Maui council OKs ban on GMO taroBy MELISSA TANJIThe Maui NewsWAILUKU, Maui - A bill prohibiting genetically modified taro in Maui County received final approvalFriday by the Maui County Council.The taro bill prohibits anyone from testing, propagating, growing or introducing genetically engineered ormodified taro, or kalo, within Maui County. Council members voted 9-0 to approve the ban, saying theybelieved taro's cultural and spiritual significance to Native Hawaiians was more important than any otherfactor.Mayor Charmaine Tavares said after the vote that she would support the ban."I will be signing the bill into law and recognize that the passage of this new law will send a message ofsupport for state Representative Mele Carroll's efforts to introduce and pass a bill at the stateLegislature," she said in an e-mailed statement."The input from various stakeholders that I've received has been valuable," Tavares said. "I am told thatthis important law will bring us closer to protection of kalo on a statewide level. I support the intent of thebill and the protection of Hawaiian kalo, which deserves our respect and acknowledgment for itsancestral ties to Native Hawaiians, our host culture."Tavares previously had expressed doubts about the bill, saying it might be difficult to enforce.Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala said after the vote that he appreciated everyone's support on thebill and asked that council members continue to improve the language of the bill.Council Member Bill Medeiros thanked people who had testified or sent e-mails in support of the bill heintroduced.Around 15 people Friday morning made it clear they were testifying in support of the ban on geneticallymodified taro. Supporters of the ban have argued passionately that taro is a sacred plant and staplefood for Native Hawaiians and should be kept in its natural form. They feared that even if limited use orresearch were allowed, genetically modified forms of taro could mingle with other strains beingcultivated.Caren Diamond of Hawaii Seed - a nonprofit coalition of grass-roots groups composed of farmers,doctors, scientists, lawyers, concerned citizens and Native Hawaiians opposing the use of geneticmodification - said taro was vital to Hawaiian culture."You have an opportunity to protect this living culture," she said.But Harold Keyser, the Maui County administrator for the University of Hawaii's College of TropicalAgriculture and Human Resources in Maui County, testified in opposition to the bill.He asked for some way to conduct research on Hawaii taro, saying in one case research on taro has ledto the replenishment of a taro crop that was lost in American Samoa. He said he and others who supportthe bill also want to see taro thrive and have it preserved."We care, but in a different way," Keyser said.Also Friday, council members voted unanimously at first reading to support the prohibition of alcohol atKamaole Beach Park I. The proposal would extend a drinking ban, applicable at the neighboring CharleyYoung Beach, that was passed by the council in August.Council Member Jo Anne Johnson, who introduced the bill, said the ban at Kamaole I would makeenforcement easier for police. There is no clear boundary between the two parks.
Maui council OKs ban on GMO taroBy MELISSA TANJIThe Maui NewsWAILUKU, Maui - A bill prohibiting genetically modified taro in Maui County received final approvalFriday by the Maui County Council.The taro bill prohibits anyone from testing, propagating, growing or introducing genetically engineered ormodified taro, or kalo, within Maui County. Council members voted 9-0 to approve the ban, saying theybelieved taro's cultural and spiritual significance to Native Hawaiians was more important than any otherfactor.Mayor Charmaine Tavares said after the vote that she would support the ban."I will be signing the bill into law and recognize that the passage of this new law will send a message ofsupport for state Representative Mele Carroll's efforts to introduce and pass a bill at the stateLegislature," she said in an e-mailed statement."The input from various stakeholders that I've received has been valuable," Tavares said. "I am told thatthis important law will bring us closer to protection of kalo on a statewide level. I support the intent of thebill and the protection of Hawaiian kalo, which deserves our respect and acknowledgment for itsancestral ties to Native Hawaiians, our host culture."Tavares previously had expressed doubts about the bill, saying it might be difficult to enforce.Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala said after the vote that he appreciated everyone's support on thebill and asked that council members continue to improve the language of the bill.Council Member Bill Medeiros thanked people who had testified or sent e-mails in support of the bill heintroduced.Around 15 people Friday morning made it clear they were testifying in support of the ban on geneticallymodified taro. Supporters of the ban have argued passionately that taro is a sacred plant and staplefood for Native Hawaiians and should be kept in its natural form. They feared that even if limited use orresearch were allowed, genetically modified forms of taro could mingle with other strains beingcultivated.Caren Diamond of Hawaii Seed - a nonprofit coalition of grass-roots groups composed of farmers,doctors, scientists, lawyers, concerned citizens and Native Hawaiians opposing the use of geneticmodification - said taro was vital to Hawaiian culture."You have an opportunity to protect this living culture," she said.But Harold Keyser, the Maui County administrator for the University of Hawaii's College of TropicalAgriculture and Human Resources in Maui County, testified in opposition to the bill.He asked for some way to conduct research on Hawaii taro, saying in one case research on taro has ledto the replenishment of a taro crop that was lost in American Samoa. He said he and others who supportthe bill also want to see taro thrive and have it preserved."We care, but in a different way," Keyser said.Also Friday, council members voted unanimously at first reading to support the prohibition of alcohol atKamaole Beach Park I. The proposal would extend a drinking ban, applicable at the neighboring CharleyYoung Beach, that was passed by the council in August.Council Member Jo Anne Johnson, who introduced the bill, said the ban at Kamaole I would makeenforcement easier for police. There is no clear boundary between the two parks.
Comments
I went to the Kava festival at UH Manoa. I didn't want to go because of the long drive, but I did. I was surprise to meet Fale and his son in the Tongan tent. He is the construction worker that constructed navigtional measurements on land like the ancients for over 30 years. I was so surprise to see him. I have his contact number so I hope to introduce him and his work to everyone. It was amazing because when I met him we were both 10 years younger. He gave me his recent map to help with understanding the text from his book. I hadn't seen Tuine master carver for over 10 years and I do miss him a lot and I expressed that to Fale. He understood my inner feelings of having to build a wa'a out of a tree and see it float both his and hers side of a 56 ft double hull canoe. It was such an honor to have had that experience. Fale said it and I thought it at the same time, how weird we came together after ten years. I explained to him that recently, I was sharing his work with anyone who would listen/read. We talked about the Makahiki and the importance of it. Oh so much to say....
I also had a long talk with Aaron from the temple of Lono and I introduced him to Kaona who just came from a gathering with all the Na Nakoa of Puukohola. I was having a talk earlier and I guess he didn't take me too serious because I'm a women than I introduced him to Aaron. We simply need to access the temple of Lono and put it back together again. Maybe this will happen if not now at least some time in the future for the next generation. The temple is connected to Ku and Hina at Mokapu, Kaneohe.
Getting back to the Kava festival an important one to keep track of because the fake state wanted to make it illegal to grow and use Kawa in Hawaii. It was Beatrice Kruss that nailed the fake state upside down about a ridiculous claim that awa was a narcotic. She claimed it was medicinal. So I usually try to attend the Kawa festivals for this reason. It was interesting as to how many different ethnic groups put up a tent. Chinese, Tongan, Samoan, Hawaiian, India, Japanese, ofcourse Palangi too etc. I was hoping everyone was sincere and willing to oppose any GMO claims.
I also spoke to Kahea, and you know how I am so I told them I don't know where they are coming from half the time. So, I expressed to them about houseless and their effort in maintaining high water mark. They said their was a panel of people, however, at the Sept. 29 meeting they had 35 people opposing the panel and as usual not all people got to speak. Why, cause they had to go out to dinner, sounds like the legal justice department agenda. What an interesting day. Aloha Kaohi
Good luck with your academic presentation. Poi has the highest nutritional value and a complete vitamin B complex. Usually food items have incomplete B complexes. It is also very healthy for children providing that it is cooked well--mother and children do well when poi is in their diet.
"Although the days of the introductory $1 lau lau are gone, anyone can pick up Dr. Shintani's HawaiiDiet, which promises "Eat all you want, Control your cholesterol and blood sugar and lose up to 30 pounds in three weeks." How? By returning to the whole, unrefined diets of our ancestors, as first described in 1992 in Dr. Shintani's "Eat More, Weigh Less(R) Diet."
"In ancient times, the Hawaiians ate much more food but they weighed much less," explained Dr. Shintani. "Because these foods were unprocessed, the actual bulk, or mass, of the food was greater than the mass of the foods you might find in our typical modern American diet."
So yes Tina go for it, you are on the right tract with health and the need to protect our foods from pseudo scientist tampering. Kaohi
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomaikaiokalani
"This is a strategy by groups who have stated their goal is to ban all genetically-modified plants in Hawaii, and are starting with the crops they think they can get first. This is an attack on technology in agriculture with no scientific basis, but rather scare-tactic rhetoric from so-called "environmental" groups. Bad for Hawaii."
ponosize wrote:
Bad for Hawaii? get your facts straight. Monsanto's record speaks volumes of deceitand HEWA , not only on our planet but also on us. turning the FDA into a clone of rubber stamping yes men. and tuning the public into "lab rats"
with terminator genes and "roundup"treated ready crops. putting patents on food that were once free.
"Round up" and "Agent Orange" are one of the same just a diferent title.
Google Monsanto and get smart. if you are not scared after that, your brainless!