Letters for Friday, November 27, 2009

• 138 acres for what?

• Global warming ‘facts’

• Good decision, mayor

138 acres for what?

It’s been over a month since our County Council signed bills to “purchase” 138 acres of questionably useful land assessed at $599,600 by our real estate tax office. (“County land deal finalized,” The Garden Island, Oct. 22)

This $599,600 land gift was “given” to the county in exchange for an extraordinarily massive surrender of precious “rezoning assests” amounting to “added values” somewhere from $250 million to $500 million for the Lagoons facility, depending on how the re-zoning sites are developed.

That’s a quarter to one-half billion dollars. Now it only takes the mayor’s signature to make this dream come true.

The International Billionaire Investment Group (I-BIG’s I call them) had their rezoning needs satisfied: 65 acres zoned conservation, open and ag re-zoned to 14.6 acres to urban zoning, 19.1 acres Open to Resort, 21.6 acres Open to R-2, and an extension of the Visitor Destination Area boundary for 9.2 acres.

What did our community get? 138 acres presently zoned conservation, open and ag located parallel to the Lihu‘e Airport landing runway; a sliver of land from runway’s edge to state shoreline. Not too good for housing, park, bike path, or hospital.

Any suggestions from the council? How about a recycling center and landfill? Then “we the people” wouldn’t have to buy 327 acres from a mature coffee farm in Kalaheo. We the people would save millions of dollars for a centrally located landfill site.

Landfill sites are allowable according to Federal Aviation Administration’s off-airport proposed construction or alteration. See Part 258 — criteria for municipal solid waste landfills, 40 CFR 258 which governs the development. Food for thought.

John Hoff, Lawa‘i

Global warming ‘facts’

I quote from The Garden Island’s front page article on Monday (“Global warming: Conference highlights local impacts”):

“Studies report that since 1880, the average global temperature has increased 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit or about 0.23 degrees each year,” (Dr. Fletcher) said.

Let’s see, 2.2 degrees divided by 129 years does not equal 0.23 degrees per year. Try this on your calculator. I would have kept quiet, except that the 2.2 degrees figure is just as shaky as the math.

Typically, the places where people recorded temperatures in the 1880s were small towns, often surrounded by forests. Today, those same places are big cities full of concrete and glass. No doubt, the cities are at least two degrees warmer, but does that mean the whole planet is two degrees warmer?

Arctic ice is melting, but most ice in the North is already floating in the ocean, so its melting will have no effect on sea level. At the same time, the Antarctic ice caps are currently getting thicker. Being on land, these thickening ice caps will cause ocean levels to drop.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas, but the changes are measured in a few parts per million. It is just not credible that this tiny change in CO2 is a major cause of global warming. Keep in mind that plants love CO2 and greatly appreciate even a tiny increase. Plants and trees have a cooling effect on the globe. The net effect of CO2 may be neutral, as flourishing plants offset the tiny greenhouse effect.

I have a few guesses: 1) the globe is warming, but mostly for non-human reasons. 2) Humans are contributing to the warming, but mainly by cutting down trees and building cities with concrete and asphalt, 3) the CO2 effect on global warming is minimal, if not neutral.

Americans are living beyond their means; driving cars, trucks, and SUVs with way more horsepower than they need. However, I would hope more Americans can learn to burn less fuel, without a fascist-style government forcing them to change.

People and the media seem to enjoy a good scare. Why else would people spend good money to see a horror movie? I am sorry to ruin all the fun here about the CO2 scare. Don’t worry, though, there are plenty of other things to be frightened about. America is spending itself into bankruptcy while other parts of the world are preparing for jihad against us.

Mark Beeksma, Koloa

Good decision, mayor

The tough decision by our mayor to keep the bike path adjacent and along the beach in Wailua is a good and sound decision. SHPD has pointed out that the proposed location of the path makai of the highway is the path of least potential archaeological disturbances. Good clear thinking obviously led to the mayor’s decision.

Now, if only we could look at condemning lands for the bike path makai of the Waipouli Beach Resort. It seem ridiculous to divert the bike path across the highway in front of Safeway just to avoid having the bike path in the view plane of the resort. Can’t figure out how this happened.

I believe the plans for the bike path was in motion when permits for the resort were being contemplated. Beside that, there is lot of land between the structures and the shoreline. Call your favorite council person and let’s get this going.

Ron Agor, Lihu‘e