Published on Monday, August 18, 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle
A Modest Proposal for Sustainable Eating
by Katrina Heron

SAN FRANCISCO - No one knows less about food than us. We, the American people, having inherited an extraordinary and unprecedented wealth of native and immigrant culinary traditions and knowledge - a kind of Alexandrian library of edible wisdom - no longer know how to feed ourselves.0818 04 1

We love fast food, whether it’s from a drive-through or a grocery aisle, and it’s really bad for us. It’s bad for our health, our culture, the environment. In short, it’s unsustainable.

But our once-diverse food lore and skills have been scattered to the four winds. Our taste buds have been jammed on salt, sugar and every conceivable molecular permutation of corn. We literally eat petroleum-derived substances, and ask for more.

This is how we got here: Over the past couple of decades, processed food became more affordable, thanks to economies of scale, logistics and transportation developments, cheap oil and government crop subsidies, especially for corn, which quickly became the staple of our new national diet. This, in turn, further centralized farm operations, threatening the markets for small farmers and the preservation of a diverse food supply.

Essentially, the food economy was turned upside down, so that now, a cheeseburger and fries at a fast-food chain can cost less than a pound of sustainably and locally grown tomatoes.

Published on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 by the San Francisco Chronicle
Lawsuit Seeks EPA Pesticide Data
by Jane Kay

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to disclose records about a new class of pesticides that could be playing a role in the disappearance of millions of honeybees in the United States, a lawsuit filed Monday charges.0819 01 1

The Natural Resources Defense Council wants to see the studies that the EPA required when it approved a pesticide made by Bayer CropScience five years ago.

The environmental group filed the suit as part of an effort to find out how diligently the EPA is protecting honeybees from dangerous pesticides, said Aaron Colangelo, a lawyer for the group in Washington.

In the last two years, beekeepers have reported unexplained losses of hives - 30 percent and upward - leading to a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder. Scientists believe that the decline in bees is linked to an onslaught of pesticides, mites, parasites and viruses, as well as a loss of habitat and food.

$15 billion in crops

Bees pollinate about one-third of the human diet, $15 billion worth of U.S. crops, including almonds in California, blueberries in Maine, cucumbers in North Carolina and 85 other commercial crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Not finding a cause of the collapse could prove costly, scientists warn.

Representatives of the EPA said they hadn’t seen the suit and couldn’t comment.

No EIS for path from Nawiliwili to Ahukini

by Michael Levine - The Garden Island

NAWILIWILI — The draft environmental assessment of the proposed 5-mile Nawiliwili-to-Ahukini section of the shared-use path says the project “will not adversely impact the environmental quality of the area” and that a full environmental impact statement will not be required.

The 386-page document, which was published by R.M. Towill Corporation earlier this month, states that “the project will have no significant adverse impact to water quality, air quality, existing utilities, noise levels, social welfare, archaeological sites or wildlife habitat.”

“All anticipated impacts will be temporary and will not adversely impact the environmental quality of the area. Impacts that have been identified will be mitigated,” the assessment’s findings read.

The EA refers only to the newest phase of the project.

The entire path, when completed, will stretch some 16 miles from Nawiliwili in the south to Anahola in the north. Currently, only the 2.3-mile Kapa‘a-to-Kealia stretch has been completed and a 2.5-mile loop at Lydgate Park.

The 2.1-mile Lydgate Park-to-Kapa‘a section will begin construction next year, while the 3-mile Kealia-to-Anahola and 4-mile Ahukini-to-Lydgate Park segments are presently in the environmental assessment phase.

The Nawiliwili-to-Ahukini path contains some nine distinct sections in and around Lihu‘e.

There will be a clean up of Kahili Beach (Rock Quarries) Saturday, August 16th at 9:00 AM,
Sponsored by the Kaua'i Public Land Trust, Surfrider Foundation, and the Kilauea Neighborhood Association. Meet at the Wailapa side parking lot. Bring water, sun protection, brush cutting tools, and gloves. Any questions, call Gary Smith at 6356591 or Gary Blaich (Blike), 8281438. Everyone's welcome. Aloha. Malama Pono.

Sixth annual Sierra Club Picnic at Hanama`ula Beach Park.

GREEN DRINKS KAUA`I
Every month all around the world, people who are working toward a greener planet meet up for drinks and informal sessions known as Green Drinks. Join us on Kaua`i, as caring and talented people come together for fun and support in a social networking event on the last Friday of every month at Blossoming Lotus in Kapa`a starting at 5PM. Come after work for pupus and green drinks. It's a great way to catch up with those you know, make new contacts, develop new ideas, help forge a more sustainable future for our island...and enjoy some local brew. Everyone invites someone else along, so there's always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing network.

Second Saturday Sweep: Pavilion makai of Kapaa Neighborhood
Center—Saturday, August 9, 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM potluck lunch
for more info at our Web site: http://www.kauaipath.org/node/155

1st Annual Maui Island Sustainable Living Expo
August 16 and 17, 2008
UH-Maui Community College Campus
Open to the public; registration fee plus free events

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui and Maui Community College will host the 1st annual Maui Island Sustainable Living Expo (ISLExpo). The event will be a unique opportunity for leading sustainability experts and the Maui community-at-large to come together to explore the pressing issues of Island Food Security, Island Energy Security, Island-based Local Economies and Sustainable Living Education. The Maui ISLExpo will feature two days of presentations and panel discussions from leaders in sustainability, an exposition of local non-profit organizations and businesses focused on sustainability, healthy delicious local foods and entertainment.

Register soon to attend the conference session. Go to: www.sustainablemaui.org.

FREE: You can view the outdoor sustainable living exhibits on the Maui Community College Great Lawn and listen to live music on Saturday evening

Volunteers are also needed - contact eventssustainablemaui.org">eventssustainablemaui.org or call (808) 984-3792.

Help to Stop Disrespectful Air Tourism
For more than 20 years, Kauai residents have tried to persuade the air tourism industry to control the problem of disrespectful air tourism on Kauai. But during that time, tour helicopters - and more recently, biplanes, fixed wing aircraft and ultralights - have continued to conduct and expand their noisy activities over neighborhoods, parks and camping areas. 20 years of community efforts to engage the air tourism to “fly neighborly” have been completely unsuccessful.
A new group has formed to address the worsening problem. Stop Disrespectful Air Tourism! (STOP-DAT!) is a coalition of Kauai citizens and organizations that believe that air tourism should respect residents. The group does not oppose air tourism; but it believes that air tours should not, and need not, create noise over residential neighborhoods, sensitive environmental areas, and cultural sites.
The group’s objective is the creation of mandatory, enforceable rules, for all types of tour aircraft, that will require air tours to stay away from neighborhoods and sensitive environmental and cultural sites. It also wants all air tours to comply with minimum altitude regulations and to observe “no fly” Sundays and holidays.

In case you're not aware, here's article from today's Maui News on the dead Cuvier's beaked whale on Molokai. What's most important for HONC at this point is to look to see if there are any others to report. Please take any opportunity to search where you can. In a perfect world, HONC would have a plane to cruise around searching, but best we can do is use many eyes. If you are flying between the island look, & ask others to do the same. If you're out on a boat, canoe, kayak, board, please keep a look out. You know the Navy is already trying to get by this, saying there's no proof that the use of active sonar in this RIPAC exercise had any effect, etc. If there's been more killing,or injuring, it helps to be aware.
We know this is tough, as so often, the devastated creatures sink to the bottom, unreported. But this is a chance to report injuries or erratic behavior. Dr. Marsha Green is making a personal appeal to all of us to look, and ask anyone you know to do the same.
In addition, did anyone hear the sonar at any time (on land or in water) recently. If you did, please send details, when , where, etc, so we can send this on for evaluation.
Mahalo,
Mike for Hawaiian Ocean Noise Coalition HONC

http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/506511.html?nav=10

Whale stranding provokes claims of a sonar injury
There has been no determination of the cause, says federal agency

The Maui News and The Associated Press

"Whale stranding provokes claims of a sonar injury"