• Falling on deaf ears
• The people have spoken
• Turn out and vote
• A real and pressing concern
Falling on deaf ears
Imagine a sound that is one billion times louder than a military jet plane, and is 1,000 times louder than the Apollo Saturn Rockets at takeoff. That’s how loud 230 decibels is — and that’s how loud the Navy’s SURTASS LFA sonar is. It’s close to being the loudest man-made sound ever.
Think that might bother some whales?
I don’t see much need to pull out my PhD in sensory neuroscience and wave it around — but I will today. I know a lot about how sound and energy moves through water, and I know a great deal about how echolocation in whales and other marine mammals is accomplished.
And even before I had a PhD I knew a load of hogwash when I saw it. Hogwash is exactly what Navy Lt. Commander Hagen is spewing as she defends the right of the U.S. Navy to conduct the active SURTASS LFA sonar exercises, saying it is vital to our National Security. That sure has become a catch-all to justify a lot of things and it’s wearing thin fast.
Here’s a few bullet points to chew on as we consider the Navy’s stance.
• The LFA Sonar is used to detect old-school diesel/electric subs. The idea is that countries like India or Brazil might use these older subs to sneak up on the U.S. Navy. Do you really think India or Brazil is a threat right now? When was our country last attacked by a submarine? Some 60 years ago.
• Originally the U.S. Navy wanted to place LFAs throughout the world’s oceans and run them 24/7 to keep tabs on the entire world’s oceans. If this was their original plan, now scaled back by intense environmental pressure, do we really think they are particularly concerned about harming ocean life? Ideally the U.S. Navy would like to track every single craft on the ocean. Do we really need that capability to be safe?
• Statements about the public’s opportunities to comment are a joke. There were three meetings regarding SURTASS, on Dec. 1, 3, 5, 2005 in Washington, San Diego, and Honolulu, respectively. Less than six hours of public input later, spread across 4,500 miles, and they say we’ve had our fair share. Why no input from Kauaians — the PMRF and these war games go on off our coast, not Oahu’s.
• To be clear, the current plan allows the Navy to blast the sonar as loudly as 180decibels at the coastline, which is 10,000 times louder than standing 30 feet from a jet at takeoff. A jet is 140 decibels. Do the math: decibel is a log function, each 10 decibel increase is a 10-times increase in energy. Recreational divers should take note that they may experience sounds 5 times louder than a jet (lasting over 2 minutes at a numbing 500Hz) while doing near shore dives.
• Ironically, the LFA is not very good at protecting near-shore waters, where the sounds bounce around and reverberate, but where the diesel sub threat would most likely be. Furthermore the giant ship that has to carry the LFA is slow, has no protection, and gives away it’s position whenever the sonar is active. Can you say “sitting duck”?
Because there is support from NOAA and NMFS — other government agencies — to keep the Navy in check, and because folks like Pierce Brosnan and the NRDC have lent their voices to the fight, there has been some progress. But in reading all the GAO reports, I see how much the Navy wants this, so we must raise our voices again and say loudly “no”.
There really isn’t much better evidence that this system causes harm than when 130 whales turn up in Hanalei Bay on the same day they turn on their powerful toy.
The people have spoken
Once again another “voice of the people” has fallen to the liberal left’s censorship. The Garden Island, once an even handed, give both sides of the story type of newspaper has now turned into nothing more than an outlet for liberal talking points in which conservative points of view need not apply.
No conservative has had the privilege of having their letters printed or their points of view heard for some time in The Garden Island. If this is what The Garden Island considers fair and balanced I know of at least five families that plan to stop their subscriptions when their present subscription expires. I know that Hawai‘i has been a liberal stronghold for many years but why cannot the people that claim to be so “tolerant,” tolerate another point of view?
For instance, the editorials complain that no one is doing anything about the spread of AIDS and STDs while our schools and the liberal left media promote and support homosexuality and promiscuity.
Well, how does AIDS spread?
The last time I looked it was homosexuality and promiscuity. Throwing money at the problem will never stop the epidemic. You need to remove the cause of the spread of AIDS and STDs, i.e. homosexuality and promiscuity and those who promote such life styles. You can’t ignore the laws of God without consequences in this life and, if you do not repent, eternal consequences in the next. Let’s stop pretending that homosexuality and promiscuity have no negative consequences and call a spade a spade. I know that this letter will never be printed, but I just wanted the editor to know how so many people on this island feel.
Turn out and vote
Attention all Kauaians. I want to share a four-letter word with you. The word is VOTE. This is an election year. We again have an opportunity to voice our opinions at the polls. How many of you out there are unsatisfied with the direction Kaua‘i is going? If the answer is yes, than exercise your given right to vote. I know everybody gumbles to some degree on what is happening but how many of you are willing to do something about it? There will be some new faces running for office this year. I urge you to give them full consideration. We need new ideas, new direction, some new blood. If your not registered to vote than register. If you love Kaua‘i, vote and make a difference. Your vote DOES COUNT!
A real and pressing concern
Over the past year, Kaua‘i has lost almost every one of its entertainment venues. Starting with the Kukui Grove Pavilion, which is soon to be Costco, and including but not limited to: Whalers, the Shack, the Landing Pad, Ricardo’s and the Kuhio Lounge, the island has lost virtually every place where people can go and listen to music and/or socialize.
As the owner of Ohana Productions, I have to turn down events on a weekly basis due to a lack of a suitable venue. Kaua‘i is also the only island that doesn’t have a designated cultural center where live music events can be held.
On the surface, perhaps this doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Nevertheless, music is at the very core of the Hawaiian culture. If we have no place where our upcoming artists can perform, there will be fewer and fewer keiki choosing to learn an instrument.
“What for?” they might ask.
No talented musician wants to spend their life playing in their living room.
It is true that we still have luau venues and hotel lobbies that our musicians can perform in, but when asked, many will tell you that they are not playing their music of choice.
