate and use precaution in a new situation. If only a second look had been given before the Department of Agriculture allowed the importation of the apple snail and let it rage out of control into pest status.”
Kobayashi said the idea of GMO taro is scary because on the genetic level, if the taro is modified from the original plant, “we can never bring it back.”
“As farmers, we wouldn’t be able to see the difference,” Kobayashi said. “There is a lot of sharing of huli (the starts of taro) between farmers.”
Rep. Mina Morita, D-Kapa‘a-North Kaua‘i, said taro is a food crop that has cultural implications that scientists need to be aware of.
“The scientists should be responsible to the individual,” Morita said. “If individuals think GMO research is not necessary at this time, and the farmers don’t want to grow it and the consumers don’t want to eat it, who does it benefit?”
Wayne Nishijima, associate dean with the University of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, said the university signed an agreement with the Royal Order of Kamehameha I a few years ago to not conduct GMO tests on known Hawaiian varieties of taro.
But Nishijima said the Hawaiian taro’s susceptibility to various pests, such as Phytophthora colocasiae — a fungus-like organism that invaded American Samoa taro in 1993 — could be solved with genetic engineering.
“The current GE project (at UH) is on Chinese taro to develop resistant varieties to Phytophthora blight,” Nishijima said. “No Hawaiian varieties have been genetically engineered, but we have researchers doing traditional breeding to develop Phytophthora resistant cultivars, but it takes time.”
But because none of the Hawaiian varieties have Phytophthora resistance, taro from other locales must be used, Nishijima said.
Nishijima feels that because UH has already signed a moratorium, there is no need for a law to be passed to create another moratorium.
“In my opinion, extending the moratorium to include genetic engineering of non-Hawaiian taro varieties does not follow their argument of infringement of their cultural rights and heritage,” Nishijima said. “What it will do is significantly limit our ability to address current and future problems. If the bill passes, it will put taro in a position to make it vulnerable to the devastation by new invasive species.”
In support of SB 958 imposing the moratorium, the Kaua‘i County Council has drafted Resolution 2008-04. The resolution is scheduled to be heard at the council meeting on March 12.
“We need as many testimonies as is possible to support SB 958,” DiPietro said in an e-mail. “You need not be a farmer. Consumers have a right to a choice too.”
GMO Free Kaua‘i will also hold a rally in support of the SB 958 today from 4 to 6 p.m. at the gateway at Lihu‘e Airport.
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