2014-2015 -- 56% of Big Island Coral Died

[PaulW]

P.S. Gypsy, stop writing such unbelievable nonsense and maybe people will respond to you better. Glad to see you're back on the mainland where you came from, maybe you should turn your attention to the problems there, you're so out of touch with what's happening here.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Gypsy, stop writing such unbelievable nonsense

Because unbelievable nonsense not only blows... from east to west.
It comes right back atcha from the west to the east.

“Facts fall from the poetic observer as ripe seeds.” -Henry Thoreau

[Guest]

PaulW, Maybe I am a bit out of touch with my Homeland as you write. No matter where I move in my life, I will always be from the Big Island.

PaulW, Let me show you the difference between an opinion or two and a personal attack. This is my opinion about the ROD, I believe This type of activity was one of the biggest reasons WHY the ROD spread to all counties on the Big Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiVIzM5mclo

PaulW, This is a personal attack. I will always remember The County and state doing nothing for years except ignore and make excuses for the Dying Ohia trees that were being reported by those like myself who noticed or cared.

HOTPE, Thanks for not wanting to turn this thread into another TMT discussion. I agree with you when you write about looking at every possible solution to the serious problems facing Hawaii's reefs. This is why I posted my opinions and links regarding the possibilities of Tourism impacts on Hawaii's reef and fish populations in the first place. Some may view radiation or global warming as the problems facing the reefs, that's fine and their opinion. My opinion may be off the wall or non-sense but it's my opinion and all I was trying to do was share it. Peace, old-timer.

[glinda]

The interesting thing (to me) that nobody has mentioned about reef preservation is how bad Oxybenzone is and it’s prevalence in sunscreen sold in Hawaii.

Yes, ideally, coral does recover after bleaching events, as long as the water cools and there are no other major stress factors. But, the water isn’t cooling as much as in years past and in popular tourist destinations where the toxic load from Oxybenzone is excessive, it’s proving to be harder than one would hope.

I personally think it’s appalling that the importation and sale of Oxybenzone hasn’t been banned in Hawaii. Where the idea of preventing people (tourists) from excessive ocean recreation may not be feasible preventing them from inadvertently introducing poisons into the water is. Unfortunately our government has yet to demonstrate that they have the will to take such a definitive step toward ocean preservation. Some tried with Senate Bill 1150 this last legislative session but the bill was, shamefully in my opinion, left to wither on the vine.

If you are not hip to the humbug with Oxybenzone Big Island Now published a pretty good article on sunscreens here:

http://bigislandnow.com/2017/05/19/reefs...;is-reefs/

For a more in depth article on the chemicals in sunscreens and their effects one might read:

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the...geauHeZPLg

And please, to do your part is simple, do not buy products that contain Oxybenzone. A list of eco-friendly sunscreens is here:

https://bantoxicsunscreens.com/2017/08/0...een-guide/

[Guest]

Plus + 2 for glinda.

Thank you glinda, for your input and opinions to what may be contributing to Hawaii's declining or dying reefs. Also, Mahalo for not blaming the local fisherman for over fishing when they are only trying to provide for their families.

[leilanidude]

Also, Mahalo for not blaming the local fisherman for over fishing when they are only trying to provide for their families.
==========
Over fishing is over fishing, no matter who does it, or why.

[PaulW]

As long as they are "providing for their families" then it's okay to wipe out all of the fish? What will they provide their families with then?
Think, then post.

[glinda]

quote:

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Originally posted by gypsy69

Mahalo for not blaming the local fisherman for over fishing when they are only trying to provide for their families.

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I don't think the local fisherman is at the root of the problem with overfishing, or any other over depletion of our resources, and find it difficult to lay blame on individual groups for what is a worldwide crisis. Yes we can get picky and point fingers at any group and we'll find the rate of extraction of our natural resources is far greater than the rate they are being replenished, practically across the board. But, I believe, addressing the problem one group, one part of the ecosystem, at a time is futile.

The problem, imo, is over population, world wide. All our problems, from excessive CO2 emissions to depletion of fish, from loss of natural habitats to whatever you want to name, is pure and simply, overpopulation. And, the solution is simple. One child per couple for the next one hundred years. Mandatory, with severe penalties if the law is broken. Period. Otherwise we're all screwed no matter what you do. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade, but if I was in any version of power to push such a policy I'd ram it down the world's throat in a heartbeat.

I should add.. that since it is impractical to think humanity as a whole would buy into such a limitation as a one child policy worldwide, we are stuck with dealing with issues one at a time. It's a shame because as long as we allow the population to spiral out of control we are going to end up depleting everything anyways. Just imagine, in short order, the world's population doubling from what it is now. Tripling...

[Guest]

What if the population for the entire big island and more went swimming over the reef with sunblock on every day of the year. They could stand on the coral and piss in the water even discard their water bottles and trash. Could this type of behavior cause some reef damage?

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news...s-new.html

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

quote:

---

Originally posted by gypsy69

What if the population for the entire big island and more went swimming over the reef with sunblock on every day of the year. They could stand on the coral and piss in the water even discard their water bottles and trash. Could this type of behavior cause some reef damage?

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Don't we already have reef damage without the population of the entire Big Island and more... etc

“Facts fall from the poetic observer as ripe seeds.” -Henry Thoreau