Meat industry scary ADVERTISING Meat industry scary I have no fear of all the goblins, the witches, or even the evil clowns lurking on Halloween. What really scares me are the latest reports about the meat industry. Like news of
Meat industry scary
I have no fear of all the goblins, the witches, or even the evil clowns lurking on Halloween. What really scares me are the latest reports about the meat industry.
Like news of pig farms dumping millions of gallons of pig feces into North Carolina’s water supplies during Hurricane Matthew. Or of saturating their neighborhoods with wind-borne fecal waste spray. Or of animal farming accounting for more greenhouse gases than transportation.
Like recurring media exposes of horrific atrocities against animals on factory farms. Or of subjecting slaughterhouse workers to crippling workplace injuries at slave wages. Or of exploiting farmers by controlling prices. Like repeated reports of studies linking consumption of animal products with elevated risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other killer diseases. Or reports of the meat industry bullying health authorities to remove warnings from dietary guidelines.
Now, that’s really scary.
I fought back by dropping animal products from my menu, and my local supermarket has rewarded me with a colorful display of fresh fruits and veggies, as well as a rich selection of plant-based meats, milks, cheeses, and ice creams. I am no longer scared, though I still fear for my friends and neighbors.
Washi Hamada
Kailua-Kona
Mobile homes the solution
With the super high cost of living in Hawaii mostly caused by Democratic policy and bad decisions by past and present Democratic governors and state lawmakers making affordable housing nonexistent here, it seems they could right their wrongs by relaxing the code on mobile homes.
In order for our young people to stay and not pay a fortune for housing it seems an answer would be mobile home or trailer parks. They could be built out in the lava fields near Kukio and Hualalai. It would be the perfect place with beach access provided by the current roads and close to town for workers. It would be great use of the black rock fields to turn them into affordable mega-trailer parks for low-income seniors and youth and would also bring in more skilled workers and help with the homeless problem.
Would anyone really mind looking at a few hundred trailers as they drive north on the highway? I don’t think so.
James Duke
Honaunau
Nothing to be
fearful of voicing support
“You’re brave,” said a visitor to the We Support TMT table at the Hilo Farmer’s Market, where volunteers answer questions about the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope construction project.
Supporters of astronomy share facts about TMT and correct misconceptions like Galileo proclaiming that Earth is not the center of the universe. For the most part, Mauna Kea protectors have acted responsibly in the spirit of compassion and aloha. A few notable exceptions, including threats of violence, school bullying, social media trolls, and rocks in the road notwithstanding.
In fact, when asked, Mauna Kea protectors would say it’s not astronomy they object to, only that more observatories must not be built on sacred ground. Yet they would also quickly acknowledge that astronomy is a sacred science and a vital part of Hawaiian culture that dates all the way back to the Kumulipo.
TMT supporters and Mauna Kea protectors may attend different churches, but our kids go to the same schools. We are friends and family that have kept silent to avoid arguments at the dinner table. We are neighbors and local business owners who wish to appear neutral, students, educators, responsible citizens and community leaders with strong feelings on both sides of the controversy. We are all Mauna Kea.
“Would you build a telescope at the Vatican?” Asks another visitor who believes Mauna Kea is a temple.
In fact, the Vatican Observatory was built with papal support of astronomy in 1891. The dedication plaque reads: “May
whoever searches here at night and day the far reaches of space, use it joyfully with the help of God.”
For over 45 years, science and the sacred have peacefully coexisted on Mauna Kea. Why should TMT supporters be afraid to say they want to keep it that way?
Sylvia Dahlby
Hilo
TMT visible from highways
“Did you know TMT will only be visible from 14 percent of the island?”
This is a false statement in an ad running in our newspapers by the proponents of TMT.
This ad would be somewhat true if everyone on this island stayed home every day and never traveled on our highways that pass through Waimea from Kona, Ka’u, Hilo, and Hamakua.
In actuality, if built, the 18-story tall observatory, wanting to be called “TMT,” will be visible 100 percent of the time as we, residents and visitors alike, traverse our island’s highways and roads and gaze upon our majestic Mauna Kea as it draws our attention to it.
Everett Franco
Paauilo
