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Ethical tourism
#1
I don't want to derail Darl's "Blue Hawaii" thread any worse than I already have, therefore, I started this one. There's really nothing more for me to add, there, anyway; I've made my position pretty clear there.

KathyH got me to thinking about the ethics of helitours, so I'll end my part in this discussion on those terms. I'd like to think that I'm an ethical person, and not intentionally cause harm to you, Kathy, or Punapetah, or April, or any of the other helicopter objectors. I honestly was unaware there was even a problem at all until about a month ago, which in itself is a part of the problem. Kathy addressed this in her last post. If you want Joe Tourist to know you have a problem with helicopters, you need to develop some kind of plan to educate him. I stumbled into Punaweb completely on accident, in the hopes of learning more about the people and culture of this beautiful place. Tens of thousands of tourists do not know you have any problem at all.

Because of my ethics, I'd work with the operators to find a better fix. I'd even tip the pilot $50 to find a lower impact route. If I had to drive down to the bottom of the Chain of Craters Road, to a small heliport leased from the park itself on the uninhabited pahoehoe flows, where a helicopter could take off, fly over the volcano, and return without ever flying over any residence at all, well, I'd do that, too.

I assume good intentions on all of your parts, as well. I'm sure that you don't intentionally wish harm to me or any other future tourist, even though you wish to preserve the peace and quiet of your rural lifestyle. I'd suggest that in furtherance of that, you could find it in your hearts to work with the helicopter operators, the FAA, the County government, the local media, to find an equitable solution of some kind.

I think there is an equitable solution, short of stacking the helicopters in a pile and burning them, and having all helicopter pilots poke out their own eyes with a pencil.

(Uh, that was a joke.)

I just don't know what the solution is, even what it might look like. There are too many variables for me to try to figure out. I'm mostly concerned about planning a 2008 vacation to look at, and perhaps buy, a piece of property on the Big Island, then planning a retirement sometime the following year. I trust that smart people among you, and kind people too, will get this all figured out by the time I get there.

Lastly, because of my ethics, I am not afraid of saying what I believe, and I'll not apologize for or retract anything I've said. I'll admit to speaking perhaps more directly than may be polite among relative strangers, but I stand by the points that I've made. I truly believe that flying over an active volcano is one of those rare experiences that should be preserved for future generations at almost any cost, excepting the cost of willful negligence on the part of the people who operate helicopters for hire.

Aloha, and mahalo for helping me to find my heart in this matter.

How do I know?

Edited by - mgeary on 11/13/2007 20:49:00
Aloha! ;-)
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#2
check out my last post on the We the people thread. Just a shot

Aloha, Dan

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#3
That's excellent, Dan. It took me awhile to get it through my thick skull what you and Bob Orts were trying to do, but I think I understand.

The most direct route, of course, would be for you or Bob Orts to stand for the Environmental seats on the FAA's NPOAG - ARC. I wouldn't make that kind of a commitment, very few people would, and I certainly understand if you weren't willing. If you want to form a local government intermediary to provide input to the FAA, that's great, a lot easier, and might achieve your desired results through local pressure on the air flight industry before it ever needed to go to the FAA.

Good luck, best wishes. Aloha.

How do I know?

Edited by - mgeary on 11/13/2007 21:01:12
Aloha! ;-)
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#4
mgeary,

Well, do you think that it is worth signing and sending? That is why I put it there. All the back and forth banter is so boring. All you need is right there; the council's email addresses. a few paste and clicks and the council has the requests. Action or the sensation of doing business anyway.

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#5
DanielP, when I fly over there for the last time, on a one-way ticket, I'd be glad to sign and send your petition. It's a good one, and I support the concept. At this point, though, I'm none of the below: "..I/we the undersigned residents, property owners, and voters...", and it wouldn't be ethical, appropriate, or even legal for me to try to influence your legislators or local government. In California, petitions for initiatives are invalid if they contain the signatures of non-voters or non-citizens. I'm pretty sure it's the same in Hawaii.

For Punapetah, I'm glad that you get my sense of humor. I have no doubt that there'll be plenty of things left to figure out in 2009, or even in 2019.

Ethical tourism should be a goal. Perhaps in some places, at some times, it is an oxymoron, but I make every effort to not step on or even touch the little coral polyps when I snorkel, I don't leave any trash anywhere in a National Park, or even alongside the roads in beautiful (but slightly trashy) Puna, and I'd work with you to try to put ethics into helicopter flights to the volcano. Think what you wish, I believe they are not incompatible concepts.

How do I know?
Aloha! ;-)
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#6
Last thought: I agree with DanielP that this back and forth banter is boring, or at the very least unproductive, at least for my part in the discussion. I'm an outsider, at this point, with no real say in the matter other than presenting a single tourist's viewpoint as honestly as I can.

I'd suggest you take action with your petition, with the FAA documenting violations, and most importantly, engage in dialogue with Darl on the "Blue Hawaii" thread, or better, face to face with him.

Aloha.

How do I know?

Edited by - mgeary on 11/13/2007 23:18:47
Aloha! ;-)
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