No Fish, Just Paddle
Community Contributed by `Aha Ki`ole o Molokai
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Environment
Add your commentCut Back Energy Costs
Kanu Hawaii is pleased to announce the start of the Molokai Home Energy Monitor Program, a new energy pilot project intended to help Molokai renters and homeowners understand and manage their energy use.
The project will invite 100 Molokai households to receive a free whole-house energy monitor that displays real-time, minute-to-minute energy consumption and cost data via a table-stop display about the size of a cell phone. The display shows up-to-the minute dollar costs for all electricity use in the home, from "phantom" draw from electronics to opening the fridge door or taking a hot shower. As appliances are turned on and off, the monitor shows the changing cost.
Driving Safety
Community Contributed
By Gladys Brown
AARP is scheduling a Driving Safety class at the Mitchell Pauole Center conference room on Saturday, Oct. 22 beginning at 8 a.m. The class will be taught by Peggy Haake of the AARP Maui Chapter. She has been teaching this class as a volunteer for the past five years. This four-hour meeting will consist of valuable traffic information for all drivers. If you have Hartford Auto Insurance from AARP you will pay $12 for the class fee. The completion certificate will entitle you to a discount on your insurance for three years. If you have other insurance you may call them for information on their discounts. Non-members who are interested will pay $14.
Naturally Speaking
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Community Contributed by G.T. Larson
In the heated debate concerning global warming, much of the discussion has been centered on greenhouse gasses. Unfortunately, much of what is being said by both sides in this debate, at times, resembles hot air. As we examined in our last installment, if it were not for naturally occurring greenhouse gasses, life on Earth would not exist as we know it today. They are the insulation for us in our atmosphere to keep us from freezing. Where we run into trouble, is when the atmospheric balance of the gasses becomes imbalanced, particularly if we have contributed to this shift. The problem at the center of this debate is how much, if any, we, as humans, are adversely contributing to the atmosphere’s inventory of these gasses.
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This is a very simplified look at a very complex subject, but, very simply put, for all of humanity and specifically us here on Molokai, a very important subject. CO2, carbon dioxide, is one of greenhouse gasses of concern. One of the main sources of CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal. Here on Molokai, coal use is not a factor and natural gas or propane is not used extensively. Gasoline and diesel are the main fossil fuels that are used by most of us. Even if one drives an electric vehicle, if it is charged from the local grid, it is, in essence, diesel powered. All the electricity from the local power grid is diesel generated. The concept of electric powered vehicles on Molokai is a great idea, but unless the electricity used to charge the vehicle is solar or wind generated, it is still a fossil fueled vehicle.
Are all the earth’s CO2 emissions solely the result of human activity? Are all the greenhouse gas imbalances that occur, anthropogenic (you and I caused it)? No, but it is sometimes played out that way in certain media outlets and those that lean in the opposite direction seem to deny most negative effects that humanity has had and is having on our planet. If nothing else, this intense debate has encouraged us to examine our environment and our personal and corporate effect on it. Until next time, Aloha Ke Akua.
Surviving the Fall
“No dog is worth your life,” says Kaimana He, sitting in front of his house. Small scratches are faintly visible on his face; in the sun, the remnants of bruises are fading around his ribs.
His mother, Tina He-Lindsey, agrees.
“Even with the most experienced people, accidents still happen,” she says.
The pair knows what they’re talking about. It was only weeks earlier that He-Lindsey came home to a jolting phone call from family friend Dolphin Pawn: While trying to retrieve his dogs on a hunting trip with friends through Waialeia Valley that morning, Kaimana had fallen off a ledge more than 40 feet. He had a large gash on his forehead; the full extent of his injuries was unknown. Pawn, who was hunting with a separate party, stumbled across the boys and used his dogs’ GPS collars to pinpoint Kaimana’s location.
Sore and bloody, the 17-year-old would need to be airlifted to a hospital.
“It was a terrible day, our worst nightmare,” He-Lindsey says. “The first thing I did was pray to God to keep him safe, to comfort him and ask my grandfather to watch over him. … When you’re completely helpless to your own child, that’s reason enough to panic.”
The Accident
Kaimana and his friends left Kaunakakai about 4 a.m. on Sept. 3, planning to trek into the Molokai Forest Reserve to hunt boar. For Kaimana, pig-hunting is
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Recovering a Species
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The number of Hawaiian monk seals alive in the world is diminishing rapidly, but officials do not think their fate is sealed. That’s why the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing actions they believe may help the recovery of the critically endangered species.
Some of those actions include population monitoring, behavior modification of seals (to discourage human interaction), health and disease control and translocation. While a few of these activities are already practiced under current federal permits, the NMFS is seeking new permits to implement and allow more actions.
The impact of these actions is currently being examined through a process called a Programmatic Environment Impact Statement (PEIS.) That process involves the collection of data, the examination of environmental, cultural and social impacts of the proposed recovery actions and public feedback.
In a hearing about the PEIS held on Molokai last Thursday, community members and fishermen offered their opinion on the proposals. Many expressed concerns about the large amount of fish Hawaiian monk seals eat – fish that they say could be going to feed their families.
“The point we are trying to make is fish is very important food source for us,” said fisherman Walter Naki.
Others didn’t support officials tampering with nature.
“We love the monk seals but we have to find the right balance – we are not God to say we’re going to put them here because they’re extinct,” said resident Eddie Tanaka.
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Sprague said if permitting and funding goes through, the soonest seals would be temporarily translocated would be 2013.
The public has until Oct. 17 to submit comments on the PEIS. The PEIS process is scheduled for completion in late 2011. Visit nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/hawaiianmonkseal.htm for more information. Comments may be emailed to monkseal@noaa.gov or mailed to:
NOAA Fisheries
Office of Protected Resources, Pacific Islands Regional Office
1601 Kapiolani Blvd, Ste 1110
Honolulu, HI 96814
Why Band Birds?
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Community contributed by Arleone Dibben-Young.
During the recent Krazy for Kolea Kontest, I was asked “Why band birds?” In response, the marking of birds for the identification of individuals is an essential tool for the research of behavior and social structure, populations, productivity and longevity, survival from disease, or management challenges. Since 1909, more than 63,000,000 birds have been banded in the U.S. Of the 2,000 Master Bird Banders nationwide, only 50 are authorized by the U.S. Geological Service to band in Hawaii, including myself.
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One of the waterbird species marked for this study is the endangered Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai), which moves between wetlands, typically triggered by rainfall events and seasonal habitat changes. Phase one of the study is to detect individual coots that have made a roundtrip to another island. These birds become candidates for satellite transmitters in the second phase that will identify the routes the birds use and how long the flight takes. This is important as waterbird species infected with the botulism toxin can travel to another island in about an hour and spread the disease by dying in other wetlands, thereby affecting other species and populations.
Tracking birds on Molokai takes commitment and a substantial investment in time to locate banded birds. I census Molokai wetlands and manmade impoundments (reservoirs, wastewater plants, aquaculture farms, siltation-filled fishponds) several times a week. By surveying on a regular basis an interesting pattern has emerged: the Hawaiian Coot crosses the ahupua`a of Kaluakoi inland between manmade water resources, while along the south coast of East Molokai, fragmented coastal brackish or spring-fed natural wetlands are utilized. All these sites are most likely shared by coots from James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Oahu and Kealia Pond NWR on Maui that have been observed in Kaunakakai. The Hawaiian Coot moves frequently between Ohiapilo Pond Bird Sanctuary in Kalamaula and the Kaunakakai Wastewater Reclamation Facility to the Kualalpuu Reservoir, and Kualapuu, Maunaloa, and Kaluakoi Wastewater Treatment Plants, with the now defunct Kaluakoi Reservoir atop Puu Nana when filled by rainfall as a probable mid-transect stop-over site.
Tracking where and how Hawaii’s endangered waterbirds and federally protected migratory birds move helps identify how specific locations are utilized and habitats that may be overlooked by current protection efforts. Tracking also provides data to assist wildlife managers when writing endangered species recovery plans or reviewing habitat conservation plans proposed for habitat altering activities. Bird movement data will play an important role in the future on Molokai when proposing wetland restorations, conservation easements with private landowners for the protection of certain species, and bird mitigation measures by future alternative energy power facilities.
Why Band Birds?
Community contributed by Arleone Dibben-Young.
During the recent Krazy for Kolea Kontest, I was asked “Why band birds?” In response, the marking of birds for the identification of individuals is an essential tool for the research of behavior and social structure, populations, productivity and longevity, survival from disease, or management challenges. Since 1909, more than 63,000,000 birds have been banded in the U.S. Of the 2,000 Master Bird Banders nationwide, only 50 are authorized by the U.S. Geological Service to band in Hawaii, including myself.
One of the waterbird species marked for this study is the endangered Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai), which moves between wetlands, typically triggered by rainfall events and seasonal habitat changes. Phase one of the study is to detect individual coots that have made a roundtrip to another island. These birds become candidates for satellite transmitters in the second phase that will identify the routes the birds use and how long the flight takes. This is important as waterbird species infected with the botulism toxin can travel to another island in about an hour and spread the disease by dying in other wetlands, thereby affecting other species and populations.
Tracking birds on Molokai takes commitment and a substantial investment in time to locate banded birds. I census Molokai wetlands and manmade impoundments (reservoirs, wastewater plants, aquaculture farms, siltation-filled fishponds) several times a week. By surveying on a regular basis an interesting pattern has emerged: the Hawaiian Coot crosses the ahupua`a of Kaluakoi inland between manmade water resources, while along the south coast of East Molokai, fragmented coastal brackish or spring-fed natural wetlands are utilized. All these sites are most likely shared by coots from James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Oahu and Kealia Pond NWR on Maui that have been observed in Kaunakakai. The Hawaiian Coot moves frequently between Ohiapilo Pond Bird Sanctuary in Kalamaula and the Kaunakakai Wastewater Reclamation Facility to the Kualalpuu Reservoir, and Kualapuu, Maunaloa, and Kaluakoi Wastewater Treatment Plants, with the now defunct Kaluakoi Reservoir atop Puu Nana when filled by rainfall as a probable mid-transect stop-over site.
Tracking where and how Hawaii’s endangered waterbirds and federally protected migratory birds move helps identify how specific locations are utilized and habitats that may be overlooked by current protection efforts. Tracking also provides data to assist wildlife managers when writing endangered species recovery plans or reviewing habitat conservation plans proposed for habitat altering activities. Bird movement data will play an important role in the future on Molokai when proposing wetland restorations, conservation easements with private landowners for the protection of certain species, and bird mitigation measures by future alternative energy power facilities.
Overlooked Vegetables
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Community contributed by Glenn I. Teves, UH County Extension Agent.
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This survey probably has nothing to do with our eating habits in Hawaii, since we’re influenced by both east and west. However, our eating habits are constantly evolving as health challenges dictate what we should be eating. The food experts at Consumer Reports highlighted five overlooked vegetables. I feature three of them plus a few of my own. Most are cooking greens, and they grow well on Molokai in the right season.
The first three are brassicas or mustards. These contain a powerful antioxidant called Glucosinolates, phytonutrients that provide us with unique health benefits because they can be converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) that have cancer-preventive properties. Many cultures eat a form of mustards, including African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Black American Soul Food. Mustards are an essential part of Chinese or local soups.
Pak choy or Pai Tsai, is a mild member of the Chinese mustards. They have white or green swollen stems and large leaves, both dwarf and large types. Stir fried or steamed with a little meat, Pak Choy is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K and also provides calcium, f olate, and potassium. Joi Choi and Mei Qing Choy are two popular varieties. Closely related is Choy Sum, but eaten more for its swollen stems than leaves. Its southern U.S. counterpart, Collard greens has similar nutrients, as well as fiber. Very popular in the south, varieties include Vates, Georgia, Champion, and Green Glaze. They can tolerate hot weather better than mustard greens.
Mustard greens, also grown in the south, have more of a mustard bite and usually grown in the fall months when the cold weather tames its bite. Popular varieties include Green Wave, Tendergreen, and Southern Giant Curled. Our local version is Kai Choy or Chinese mustard cabbage. Two local varieties sold through the UH Seed Store include Waianae Strain and also Hirayama, a white rust resistant strain developed by Chik Hirayama of Kawela. White rust is a destructive fungus with white pustules on the leaves, and humidity helps it to thrive. Another variety, Bau Sin creates a head like head lettuce. Kai Choy is great steamed with a little meat or seafood, and is an important complement in clear or miso-based soup.
The last group is Swiss chard, a cousin to beets. Both have great greens, and are high in iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E. They’re also an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, and a good source of calcium and fiber. Swiss chard is well adapted to our climate, even hot summers. Varieties include Bright Lights, a beautiful mixture of different color stems, Rhubarb or Ruby Red chard, Fordhook Giant, Rainbow, and Lucullus, a flat-stemmed type popular in Europe. They’re like beets but without the big roots. Beets are also an overlooked vegetable, and the whole plant can be eaten. It scavenges for nutrients deep in the ground. Popular varieties include Excalibur, Merlin, Red Ace, Detroit Dark Red, Ruby Queen, striped-root Chioggia, yellow Touchstone Gold, and heirlooms Bull’s Blood, Crosby Egyptian, and Burpee’s Gold. Also related to Swiss Chard and Beets is Spinach, another great greens. Leafy greens should be a daily part of our diet.
To order seeds of Kai Choy Chinese and other Hawaii developed vegetables, download ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/Downloads/Seed%20Order%20Form.pdf.
Wind Bid Expected
Molokai Renewables developers confirmed last week they will place a bid to build a 200 megawatt (MW) wind farm on Molokai once a new request for proposals (RFP) is released this fall. Meanwhile, activist group I Aloha Molokai (IAM) continues to speak against the proposal in new and creative ways, including a film series, Facebook page and an upcoming Molokai energy festival.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) gave Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) 90 days in July to create the new RFP. The decision found HECO did not follow due process in allowing developer Castle & Cooke, which planned to build a 400 megawatt wind farm on Lanai, to assign half of its MW to Pattern Energy to be built on Molokai after another developer, First Wind, failed to submit paperwork on time.
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