Eco-roundtable leads to Web site, e-list, quarterly meetings

On Tuesday night more than 70 island environmentalists met at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall for the Kaua‘i Eco-Roundtable.

Some 30 organizations were represented and each group gave a short report on their mission, their goals and their most recent focus at the premier event, sponsored by the Kilauea-based sustainability group Malama Kaua‘i.

In welcoming the crowd, Executive Director Keone Kealoha announced that the group would not form committees or take on new projects — its sole purpose is to increase communication and information-sharing amongst the Kaua‘i environmental community.

Groups gave reports that ranged from protecting the most endangered marine mammal in the country — the Hawaiian monk seal — to protecting Hawai‘i’s native plants from off-island invasive species, opposing GMO crops and promoting organic farming.

To properly address those concerns, as well as whales and active Navy sonar, resort development, energy sustainability, global warming and protecting watersheds and beaches, the group agreed to meet quarterly, supported by a Web site and an e-mail contact list.

The meeting will air at a future date on Ho‘ike TV.

At the end of the meeting the crowd agreed that this meeting is exactly what the environmental community needed and expressed their feelings of enthusiasm for future meetings.

As the last to speak, County Councilmember and past mayor JoAnn Yukimura, discussing a sustainability conference she’s been working on, bore a humble yet proud smile on her face as she reminisced about the early days of the Kaua‘i environmental movement, and the fight against inappropriate hotels and billboards.

Yukimura said Tuesday’s meeting felt like a renaissance and she was proud to be part of it.

• Diana LaBedz is a member of The Surfrider Foundation, Kaua‘i Chapter.