October - December 2010
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SIERRA CLUB M!lama I Ka Honua Cherish the Earth JOURNAL OF THE SIERRA CLUB, HAWAI‘I CHAPTER A Quarterly Newsletter! October - December 2010 The Sierra Club Endorses . Governor/Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawai‘i: Electing good green leaders into office is half the battle in Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz. is team receives a protecting the environment. green thumbs up based upon That!s why the Sierra Club take their environmental records and this process so seriously -- Abercrombie’s detailed plans for interviewing candidates, Hawaii’s future. Having worked with both, we rmly believe these reviewing records, and studying two understand the necessary candidates! plans for our ‘aina. connection between the Each endorsement required a environment, our economy, and careful two-thirds approval from longterm sustainability. two different Sierra Club groups. Our ability to achieve many of the Sierra Club's goals -- like You and your leadership has protecting our native forests, advancing clean energy, and ensuring clean air, water, and done its best to select the land -- depend upon having an executive branch that shares a similar point of view. We believe the “A to Z” team will carry out this vision and ensure a more sustainable Hawai‘i. greenest applicants for the job. Both candidates have committed to advocating for food and energy security in Hawai‘i. Now one of the most important Abercrombie has committed to ensuring that critical agencies, like DLNR, have adequate things you can do for the funding in order to enforce our laws and protect our fragile natural resources. environment is to vote. U.S. House District 1 That’s why we’re making this Colleen Hanabusa. Hanabusa has pledged to work in Congress to establish Hawaii as the easy for you. Simply cut this focal point of alternative energy research and development. cover page and take it with you to the polls or give it to a friend U.S. House District 2 (after you’ve voted, of course)! Mazie Hirono. Hirono has been an outspoken advocate to enact national legislation addressing climate change and has successfully appropriated funding to protect Hawai‘i’s endangered species. Continued on page 2 The Sierra Club is the largest and most successful grassroots 1 ! July - September 2010 environmental advocacy organization in Hawai‘i M!lama I Ka Honua SIERRA CLUB State House: State Senate: Candidate District Candidate District Nakashima, Mark M. (District 1 - North Kohala, South Kohala, Kokubun, Russell S. (District 2 - Waiakea Uka, Kalapana, Hamakua, North Hilo, South Hilo) Volcano, Kahuku) Hanohano, Faye P. (District 4 - Puna, Pahoa, Hawaiian Acres, Tsutsui, Shan (District 4 - Wailuku, Waihe'e, Kahului, Kalapana) Pa'ia, Lower Pa'ia) Coman, Denny (District 6 - North Kona, Keauhou, Kailua- Ihara, Les Jr. (District 9 - Palolo, St. Louis Heights, Kona, Honokohau) Maunalani Heights, Kaimuki, Kapahulu, West Diamond Head, Waikiki Gold Evans, Cindy (District 7 - North Kona, South Kohala) Coast) Keith-Agaran, Gilbert S.C. (District 9 - Kahului, Wailuku, Puunene, Fukunaga, Carol (District 11 - Makiki/Punchbowl, Ala Spreckelsville, Paia) Moana, McCully) McKelvey, Angus L.K. (District 10 - Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua, Chun Oakland, (District 13 - Sand Island, Kalihi, Maalaea, Kihei) Suzanne Liliha, Nu'uanu, Pauoa, Pu'unui) Carroll, Mele (District 13 - Kahoolawe, Molokini, Lanai, Molokai, Keanae, Wailua, Nahiku, Hana) Kim, Donna Mercado (District 14 - Moanalua, 'Aiea, Fort Shafter, Kalihi Valley, Halawa Valley) Morita, Hermina M. (District 14 - Hanalei, Anahola, Kealia, Kapaa, Waipouli) Gabbard, Mike (District 19 - Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, Makakilo, Kapolei, Nishimoto, Scott Y. (District 21 - Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Waikiki, Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Portions of Ala Wai, Diamond Head) Waipahu and Ko 'Olina) Saiki, Scott (District 22 - Moiliili, McCully, Kaimuki) Tokuda, Jill N. (District 24 - Kane'ohe, Kane'ohe Belatti, Della Au (District 25 - Tantalus, Makiki, McCully) MCAB, Kailua, Enchanted Lake) Luke, Sylvia (District 26 - Dowsett Highlands, Pacic Honolulu City Council: Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl) Ching, Corinne W.L. (District 27 - Nuuanu, Puunui, Liliha, Alewa • Rich Turbin (District 4) Heights) • Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo (District 6) Oshiro, Blake K. (District 33 - Aiea, Halawa Valley, Halawa • Breene Harimoto (District 8) Heights, Aiea Heights) Takai, K. Mark (District 34 - Newtown, Waiau, Pearl City, Maui County Council: Waimalu) • Cochran, Elle (West Maui) Takumi, Roy M. (District 36 - Pearl City, Momilani, Pacic • Nishiki, Wayne K. (South Maui) Palisades, Manana) • Nishiki, Kai (Makawao-Haiku-Paia) Lee, Marilyn B. (District 38 - Mililani, Mililani Mauka) Cullen, Ty (District 41 - Waipahu, Village Park, Waikele) Kauai County Council: Bradshaw, Jason W. (District 43 - Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point, • Jay Furfaro Puuloa) • Derek Kawakami Shimabukuro, Maile S.L. (District 45 - Waianae, Makaha, Makua) • KipuKai Kualii • NadineNakamura Riviere, Gil (District 46 - Kaena Point, Schoeld, • Mel Rapozo Mokuleia, Waialua, Haleiwa, Waimea, • JoAnn Yukimura Pupukea, Sunset, Kahuku, Kunia Camp, Poamoho, Wheeler, Laie) Wooley, Jessica (District 47 - Laie, Hauula, Punaluu, Kahana, Hawai‘i County Council: Kaaawa, Waikane, Kahaluu, Ahuimanu, • Yagong, Dominic (District 1) Kaneohe) • Smart, Brittany (District 6) ielen, Cynthia (District 50 - Kailua, Kaneohe Bay) • Ford, Brenda (District 7) • Pilago, Angel (District 8) Lee, Chris (District 51 - Lanikai, Waimanalo) • Homan, Peter (District 9) For updates on endorsements and more information on candidates, please check out: www.sierraclubhawaii.com/vote 2 ! October - December 2010 M!lama I Ka Honua HAWAII CHAPTER F ROM THE D IRECTOR’ S D ESK Not too long ago, I voted for Jeremy Harris. It was a stupid vote. Not because he was a bad candidate but because I knew little of his values, character, or record. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that I voted for him simply because he had a cool last name. And, in case you’re wondering, no, M!lama I Ka Honua he’s not related to me. At the time, I believed the most important thing was that I voted. Not that I ! The M!lama I Ka Honua is voted intelligently, but that I voted. published quarterly by the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box I feel differently now. I recognize most people believe our system is dirty 2577, Honolulu, HI 96803. A small and broken. Careless voting (or not voting) won’t fix this problem. portion of the annual Sierra Club dues goes toward a one-year Becoming informed about the issues and the candidate’s records, and then subscription. using that information makes the difference. Even better yet, recognizing that good candidates need support -- whether it be speaking well of them to ! Contribution of news, opinion, art, friends, helping with a campaign, or sending in a few bucks -- in order to and photography may be sent ensure they get elected. electronically to [email protected] or by As you know, the Sierra Club’s mission is to “Explore, Enjoy and Protect the post c/o the Hawai‘i Chapter, P.O. Planet.” It’s a broad mission which allows us to work on everything from Box 2577, Honolulu, HI 96803. protecting the wild places of our world to shaping the cities we live in. In ! Submissions must be received by order to succeed at such a huge undertaking, the Sierra Club works in many the 1st of the month prior to the date different arenas, with many different tools. of publication. Politics is just one of those tools. By endorsing candidates and running ! Articles, graphics, and photos are campaigns to elect them we are building a stage to work on. On November copyrighted by the authors and artists 2nd, we will have a new set of characters on that stage, some better, some and may be reprinted only with worse. We ultimately judge our effectiveness by the forests we protect, the permission. rivers we clean, and the global warming pollution we prevent. In that light, elections are not the end . they are the beginning. ! Members may elect to only receive an electronic subscription of the M!lama I Ka Honua at This fall I ask you to avoid my mistake and make an informed choice. sierraclubhawaii.com/malama. Review records. Get to know your candidates. Take advantage of the groundwork the Sierra Club has done. Feel free to look at the survey Advertisement Rates are: responses we’ve received, and the particular endorsements we’ve made (www.sierraclubhawaii.com/vote). We’ve made it easy for you to clip out • Full page ($350) the Sierra Club endorsements in this Malama (see to your left). • Half page ($250) • 1/4 page ($110) The system, the Sierra Club, and you have done seemingly impossible • 1/8 page ($60) things over the past few years -- and this year we can again. With your • Bus. Cards ($50) support, good candidates can lay the essential foundation to a sustainable These rates are subject to change. "The future. M!lama accepts political advertisements only from candidates Please join me in helping them. endorsed by the Hawai`i Chapter. Hope to see you on the trail soon, Robert Harris M!lama I Ka Honua" October - December 2010 ! 3 SIERRA CLUB Nate’s Adventures by Nate Yuen Native Forest Restoration on the Manoa Cliff Trail I hiked the Mānoa Cli Trail above Tantalus But patches of kahili ginger (Hedychium and Mānoa to see the progress of native forest gardnerianum) — one of the most invasive restoration in the mountains above Honolulu. plants — abound on the trail as well. Kahili ginger forms a root ball that chokes the roots When I learned that a fence was built in April of other plants and has taken over thousands 2010 to protect the restoration site from pigs of acres of native forest on Kaua’i and Hawai’i who roto-til the soil and uproot the native Island. Fortunately, their numbers are still low plants, I had to revisit the site to see the fence along the Mānoa Cli Trail and the highly for the rst time and to see how restoration invasive plants can still be eradicated.