Letters for Saturday, March 14, 2020

Gabbard has done little for Hawai‘i

Exactly what has Tulsi Gabbard done for Hawai‘i? It feels like we have been taken for a ride while our other representatives have been working their ‘okole off for us.

Thomas McCall, Anahola

Not much choice but to buy plastics

In response to Dr. Luis F. Diaz’s column about solid-waste solutions, I beg to disagree, at least in part. Consumers have very little control over buying stuff with packaging. More and more, it all comes with packaging that you can’t avoid if you want to eat. And, more and more of it is packaged with plastic. The consumer is forced into a narrow choice on how to buy stuff. Costco slowly drove out of business the neighborhood stores which had somewhat less packaging. I used to like Cost u Less because it was close to my house and smaller. But, alas, no more Cost u Less in Kapa‘a. You can buy some food at weekly farmers’ markets with minimal packaging, but you can’t rely on getting all your supplies that way.

In Los Angeles, recycling is required, and you are fined if you don’t recycle. That would work, but on Kaua‘i who knows if a law like that would ever get passed? I like the idea of a plant that burns trash, creates energy and scrubs exhaust from the operation so there is no pollution.

When I lived in Kyoto, Japan, it was really pleasant to shop. There were farmers and other vendors who had permanent booths along a shopping street. You could walk over (unbelievable; no cars), buy whatever you needed, put it in your basket and walk home. Every neighborhood had one of these permanent farmers’ markets. And there was minimal packaging. I could hold my breath for a long time before this happens on Kaua‘i, but I am ever-hopeful.

Molly Jones, Kealia