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+--- Thread: Are we headed backwards culturally? (/showthread.php?tid=16229)
Are we headed backwards culturally? - dan d - 07-30-2015
From Big island Video news
-------------------------------
COALITION OP-ED
Walter himself is currently the Vice President of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Big Island Community Coalition. The Coalition recently submitted an editorial to local media, which we posted below. It touches on some of the same themes Walter discusses in our interview.
The purpose of the Big Island Community Coalition is to work towards reduced electrical energy costs on the Island of Hawaii – where we pay up to four times the national average for our power. We are particularly sensitive to electric power rates as very high rates serve essentially as a regressive tax on our population while greatly reducing the probability of generating jobs in any sector that is dependent on electricity.
There are occasions when events are so alarming that groups such as ours feel compelled to move beyond our primary task. This is such a time.
We have observed with increasing alarm as our community has taken steps that inexorably blunt the forward movement of our economy and even move us backwards. These include:
1.) Anti-Geothermal activists encouraged County government to ban nighttime drilling, effectively stopping expansion of a major source of renewable and inexpensive electric power beyond already-existing permits.This action was taken despite the existing plant meeting all applicable noise standards. It appears that government officials took this action without first going to the site to verify that the noise was disruptive. Once they did go to the site, some years later, government found that the noise was less than other environmental sounds (i.e., coqui frogs) and essentially no more than typical background noise.
2.) Anti-GMO activists lobbied to stop any new GMO products from being grown on the island – despite the fact that the vast majority of scientific, peer-reviewed studies found such products to be as safe, and in some cases more nutritious, as their non-GMO counterparts. Legislation even prohibited GMO flowers – not consumed by anyone – from being grown on the island. Thus family farmers lost the most effective new tools needed to reduce pesticide and herbicide usage while increasing productivity needed to keep their farms competitive.
3.) Now we have anti-Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) activists taking steps to stop construction of the most advanced telescope in the world. If successful in stopping TMT, despite its sponsors following every legal requirement over a seven-year period, we will lose our world leading advantage in understanding the universe.
All of these actions share similar characteristics:
The arguments used to justify such actions are consistently anti-scientific.
– “Anti” groups often obscure the lack of scientific evidence to support their position by using emotional pleas intended to incite fear.
– The only “win” for many of these groups is to completely stop, thereby making them completely unwilling to consider any facts that refute their position or to make any reasonable compromise.
– Long-term consequences are significant both culturally and economically.
– Cultures that survive and thrive embrace new technologies carefully, thoughtfully and steadily. Cultures and economies that thrive are innovative beccause they generate ideas and solutions, solve problems and take calculated but careful risks.
Cultures that fall backwards are those that fear advancement, fear change and cling to a mythicized view of yesteryear. The net result is loss of their brightest and most hard working youth. Those youth that remain find fewer and fewer jobs – those jobs having greatly diminished economic value and lower wages. The downward spiral becomes inexorable.
As we look to tomorrow, we need to ask ourselves whether we wish to give our children the exciting and invigorating job market typified by Silicon Valley or a job market that is much closer to the poorer regions of third world countries. It is up to us to point one way or another. Driving TMT out will be one more major step to cultural and economic poverty.
Signed,
Big Island Community Coalition
Richard Ha, President,
David DeLuz Jr., Rockne Freitas, Michelle Galimba, Wallace Ishibashi, Noe Kalipi, H.R “Monty” Richards, William Walter.
------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Dolaptchieff
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - Punatic007 - 07-30-2015
I barely even breezed over this and saw that you have absolutely no empathy or respect for anyone or the planet.
You have the audacity to complain about others complaining about nighttime drilling noise?
I think you should pull up a trailer or pitch a tent in the vicinity and rewrite your post/letter after a week or so with completely frazzled nerves from sleep deprivation and loud noises.
Shame on you for promoting GMO's on this island. Your lack of empathy in the glaring face of solid evidence of the horror and damage it causes, is shocking.
This island is prone to significant volcanic and seismic activity, it's not a place for your "progress at all costs" agenda. God God.
I agree with you on the telescope, that's it. Now stop with the audacity to malign good people at risk with the criminal protesters.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - dan d - 07-30-2015
Read the header
I didnt write it.
You seem to jump at people?
aloha
Dan D
HPP
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - Rob Tucker - 07-30-2015
Punatic007,
You are entitled to your opinions but you are rather rashly judging the author of that statement posted.
I would be inclined to say you are showing a lack of respect for someone (Richard Ha) with deep roots on this island
and in a rightful position to state his views.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - kalakoa - 07-30-2015
People should be required to see Idiocracy (2006) before commenting on this issue.
absolutely no empathy or respect for anyone or the planet
I have little empathy or respect for the anti-everything movement. I can't pay my bills with a bag of anti-science and a few sacred chants, not even here in Puna. Especially now that I'm subsiziding the protestors.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 07-30-2015
People should be required to see Idiocracy (2006) before commenting on this issue.
Excellent parallel.
Although as bad as it became in the future after science was made to take a back seat to monster truck rallies and broad spectrum Gatorade applications, even they had a conveniently local five story high Costco, with live animals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zNsUTWsOc
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - PaulW - 07-30-2015
"solid evidence of the horror and damage it causes"
Please provide this solid evidence. That would be a first.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - Punatic007 - 07-30-2015
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Punatic007,
You are entitled to your opinions but you are rather rashly judging the author of that statement posted.
I would be inclined to say you are showing a lack of respect for someone (Richard Ha) with deep roots on this island
and in a rightful position to state his views.
Yes I am entitled to my opinion and my roots are just as deep as those of Mr. Ha. It's obvious Rob you are pro industry at any cost, that's your opinion. You host a website, the challenge you have is to respect the opinion of those who do not agree with your political views. Mr. Ha can speak for himself.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - Chunkster - 07-30-2015
I first thought Punatic007 was being sarcastic, and I was going to respond with, "Oh, the Humanity!" But he is apparently serious. Now that's scary.
RE: Are we headed backwards culturally? - Rob Tucker - 07-30-2015
Punatic007,
Mr. Ha is speaking for himself. You are attempting to speak for me when you say I am pro industry at any cost. That is a bad habit. Keep it up and you will be gone.