Environment
May 2011
Carbon and carbon dioxide: Clearing up the confusion
Let's restore common sense to our public policy debates on energy and climate
We are constantly bombarded with information - much of it inaccurate, misleading, even deliberately so. We are frequently told we must reduce carbon emissions, support "carbon disclosure" and invest in "carbon trusts" - to prevent catastrophic global warming, global climate change or global climate "disruption." News stories, advocacy and lobbying activities, and corporate "ethics" promotions frequently use "carbon" and "carbon dioxide" almost interchangeably; some occasionally talk about "dangerous carbon monoxide emissions." (more)
Environment
December 2009
Wikipedia Battle Rages On
The next time you consult Wikipedia, keep in mind that Wikipedia users can edit articles, remove information, and freeze pages to prevent others from making changes. Lawrence Solomon, a Canadian environmentalist and author of "The Conserver Solution," has publicly taken issue with shenanigans clouding the accuracy of Wikipedia's article on the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). (more)
Environment
October 2009
Human Climate Control Up In the Air
How much control do humans have over the Earth's climate? This is a topic I have covered in a policy paper and commentaries. A reader recently wrote to me to express his concern that it is premature for either side to announce they have an unassailable position based on existing data. (more)
Environment
October 2009
Feel-Good Politics of a Styrofoam Ban
Environmentalists love banning items they claim are destroying our natural ecosystems. Ban paper, ban plastic, ban Styrofoam. I suspect they would prefer to carry around their shopping items stacked on their bare hands while balancing on a bicycle on the highway, but if they actually did so, that wouldn't explain how so many of them continue to wreak havoc on common sense. (more)
Environment
September 2009
Plastic Bag Ban Neither Logically Nor Environmentally Sound
The vote to ban plastic bags on Kauai has again been postponed. Lawmakers would be wise to use this extra time to seriously consider the ramifications of banning plastic bags. (more)
Environment
September 2009
Will Kauai Join the Plastic Bag Ban Wagon?
Last year, Maui passed the state's first municipal ban on plastic bags. The law will take effect in January 2011. The Big Island followed suit, and will encourage businesses to offer 100 percent recyclable paper bags that must be made out of at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled content. Will Kauai be next? (more)
Environment
August 2009
Accountability Needed to Keep Hawaii Beaches Clean
Hawaii's beach water quality was recently ranked sixth in the nation by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The few states that topped Hawaii included Delaware, Virginia, and New Hampshire. The waters of Hawaii attract over seven million visitors annually and provide year-round recreation for residents. Keeping them clean, however, is not an easy task. (more)
Environment
July 2009
Hawaii's Green Energy Initiative
Several proposals have been launched by the state Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) in an ambitious push to have 70 percent or more of Hawaii's energy needs supplied by 'renewable resources' by 2030. This goal sprang out of a partnership made in January 2008 with the U.S. Department of Energy called the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. (more)
Environment
July 2009
Testing Your Energy IQ
Are Americans knowledgeable when it comes to current energy policies and how the oil industry works? Most do not know, for example, what percent of oil consumed in the United States this past year came from Persian Gulf countries. (Given the option of 90 percent, 60 percent, 40 percent, or less than 15 percent, you would be right if you picked the last choice). (more)
Environment
July 2009
Spain's Green Jobs: The Opposite of a Boon
Obama's Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, is currently endeavoring to develop green jobs under the belief that such an initiative will alleviate rising unemployment and the recession. (more)
Blogs
The Mystery of Hawaiian History
Correcting historical revisionism and misconceptions promoted by the Akaka Bill.
Hawaii Spendometer
How Fast Does The State Government Spend Your Money?
$9,122,166,121.47
