American Clean Energy and Security Act

Posted on | June 27, 2009 | No Comments

To those who question the potential effectiveness of the Waxman-Markey bill (also known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act), I have two questions: 1) Do you believe that humans have caused the climate to change? and, 2) Do you think we have the capacity to fix it? I just want to make sure you’re starting with the same assumptions as the rest of us, because if not then your comments are, well, largely irrelevant to all of us who are trying to ensure the future health of the planet.

If you said “yes” to the two questions above, then I assume you WANT us to take action to reduce our impact on the climate. And if that’s the case, then what would YOU like to see done if you don’t think this bill is the answer (I’m not an expert on it)? It’s one thing to critique, it’s another to offer alternatives. Right now, I’d rather we air on the side of action than that of the status quo; seems like eight years of ignoring the problem hasn’t done much good.

Some question whether this bill will actually reduce the cost of energy. To that I say, yours is a trivial concern compared to the issue of whether we will even HAVE energy in the future when all the oil reserves dry up (whether you think that’s in 50 years, 100 years, or longer; at some point, it will be gone). Without a serious commitment to becoming fully dependent on renewable energy sources, we are doing nothing but putting a few more years on that big countdown timer to total planetary chaos.

I don’t think I’m being melodramatic and I hate to sound apocalyptic, but I am frustrated and tired of arguing the merits of environmental legislation with people who don’t think there’s an environmental problem in the first place. There’s something wrong when people, like Al Gore, who are trying to protect the environment are accused of political posturing or something other than sincere concern, while those who say that human-caused climate change is a myth are not vilified for only thinking of their own (deep) pockets.

National Oceans Month 2009

Posted on | June 12, 2009 | No Comments

I just learned that President Obama declared today that June 2009 is National Oceans Month and calls upon all Americans to learn more about what we each can do to be better stewards of the oceans. I’ve posted Obama’s proclamation below for you to read. You can also check out on the White House’s website and see his other memorandum on the national policy for the oceans. Read it here.

On a personal note…

Life in the oceans has thrived for billions of years before humans walked the Earth. Some species, such as leatherback turtles, swam alongside giant ocean dinosaurs the same way they now swim next to commercial fishing boats. How painful is the irony that the ships which enable them to be killed with such efficiency, whether on purpose or as “by-catch”, are powered by fossil fuels — derived from the remains of their ancestors? These turtles, like countless species of fish, marine mammals, and birds, have survived through every natural threat ever presented to them. But they’ve finally met their match. How can we not be fearful of our own mortality as a species when we have, in only a century or so, brought about the near-complete anihilation of such resilient animals?

On behalf of all the fish and life in the sea, and the people on land who are too ignorant to say it themselves, I say “Thank You” to President Obama for his leadership and his recognition of the critical role of the oceans in our lives. Perhaps we may find a way to co-exist with the oceans; they were fine before us, and no doubt will find a way to return to glory, hopefully with us, but if not, then surely without us.

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Oceans are the Earth’s dominant feature. They cover more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface and affect our lives in a variety of ways. This month we celebrate the wonder of the oceans, and we commit to protecting and sustaining them for current and future generations.

The oceans are critical to supporting life. From the abyssal plains of the Pacific to the shallow coral reefs and seagrass beds of the Florida Keys, oceans support an incredible diversity of marine life and ecosystems. The base of the oceanic ecosystem provides most of the oxygen we breathe, so oceans are critical to our survival. These bodies of water also drive weather patterns and affect climate.

Our Nation’s economy relies heavily on the oceans. Goods and services are transported across them constantly. They support countless jobs in an array of industries, including fishing, tourism, and energy. The economies of entire regions depend on the oceans.

The United States has been a leader in exploring and protecting this critical resource. We have gained new insights into the ocean ecosystems through research and monitoring. We have promoted innovative conservation efforts, such as setting aside special areas as national marine sanctuaries. We have also reduced overfishing, made great strides in reducing coastal pollution, and helped restore endangered species and degraded habitats.

My Administration continues to build upon this progress, and we are taking a more integrated and comprehensive approach to developing a national ocean policy that will guide us well into the future. This policy will incorporate ecosystem-based science and management and emphasize our public stewardship responsibilities. My Administration also is working to develop a systematic marine spatial planning framework for the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources. I am committed to protecting these resources and ensuring accountability for actions that affect them.

During National Oceans Month, we celebrate these vast spaces and the myriad ways they sustain life. We also pledge to preserve them and commend all those who are engaged in efforts to meet this end.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as National Oceans Month. I call upon all Americans to learn more about the oceans and what can be done to conserve them.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

“Fierce Heart”

Posted on | June 2, 2009 | No Comments

"Fierce Heart" by Stuart Holmes Coleman

I recently read “Fierce Heart” by Stuart Holmes Coleman (author of “Eddie Would Go” and Hawaii Regional Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation). Coleman spent four years thoroughly researching the interwoven stories that reflect the immense cultural pride of Makaha and the west side of Oahu. Highlighted in the book are famed waterman Buffalo Keaulana and his family, the immortal Hawaiian music superstar Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, and women’s surfing pioneer Rell Sunn.

I was first introduced to Coleman’s unique writing style when I read “Eddie Would Go” soon after I moved to Hawaii. I say “unique” not as a euphemism, but because he has a way of giving the reader a lot of information and facts without boring them with an encyclopedic list of events. By retelling the heartwarming stories he was no doubt told in Makaha over a few beers at a BBQ on the beach, Coleman brings alive these larger-than-life characters and gets at the essence of what has made them so important to Makaha, to Hawaii as a whole, and in some cases, to people all over the world. As cliche as it sounds, I laughed, I cried, and I reflected on how different a place Hawaii might be had lives not been tragically cut short.

“Fierce Heart” attempts to demystify an area of Oahu that is seldom visited by tourists, or for that matter by most Oahu residents who don’t live there. Coleman does not sugar coat the problems of poverty and drugs that plague many people in the region, but he spends most of the book focusing on the cultural pride in Makaha and the historical importance of the place and its people. As one would expect, a great deal of the stories focus on surfing and water sports, which are central in the lives of the people on the west side. Coleman, through interviews with famous pioneers of surfing and legendary watermen, retells stories of the biggest swells to hit the shores, the most dangerous ocean rescues, and hair-raising encounters with tiger sharks that make it tough for the reader to ever find a real “stopping point” in the book.

Personally, I was most touched by the story of Rell Sunn, who I am ashamed to admit I had never heard of before reading the book. Rell was a pioneer in women’s surfing and helped bring female surfers the attention they deserved, both in the media and on the international stage. However, it was not Rell’s success as a surfer that got me, it was her commitment to helping the children of Makaha live better, more fulfilling lives. She started surf contests for children and was known as the “Queen of Makaha”, always being a role model for youth and guiding them away from trouble by focusing their efforts on surfing and the ocean.

But as Rell continued to work selflessly, harder and harder towards her goals, her world came crashing down when cancer attacked. A woman that tamed monster swells on a surfboard, evaded sharks leftover from the age of dinosaurs, and saved countless lives from bone-crushing waves, was suddenly struck down by relentless little hell-bent cells that attacked her body from the inside. Rell fought them off as long as one could possibly imagine, never letting cancer make her a target of pity. She traveled the world with children who would one day become some of the best surfers in the world, surfed big waves, fell in love, and lived her final days to the fullest. It’s people like Rell who remind me what is truly important in life. Thank you, Stuart, for retelling the stories of this amazing woman. If you’d like to learn more or make a donation to Rell’s causes, please visit the Rell Sunn Educational Fund.

The lives of the Keaualana family and of Bruddah Iz were told by Coleman with the same passion and commitment to honoring the stories as he did in his biography of Rell Sunn. As I’m clearly not writing this book review to be a thorough examination of every chapter, or even a comprehensive review of the book’s major themes, I will hope that you trust me when I say that you will be equally touched when you read about the Keaualanas and Kamakawiwo’oles.

I find that after reading a book that teaches you so much, certain facts and stories stand out in your memory more than others and not necessarily for obvious or predictable reasons. Whether something in those stories connects with you personally, or perhaps just with the moment or place you happen to be reading the book, it seems unlikely that any two readers will ever be moved by the same stories in the same ways. And with that said, I hope you enjoy “Fierce Heart”, I envy your position of getting to read and experience the stories for the first time, and hope you will let me know which of the stories got to you the most. Aloha!

Aloha, Roz Savage!

Posted on | May 25, 2009 | No Comments

On May 24, 2009, under a beautiful Hawaiian sunset, Roz Savage rowed out of Waikiki on the second leg of her journey to be the first woman to row across the Pacific Ocean. She is raising awareness about the top environmental issues and is truly an inspirational person.

Track Roz’s progress at http://rozsavage.com/tracker. Click ‘Read More’ below to see photos from the day.

Read more

Tracking Roz Savage

Posted on | May 16, 2009 | No Comments

If you haven’t yet heard about Roz Savage, then today’s your lucky day. You’re about to “meet” an incredible woman who has rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean and is currently working towards being the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean. And she’s not just doing it for fame and fortune, she’s trying to raise the global consciousness of environmental issues and climate change.  Over the past several years, Roz has become an author, a motivational speaker, a blogger / podcaster, and an environmentalist in addition to an adventurer.

Roz is currently in Hawaii, having rowed here from San Francisco on a voyage that took about 100 days and a million oar strokes. She will be starting the next leg of her journey on May 24th, which will take her about halfway to Australia where she’ll stopover on a to-be-determined island. She’ll then continue from there to Australia in the fall of 2010, with the goal of arriving in time to see the New Year’s fireworks in Sydney.

Recently, I attended one of Roz’s talks (at Oceanit) with a few of my co-workers from Archinoetics. We were so inspired by her, that our company decided to get involved. So, Roz will be taking with her one of our ocean drifter devices (photo below) that we’ve developed for our ocean education program, called Project Niu. Roz will keep the sensor on her boat until she reaches the equator, at which point she’ll drop it into the ocean. From then on, the Niu will float with the currents, simulating marine debris and showing what happens to plastic and other floating pollution in the oceans.

Additionally, Archinoetics is also working on the RozTracker, an interactive Flash-based mapping application (using Google Maps) that will show Roz’s progress as she rows across the Pacific Ocean. Based on technology we developed for Project Niu, the RozTracker will also feature icons for geolocated social media (Twitter, Blogger, YouTube, Flickr, and podcasts) so all of Roz’s followers can stay up to date with how she’s doing.

I really encourage you to check out the Roz Savage website and watch her videos. Amazing!!! GO ROZ!!!

Roz Savage & Archinoetics

Governor Lingle: Veto SB199!

Posted on | May 7, 2009 | No Comments

“Act 221” (commentary) in Hawaii is a program designed to develop the high tech industry in the State through tax incentives for investors both here and on the mainland. Unfortunately, pending legislation SB199 threatens to kill Act 221 and strike a major blow to the growing industry. Below is my letter to Governor Linda Lingle asking her to veto it. Please tell the Governor why you think she needs to veto SB199 (call 808-586-0034 or email governor.lingle@hawaii.gov and linda.smith@hawaii.gov).

Dear Governor Lingle,

I am writing to request that you veto SB199 and show your support of the high tech industry and economic diversity in Hawaii. As an employee at a high tech company, not an owner, I do not receive any tax credits from Act 221; however, I recognize the importance they have for a growing industry that has so much potential.

I understand concerns about giving tax credits when the budget needs to be reduced and I don’t envy the difficult decisions you need to make. Please recognize, however, that SB199’s disincentives to private investors in an already dismal economy threaten to destroy a number of companies and jobs in which the State has already invested so much time and money. Act 221 was never intended to be a get rich quick scheme for the State or for the companies who benefit from it. Killing Act 221 through SB199 would demonstrate a lack of patience and commitment to developing an industry while perpetuating Hawaii’s reputation for being unfriendly to businesses. We cannot afford to send that message!

On a personal level, dozens of my friends and co-workers have stable, relatively high paying jobs in the high tech industry. We work on contracts and research grants often funded by mainland companies, the DoD, and the federal government. We are not wealthy (as is the perception of everyone who benefits from Act 221), but we work hard and have bought homes, pay taxes, spend money at local businesses, enjoy Hawaii’s great outdoors, and volunteer in our communities and schools. It is critical that these jobs are available in Hawaii if we hope to keep the best and brightest students from leaving the islands after college while also attracting outside talent.

Mahalo for your time and consideration. I hope you will support economic stability, diversity, and growth in Hawaii by vetoing SB199.

Aloha,
Evan Rapoport

It’s Earth Day, Not Gun Day

Posted on | April 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Earth Day headline of the Honolulu Star Bulletin is “We’ve Got Guns!” along with the photo to the left taking up the whole top half of the front page. A small Earth Day note is on the bottom of the page. I sent the email below to the Editors of the Honolulu Star Bulletin regarding their terrible choice of headlines on Earth Day. If you are at all as angry as I am about this, please send your thoughts to the editors or copy my email. We cannot allow Hawaii’s daily newspapers to be irrelevant!

Contact the Honolulu Star Bulletin

To the Editors of the Star Bulletin,

I am shocked and appalled at your choice of headline for your paper on Earth Day. Could you possibly have chosen a more inappropriate story than, “We’ve Got Guns!” with a photo of a man holding a few assault rifles? You might as well have made the headline, “Celebrate Earth Day by Killing a Part of It”. While I agree that the gun story is important, did you really need to make it the whole front page on Earth Day?

Let me be clear that my anger with your headline has nothing to do with my opinion on the Second Amendment. My frustration is that you have ignored the biggest story of the day to go with something more sensational. Instead of using the power of the press for good, perhaps by inspiring people to do something for the planet or by reporting on the fundamental changes in which business and politics are approaching the “green revolution”, you’ve chosen to use scare tactics to sell newspapers.

I understand that your paper is suffering from decreased sales, but you are in serious trouble if you think the solution is changing the layout of your front page and continuing to feature stories custom-tailored for shock value. I believe that we need two daily papers to ensure a well-informed population that can hold politicians and businesses accountable, but you must remain relevant in order for that to be the case. You flat-out failed to make the most important, relevant story of today your headline, and any other coverage of it inside the paper cannot compensate for that.

When I subscribed to your paper and placed classified ads in it, I was always told by whomever I spoke to in your offices that your paper targeted the intellectual, higher income demographics of our state. If that is indeed true, then let me tell you that almost everyone I know in those groups (and those who aren’t) is excited about Earth Day and will absolutely despise your headline today. I suggest you re-assess your strategies if you wish to maintain an audience.

“A Walk in the Woods”

Posted on | April 14, 2009 | 1 Comment

I’ve decided to write a review of the book, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson because it has been way too long since I’ve been on a walk in the woods of my own. You see, living in Hawaii, there are just aren’t many places where you can go to disappear from society for a while, to camp in the wilderness, hike down a trail for miles without seeing anybody, and get totally wrapped up in your own thoughts without any distractions. I spent three months alone after college driving around the USA, camping and hiking in 25 states and a dozen or so national parks. While I’m not advocating a “Into the Wild” type existence, I do believe in the importance of hiking as an outlet for the mind to wander.

Anyway, “A Walk in the Woods” is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, and you’ll love it whether you love hiking or not. The author has a midlife crisis of sorts in deciding to hike the Appalachian Trail, a famous journey that traverses the great mountain range that flanks the east coast of the USA. As you might expect, an overweight, underexperienced, over-matched humorist spending countless hours moving one foot in front of the other leads to a lot of time to dream up jokes. His hiking partner, Katz, who is even less prepared (if that’s possible) makes for easy jokes whenever the story calls for them.

In typical Bill Bryson style, he teaches you a lot of the history, science, and culture of the Appalachian Trail without getting too didactic. Facts and stories about survival and safety are intermixed with tidbits about the reason not to bring Snickers candy bars on a hike (they are thought to attract bears) or whether snakes are attracted to women, asleep in their sleeping bags, during certain times of the month (I can’t recall what the conclusion was there).

As I began this review with some more personal reflection irrelevant to the book, I’ll end it the same way. I’ve never had as much creativity and patience in forming ideas as I did during my longest hikes in places like Yosemite or Yellowstone. I’m sure hiking isn’t for everyone, but I wonder whether, if given the chance to reflect on life uninterrupted for many hours on end, we might all be able to boost our own creative energy. In the meantime, read “A Walk in the Woods” and check out what one person does with seemingly infinite free time to let his mind drift.

“The Five People You Meet in Heaven”

Posted on | April 8, 2009 | No Comments

A few years ago, I read “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom. I thought to write a review of this book now because I recently saw the play, “Tuesdays With Morrie” based on the book by Mitch Albom (which I read several years ago and will write a review for soon). Of course, I won’t be a spoiler so this won’t reveal more plot than you get from the book jacket.

I’ve never given much thought to what heaven would be if it exists, but I’d definitely love it if Albom’s fictional creation of it turns out to be true. By following the story of a Vietnam War veteran turned amusement park mechanic, the book describes entry into heaven as a journey to meet the people who helped shape your life, whether you ever knew them or not.

This book really makes you think about chance, fate, predestination, kharma, and any other forces we don’t fully understand. Perhaps you wouldn’t be where you are today if it weren’t for the act or presence of a stranger at some stage of your life. Maybe something that person did changed some aspect of your personality or shaped your view on an issue. Maybe that person provided you an opportunity to be a better person. It reminds me of one of my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs, “Dancing Nancies”, when Dave sings, “Could I have been anyone other than me?”

No matter what you  believe, this book will really make you think about what you would like heaven to be if you had the ability to create it. It can really play games with your mind if you think about just how much the little things that happen in your life can change your path. Ever since I read it, I find myself thinking about minor events during a day and wondering, “How might have my life be different if that had not happened?” It’s actually kind of addicting. Enjoy!

Support Act 221

Posted on | March 30, 2009 | No Comments

Act 221 is legislation in Hawaii that supports the growth of the high tech industry and brings investor money into the State. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about what Act 221 is and how it benefits people in Hawaii (not just the investors). The short video below explains more about Act 221 and why it is critical for the future of Hawaii. Considering the enormous dependence that Hawaii’s economy currently has on tourism, the current economic crisis should be an eye-opener that we need to diversify. Act 221 does just that.

If you live in Hawaii, please watch the video below and tell your elected officials that you support Act 221! Find out who your State Legislators are.