Are there other environmental issues these days? Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (HC&S), which operates the last mill on Maui, grows sugar on 37,000 acres. For much of the year, company workers burn the fields when the cane has grown about two years. This burning releases a great deal of smoke and ash which contain particulates […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2015: Best Environmental Issue on Maui Cane Burning
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE ON MAUI Cane Burning Is there a bigger issue than this right now on Maui? Yes, cane burning has been going on for over a century, and yes, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar employs 800 or so people at their Puunene Mill–the last big sugar operation in Hawaii. But tradition and jobs are […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2013: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Cane Burning
Best Environmental Issue Cane Burning Forgive the pun, but the controversy over Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar’s insistence that the only way they can process sugar is by first burning the cane in the fields is really blowing up. Defenders point to the company’s 800 employees and the fact that HC&S has “always” harvested sugar in […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2014: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: GMOs
Best Environmental Issue GMOs We’re going to assume, given your answer to the State blunder category, that you’re naming genetically modified organisms the county’s best environmental issue because you feel that they’re not a good thing. And while GMOs are a big issue everywhere–Americans have been eating genetically modified products for a couple decades now, […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2016: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: GMOs
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE GMOs Monsanto’s growing of genetically modified corn in South Maui and Molokai is probably the most divisive political issue today in Maui County. It led directly to a historic ballot measure in 2014, that scooped up huge numbers of votes, both pro and con (the pro side won, though the fight continues […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2009: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Water
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE Water You know that slogan they’re always singing on the radio: “By water, all things find life”? It may be annoyingly catchy, but it’s also undeniably true. Without water, none of us would exist. It’s important to remember that, because it’s easy to take this precious life-giving elixir for granted. From pumping huge […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2008: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Superferry
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE Superferry The environmental and legal waters became even more turbulent in the year that passed since Hawaii Superferry earned last year’s nod as Best Environmental Issue. And by “Best,” we believe readers of course mean “Worst.” After all, aren’t environmental issues defined as government willingness to let big money projects run rampant […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2007: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Superferry
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE Superferry Civics Lesson #2: The state, not the county, gave us the Superferry. State officials decided an Environmental Impact Statement wasn’t necessary; that worries about Superferry cars tracking invasive species all over the islands were unfounded; and that concerns about increased traffic snarls caused by the boats were overblown. But once again, […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2007: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Superferry
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE Superferry Civics Lesson #2: The state, not the county, gave us the Superferry. State officials decided an Environmental Impact Statement wasn’t necessary; that worries about Superferry cars tracking invasive species all over the islands were unfounded; and that concerns about increased traffic snarls caused by the boats were overblown. But once again, […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2006: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Pump Don’t Dump
EDIT PICK: BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE Pump Don’t Dump What, you people don’t like it when commercial tour boats and ocean liners release raw sewage into local waters? Well, you’ve got a lot in common then with the Pump Don’t Dump group (www.pumpdontdump.com), a loose gathering of citizens who raised so much hell at Ma’alaea Harbor […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2005: Best Local Environmental Issue on Maui: Recycling
BEST LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE recycling Since we all know that we live on a finite rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you’d think that most people would appreciate the need to conserve space in our landfills by making the most of recyclable products. Companies like Four Star Mortgage are doing their part, but […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2017: Best Environmental Non-Profit on Maui: Surfrider Foundation
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROFIT SURFRIDER FOUNDATION Surfrider Foundation is a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting our ocean, waves and beaches. Its volunteer-based Maui Chapter hosts monthly beach cleanups, recently launched water testing and Rise Above Plastics programs protecting coastal areas, and advocates at the County level to ensure a healthy future for Maui coastlines. For […]
MauiTime Best of Maui 2017: Best Environmental Issue on Maui: Monsanto GMOs
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE MONSANTO GMOS No surprise here–the growing of genetically modified corn on Maui (as well as Monsanto and GMOs in general) have been major issues to MauiTime readers for many years. Though the 2014 anti-GMO ballot measure was later struck down in court, changing demographics and the considerable popularity of the idea […]