Blog
News, updates, finds, stories, and tidbits from staff and community members at KAHEA. Got something to share? Email us at: kahea-alliance@hawaii.rr.com.
- Lawsuit: Hawaii Swordfish Fishery Expansion Jeopardizes Turtle Survival
- Suit Filed to Stop Hawaii Longline Fishery From Tripling Sea Turtle Kill
Deadly Hooks Also Snag Whales, Seabirds, and Sharks - Conservation Groups File Suit Challenging
New Rule Allowing Hawai`i Swordfish Fleet to Triple Its Catch of Sea Turtles
Anti-Technology Hippies
Will anti-technology hippies embrace videos on the internets?
The ground-breaking documentary “The Future of Food” is now up on hulu.com, and the reviews from commenters are pretty hilarious. Apparently rooting FOR public-interest journalism and advocating sane regulation of genetically engineered foods makes you an “anti-technology hippie.” If that’s true, we’ll wear the badge with pride. If you haven’t already seen this film, or want to learn more about the controversy surrounding GE food and regulation, check out the film here:http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food
(Word to the wise: It IS sponsored, so you have watch about six commercials throughout the 1 1/2 hour film)
The Future of Food documents the disturbing truth behind engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. More about the film here: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/.
You can learn more about GE food in Hawaii at our website, or from our friends at Hawaii SEED at www.hawaiiseed.org.
Happy New Year, Love Judge Hara.
On New Year’s Eve, we got word from Judge Hara (3rd Circuit), that he would uphold the August 2009 decision of the Hawai’i Land Board (Board of Land and Natural Resources) to deny the Mauna Kea Hui their “day in court.” The hui–made up of conservation and cultural rights advocates–has been the long-time defender of protections for Mauna Kea’s unique and sacred summit.
We asked for an administrative review of UH’s new development plan for the mountain; BLNR and Judge Hara have now both said “no.” We’re still reading through the findings, wading through the legal language and figuring out what it all means for the future of the mountain. We’ll keep you updated and let you know what we come out with.
Our deepest thanks goes out to all the long-time supporters of Mauna Kea. Mahalo for your aloha ‘aina.
This year, we will continue to work for a community plan which sets forward a truly new paradigm for managing cultural and natural resources of the summit and governing future telescope development. The struggle is not over!
Ipu Cultural Festival
From Mary Amos:
Ipu Lani, Inc. and Hawai’i Gourd Society present the fourth annual, 2010 Ipu Cultural Festival on January 22, 23, and 24 at the Hale Halewai Pavilion on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona. The festival runs from 6 PM to 9 PM on Friday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. both Sat. and Sunday. The admission is free. There will be ipu artists and practitioners, lau hala and coconut weavers, fish net makers, and many other cultural practitioners demonstrating and selling their art. “The Festival will celebrate the diverse culture surrounding the ipu, or gourd. Ipu art, basket weaving on ipu, cordage and olona demonstrations, guest Kumu demonstrations and workshops, music, food, ipu instrument classes (ipu heke, ipu ole’, uli uli), Hawaiian arts and craft vendors, a silent auction, storytelling, and demonstrations will all be included,” said organizers.
Classes in Hawaiian ipu decorating, koko (knotted ipu carrier), along with a variety of gourd decorating techniques will be offered each day for a fee per workshop. Entertainment will be fantastic, beginning with the Hana Hou Air Force Band of the Pacific, concert to begin at 6 PM Jan 22nd. The following two days are filled with :
Saturday, January 23, 2010:
12 – 1PM: Sam Kama
1:15 – 2:15PM: Keoki Kahumoku
2:30 – 4PM: Leabert Lindsay
Sunday, January 24, 2010:
12 – 2PM: Don Kaulia and His Slack Key Haumana
2 – 3PM: Tani Waipa & Warren Kaneao
3 – 4PM: Leon Toomata & Warren Kaneao
Ipu Lani , Inc. a registered 501 (c) 3 organization is the parent non-profit for the Hawai’i Gourd Society, which was established in 2006 to revitalize the Ipu culture in the State of Hawaii. The organizations educate the public through this festival and other learning opportunities by exploring the wide variety of uses, both functional as well as artistic from a modern and historical perspective. The groups also support propagation of the ipu in Hawai’i encouraging different farms to grow, cultivate and propagate the ipu. “We strive to bring back to life the joy of working with the ipu and the beauty of the final ipu art,” said founding member Mary Amos. “We search for proper growing spots and make every effort to begin cultivation. By grants and donations we plan to farm ipu throughout the islands,” she said.
The 2010 Ipu Cultural Festival is sponsored in part by a grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority through the County of Hawaii CPEP, Dept. of Parks & Recreation, Elderly Services Program, US Air Force, Ipu Lani, Inc. and CNHA. Visit www.hawaiigourdsociety.com for class details and schedule of events or email outtayourgourd@gmail.com for more information
Classes at the festival will be:
1/23/10: 10:30 AM – 1 PM Ni’ihau ipu pawehe (Mary Amos) $75
1/23/10: 11 AM – 1 PM Woodburning on mini ipu (Evie Morby) $45
1/23/10: 11 AM-1 PM Niu (coconut) weaving, Ohana basket (Sam Kama) $50
1/23/10 2 PM-4:30 PM Ipu heke’ (Mary Amos) $85
1/24/10: 10:30 AM – 1 PM Ni’ihau ipu pawehe (Mary Amos) $75
1/24/10: 1 PM – 3 PM Niu weaving Ohana basket (Sam Kama) $50
1/24/10: 2 PM -4:30 PM Ipu heke’ (Mary Amos) $85
Triple Sea Turtle Kill? A'ole.
Today, conservation groups Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity, and KAHEA, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Honolulu, Hawai`i challenging a new federal rule allowing the Hawai’i-based longline swordfish fishery to catch nearly three times as many loggerhead sea turtles as was previously permitted. The lawsuit challenges a rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service on December 10, 2009, which allows the fishery to fish without any limitation on the amount of fishing it can do, except that it must stop if and when it catches the authorized number of turtles. Until now, there were limits on the number of longline sets that could be fished, as well as a lower number of turtles that could be taken. With the new rule, federal fishery managers have created an endangered turtle derby. Federal fishery managers project that the fishery will eventually expand to about three times the size it’s been for the past six years, leading to increased bycatch not only of turtles, but of marine mammals and sea birds as well.
To read rest of article click here
Click below to read more!
Point Missed
From Marti:
News coverage of the court hearing on the University’s plans for Mauna Kea characterized our opposition to the plan as anti-development. It said:
“(opponents) want to block new development on the mountain by stopping approval of the management plan.”
As one of our kupuna pointed out, actually the motivation is all the University’s part. She said
“advocates for more telescopes on the summit want the UH CMP rushed to completion in order to move forward with several new development plans.”
While it is true that as long as there is no plan there is no TMT, that is not the desired outcome for the plan. We’re not trying to block the plan to stop TMT.
What we do want is the opportunity to have a real plan–one that arises out of a transparent process and allows communities to articulate a public vision for the future of these extremely important public trust lands. That is what a public planning process is supposed to do. The point is that we have been denied the kind of critical, public and open discussion that would lead to such a plan. In its place, we are being told to shut up and accept a plan that was written by the university and driven by its interest in telescope development and telescope dollars.
We have long said that we want a fair opportunity to talk through and determine together how astronomy and cultural practice and natural conservation coexist–in what form, by what rules, and with what limits–on the summit. This is not an unreasonable ask. The University is wasting precious public education dollars on motion after motion in this case, because they are unwilling to compromise in any way on their development plans. For the University, this case is all about TMT. For advocates of the mountain, this case is not about TMT at all. It is about our standing, and the right of the people of Hawai’i to determine the future of a unique, irreplaceable summit that is part of Hawai’i's public trust.
Click here to read the article from the Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Mauna Kea Court Case Update
From Marti:
Yesterday morning, the Third Circuit Court heard oral arguments on the University of Hawaii’s motion to dismiss our appeal for a contested case hearing on the University’s new management plan for Mauna Kea.
Though we are still waiting for the judge’s ruling, the hearing made one thing clear: supporters of this “CMP” also support more telescopes (and more desecration and destruction) on the sacred summit. Less than a dozen people sign-waved outside the Hilo courthouse during the hearing with pre-printed signs that said “Mauna Kea TMT Yes!” If you ever doubted the connection between more telescopes and the University’s CMP, then yesterday’s demonstration of support for the “Thirty Meter Telescope” at a hearing on the CMP should make it clear that the University wrote this CMP to facilitate telescope construction on Mauna Kea. Indeed, the CMP does not speak to any limitations on telescopes or a carrying capacity for the summit.
…unless, of course, if by “TMT” they meant “Too Many Telescopes.”
And, Mahalo Nunui!! This is just a little shout out to all of those who took time out of their workday to sit in solidarity with us before the judge. Mahalo for your unwavering support.
Want to help? Click here to sign up for action alerts and receive regular court updates. And click over here to donate directly to the Mauna Kea Legal Defense Fund.
We Wish You a Greeny Christmas
Have a greener holiday party this year, and no, I’m not talking about your Christmas tree.
Sustainableparty.com has come up with a guide to direct the common person on having sustainable and environmentally friendly parties.
The guides covers issues that include: Community, Resource Conservation, Food, Transportation Materials and Waste Management. Even if you only practice one of their recommendations this year, you will feel better about this wasteful (sometimes even frivolous) season.
Please click on the following link to view these easy and practical ways to reduce your holiday impact:
Sustainable Party Best Practices
