Current Affairs

Another reason why we LOVE Hawaii…

The state of Hawaii has unveiled plance to be the first in the nation to roll out the electric car stations statewide. The govener is taking steps to wean the islands off of oil. Gov. LInda Lingle said the program would help Hawaii meet its goal of slashing fossil fuels my 70 percent. This will take some time of course but the important element is that we are moving forward…moving forward and making more sensible decisons concerning the environment.

It’s time to go Electric!

One-fifth of the world’s corals have died and many remaining reefs may be lost by 2050 as carbon dioxide from cars and pollution-spewing industries make ocean water warmer and more acidic, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network said.

The fate of corals is crucial to the livelihoods of millions of coastal dwellers around the world. Reefs are worth about $30 billion a year to the global economy through tourism, fisheries and coastal protection, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a United Nations-supervised study.

Shark's fin consumption more than doubled in Singapore last year from 2006, with demand driven by an economic boom and an increase in wedding celebrations, a report said Saturday.

Singapore consumed more than 470 tonnes in 2007, up from 182 tonnes the previous year and reversing a four-year decline, the Straits Times reported.

Strong economic growth in 2007 and a rise in the number of people getting married drove demand despite a 30-percent rise in shark's fin soup prices and appeals by environmental groups to ease consumption, it said.

Shark's fin soup is popular at Chinese wedding banquets, where it is seen as a status symbol.

"Most of the couple's parents consider this dish a premium and without it, they would lose face," Ruth Soh, communications director at the Mandarin Oriental, told the newspaper.

She said however that the hotel buys shark's fin only from fish farms.

Housewife Janet Gan was quoted as saying: "Shark's fin is a must at a wedding. It is like a birthday cake."

But Michael Aw, a marine conservationist, said more than 30 sharks have to be killed to feed a wedding banquet with 300 guests, according to the report.

"We must continue to educate the younger generation and make them see that sharks are guardians of the sea that ensure a balance in the food chain," Aw said.

The message is not lost to Melanie Tan, who will walk down the aisle next month.

"I don't want to be part of the cruel act of killing sharks just to make others satisfied on my wedding day," she was quoted as saying.

Watch the movie Shark Water (previous post) to learn more about this horrible act and why the extinction of sharks is harmful to our food chain and eco-system.

Famed big wave surfer Woody Brown dies at 96

I had the chance to surf with Woody Brown when I first moved to Maui. I was completely in awe at his charm and love for surfing. Such a sweet man and truly an icon of surfing. My favorite break on Maui, Woodys, is named after this man.

He will be missed.

May he surf in peace.

Woody Brown Surfing until the ripe age of 90 years old.