Sea Life Suffers ! Styrofoam

[viviansuet]

Sea Life Suffers ! Please endure a little inconvenience for the Greater Good !
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-ne...more-input

Dozens of testifiers from schoolchildren to scientists urged the council to ban the containers that they say break down into small pieces that become a false food source for fish and seabirds. Marine animals can literally starve to death with a full stomach of plastics, not even knowing they’re hungry, they said.
Tuesday May 3rd Hawaii County Council Votes on this !!! Right now they are split 4 to 4 and one undecided.....Please let Danny Paleka, Billy Kenoi, Greggor Ilagan, Onishi, Dru Kanuha & Aaron Chung our Island can handle this ! We handled the Plastic Bag Ban....okay !
I had my doubts about the bag ban, but hey you know what..... It is NO Problem !! We can do this !

[Peter Easterling]

Billy is an active surfer. I am betting he does the right thing. Greggor? Vote for the ban. This does not need more studying.

[ericlp]

I can't even remember the last time I got a styrofoam plate or cup. Maybe we can bring back the plastic bags? I'm almost out of my 2500 I ordered from Amazon. Looks like I'll have to buy more!

[birdmove]

I've hated styrofoam forever. Ban it now.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[imwithstoopid]

For me this is a most important "must do". Having seen first hand the horrible final results of all plastics in all marine life and fowl(mainly water fowl) it can't be done soon enough.

For fish the "new" micro beads being used in cosmetics and other stuff are really bad.

We have become so dependent upon throw-away plastics that we take it for granted that every new item is needed and can't be done without or made in another way.

Styrofoam (polystyrene) is only the tip of this "iceberg" people.

Most of this stuff is killing simply because enough of us don't care enough to dispose of plastics properly.

Oh yes, and I do know just how plastic is important in our daily lives and has become literally indispensable. One of the reasons we are dependent on oil.


Don't be an sesquipedalian, Eschew Obfuscation.....

Sometimes, when I see the neighborhood children make small discoveries of their own, I wish I were a child.
With apologies to Dr. Seuss

[Punatic007]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ericlp

I can't even remember the last time I got a styrofoam plate or cup. Maybe we can bring back the plastic bags? I'm almost out of my 2500 I ordered from Amazon. Looks like I'll have to buy more!

---

My doggie bag from Nings in Pahoa was 3 styrofoam containers this past week as well as a large package from E-bay loaded with styrofoam peanuts. Very sad.

[terracore]

I would support the ban if it was written intelligently, for example if it only applied to non-biodegradable polystyrene. You can do your own Googling on the paper/cardboard versus polystyrene argument so you can fact-check the source but for example "If you’re concerned with making the eco-friendly choice between the two, Styrofoam wins on many fronts. Unless you’re using a paper cup that is biodegradable (most are not), there are some aspects to consider. A standard paper cup takes more than 20 years to decompose in a landfill environment. This is mostly due to the wax lining on the inside of the cup. The trendy paper cup also takes more energy, raw material and money to make. For example, in comparison to Styrofoam, a paper cup requires 12 times the amount of water, 36 times the amount of electricity and costs double the amount of money to produce." (I understand this isn't a cup issue but the materials involved are the same). These stats don't even get into the amount of toxic chemicals paper and cardboard factories use and the fish that are killed by their discharge. Go breathe the brown air in Beijing and drink some of their unfiltered river water and then report back to us.

If you are looking at an environmental "net result" simply banning all polystyrene may be more damaging to the environment in the long run.

If a cheaper biodegradable polystyrene becomes available, it would be unfortunate if merchants couldn't use it because it was banned due to law writers without any vision or understanding on how factories consume resources and pollute the environment making these "environmentally friendly" alternatives. Unless they are written correctly, these are reactionary "feel good laws" with a net environmental impact that is opposite to it's intent.

[Obie]

Drove up the coast above the Cape Kamukahi Lighthouse a week ago and saw tons of Styrofoam. It was all fishing floats.

How will banning food containers stop this ?

How will I get my next locomoco home ? In a paper bag ?

Where are the dead marine animals ? I haven't seen any since the dead whale a few years ago.

[VancouverIslander]

Almost all paper products are biodegradable. Some with a waxy coating like some paper cups are slower to break down, but biodegradable nonetheless.

Just call me Mike

[viviansuet]

https://www.facebook.com/events/1751367655096666/

Testimony Tuesday May 3rd 3pm
for Styrofoam Ban
Ask our representatives to “Hold the Foam” for our ‘#257;ina, oceans, keiki, native wildlife, and health!!

Join us to support Bill 140 for Hawai#699;i County on Tues., May 3rd @ 3pm Councilwoman Margaret D. Wille recently proposed a bill that would reduce the use of EPS Foam (e.g., Styrofoam) in food service and food ware products on island after Jan 1, 2018. EPS Foam is problematic to our native wildlife, waste management on island, and our human health.

Let County Council HEAR YOUR VOICE:
#10003;Email to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov or contact your Councilmembers directly
#10003;Share your testimony in person at the Kona Council Chambers, or via video conference in Hilo, Ka#699;#363;, Waimea, and Pahoa
#10003;Go to and sign and SHARE this online petition so we can reach the goal of 5,000 supporters*!
#10003;Check out the youtube video on website at wildhawaii.org**
#10003;Share this event info!
#10003;Contact meg.hwf@gmail.com for more info
* PETITION LINK: https://www.change.org/p/william-kenoi-h...aii-county *

** YouTube video LINK: https://youtu.be/YGBpHYLNtRA **
Bill 140: AMENDS CHAPTER 20, OF THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE 1983, 2005 EDITION, AS AMENDED), BY ADDING A NEW ARTICLE RELATING TO REDUCTION OF POLYSTYRENE FOAM " STYROFOAM" FOOD CONTAINERS AND FOOD SERVICE WARE
Prohibits the sale, disbursement, and use of polystyrene foam containers and food service ware by a food provider or vendor to customers effective January 1, 2018.