Will Hawaii lava flows cover petroglyph field?

The most recent lava flows from Pu’u O’o are approaching the area of numerous petroglyphs found within the lowlands of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Vistors to the park might want to get in there before the lava flows bury the petroglyphs forever.

With oil at $100 a barrel – will Hawaii’s economy wilt?

While the Hawaii legislature spins out a revised Keep the Superferry alive bill, the oil merchants have watched its favorite product zoom up to $100 a barrel. HECO surcharges are up, shippers fuel charges are up, and airliner jet fuels are up. Of course, our politicians are shopping around a 2050 sustainability plan with little attention to the current zoom in oil prices.

When air fares zoom to match the cost of jet fuel, will Hawaii suffer? When the cost of oil for our too-numerous oil-burning power plants zooms, will Hawaii suffer? When the cost of gas for our SUV’s zooms, will Hawaii suffer? A no brainer I’d say. But here we sit spinning around debating Superferry impact theories, many of which will piss off the activists even more than before.

We should be pushing forward alternate energy projects that would significantly reduce our need for imported oil. The future price of oil may go way higher, but will our attention turn soon enough?

Is Hawaii Superferry on endangered species list?

Wow! A special legislative session to grease the wheels for the Hawaii Superferry to get operating again. EIS or no EIS, is that the question? Or is the Hawaii Superferry on the endangered species list? Will HEI prevail, and keep the status quo? That is, your stuff goes by Young Brothers slow-as-snails barge, and you have to fly. That benefits the airlines and car rental companies, and shipping and freight forwarding companies currently moving your stuff between the islands. Has the Hawaii Superferry kicked in enough political donations to match or exceed those who want the status quo? And I don’t mean the minority enviros on Kauai who no like da Ferry bringing over wily mongoose or those thieving Oahu people with their campers and 4×4’s. Wait, this is beginning to sound like I’m making sausage or is it describing the legislature in action. Gets really blurry.

Hawaii Superferry to become party boat

This just in.

Despite the Judge’s negative ruling on Superferry operations, the Hawaii Superferry on October 27th, will be the stage for the Closing Night Party for the 27th Annual Hawaii International Film Festival. From 9pm to Midnight popular film actors and producers in the pacific, and their fans, will be aboard the Alakai, pier-side at pier 19, to celebrate the film festivals success and experience the luxury of the Alakai.

Maybe they’ll also rig the boat up for charter fishing and become a real party boat! They can take their politician buddies out for some real bottom fishing. Sorry, fishing for whales will not be allowed.

Kauai folks repel boatload of invaders from Oahu

Looks like some Kauai folks are trying to retain some of their treasured semi-independence from the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. The past couple of days a group of them on surfboards blocked the entrance channel that the Hawaii Superferry was trying to enter. The U.S. Coast Guard, charged with homeland security, failed in their attempt to clear the channel, forcing the big catamaran to return to Oahu with passengers wondering just what the heck was going on. The Kauai folks probably have the “it’s us vs. the State of Oahu,” attitude. The roots of this go back to when Kamehameha had to cut a deal with the Alii of Kauai rather than try a second invasion of Kauai.

Full Lunar Eclipse on night of August 27th in Honolulu

Late Monday night, August 27th, the dream will come true. There’s going to be a colorful lunar eclipse visible from five continents including most of North America and Hawaii.

The event begins around 9 p.m. HST (0754 UT) on August 28th when the Moon enters Earth’s shadow. At first, there’s little change. The outskirts of Earth’s shadow are as pale as the Moon itself; an onlooker might not even realize anything is happening. But as the Moon penetrates deeper, a startling metamorphosis occurs. Around 11:52 pm HST (0952 UT), the color of the Moon changes from moondust-gray to sunset-red. This is totality, and it lasts for 90 minutes. So plan on staying up late that night, being someplace that is cloud-free, and enjoying the view.

Twenty foot rise by 2050?

Some of the scientists researching the impacts of global climate change (aka global warming) are now predicting that it would not be out of the question to see a 20 (twenty) foot rise in sea level by the year 2050. That is only 43 years away! Beyond my possible lifetime, but not that of my kids.

Think about it, especially those of you who live along the beautiful coastlines of Hawaii. Think about all the manini (small) changes in sea level and storm effects you’ve seen over the last decade. But by 2050 you will look back at that ocean area and dream of how it use to be. How it was back in 2007 when the shoreline was 20 feet lower, and your place was still there. If you live on Oahu in parts of Honolulu, Kailua, Kapolei, or Ewa Beach, you will be displaced. A new shoreline will be way mauka (inland) from where it is today.

There is clear evidence on Oahu and Kauai that the ocean was more than 20 feet higher than it is now. It’s called a “higher stand of the sea.” The Ewa Plain is all coral. Where all the new homes are being built now. Coral, from a former time when the sea was higher and the reefs were alive.

And Kailua, on the windward side, all those residents and businesses sitting on the former sand dunes and filled lands of Coconut Grove, and “Enchanted Lakes.” This area will return to the correct name for Kailua, two seas. Two bays, like the way Kaneohe Bay is now. Kailua as we currently know it will be gone by 2050. So much for the multi-million dollar homes, and the concern over flood liability coming from the mauka watershed.

Geology rules. Global warming will not be stopped before then. That swooshing sound you hear are the waves of change lapping at your doorstep.

Seventeen Years

It looks like the State DLNR and City are finally getting on the same page when it comes to the restoration and management of Kawai Nui Marsh. This year’s legislation reflects the discussions between the two parties with the help of other major players. In the past, flooding liability has been a hangup, but the fact is we’re all going to be stuck with the bill if a major flood event occurs. So it’s time to stop the back and forth and get on with the restoration projects.