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From:  Andrea

Good news:  bioprospecting is now prohibited in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument!

KAHEA has been pushing for this prohibition from the beginning of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ protection.  State permits have prohibited bioprospecting for some time.  But, with only permits issued in the state refuge prohibiting bioprospecting, the entire Monument was not protected.

But, now, the federal co-trustees are prohibiting bioprospecting, too.  KAHEA’s victory is evident in the Final Monument Management Plan where the prohibition on bioprospecting is required on all permits issued in the Monument.

Prohibiting bioprospecting in this irreplacable locale is necessary to protect fully the Monument and its cultural and natural resources.  Bioprospecting, essentially, entails the search for new chemical compounds, genes, and their products in living things that will have value to people, often through development of marketable commodities like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Thanks to the prohibition, our public trust resources are prioritized for their conservation, not their profitability.  No opportunity to plunder for profit in the Monument- at least not legally.

Commenting on the Draft Science Plan, KAHEA continues to urge for responsible science in the Monument.  To learn more about responsible science:

http://www.kahea.org/more.php?id=451_0_3_0_C

From:  Andrea

The article says Hawaiians are shrugging off the North Korean missile threat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/us/23hawaii.html?ref=americas

After all, Hawaiians are accustomed to the various threats and dangers of inhabiting the Planet’s most isolated archipelago. We are out here far from quick and convenient aid from the mainland.

But, perhaps, this threat should be an opportunity to reconsider how secure and independent Hawaii truly is, out here in the middle of the Pacific.  While it may not be time to start worrying about missiles and the universe of possible terroristic threats, which may be unstoppable on a community level, the time is ripe to consider security the people of Hawaii can control.

For instance, food security is something as tangible as dirt in your hands and food in your belly.  Obvious to everyone who buys groceries around here, a huge amount of food sold in stores is imported, reflected by the price.  The exact percentage of imported food may be debatable, but the need for more food production here in Hawaii is undebatable.

What’s an easy way to improve food security here in Hawaii?  Support local farmers markets!  For instance:

Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market

4303 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu, HI 96805

Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

For more info, see:

http://www.yelp.com/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hfbf.org%2FFarmersMarketKCC.html&src_bizid=C8YdYCAIXm0YhevbXuDqzA

From Alana:

The following letter to the editor, published in The Maui News newspaper, plainly shows that the logic UH uses to defend its proposed telescope is very flawed.

A fallacious argument is made that because Hawaiians revered astronomy, then anything done in the 21st century with respect to astronomy is automatically consistent with Hawaiian spirituality. It’s like saying because Hawaiians revere kalo and because a company wants to genetically modify kalo they’re actually not at cross purposes – they both have proper respect for kalo, they’re just looking at it differently. That logic is unacceptable!
It is also unacceptable logic that infers that during the 19th century period of Hawaiian monarchy, Kalakaua introduced telescopes to Hawaii and he would be – and we should be – in favor of the ATST. Well, Kalakaua also introduced electricity to Hawaii. Shouldn’t we, by the same logic, light up Maui – or at least the top of Haleakala – at night with electric lights? Of course not!

For Kiope Raymond’s entire analysis click here.

From Alana:

On June 15, the third anniversary of the designation of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a national monument, a boat that was caught  fishing multiple times in a highly protected area of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The bottom-fishing boat was in a very restricted area of the monument, which extends 50 miles from each of the atolls. This sanctuary is the main home for dozens of highly endangered species including the hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtle. Considering that, and all the press they’ve been getting, one would think they are facing huge charges.

The truth is that they are only facing $130,000 to as little as $1,000 in fines.

Wait, wasn’t a woman just charged $1.9 MILLION for downloading 24 songs illegally off of the internet?

This is a repeat offense case. The fishermen obviously knew where they were becasue of their reaction to the plane. Why doesn’t the government use this case to set an example for others who might have plans to fish in the protected area?

This boat is one of eight Honolulu-based fishing boats permitted to fish in a designated area of the monument. The boat was fishing outside of this area, but it still raises the question: why are these eight boats allowed there at all? What are their restrictions and how do we know they are following them?

Mismanagement needs to be dealt with now, and the correct consequences need to be issued.

Here is the article from the Honolulu Advertiser.

From Miwa:

From the NY Times, “Hawaiians Shrug off Missile Threat“:

Now the Obama administration says North Korea could launch a ballistic missile in the state’s direction — possibly around the Fourth of July, according to the Japanese news media — prompting the United States military to strengthen defenses here…

People took comfort in the heavy, year-round military presence provided by several bases here but also wondered if it made the state more of a target.

Yes, it’s called irony, folks. And it’s why they aren’t aiming for Palau.

From Melissa:

We, the taxpayers, paid city workers overtime to illegally dump cement into our precious Ma’ili’ili stream that supports native and endemic species. Guess what? Now we’re paying them to clean it up… illegally! C’mon City of Honolulu, really?! Check this out:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090616/NEWS11/906160353/Oahu+stream+used+as+illegal+dump+by+city+workers