#maui county council

[w0rldwanderlust]

Too Soon in Maui

Too soon for tourists for many of the residents of Maui and Lahaina, demanding space for mourning and rebuilding before outsiders push back in. Residents of fire-ravaged Lahaina in Hawaii have presented a petition to Governor Josh Green, urging a delay in reopening parts of West Maui to tourists due to the ongoing emotional distress and challenges faced by the community. The petition with 3,517…

[trickricksblog08]

Emergency Maui County Council Meeting Highlights: Lahaina Fires – Commun...

[kiloskywalker]

An update

I know I said I was gonna try to be more active on here but life kinda got in the way.

As many of you probably know, there was a devastating wildfire that tore through the island of Maui in Hawai'i leaving billions of dollars in damage, many people without homes, businesses destroyed and as of now over 100 people dead. I made several trips in the aftermath of the fire between the West Coast and Kahului as part of my airline's decision to send aid and evacuate people from the island. All in all, I've made about 7 round trip flights between San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Kahului helping as many people as possible get aid that they need and, trying to evacuate as many people as possible. I'm back for the time being with a few days before resuming a normal flight schedule, so I hope to be back to constantly obsessing over Tarlos (as per usual), writing more of my fic (I'm currently at a little over 100 pages!), and watching and rewatching the "Red, White, and Royal Blue" movie! If you are wondering how you can help some of the victims of the Maui Wildfires check out these links below:

Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong fund: Focusing on rapid response and working with local nonprofits to understand community needs. More details.

Maui Food Bank: Collecting and distributing food to help the hungry in Maui County. More details.

Maui United Way: Providing direct relief to families and nonprofits. More details.

The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division: Providing food and resources for evacuees. More details.

Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation: Partnering with the state Department of Education to support school communities in West Maui through Oct. 1. More details.

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: Working to match every donation to Maui fire victims as of Friday evening. More details.

Catholic Charities Hawaii: Actively working with other organizations to assess the critical needs of individuals affected by the wildfires.

Maui Humane Society: Supporting shelters for displaced people and animals, and caring for injured animals. More details.

Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Business Relief Fund: Assisting the business communities on Maui.

World Central Kitchen: Providing meals to people in need by partnering with local organizations. More details.

Hawaii Lions Foundation: Matching up to $25,000 in donations for Maui disaster relief efforts. More details.

Hawaiʻi People’s Fund: Providing immediate relief to those directly impacted by the wildfires on Maui Island. More details.

[douxlen]

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

New Post has been published on https://douxle.com/2024/08/14/the-unshakeable-resilience-of-lahaina-one-year-after-the-wildfires/

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

At the elder’s call of “Kani Ka Pū,” the sound of the conch shell echoes across Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park, summoning hundreds of surfers and outrigger canoe paddlers to the water. They paddle out, their silhouettes stark against the horizon, to honor the 102 lives lost to the Maui wildfires one year ago.

Onshore, the community gathers in shared purpose: groups that have emerged from the ashes lead lei-making workshops, screen print “LAHAINA STRONG” onto clothing, and provide free childcare for families still rebuilding their lives. Faith leaders, hotel workers, and small business owners join hands in prayer and song, their voices mingling with the ocean breeze, a testament to the enduring spirit of Lahaina.

A year ago, wildfires devastated my beloved Maui. Today, on the anniversary of those tragic events, I reflect on the remarkable resilience and unity that has blossomed from the charred remains.

Read More: The Climate Crisis and Colonialism Destroyed My Maui Home. Where We Must Go From HereIn those first chaotic days, Maui rallied together, materializing over a dozen hubs of hope across beach parks, parking lots, and abandoned malls. These community resiliency hubs became lifelines, processing millions of food, clothing, and supply donations. World Central Kitchen flanked local culinary heroes like Sheldon Simeon and Mark Noguchi of Maui Chef Hui to provide thousands of hot meals to survivors at these hubs.

These hubs were beacons of hope while corporate landowners scurried for cover and FEMA’s aid trickled in too slowly. But the community knew it needed more durable support.Indigenous and immigrant elders offered their blessings to a new generation of community leaders—service workers like Paʻele Kiakona, expectant mothers like Jordan Rudias and Courtney Lazo, and immigrants caseworkers like Veronica Mendoza Jachowski—who, despite their grief and losses, were already out tending to their neighbors: from coordinating clothing drives, to serving as pro-bono translators and repairing rooftops. They, and many other young leaders, were thrust into leadership to shepherd our island’s recovery.

They drew upon the enduring legacies of civil rights leaders, plantation labor organizers, the protectors of Mauna Kea, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, embodying their spirit of steadfast hoʻomana (a yearning for community power) and Aloha ʻĀina (a profound patriotism and connection to our land).

Under the banner of “Lahaina Strong,” volunteers carried out extensive needs assessment surveys, coordinated essential services like childcare and mental health support, and established networks of mutual aid. Having gained their communities’ trust and consolidated their influence, they then aimed for the throes of power.

Past disasters demonstrate that true recovery requires sustained effort at all levels—regulatory, legislative, and communal. Although grassroots fundraising for Maui was significant, the staggering $5.5 billion needed for full recovery was met with governmental intervention. Recognizing this disparity, Lahaina mobilized against the colonial institutions that historically controlled our island’s resources.

Their movement, embodied by hundreds in “Lahaina Strong” shirts testifying at public forums, gained unanimous Maui County Council support and directed state legislation.

The months-long occupation at Kaʻanapali Beach became a focal point of their movement, symbolizing their right to the land and their determination to reclaim our community spaces. Here, amidst the throngs of tourists, they set up camp to “fish for housing,” a nod to the cultural renaissance of the 1970’s when Native Hawaiian leaders secured constitutional rights to access public resources for traditional gathering practices.

This served not only as a media flashpoint to draw attention to the thousands of families still unhoused but also as an educational hub. Handcrafted Lahaina Strong ornaments were sold for $100 each, raising tens of thousands of dollars in direct aid over the holidays and increasing awareness among visitors, transforming their understanding of Maui’s plight.

The results have shocked Hawaii’s power structure. The Lahaina community’s efforts have so far yielded over a billion dollars in government aid, as well as rectifying a wrongful dismissal of a Native Hawaiian government worker, and reclaiming tens of thousands of illegal vacation rentals by fire survivors and other local families.

Lahaina has pioneered a new model for disaster recovery that shifts focus from charity to change, setting a precedent as climate disasters become more frequent globally. This model has sparked one of the most impactful responses to disaster seen in modern times by not just aiding, but empowering impacted people to lead their own recovery efforts.

However, their work is far from finished. The utility that sparked the devastating blaze has no mandate to improve its infrastructure, and the invasive grasses that fueled the fires remain. Meanwhile, local streams, once lifeblood for Lahaina, are still controlled by colonial interests, and unchecked pollution continues to exacerbate global climate change.

Read More: Maui Wildfires Had Severe Health and Economic Consequences on Residents, Study FindsLahaina still requires federal investments to rebuild more resilient infrastructure and accelerate the transition to clean energy globally. Corporate polluters and land owners must be held accountable for environmental and social damages. More land, both locally and nationwide, should be designated for conservation and entrusted to its indigenous inhabitants. Their stewardship is crucial for fostering resilient communities and reversing biodiversity loss.But the momentum is on Maui’s side. With a blank slate and newfound power, Lahaina is poised to reinvent itself as a world leader in nature-based, modern solutions—like community solar, regenerative farming, agro-energy, and ecotourism—and a new crop of leaders have emerged to steer us home.

As the ceremony concludes, a single 45-foot outrigger canoe glides back to shore, its paddlers moving in tune with the ocean’s currents. Guided by their ancestors and propelled by the power of Kanaloa, the guardian of the ocean, they embody the strength of generations past and present. Their paddles dip rhythmically into the water—”hut, hut, ho”—in such perfect synchrony that the crowns of their heads remain steady on the horizon.

This unity, a rareness in today’s polarized society, is what sustained the original inhabitants of Malu ʻUlu o Lele, the ancient name of Lahaina Town, for centuries. It is the same unity that will heal this island and nourish its people to flourish anew.

[breakingnownews]

Breaking Now News: Excitement Builds as Upcountry and South Maui Voters Cast Ballots in Primary As primary elections are underway, voters in Upcountry and South Maui are heading to the polls to choose who they want to represent them in the upcoming election. The anticipation is...

[sa7abnews]

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/09/the-unshakeable-resilience-of-lahaina-one-year-after-the-wildfires/

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

At the elder’s call of “Kani Ka Pū,” the sound of the conch shell echoes across Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park, summoning hundreds of surfers and outrigger canoe paddlers to the water. They paddle out, their silhouettes stark against the horizon, to honor the 102 lives lost to the Maui wildfires one year ago.

Onshore, the community gathers in shared purpose: groups that have emerged from the ashes lead lei-making workshops, screen print “LAHAINA STRONG” onto clothing, and provide free childcare for families still rebuilding their lives. Faith leaders, hotel workers, and small business owners join hands in prayer and song, their voices mingling with the ocean breeze, a testament to the enduring spirit of Lahaina.

A year ago, wildfires devastated my beloved Maui. Today, on the anniversary of those tragic events, I reflect on the remarkable resilience and unity that has blossomed from the charred remains.

Read More: The Climate Crisis and Colonialism Destroyed My Maui Home. Where We Must Go From HereIn those first chaotic days, Maui rallied together, materializing over a dozen hubs of hope across beach parks, parking lots, and abandoned malls. These community resiliency hubs became lifelines, processing millions of food, clothing, and supply donations. World Central Kitchen flanked local culinary heroes like Sheldon Simeon and Mark Noguchi of Maui Chef Hui to provide thousands of hot meals to survivors at these hubs.

These hubs were beacons of hope while corporate landowners scurried for cover and FEMA’s aid trickled in too slowly. But the community knew it needed more durable support.Indigenous and immigrant elders offered their blessings to a new generation of community leaders—service workers like Paʻele Kiakona, expectant mothers like Jordan Rudias and Courtney Lazo, and immigrants caseworkers like Veronica Mendoza Jachowski—who, despite their grief and losses, were already out tending to their neighbors: from coordinating clothing drives, to serving as pro-bono translators and repairing rooftops. They, and many other young leaders, were thrust into leadership to shepherd our island’s recovery.

They drew upon the enduring legacies of civil rights leaders, plantation labor organizers, the protectors of Mauna Kea, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, embodying their spirit of steadfast hoʻomana (a yearning for community power) and Aloha ʻĀina (a profound patriotism and connection to our land).

Under the banner of “Lahaina Strong,” volunteers carried out extensive needs assessment surveys, coordinated essential services like childcare and mental health support, and established networks of mutual aid. Having gained their communities’ trust and consolidated their influence, they then aimed for the throes of power.

Past disasters demonstrate that true recovery requires sustained effort at all levels—regulatory, legislative, and communal. Although grassroots fundraising for Maui was significant, the staggering $5.5 billion needed for full recovery was met with governmental intervention. Recognizing this disparity, Lahaina mobilized against the colonial institutions that historically controlled our island’s resources.

Their movement, embodied by hundreds in “Lahaina Strong” shirts testifying at public forums, gained unanimous Maui County Council support and directed state legislation.

The months-long occupation at Kaʻanapali Beach became a focal point of their movement, symbolizing their right to the land and their determination to reclaim our community spaces. Here, amidst the throngs of tourists, they set up camp to “fish for housing,” a nod to the cultural renaissance of the 1970’s when Native Hawaiian leaders secured constitutional rights to access public resources for traditional gathering practices.

This served not only as a media flashpoint to draw attention to the thousands of families still unhoused but also as an educational hub. Handcrafted Lahaina Strong ornaments were sold for $100 each, raising tens of thousands of dollars in direct aid over the holidays and increasing awareness among visitors, transforming their understanding of Maui’s plight.

The results have shocked Hawaii’s power structure. The Lahaina community’s efforts have so far yielded over a billion dollars in government aid, as well as rectifying a wrongful dismissal of a Native Hawaiian government worker, and reclaiming tens of thousands of illegal vacation rentals by fire survivors and other local families.

Lahaina has pioneered a new model for disaster recovery that shifts focus from charity to change, setting a precedent as climate disasters become more frequent globally. This model has sparked one of the most impactful responses to disaster seen in modern times by not just aiding, but empowering impacted people to lead their own recovery efforts.

However, their work is far from finished. The utility that sparked the devastating blaze has no mandate to improve its infrastructure, and the invasive grasses that fueled the fires remain. Meanwhile, local streams, once lifeblood for Lahaina, are still controlled by colonial interests, and unchecked pollution continues to exacerbate global climate change.

Read More: Maui Wildfires Had Severe Health and Economic Consequences on Residents, Study FindsLahaina still requires federal investments to rebuild more resilient infrastructure and accelerate the transition to clean energy globally. Corporate polluters and land owners must be held accountable for environmental and social damages. More land, both locally and nationwide, should be designated for conservation and entrusted to its indigenous inhabitants. Their stewardship is crucial for fostering resilient communities and reversing biodiversity loss.But the momentum is on Maui’s side. With a blank slate and newfound power, Lahaina is poised to reinvent itself as a world leader in nature-based, modern solutions—like community solar, regenerative farming, agro-energy, and ecotourism—and a new crop of leaders have emerged to steer us home.

As the ceremony concludes, a single 45-foot outrigger canoe glides back to shore, its paddlers moving in tune with the ocean’s currents. Guided by their ancestors and propelled by the power of Kanaloa, the guardian of the ocean, they embody the strength of generations past and present. Their paddles dip rhythmically into the water—”hut, hut, ho”—in such perfect synchrony that the crowns of their heads remain steady on the horizon.

This unity, a rareness in today’s polarized society, is what sustained the original inhabitants of Malu ʻUlu o Lele, the ancient name of Lahaina Town, for centuries. It is the same unity that will heal this island and nourish its people to flourish anew.

[itsfazee]

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Launches Reef-Friendly Landscaping Certification Course

Promoting Sustainable Land-Care Practices for a Healthier Maui

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is set to launch its inaugural Reef-Friendly Landscaping certification course on May 22, 2024. This course, which combines online and in-person learning, aims to educate professional landscapers, property managers, and agricultural businesses on transitioning from synthetic products to reef-friendly land-care practices. By offering this course, MNMRC hopes to foster sustainable practices and reduce land-based pollution, ultimately preserving the beauty and longevity of the island.

Enrollment for the course is currently open and will remain so until May 15. To encourage early sign-ups, the first 10 students will receive a 50% discount on the course price.

A Commitment to Sustainable Land-Care Practices

"As a community, we understand the importance of implementing sustainable practices and reducing land-based sources of pollution to protect our island home," said Jill Wirt, Program Director of MNMRC. "Through this certification course, we aim to make it easier for industry professionals to adopt land-care practices that benefit both our land and our reefs."

A Comprehensive Curriculum

The Reef-Friendly Landscaping certification course will cover ten subjects, taught by local experts in reef-friendly landscaping. The curriculum will also draw on the expertise of the Northeast Organic Farming Association's Organic Land Care program. Topics will include site analysis, design and management; native, exotic, and invasive plants; wetlands and Hawaiian land care; as well as energy, pollution, and climate change.

Positive Results from Pilot Program

Prior to the launch of the certification course, MNMRC conducted a pilot program in 2023, partnering with 12 local properties to test reef-friendly landscaping practices over a three-month period. The results were promising, with each property experiencing positive impacts. Many reported an increase in plant growth and a decrease in pests and diseases.

"The results from our pilot program were exciting because they demonstrate how the landscaping industry could create a positive, lasting impact on our land and reefs if professionals adopt natural products and reef-friendly practices," Wirt shared. "It is encouraging to see that a thriving landscaping industry can also mean healthy land and reefs in Maui County."

Enroll Today

Enrollment for the Reef-Friendly Landscaping certification course is now open. Interested individuals can visit the MNMRC website at www.mauireefs.org or email [email protected] for more information and to secure their spot in the course.

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council's Reef-Friendly Landscaping certification course is a significant step toward promoting sustainable land-care practices in Maui. By educating professionals in the landscaping industry, MNMRC aims to reduce the use of synthetic products and transition to reef-friendly alternatives. The positive results from the pilot program demonstrate the potential for the industry to have a lasting impact on the health of both the land and the reefs.

Enroll today to be a part of this movement towards a healthier and more sustainable Maui.

[freehawaii]

DECEMBER FREE HAWAII NEWS - MAUI FIRE VICTIMS DEMAND PRIORITY OVER TOURISTS

Fishing For Housing At Ka`anapali Beach, Construction Attempts On Mauna Kea, A Lā Ku`oko`a Connection with the United Nations & Our Popular Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o

The December “Free Hawaii News” show airing tonight, Friday December 1st at 6 PM on `Olelo Television Channel 53 on O`ahu and online at FreeHawaiiNews.com reports on demands by Maui fire victims for priority over tourists in finding stable and long term housing for those displaced by the August tragedy instead of being shuffled from hotel to hotel as began again this morning. “We explain what role the Pacific Way can play in helping to make long term housing available to fire victims,” states Free Hawaii News co-host Hinaleimoana Wong. “Supplying decent long term housing for Mauiʻs fire victims should be a no-brainer, yet they are the very ones who are being displaced.” “The Fishing For Housing action on Ka`anapali Beach has succeeded in getting Maui Mayor Richard Bissenʻs attention who has admitted that as mayor he has the power to convert short term rental units to long term. Maui residents are now waiting to see if Mayor Bissen will follow his words with concrete actions.” Our December show also features Mauna Kea kia`i or protector Kalani Flores who explains as false recent assertions by the University of Hawai`i hoping to convince the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) that Thirty Meter Telescope officials have fulfilled permit requirements to restart construction. “We also report on the connection between Lā Ku`oko`a, Hawaiian Independence Day, and progress currently occurring for Hawai`i at the United Nations and elsewhere around the world,” remarked Free Hawaii News co-host Leon Siu. “The news is exciting and we hope everyone tunes in to learn about it.” Our December show also features one of our most popular monthly segments, Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o. Brought to you by the Koani Foundation, Free Hawaii News airs every month on `Ōlelo Television on O`ahu and on all neighbor islands. Check local listings for times.Free Hawaii News presents Hawaiian or kanaka maoli perspectives on a broad range of topics and issues affecting the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific and the world. Hinaleimoana Wong is a kumu hula, filmmaker, cultural activist, Hawaiian language speaker, preservationist and community leader. She has served as a member of the O`ahu Island Burial Council. Leon Siu has for many years served as Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He is active in that role at the United Nations in both New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. Besides being a diplomat, he is also an award-winning musician, composer and political analyst. “Free Hawaii News” is online at FreeHawaiiNews.com, Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.he November “Free Hawaii News” show airing tonight, November 3rd at 6 PM on `Olelo Television Channel 53 on O`ahu and online at FreeHawaiiNews.com reports on the ongoing difficulties Mauiʻs fire victims and their families face in being displaced by the fires.

“The people of West Maui and Lahaina while very brave, strong and resolute are nevertheless facing a fight for survival every single day,” states Free Hawaii News co-host Hinaleimoana Wong. “With all of Maui now completely re-opened ahead of schedule, they can see that state and county governments have broken their promises to them and have prioritized for-profit businesses over the well-being of fire victims. Many are already being told their best option is to move off island entirely, either within Hawai`i or to cities in the United States such as Las Vegas. “With several eye-witness reports, we get a first hand experience of what West-side and Lahaina residents are going through,” remarked Free Hawaii News co-host Leon Siu. “Just seeing these reports had a profound and emotional impact on both my co-host Hina Wong and me and we know it will also affect Free Hawaii News viewers the same way.” Our November show also features an explanation of what important role the Pacific Way plays when tragedy strikes. We also have a report detailing significant and new progress for Hawaii at the United Nations as well as our popular segment, Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o. Brought to you by the Koani Foundation, Free Hawaii News airs every month on `Ōlelo Television on O`ahu and on all neighbor islands. Check local listings for times.

The purpose of the show is to present Hawaiian or kanaka maoli perspectives on a broad range of topics and issues affecting the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific and the world. Hinaleimoana Wong is a kumu hula, filmmaker, cultural activist, Hawaiian language speaker, preservationist and community leader. She has served as a member of the O`ahu Island Burial Council. Leon Siu has for many years served as Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He is active in that role at the United Nations in both New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. Besides being a diplomat, he is also an award-winning musician, composer and political analyst. “Free Hawaii News” is online at FreeHawaiiNews.com, Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.

[nando161mando]

On August 22, during a Maui County Council regular meeting, a resident from Lahaina, the island worst affected by the August 8 wildfire, delivered a bombshell speech that has since taken the internet by storm. A middle-aged woman who is being dubbed as “Auntie” on social media shared her thoughts on the fire, saying how she believes it was no “coincidence.”

▪️What’s interesting is that two important features of a satellite city include a lower cost of living and more affordable land value – both of which are in stark contrast to a smart city.

▪️After over 15 years of living in Maui part-time, Oprah Winfrey spent the last few months majorly expanding her property holdings in the Aloha state, The media mogul spent about $6.6 million on four parcels of agricultural land totaling 870 acres in Kula.

So far, the deadliest fire in the history of the nation has claimed the lives of over 115 people, with over 800 still missing. Billions of dollars’ worth of land and property have been destroyed as well.

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Hawaii Wildfires

#Repost @kokuahawaiifoundation

——

Our friends and family on Maui have been devastated by fires. There are several ways you can kōkua. Monetary donations can be sent to:

➡️Maui County Strong Fund (@hawaiicommunityfoundation) at: hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong (Funds to be used to make grants for immediate needs to organizations that are assisting community members that have lost their homes)

➡️ Hawaiʻi Red Cross (@hawaiiredcross) at: www.redcross.org/donate/donation (specify Maui Red Cross fire relief in the appropriate box)

➡️Maui Food Bank (@mauifoodbank) at: mauifoodbank.org (donations will support food relief efforts across Maui)

Please click the links in our bio to directly donate to any of these organizations.

If you are on Maui and want to donate food and supplies, please reach out to your local council member or local relief center for details.

#kokua #maui #fire #breaking #lahaina #support #hawaii

#Repost @feminist

——

The people of Maui need our help 📣 Here's how →

A widespread fire broke out on the island of Maui in Hawai'i on August 8th, resulting in the loss of 36 lives. Numerous individuals were evacuated suddenly, some with just the clothes they were wearing, and others had to jump into the ocean to escape the smoke. This has led to extensive damage on the island, including the destruction of the historic Lahaina town.


The evacuees included many tourists, while the local residents are left in need of aid.

🆘 DONATE ↓
Visit the ‘MAUI MUTUAL AID LIST’ via the link in bio @feminist 
✍️ created by Hawai’i Alliance for Progressive Action (@hiprogressiveaction)
Maui Rapid Aid Response (@mauirapidresponse)
Kāko'o Haleakalā (@kakoo_haleakala)
'Āina Momona & Moloka'i (@ainamomona)

🚨 If you or someone you know is seeking help ↓
Maui Fire Relief Donation Drive at the State Capitol
415 S. Beretania St. 
Thursday 8/10/23 and Friday (8/11/23) from 10am to 2pm.

💬 Comment below more ways to get involved & resources!

Last slide by @anuheanihipalii

Information sourced from @ainamomona

#Maui #Hawaii #FeministForAll

[nedsecondline]

Maui County Council meeting to be held remotely Friday due to COVID-19 cases : Maui Now

Source: Maui County Council meeting to be held remotely Friday due to COVID-19 cases : Maui Now

[awesomeforever]

Sign in In 1886, after meeting the inventor Thomas Edison in New York, Hawaii’s King Kalakaua enthusiastically began electrifying the grounds of his new residence — and within a year, 325 incandescent lights had the Iolani Palace fully aglow. The king wouldn’t be able to pull off the same feat these days on Maui. Much of the island’s outdoor illumination soon could violate a new ordinance intended to help the island’s winged population. Fines could reach $1,000 a day. The measure restricts outdoor lighting in an effort to keep endangered birds — and Maui has some of the world’s rarest — from crashing into spotlighted buildings. But Bill 21, signed into law last week, is ruffling feathers because its provisions also could keep flagpoles, church steeples, swimming pools and even luaus in the dark. “People have told me they’ve seen birds falling on the ground in town, up country, all over the place,” said the bill’s author, Kelly Takaya King, who chairs the Maui County Council’s Climate Action, Resilience and Environment Committee. Maui is a veritable Eden for species such as the wedge-tailed shearwater, white-tailed tropicbird, brown booby, myna, kiwikiu and nene — the state bird and the world’s rarest goose. The island also is home to some 170,000 people, however, and the new law is pitting the avian paradise against the human one. The ordinance imposes a near-total ban on upward-shining outdoor lighting and limits short-wavelength blue-light content. Similar laws are in effect in many jurisdictions nationwide to protect various local interests, including the night skies in Arizona and the wilderness in New Hampshire. Maui has a more complicated set of priorities. The outdoor light restrictions effectively prohibit nighttime hula dances and luau performances — local cultural signatures. Indoor alternatives are impractical. “Customers do not want to be in a ballroom or enclosed facility — they can go to Detroit and do that,” wrote Debbie Weil-Manuma, the president of a local tourism company, in a letter of opposition. At the same time, Maui is grappling with an invasive species arriving in flocks of up to 35,000 a day: tourists. Local officials are considering caps on hotel and vacation rentals. Birds can be disoriented by artificial light, sometimes confusing it for moonlight, and end up slamming into a building’s windows or circling until exhausted. In a single night in May 2017, 398 migrating birds — including warblers, grosbeaks and ovenbirds — flew into the floodlights of an office tower in Galveston, Tex. Only three survived. This danger is why the Empire State Building in New York City, the former John Hancock Center in Chicago and other landmark skyscrapers now go dark overnight during peak bird migration periods. One tall building. One dark and stormy night. 395 dead birds. Yet, most mass bird fatalities occur in urban centers with tall buildings in high density. Maui is rural, and its kalana, or county office building, is only nine stories tall. Jack Curran, a New Jersey lighting consultant who evaluated the science behind the bill, said the council “clearly didn’t do their homework.” The bill also requires that lighted surfaces be nonreflective, with a matte surface if painted. As the island is coated in compliant black paint, Curran joked, “Maui will wind up looking like Halloween.” Even support for the regulation is fractured. “This bill does provide good benefits,” said Jordan Molina, Maui’s public works director, “but it doesn’t have to do so recklessly.” The new law, he added, will make his office the “blue-light police.” Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not oppose the bill, it recommended creating a habitat conservation plan unless the county could devise a foolproof lighting policy. According to public records, the council relied on a single, non-peer-reviewed study funded by an Arizona company, C&W Energy Solutions, that lobbied for the bill. (The county’s attorneys issued a memorandum in July warning of the “potentially serious conflict of interest,” which the council ignored.

) And King’s efforts were propelled in part by conservation groups’ lawsuit alleging that a luxury resort’s lights disoriented at least 15 endangered petrels between 2008 and 2021, resulting in at least one petrel’s death. (By contrast, the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has focused on the continuing “depredation by feral cats,” which number in the thousands on the island.) Still at issue are the measure’s conflicting exemptions. For example, lights at public golf courses, tennis courts and schools’ athletics events are allowed, but not lights at hotel-owned golf courses or tennis courts. Conventional string lights are permitted for holidays and cultural festivals but must be “fully shielded” for all other uses, including weddings. The county fair is also exempt. So are emergency services and emergency road repairs. The law will inhibit TV and film crews’ night lights, such as those used by “Hawaii Five-O,” “NCIS: Hawai‘i” and “The White Lotus.” The latter was honored in October by the Maui County Film Office for giving the island national and international recognition. To guard migratory birds, Philadelphia plans to cut its artificial lighting that can fatally distract flocks King told local media that compliant lights are widely available online. But when asked recently for online links to such bulbs, her office sent just one — for a bedside night light that can double as an outdoor bug light, although it was unclear whether the bulb meets all of the ordinance’s specifications. “Appropriate lighting is not available,” King then conceded. “We’re hoping it will be in the next few years. When you pass a lot of these environmental laws, you kind of have to go in steps to get them passed.” As passed, the bill explicitly removed exemptions for field harvesting, security lighting at beaches run by hotels or condominiums, safety lighting for water features, motion-sensor lighting, and lighting on state or federal property — including Maui’s harbors and even the runway lights at its airports. Council member Shane Sinenci supported the ultimate provisions. “Our unique biodiversity is what makes us appealing to both visitors and to residents alike,” the Maui News quoted him as saying before the final vote. “We are often underestimating the value of a healthy ecosystem and all the benefits that comes with it.” The law takes effect in July for new lighting and requires existing lighting to be in compliance by 2026. Sign up for the latest news about climate change, energy and the environment, delivered every Thursday source

[mauitime]

MauiTime Walk Story: 2018 Candidate for County Council (Lana‘i) Gabe Johnson Watch MauiTime Walk Story with Maui County candidate for Lana‘i seat Gabe Johnson and MauiTime editor Axel Beers

[douxlen]

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

New Post has been published on https://douxle.com/2024/08/14/the-unshakeable-resilience-of-lahaina-one-year-after-the-wildfires-2/

The Unshakeable Resilience of Lahaina, One Year After the Wildfires

At the elder’s call of “Kani Ka Pū,” the sound of the conch shell echoes across Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park, summoning hundreds of surfers and outrigger canoe paddlers to the water. They paddle out, their silhouettes stark against the horizon, to honor the 102 lives lost to the Maui wildfires one year ago.

Onshore, the community gathers in shared purpose: groups that have emerged from the ashes lead lei-making workshops, screen print “LAHAINA STRONG” onto clothing, and provide free childcare for families still rebuilding their lives. Faith leaders, hotel workers, and small business owners join hands in prayer and song, their voices mingling with the ocean breeze, a testament to the enduring spirit of Lahaina.

A year ago, wildfires devastated my beloved Maui. Today, on the anniversary of those tragic events, I reflect on the remarkable resilience and unity that has blossomed from the charred remains.

Read More: The Climate Crisis and Colonialism Destroyed My Maui Home. Where We Must Go From HereIn those first chaotic days, Maui rallied together, materializing over a dozen hubs of hope across beach parks, parking lots, and abandoned malls. These community resiliency hubs became lifelines, processing millions of food, clothing, and supply donations. World Central Kitchen flanked local culinary heroes like Sheldon Simeon and Mark Noguchi of Maui Chef Hui to provide thousands of hot meals to survivors at these hubs.

These hubs were beacons of hope while corporate landowners scurried for cover and FEMA’s aid trickled in too slowly. But the community knew it needed more durable support.Indigenous and immigrant elders offered their blessings to a new generation of community leaders—service workers like Paʻele Kiakona, expectant mothers like Jordan Rudias and Courtney Lazo, and immigrants caseworkers like Veronica Mendoza Jachowski—who, despite their grief and losses, were already out tending to their neighbors: from coordinating clothing drives, to serving as pro-bono translators and repairing rooftops. They, and many other young leaders, were thrust into leadership to shepherd our island’s recovery.

They drew upon the enduring legacies of civil rights leaders, plantation labor organizers, the protectors of Mauna Kea, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, embodying their spirit of steadfast hoʻomana (a yearning for community power) and Aloha ʻĀina (a profound patriotism and connection to our land).

Under the banner of “Lahaina Strong,” volunteers carried out extensive needs assessment surveys, coordinated essential services like childcare and mental health support, and established networks of mutual aid. Having gained their communities’ trust and consolidated their influence, they then aimed for the throes of power.

Past disasters demonstrate that true recovery requires sustained effort at all levels—regulatory, legislative, and communal. Although grassroots fundraising for Maui was significant, the staggering $5.5 billion needed for full recovery was met with governmental intervention. Recognizing this disparity, Lahaina mobilized against the colonial institutions that historically controlled our island’s resources.

Their movement, embodied by hundreds in “Lahaina Strong” shirts testifying at public forums, gained unanimous Maui County Council support and directed state legislation.

The months-long occupation at Kaʻanapali Beach became a focal point of their movement, symbolizing their right to the land and their determination to reclaim our community spaces. Here, amidst the throngs of tourists, they set up camp to “fish for housing,” a nod to the cultural renaissance of the 1970’s when Native Hawaiian leaders secured constitutional rights to access public resources for traditional gathering practices.

This served not only as a media flashpoint to draw attention to the thousands of families still unhoused but also as an educational hub. Handcrafted Lahaina Strong ornaments were sold for $100 each, raising tens of thousands of dollars in direct aid over the holidays and increasing awareness among visitors, transforming their understanding of Maui’s plight.

The results have shocked Hawaii’s power structure. The Lahaina community’s efforts have so far yielded over a billion dollars in government aid, as well as rectifying a wrongful dismissal of a Native Hawaiian government worker, and reclaiming tens of thousands of illegal vacation rentals by fire survivors and other local families.

Lahaina has pioneered a new model for disaster recovery that shifts focus from charity to change, setting a precedent as climate disasters become more frequent globally. This model has sparked one of the most impactful responses to disaster seen in modern times by not just aiding, but empowering impacted people to lead their own recovery efforts.

However, their work is far from finished. The utility that sparked the devastating blaze has no mandate to improve its infrastructure, and the invasive grasses that fueled the fires remain. Meanwhile, local streams, once lifeblood for Lahaina, are still controlled by colonial interests, and unchecked pollution continues to exacerbate global climate change.

Read More: Maui Wildfires Had Severe Health and Economic Consequences on Residents, Study FindsLahaina still requires federal investments to rebuild more resilient infrastructure and accelerate the transition to clean energy globally. Corporate polluters and land owners must be held accountable for environmental and social damages. More land, both locally and nationwide, should be designated for conservation and entrusted to its indigenous inhabitants. Their stewardship is crucial for fostering resilient communities and reversing biodiversity loss.But the momentum is on Maui’s side. With a blank slate and newfound power, Lahaina is poised to reinvent itself as a world leader in nature-based, modern solutions—like community solar, regenerative farming, agro-energy, and ecotourism—and a new crop of leaders have emerged to steer us home.

As the ceremony concludes, a single 45-foot outrigger canoe glides back to shore, its paddlers moving in tune with the ocean’s currents. Guided by their ancestors and propelled by the power of Kanaloa, the guardian of the ocean, they embody the strength of generations past and present. Their paddles dip rhythmically into the water—”hut, hut, ho”—in such perfect synchrony that the crowns of their heads remain steady on the horizon.

This unity, a rareness in today’s polarized society, is what sustained the original inhabitants of Malu ʻUlu o Lele, the ancient name of Lahaina Town, for centuries. It is the same unity that will heal this island and nourish its people to flourish anew.

[davidrussellschilling]

Is Coal Industry a Clean Energy Player?

Is Coal Industry a Clean Energy Player?

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KEY TOPICS

Executives of the three companies — Cloud Peak Energy, Peabody Energy and Arch Coal — are going so far as to make common cause with some of their harshest critics, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Clean Air Task Force.(More…)

Following several media reports that the new Trump administration has been preparing to roll back energy and environmental…

[tumsozluk]

County officials worry kids won't have a safe way to get to Kihei's new high school

County officials worry kids won’t have a safe way to get to Kihei’s new high school

Four months away from the scheduled opening of the new Kihei High School, Maui County Council members are growing frustrated that the Department of Education still won’t tell them how students will safely cross a freeway at four busy lanes to get to the new Campus. Nearly a decade ago, state planning officials told the DOE that if it wanted to build a school on the mauka side of the Piilani…