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VOLUMIS
W2011
CONSERVATIONWATCHA PUBL I CA T I O N O F TH E G A RD E N CL UB O F A ME R I CA
IN THIS ISSUE:THE ANCIENT HAWAIIANSAPPROACHTO CONSERVATION
JAPANS TSUNAMI AND MARINE DEB
HAWAIIS CLEAN ENERGY IMPERATIV
CLIMATE CHANGE AND RISING
SEA LEVELS IN HAWAII
AN UPDATE ON GMOS
AND MORE....
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Wise eachers no only presen inormaion, give hisorical
perspecive and explain issues, bu hey creae opporuni-
ies or heir sudens o experience dieren realiies or
hemselves. Tus i was ha our houghul hoss rom he
Garden Club o Honolulu, led by Heidi Ho Conjugacion,
helped us o undersand he proound ransormaion ha Wesern sociey has brough o he Hawai-
ian islands. We sared our visi in he glass and concree landscapes o Oahu, observing imperme-
able paved srees and parking los as well as concree canals which oo quickly channel waer rom
he mounains o he sea. Ten, we le Honolulu and headed or
he windward side o he island. I seemed ha our bus raveled
back in ime o he lush, green, ree and grass covered landscapes o
Kawainui-Hamakua Marsh and Kualoa Ranch.
We saw an ancien emple (or heiau) and ooded aro elds. Our
guides chaned he radiional chans, asking permission or ourvisi, showing respec or he place, ransporing us o an ancien
ime o learn lessons or our uure. We visied Honolulu Harbor
and Hanuama Bay, and ollowed he ancien pah rom Mauka o
Makai, sudying naional conservaion issues ha have paricular
resonance in he islands o Hawaii: ocean proecion, sea level rise,
and he challenge o alernaive energy; ood saey, sheries, GMOs, and organics; issue culure or
seed propagaion, rough errain boany and he scourge o invasive species in he enclosed ecosysem o
an island chain. I is said in evoluionary erms ha "srange hings happen on islands", or members o
he Conservaion and NAL commitees on he 2011 GCA eld sudy rip, srange mean exraordinary.
"STRANGE THINGS HAPPENON ISLANDS"
BY SARAH YOUNG
Broadmoor G.C. (Zone XII)Vice Chairman, GCANational Affairs and Legislation, Agriculture
GCA MEMBERS FALL STUDY TRIP 2011 OAHUPhoto by Pat Wall
HEIDI HO AND PONOAT IOLANI PALACE
Photo by Elva Busch
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Beween a housand and 1200 years ago, early Ha-
waiian sociey operaed by a se o rules or laws called
kapu. Tis complex religious, governmenal and cul-
ural sysem reeced he harmonious relaionship
beween he Hawaiians and he naural world.
Tere were our groups ino which sociey was separaed:
1. Alii, higher and lesser chies who ruled specic erriories. Tey governed wih divine power
called mana. Te highes chies, alii kapu, were considered gods.
2. Kahuna, priess who conduced religious ceremonies and were advisors o he alii and proes-
sionals, such as carpeners, healers, genealogiss, and boa builders.
3. Makaainana , commoners who were involved wih agriculure, ood preparaion and oher
daily asks or he good o he sociey.
4. Kuwa, who may have been war capives. Tey were considered oucass and oen used as hu-
man sacrices.
Te kapu sysems was derived rom he religious belies and radiions o he people. Te our maingods wereKu (God o War),Kane (God o Ligh and Lie), Lono (God o Agriculure), andKanaloa
(God o he Ocean). Tere were many lesser gods and he equivalen o guardian angels.
Since Early Hawaiians depended on naure or everyhing, he kapu sysem reeced a reverence
and respec or he naural world. Te kapu sysem is one o he earlies examples o environmenal
THE ANCIENT HAWAIIANSAPPROACH TO CONSERVATION
BY MARSHA MERRELL
James River Garden Club (AL)Vice Chair, GCA Conservation Committee,National Parks and Public Lands
ULUPO HEIAUPhoto by Candace C. Lyche
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proecionism. A he hear o he sysem was he ahupuaa (an ecosysem) ha was riangular in shape.
I exended rom he op o he mounain o he sea. Every island was divided ino manyahupuaa and
he segmens were usually dened by river valleys. Each ahupuaa had all o he resources needed or
lie. Te sea provided sh, a river or irrigaion, drinking waer and oher uses; he uplands had lumber
used or building. Agriculure was developed in each ahupuaa, usually a he oo o he mounain. As
populaions grew, villages developed and so did rade.
Te kapu sysem dened acions ha were appropriae or people o dieren ranks. Commoners
armed, shed, and provided mos o he needs o he sociey. Tey suppored hemselves and he
chies and kahuna. Te alii could orbid people rom eaing or using cerain plans, animals, or oher
resources. Resricions could be or cerain imes o he year. Tis was imporan o proec resources
rom over-exploiaion.
Heiau are sacred sies and places o worship where ceremonies and riuals were conduced. Tese
srucures were buil using sones. Te engineering abiliies o he Hawaiians are eviden in he sack-ing o rock o build hese srucures. No morar was used. Te heiau were a very imporan par o he
religious and everyday lie o Hawaiian sociey and osered he power okapu. oday hese srucures
and areas no only represen amazing eas o an ancien civilizaion, bu also an opporuniy or "mal-
ama." Malama (care or) is a concep cenral o Hawaiian culure and values. Te GCA Conservaion
Commitee visied he Ulupo Heiau in he Kailua Bay region. Buil around 1,000 years ago, i appears o
be a luakini heiau (dedicaed o he War GodKu). oday his place is reaed wih respec as a spiriual
link o he pas. Oen, leis or oher oerings are le o reec his.
MEMBERS STANDING NEAR SACRED STONE PLATFORM OF THE ULUPO HEIAUPhoto by Pat Wall
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While modern sociey coined he words "ecosysem" and "waershed," he conceps were clearly
undersood by he ancien Hawaiians. Tey realized ha he mounainop o heir ahupuaa was very
much conneced o he basin o he bay. Fresh waer ha came rom he op via waersheds provided
resh waer needed or crops, healh o he sh ponds miles below, and or susenance.
ying religion, socieal organizaion, and preservaion o naive ecosysems creaed an acive sew-
ardship o he Hawaiian Islands or housands o years. oday heAhahui Malama I Ka Lokahi, a naive
Hawaiian conservaion organizaion, works o ensure he preservaion o naive ecosysems and radi-
ions hrough educaion, acive sewardship, and research. Tis group, which is involved wih many
ecological resoraions, is very careul o relae he spiriual naure as an imporan aspec o apprecia-
ing he ancien Hawaiians sewardship o he islands. Te visior o one o hese sies receives a very
resh and holisic view o he erm "resoraion."
Papahanaumokuakea is he rs mixed naural
and culural UNESCO World Heriage sie in he
Unied Saes. I was designaed a Marine Naional
Monumen in June o 2006. Te monumen is a
conservaion area ha encompasses he Norh-
wesern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and is adminisered joinly by NOAA, he Deparmen o he Ine-
rior and by he Sae o Hawaii. I includes approximaely 140,000 square miles o Pacic Oceanan
area larger han all o he U.S. naional parks combined. We were orunae o have Aulani Wilhelm,
NWHI and NOAA monumen superinenden, speak o us abou Papahanaumokuakea.
Is name (pronounced Pa-
pa-hah-nou-mo-koo-ah-keh-
ah) comes rom an ancien
Hawaiian radiion concerning
he genealogy and ormaion o
he Hawaiian Islands. Te area
is signican as a sacred place
where Naive Hawaiians believe
ha lie originaed and where
ancesral spiris will reurn aer
deah. I is a place o connec o
PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA: WHERENATURE AND CULTURE MEET
BY JENNIFER FAIN
Hancock Park G.C. (CA) Vice Chair,GCA Conservation and NAL Committees, Oceans
PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA ENDANGERED MONK SEALCourtesy of Paphanaumokuakea.gov
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living culural radiions and o pass o each generaion he kuleana (righ and responsibiliy) o susain
heir ancesral belies. In he Hawaiian radiion here is a srong link beween naure and culure. Pa-
pahanaumokuakea is he embodimen o ha connecion. I is a reminder and example o us all o our
role as sewards o malama (care or) our naural and culural resources.
Te naural atribues o Papahanaumokuakea are remarkable. Te small islands, rees and shoals o
he area represen he cleares, and oldes example o island ormaion and aoll evoluion in he world,
spanning 28 million years. Tis mos remoe volcanic chain has helped our undersanding o plae
econics and hospos. Te deepes reaches o he area are 15,092 ee below sea level, and he highes
is 902 ee above sea level. Te habias include abyssal dephs, seamouns and submerged banks, wo
high eroded islands, pinnacles, aolls, coral rees, lagoons, shoals, dunes, dry grasslands and shrublands,
and a hypersaline lake.
Te monumen is locaed abou 3,000 miles rom coninenal land masses, making i one o hemos remoe archipelagos in he world. Te size o he Hawaiian Archipelago, as well as is isolaion
and disance beween islands and aolls has led o very high raes o marine and erresrial endemism
(species ound nowhere else in he world). Wihin Papahanaumokuakea, 60 percen o shallow-waer
sh species, 90 percen o deep-waer shes and abou 40 percen o he corals are endemic.
PROPOSED NOMINATED AREA: PAPAHNAUMOKUKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT OVERVIEWCourtesy of Paphanaumokuakea.gov
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Te near-prisine waers and rees o Papahanaumokuakea provide habia or many hreaened and
endangered species. I is one o he las apex predaor-dominaed coral ree ecosysems on he plane.
On less han six square miles o land over 14 million seabirds, represening 22 species, breed and nes.
Papahanaumokuakea appears o be a remarkably inac, prisine environmen. Wilhelm raised he
quesion, "Does prisine exis anymore?" Unorunaely, he answer is no. In spie o is isolaed loca-
ion, he monumen habias are hreaened rom human aciviies beyond is boundaries. Climae
change, sea level rise, ocean acidicaion, marine debris and he inroducion o alien species on land
represen he major problems. Every year, 50 ons o marine debris arrive in monumen waers. On
unpopulaed beaches, elevision ubes, botles, shoes and all kinds o plasic maerial can be ound rom
counries surrounding he Norh Pacic. Wilhelm said hey are apprehensive abou he debris rom
he sunami reaching he proeced waers in he nex ew monhs. Tere are problems in paradise.
Aer he sunami sruck Japan on March 11, 2011, debris rom
around Fukushima was swep ino he ocean, clearly visible by
saellie and aerial reconnaissance. Te debris included pars
o homes, boas, appliances, plasics and relics o human lives.
Aer April 14, he debris dispersed, sank or broke ino smaller
pieces. Curren saellie imagery is unable o deec i.
A compuer model simulaing ocean currens provides approximae predicions o where he rash
may be headed, and here have been sighings by vessels such as he Russian sailing ship SS Pallada
(Sepember 2011), whose crew
were aware o he compuer
projecions. Near Midway, en
roue o Vladivosok, he Pal-
lada came upon a Fukushima-
regisered boa along wih oh-
er buoyan objecsa V se,
rerigeraor, and various home
appliancesand coninued
o nd rash along he rajec-
ory o he compuer model.
Te crew measured he 20-oo
JAPANS TSUNAMI ANDMARINE DEBRIS
BY DIANA FISH
Carmel-by-the-Sea G.C. (CA)Zone XII Representative, GCAConservation/NAL Committees
NOAA'S OSCURS MODEL PLOTS ROUTES OF TSUNAMI TRASH INYEAR 1 (RED); YEAR 2 (ORANGE); YEAR 3 (YELLOW);
YEAR 4 = LIGHT BLUE; AND YEAR 5 (VIOLET).Courtesy of J. Churnside, NOAA
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Japanese boa or radioaciviy, bu ound none. (NOAA ofcials such as Carey Morishige mainain
i is highly unlikely any sunami debris is radioacive since he debris was washed ino he sea beore
radioacive releases occurred a he
Fukushima reacors.)
Alhough here are many vari-
ables and uncerainies, he debris is
orecas o hi Papahanaumokuakea
Marine Naional Monumen
(PMNM) his winer and hen con-
inue on owards he Wes Coas in
2013 and circle back owards he
main Hawaiian Islands in 2014-
2016. Te precise direcion, rae o
dri and locaion o he debris in real ime canno be pinpoined. Possibly cerain debris, like plasicsor berglass hulls, may ravel aser by wind han currens and so arrive sooner han expeced. Tere are
repors ha some osam already has reached beaches in Washingon. However, i also may be hard o
disinguish sunami debris rom he general rash o he Wesern and Easern Garbage Pachesvas
sreches o moving debris and micro-paricles circulaing in he Pacic Ocean.
Te sunami debris poses a hrea o vessels a sea and o marine and coasal ecosysems. Fishing,
ourism and local economies could be aeced, and here is a poenial risk o public healh rom haz-
ardous maerials and rom personal injury by wave-borne objecs. A serious concern or Papahanau-
mokuakea is ha rash could damage coral rees and injure marine mammals, birds, and criically en-
dangered species such as he Hawaiian monk seal. Sea lie can become enangled in shing gear and
JAPANESE TSUNAMI DEBRIS ON THE OPEN OCEANPhoto cour tesy of Timog
JAPAN EARTHQUAKE TSUNAMI OPERATION TOMODACHIPhoto cour tesy of Timog
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discarded iems and misakenly inges plasics as ood. Nes can snarl and smoher delicae coral polyps
and ree species. Tere is a poenial or invasive species o hichhike on debris and colonize new areas.
Since hese mosly uninhabied islands, aolls, and rees exend over 1200 miles rom he main Ha-
waian islandsa disance greaer han ha o Seatle o San Diegoi is logisically difcul o iner-
cep marine debris and challenging and complicaed o remove i properly.
Te Ocean Conservancy noes, ha "while he sunami debris is he laes high-prole case o ocean
debris, i is jus a small par o he overall ocean rash problem. A sunami's worh o ocean rash is cre-
aed every year simply by he hings we buy, use and hrow away."1
Te organizaion suggess a ew basic ways o preven marine polluion: reduce he use o one-ime
disposable iems like cups, botles, and sraws; pick up liter; paricipae in a beach/waerway or area
cleanup; and suppor legislaion o deal wih marine debris. I you live along he Wes Coas or Hawaii
or are on a vessel in he Norh Pacic, you also can paricipae in a NOAA monioring program byreporing marine debris.2
1 htp://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/sunami-debris-wha-you-need.hml
Naive Hawaiians believe heir people and heir naive
ecosysems are inerconneced and ha heir naural
resources, paricularly waer, are essenial o heir cul-
ure and spiriualiy.
Ancien Hawaiians creaed a susainable sysem or
ood producion ha suppored a large populaion o people and wildlie. Tey engineered diversions
o use he waer rom he sreams ha ran rom he rain-sauraed mounain peaks o irrigae erraced
aro elds. Tey hen divered he nurien-rich waer o he shponds hey buil below ha provided
no only ood or heir people bu permanen welands or waer birds. Tey planed swee poaoes
and bananas on he slopes. Tey buil religious emples o celebrae hese places ha delivered he
bouny ha nourished hem. Our commitee visied Kawainui Marsh, Hawaiis larges remaining resh-
waer marsh. Te place shelers wha remains o an ancien 450-acre shpond, erraced aro elds, and
KAWAINUI MARSH - ANCIENTHAWAIIANS UNDERSTOODTHE VALUE OF CLEAN ANDPLENTIFUL WATER
BY RUTH FLOURNOY
River Oaks Garden Club (TX) Zone IXVice Chairman, GCA ConservationWater and Wetlands
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a religious monumen consising o a massive sacked sone plaorm and alar. Visiors oday see ha
his was, and sill is, a sacred place, alhough i no longer suppors he rich ecosysem ha i once did.
In he mid-1700s, he Europeans arrived wih dieren ideas abou agriculure and naive ecosys-
ems. Tey divered huge amouns o waer o grow sugar cane and pineapples. Te Chinese ollowed
in he 1800s, desroying many aro elds o culivae rice. Te aro elds dried up and sedimens rom
he eroding land lled up he shponds. In more recen imes, many o he ancien shponds have been
drained or developmen. Over ime, Kawainui evolved ino a marsh wih a oaing ma o vegeaion
and very litle open waer. Te waershed suered as invasive plans supplaned he endemic and indig-
enous1 species.
Bu a new sense o sewardship was developing. In he early 1990s, a small group o naive Hawai-
ians ormed Hawaiians or he Conservaion o Naive Ecosysems "o develop, promoe, and pracice
a naive Hawaiian conservaion ehic, grounded in ancien radiion bu relevan o our imes, ha is
responsible o boh Hawaiian culure and science, in order o proec Hawaiis naive culural and nau-
ral heriage hrough research, educaion, and acive sewardship." In 1994, a maser plan was developed
or Kawainui Marsh o preserve and resore his naural ecosysem and he culural monumens ha
are par o i. Te plans include a visior cener or educaion abou he valuable culural and naural
1 "Endemic" reers o organisms ha are naive and ound only in a paricular area like he Hawaiian Islands, while "indig-
enous" reers o organisms ha are naive no only in Hawaii bu also in oher places. "Canoe" plans are also imporan o
Hawaiians. Tese were carried by he ancien Hawaiians fom Polynesia o he Hawaiian Islands.
MEMBERS HIKE KAWAINUI MARSHPhoto by Sue Klein
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resources o his area. Numerous organiza-
ions, including he Hawaii Audubon So-
ciey, an hisorical sociey and a local civic
club coninue o collaborae on his eor.
Teir work was recognized in 2005,
when he Kawainui Marsh received he
presigious designaion o a Weland o In-
ernaional Imporance. Tis designaion,
he 22nd in he U.S., creaes economic
bene by simulaing ourism, shing and
oher recreaion. I has encouraged he
resoraion o his large weland and sur-
rounding areas, which provide such eco-
logical services as he nesing areas or ourendangered endemic birds.
More suppor arrived in he orm o und-
ing when, on July 29, 2011, he Hawaii Deparmen o Land And Naural Resources and he U.S. Army
Corps o Engineers signed an agreemen o implemen par o he earlier maser plan o help resore
he wildlie habia o Kawainui Marsh a a cos o $4 o 6 million, wih he ederal governmen paying
75% o he expenses. Tese unds have been welcomed by he many people who have been working
o proec his ecological and hisorical wonder. Members o he Honolulu Garden Club allowed our
commitee o paricipae in a small par o his resoraion eor by planing endemic and indigenous
plans on he seep slopes above he marsh. Much work remains o be done.
Earhjusice atorney, Isaac Moriwake, sums up much o wha we learned when we visied Kawainui
by explaining ha resoraion projecs are "preserving and conserving the resource so that we still have it
for decades down the line and for future generations We live on an island and we have no other source
of water other than what weve got right here. And in that sense we in Hawaii are kind of a microcosm of
what our entire world is facing towards water scarcity."
PLANTING NATIVES AT KAWAINUI MARSHRUTH FLOURNOY, ANNE LYMAN AND LINDA JAMES
Photo by Sue Klein
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Te Conservaion sudy group in Hawaii learned
abou aquaculure as an ancien echnology, bu also
abou cuting edge scienic research on modern
aquaculure and is impac on he environmen. On
our ouing o he windward side o he island and he beauiul Kualoa Ranch we saw some o he ew
remaining walled shponds buil by Ancien Hawaiians, called loko i a. Te Molii shpond is one
o he larges in Hawaii, a over 125 acres wih a deph ha ranges rom 4 o 30 ee. I is one o he
ew ancien, royal shponds sill in operaion oday, raising Moi (hreadsh), amaama (mulle) and
awa (milksh). We learned how hese sh ponds helped susain Hawaiians when shoreline shing was
insufcien due o weaher and sur, and how he ponds served o slow resh waer running rom he
mounains o he sea, allowing more
waer o be absorbed ino he soil and
recharging he imporan resh waer
aquiers.
Dr. Charles Laidley, Direcor o he
Finsh Program a he Oceanic Insi-
ue, explained he imporance o mod-
ern aquaculure or our ood sysem.
While seaood is oued as a healhy
par o our die and worldwide demand
or seaood is srong, he produciviy
o wild seaood sheries is now maxed
ou. Fish arming, or aquaculure, is
needed o ll he demand, and in 2010
aquaculure produced more han wild
sheries or he rs ime ever.
Globally, sh provides abou 2.9 bil-
lion people wih almos 20% o heir av-
erage per capia inake o animal proein. From a producion o less han 1 million ons per year in he
early 1950s, aquaculure producion has grown annually a an average rae o 6.1%, reaching 55.7 mil-lion ons in 2009. Bu ha is no enough: he Food and Agriculure Organizaion o he Unied Naions
(FAO) projecs ha global aquaculure producion will need o reach 80 million ons by 2050 in order
o merely mainain curren levels o per capia consumpion. However, expansion o U.S. aquaculure
is no keeping up wih he res o he world.
SLUICE GATE AND ROCK WALL ANCIENT FISH PONDPhoto by Elva Busch
AQUACULTURE, OLD AND NEW
BY SARAH YOUNG
Broadmoor G.C. (Zone XII)Vice Chairman, GCANational Affairs and Legislation, Agriculture
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Tere are several en-
vironmenal concerns
associaed wih modern
aquaculure, and eors
o address hose concerns
while increasing produc-
ion have led o shery
models ha include gro-
wou in open ocean cages.
While working o creae
a model or susainable
aquaculure, Dr. Laidley
described several concerns, including he accidenal release o non-naive sh ino he marine environ-
men. In he Finsh program hey use only naive sh, eliminaing ha problem. Tere is also concern
abou he eec o capive socks on he geneics o he wild sh populaions. o reduce ha problem,new sock is brough in annually, and geneic monioring o all sh sock is coninuous. Some polluion
o he marine environmen is ineviable, bu he Insiue moniors waer qualiy around heir open
ocean cages o obain reliable daa abou he exen o he polluion. In he sudies underaken by he
Finsh program, no measurable polluion exiss one hundred ee away rom he cages in a horizonal
direcion, bu here is some debris ha alls below he cages. As a resul o hose sudies, cages are sied
careully o avoid sensiive areas and moved every year o minimize impac in a single ocean locaion.
ranser o diseases o naural populaions is sill he bigges issue wih open ocean sh arms. Accord-
ing o he Monerey Bay Aquarium,
"Where salmon arms are locaed near he migraion roues o young wild salmon, parasies
may inec and kill up o 80 percen o he wild sh. Pesicides and anibioics used o conrol
diseases and parasies can also leak ino he environmen, impacing local species."
Te mos eecive way o ensure ha his does no happen is o use closed, inland sh arms. I is
also imporan o locae hese arms away rom sensiive habias where sh eed and breed.
For heir sheries and sock enhancemen projecs, he Oceanic Insiue uses 8,000 gallon anks.Tey currenly breed Pacic hreadsh, among ohers. (Tere are many sheries or cold waer sh
such as rou, bu here were no sheries or warm waer sh beore he Oceanic Insiue esablished
heirs.) Fish are colleced rom he wild wih seine nes and quaranined unil hey grow up o be brood
sock. In capiviy, he sh spawn 8-10 days aer each ull moon. In he wild, hey only spawn in he
summer. Eggs are colleced every day. In he anks, he young sh are ed high qualiy ood. Tey live
OPEN OCEAN CAGE WITH PACIFIC THREADFINCourtesy of oar.noaa.gov
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Geneically Modied Organisms (GMOs)(GMs) are
plans or animals he genes o which have been modi-
ed hrough geneic engineering o enhance desired
rais, such as an increase in yield or a resisance o her-
bicides, insecs, diseases, drough or cold condiions.
Tese rais are ranserred rom one eniy o anoher. GMO seeds have been available or 15 years and
currenly consiue 10% o he worlds agriculural acreage consising mosly o commodiy crops such
as soybeans (95%) and corn (65%).
THE VALUE OF GMOS
Many armers applaud he echnology. B corn is an example. Te seed is geneically alered o ex-
press he B oxin, which is poisonous o insec pess, making i possible o apply herbicides or weeds
and insecs wihou harming he corn. Tis means ewer chemical pesicides needed and less oxic run-
o poisoning he waer supply. Producion coss or he grower are reduced and yields have increased
subsanially an imporan bene as populaion numbers escalae. In Hawaii, ringspo virus was
decimaing papaya crops. A GM papaya was developed ha resised he virus and 75% o papaya sold
here now are GM srains. A srain o "golden rice" is being developed wih viamin A imbedded in i,which serves as a proecion agains blindness in underdeveloped counries. GM salmon maure much
aser han naive salmon. A recen USDA gran will sudy ways o make hem serile o preven hem
rom breeding wih wild salmon. Poplar rees have been geneically engineered o remove heavy meal
polluion rom conaminaed soils.
AN UPDATE ON GMOS
BY JOAN MURPHY
Columbine Garden Club (AZ)Advisor, GCA National Affairs and Legislation Committee
in a plankonic environmen and become small sh in 3-8 weeks and are hen released ino a growou
sysem. According o Dr. Laidley, curren onshore ank sysems are no very economically viable a
his poin.
As wih oher kinds o agriculure, sh arms can provide much needed ood or a growing world
populaion, bu hey mus be planned houghully o avoid signican negaive impacs on wild sh
populaions and marine ecosysems. Te work a he Oceanic Insiue o develop "green" aquaculure
echnologies will provide much needed inormaion o be used in planning and regulaing he uure
o aquaculure.
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CONCERNS REGARDING GMOS
Environmental Hazards. Te use o geneically modied seeds coninues o be conroversial.
Farmers noe ha "superweeds" and corn rooworms are developing resisance o he eecs o he
geneically insered oxins, necessiaing he use o even more chemicals. Tese oxins aec boh good
and bad insecs, wih amphibians and benecial insecs crashing. Because o he poenial or dri o
seeds and cross-pollinaion, adjacen organic arms can be ained. A Caliornia armer won $1 million
in damages when pesicides carried by og caused he oal loss o his organic herbs. A reducion in seed
diversiy could also make our uure ood supplies vulnerable.
Health Risks. While some scieniss believe ha GM oods do no presen a risk o human healh,
hey are no regulaed in he U.S. and many eel sudies need o be done. I is possible ha an allergic
reacion could occur o he inroduced gene. In spie o his lack o guidance, oods conaining GMOs
already ll supermarke shelves. Caliornias Deparmen o Food and Agriculure esimaes ha 70%
o highly processed oods have GM ingrediens, wihou public awareness. Tese include cereals, vege-
able oils, high rucose corn syrup and soybean addiives. A coaliion o 400 organizaions recenly pe-
iioned he FDA o require labeling o GM oods. In addiion, some armers have observed decreased
eriliy in animals ed GM corn. Te lack o knowledge regarding possible healh eecs concerns
consumers and several counries prohibi he imporaion o GM crops rom he U.S.
HAWAII'S RAINBOW PAPAYA GENETICALLY MODIFIED TO RESIST THE RINGSPOT VIRUS.Photo at hciaonl ine.com
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Economic Concerns. Many o he GM seeds are paened, raising he price o seed and a hrea
o lawsuis i GM plans are ound in elds o radiional crops. Te nancial burden on small armers
can be remendous. Te ac ha he E.U. and oher counries will no buy GM producs means ewer
markes. Japan purchased $15 million worh o papaya rom Hawaii in 1996. Following he inroduc-
ion o GM papaya, his amoun was reduced o $1.2 million. Japan, however, recenly agreed o impor
papaya again. Currenly, hree governmen agencies have jurisdicion over GM oods: he EPA, he
Deparmen o Agriculure, and he Food & Drug Adminisraion. As more esing is done and regula-
ions implemened, hese could also mean addiional coss or growers and consumers.
Wih greaer yields, geneically modied oods have he poenial o solve much o he worlds hun-
ger problems while preserving he environmen using ewer chemical pesicides and herbicides. How-
ever, here are many challenges saey esing, governmen regulaions, inernaional policies, unore-
seen environmenal issues, a reducion in seed diversiy, and labeling. Te growers and he public mus
be able o make inelligen decisions regarding geneically modied oods. Say uned.
SEED INDUSTRY STRUCTURECourtesy of www.msu.edu
Global consolidation of the seed industr y raises concerns about ownership, access and seed diversity. (Editor)
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Te Hawaiian Islands are a 1500-mile-long archi-
pelago o eigh large islands and over one hundred
smaller islands ha orm a chain in he Pacic Ocean.
Each island is a leas 1800 miles in any direcion
rom is neares neighbor. Te islands are exposed
peaks o an undersea mounain range, he highes be-
ing 3.1 miles rom he ocean oor. For over 70 million years, he plan and animal lie on hese islands
remained isolaed and developed in soliude, unouched by invasive species. Almos all o he original
plans were no only indigenous bu also endemic.
Beginning abou 400-
500 AD, waves o people
rom oher lands began o
arrive by boa. Polynesians,
he rs o arrive, were insearch o more promising
arm land. Tey requenly
le heir islands in groups
o boas carrying enough
people and diversiy o
ound new setlemens.
Wih hem hey brough
ve or six plans, such as
bananas and aro, o culivae; and animals, such as pigs, dogs, and chickens, o raise.
Te rs Europeans arrived in 1778 wih Capain James Cook. Tey also brough wih hem ani-
mals and plans, adding o he increasing pressure being placed on he ragile environmen o he once-
oally isolaed islands. Missionaries and whalers ollowed, bringing mosquioes, goas, and mangoes,
as well as 344 new varieies o plans, 40 repiles, and 20 insecs.
Te pleniul oress were cleared and species dependen on ores habia and ood began o disap-
pear. A he same ime, one crop began o be grown on huge racs o land insead o he more variedplanings o he original islanders. In becoming a mono-crop culure, even more species began o be
hreaened. oday almos all o he remaining endemic plans and animals are considered endangered.
Over ime, more han 10,000 new plans have been inroduced o Hawaii. A leas 200 o hese are caus-
ing ecosysem damage. Hawaii is known as he "capial o exincions".
ALIENS ON MAGICAL ISLANDS:A REPORT ON OURCONSERVATION-NAL TRIPTO HAWAII IN 2012
BY JEANNE ARTHUR
Memphis G.C. (TN) Zone IXVice Chairman, GCA Conservation Committee,Endangered Species/Ecological Restoration
BROWN T REE SNAK E ON PAPAYASNAKES POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Photo cour tesy of USDA/WS
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In one o he horror sories abou Hawaiis eors o conrol alien species, he mongoose was inro-
duced in 1883 o conrol ras. Te ras were rampan in cane elds and i was hoped he mongoose
would dissipae hem. Te day-huning mongoose was brough in o do away wih nocurnal ras.
Insead, since neiher was awake when he oher was acive, he mongoose became a errible predaor
o birds, repiles, ruis, plans, and o eggs o cerain sea urles (now endangered), while he ra con-
inued o hrive.
Aggressive programs o save plans have been developed on he islands. Scieniss a Lyon Arbo-
reum are proecing agains exincion in he wild by keeping plans alive in culivaion. Te Lyon
lab uses echniques ha allow preservaion o he original plan genoype hrough micro-propagaion,
seed sorage, cloning by ip and issue cutings, and grow-ou o hese propagaed specimens in he lab.
Te arboreum is able o propagae plans ha are echnically exinc: 13% o he lab plans are exinc
in he wild bu exis in he lab; 80% o 681 specimens in he lab represen species wih less han 1000
living plans; and 224 plans are on he red lis or endangered plans. Scieniss hope o resore hese
specimens ino he wild.
Oher acive organizaions are CGAPS (Coordinaing Group on Alien Pes Species), which ries o
conrol enry ino he sae via boas and plans. Te Hawaiian Rare Plan Resoraion Group has he
PEP Program o Proec Endangered Plans ha are represened by 50 or ewer specimens in he wild.
Te Hawaiian Invasive Species Council (HISC) is acive a he cabine level; and he Invasive Species
Commitees (ISC) are acive a he islands level.
Unorunaely, ew opions eecively preven he inroducion o alien species. Firs class mail and
Federal Express shipping are wo requen mehods o enry. Hawaii has insiued laws and agree-
mens and employs ederal inspecors o ideniy exoics a poins o enry, bu unding or inspecors
and inspecion aciliies coninues o be an obsacle. Te sae has also creaed sae liss o endangered
species, bu sae and ederals liss do no mach. Te bes mehods or conrol include eradicaing he
alien species or conaining hem regionally.
Google or a more complee lis o aliens: Hawaiian invasive species, invasive birds, or invasive algae.
o read more abou Chrisy Marins presenaion go o:www.invasivespeciesino.gov/docs/council/HISC%20Presenaion.pd
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While he boaniss who work or he Plan Exincion
Prevenion Program (PEP) in Hawaii are no acually
supermen and women, hey do engage in perilous acivi-
ies as hey pracice rough errain boany. Te specialized
PEP boaniss are rained in exreme hiking and camping
and have learned o repel down clis and oen y o remoe areas in helicopers. Why do hese boa-
niss go o hese exremes? Tey are nding Hawaii's mos endangered plans in order o save hem
rom exincion. Hawaii has one o he highes raes o endemism in he world (90% o Hawaii's naive
ora is ound nowhere else), bu i also has he highes number o plans on he endangered species
lis (42%). Oen hese naive and endangered species have survived by growing in areas ha are very
difcul o reach.
A he presen ime, here are 201 PEP
species, dened as a species wih 50 or ew-
er individual plans remaining in he wild;hese reasured rare plans are he plans
upon which he PEP Program is ocused.
By preserving wild PEP plans or "ound-
ers", geneic diversiy is also preserved,
which allows a species o remain healhy
and beter able o adap o changing envi-
ronmenal condiions. PEP boaniss col-
lec seeds or cutings or propagaion; and
may have o hike or miles o bring back he
propagaive maerial. Someimes he rui
o cerain PEP species mus be enclosed
in sockings o proec hem unil hey are
ready o harves. Aer cutings or seeds
have been gahered, hey are propagaed as
issue culures a he Lyon Arboreum micropropagaion lab, sored as seeds a a seed sorage lab, or
sown a rare plan nurseries and cooperaing boanical gardens hroughou he Sae o Hawaii. Evenu-
ally, plans grown rom he colleced maerial will be reurned o proeced naural habias o mainainheir unique place in he naive plan ecosysem.
Te propagaed plans are evenually reinroduced o he area where he original parens were
ound so ha geneic diversiy may be mainained. I necessary, he young plans are proeced rom
eral animals wih he insallaion o enced enclosures. In addiion, raps are se or ras; and, invasive
ABLE TO LEAP TALLBUILDINGS IN A SINGLEBOUND? WELL.... ALMOST.
BY SUSAN OSBORNE
Susan Osborne, Carmel-by-the-Sea G.C. (CA) Zone XIIFormer Vice Chairman, Partners for Plants
STEVE PERLMAN COLLECTS OXALIS SIMPLICIFOLIAPhoto Courtesy of Plant Ext inct ion Prevent ion Program
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plans are removed ha would com-
pee or nuriens, space, and ligh.
Predaion by snails is ye anoher
serious problem or PEP species. A
snail inesaion around an endan-
gered plan species requires careul
monioring and boh chemical and
barrier reamens.
Cyanea grimesiana subsp. grime-
siana (hh) is one o he plans ha
has been successully reinroduced.
A single wild specimen was ound in 2004 and died a year laer, bu no beore 30 progeny were pre-
served in es ubes. In 2006 hree maure hh were planed in a small (1/2 acre) enclosure. Tese
small enced plos are considered shor-erm emergency measures unil he hreas can be removed orhe long-erm.
Te PEP program is a parnership o many people and organizaions working ogeher o save some
o he world's rares plans. Te program also educaes school children abou he imporance o saving
rare plans and heir pollinaors - i an avian or insec pollinaor goes exinc, so will he plan ha i
pollinaes. During our all sudy rip, Seve Perlman, a rough errain boanis who works or he Na-
ional ropical Boanical Garden and collaboraes closely wih he PEP Program, spoke o he sadness
o losing millions o years o evoluion when a species dies ou. He said people in his line o work need
hospice herapy, as well as schooling in rough errain boany.
CYANEA DUNBARIAEPhoto by Steve Per lman NTBG
Breadrui (Arocarpus alilis) is no exacly on our ra-
dar, since i is a ropical rui ha is no generally ound
on our supermarke shelves. Bu breadrui hisorically was such an imporan ood source ha he Bouny,
Capain Blighs ship, was especially purchased and -
ed ou by he Briish Royal Navy over 200 years ago o ranspor breadrui rees rom ahii o he
Wes Indies o eed slaves. oday i is high on he lis o oods ha are being disribued o gh world
hunger.
BREADFRUIT, A STAPLEFOR WORLD HUNGER
BY TINA FREEMAN
New Orleans Town Gardeners (LA) Zone IXVice-Chairman, GCA National Affairs and Legislation,Endangered Species
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Te breadrui ree has an amazing range o uses.
Te rui can be cooked and eaen a all sages o
growh, rom small and immaure, when i is similar
o arichoke hears, o sarchily maure, o ripe, when
i is so and swee. I is ypically consumed when
maure bu sill rm and is a delicious subsiue or
sarchy roo crops like poaoes, pasa, or rice. Te
resh rui can baked, boiled, roased, or seamed.
From a nuriional perspecive, breadrui is high
in energy rom carbohydraes and low in a. I is a
good source o ber, calcium, copper, iron, magne-
sium, poassium, hiamine, and niacin. Some varie-
ies are good sources o ani-oxidans and caroenoids.
Tese mulipurpose rees also provide consrucionmaerials, medicine, abric, glue, insec repellen, ani-
mal eed, and more. Breadrui is an imporan componen in radiional agrooresry sysems and can
be grown wih a wide range o plans. Te rees suppor susainable agriculure, improve soil condiions
and waersheds, and provide ood securiy. Breadrui rees also give sheler and ood or imporan
plan pollinaors and seed dispersers such as honeybees, birds, and rui bas.
More han 80 percen o undernourished people live in he ropics and sub-ropics. World hunger is
now an enormous problem and growing, he number o people aeced recenly repored by Te Food
and Agriculure Organizaion being 1.02 billion. Arica is a hospo. Te Breadrui insiue a he Na-
ional ropical Boanical Garden has recenly sen breadrui plans o Arica o help wih his problem.
Breadrui is a versaile plan. Te Naional ropical Boanical Gardens Kahanu Garden on Maui
houses he larges and mos exensive breadrui collecion in he world. Te collecion conains more
han 120 varieies o abou 220 rees. Tey are naive o over 30 islands hroughou he Pacic region,
including he Seychelles, Indonesia, he Philippines and oher areas o he ropics. Dr. Diane Rigone,
Direcor o he Breadrui Insiue, colleced many o hese over he las 20 years. She sared collecing
while doing her docoral research and has worked wih hese rees all o her proessional career. Shepainsakingly colleced he small rees using he radiional mehod o roo culure.
In 2003 Dr. Rigone began invesigaing issue culuring, an in viro mehod o propagaing. Which
allows healhy, disease-ree reelings o be grown in large numbers and shipped in es ubes. Anoher
imporan aspec o her research is o combine varieies ha rui over 12 monhs o he year.
BREADFRUITPhoto by Candace C. Lyche
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Why breadrui?
Breadrui rees grow easily in a wide range o ecological condiions wih minimal inpu o labor or
maerials and require litle atenion or care. rees begin o bear rui in hree o ve years, producing
or many decades. An average-sized ree wih a canopy cover o 25m will conservaively produce 100
rui (100 kg), while larger rees can yield 400 o 600 ruis. Yields are superior o oher sarchy saples
due, in par, o is vericaliy o producion. A similar-sized plo o land planed in planains or roo and
uber crops will produce less ood while needing greaer labor and maerials. Breadrui conribues o
susainable ood securiy, diversied susainable agriculure and agrooresry, improved soil condiions
and waersheds, and valuable environmenal benes including reducion o CO2.
reelings have over he pas hree years been delivered o areas o he Pacic and las Ocober 1000
breadrui plans were delivered o Ghana, he rs in Arica. Laer in Ocober H.E. Presiden Olusegun
Obansanjo o Nigeria ook a a o plugs home wih him rom he meeing o he World Food Prize
Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Tis is an exciing beginning ha hopeully will mirror he success o he poao 500 years ago.
Many hanks o Dr. Ragone or he inormaion she provided or his aricle.
How is global warming inuencing he climae in Ha-
waii?
Dr. Chip Flecher, a climae change geologis,
opened his presenaion wih his quesion, a Kapi-
olani Communiy College on Day 2 o he GCA Conservaion Conerence. Te answer includes he
ollowing daa: Air emperaure in Hawaii shows a warming rend ha has increased over he las 100
years and is acceleraing since he 1970s. Carbon dioxide, which has a higher concenraion in he
amosphere han oher greenhouse gases, has he larges impac on global warming and is also he gas
mos abundanly produced by he modern era o human civilizaion. Scienic measuremen showing
he increased level o carbon dioxide in he amosphere was rs developed in 1958 a he Mauna Loa
Observaory in Hawaii.
{NOE: Using his newly developed scienic echnique a he op o Mauna Loa, he rs amoun
o carbon dioxide measured in a relaively unpollued amosphere was 310 pars per million (ppm). By
CLIMATE CHANGE ANDRISING SEA LEVELS IN HAWAII
BY LINDA JAMES
Garden Club East Hampton (NY) Zone IIIVice Chairman, GCA Conservation Committee,Climate Change
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2007 he Unied Naions
declared ha scienic evi-
dence on he earhs warm-
ing had become unequivo-
cal, wih carbon dioxide
measured a 383-384 ppm.
In December, 2011 he car-
bon dioxide level in he a-
mosphere was measured a
392 PPM.1,2
Dr. Flecher oulined
he impac o Hawaiis
changing climae, which is consisen wih he inuence o global warming: rising air emperaures,
decreased rainall and sream ow, increased rain inensiy, ocean acidicaion, rising sea surace em-peraures and sea levels. In Hawaii, rainall has declined abou 15% over he las 20 years, bu inense
downpours have increased approximaely 12% beween 1958 and 2007. Alhough Universiy o Ha-
waii marine scieniss have measured an increase o sea surace emperaures or he laiudes o Hawaii
in he easern Norh Pacic, Hawaiian rees have largely escaped major widespread bleaching. Bu hey
are no ou o danger i a warming rend coninues.
However, as rising carbon dioxide in he amosphere mixes wih seawaer, he availabiliy o dis-
solved carbonae, vial o he oceans marine bioa, is reduced and he ocean acidies. Coninued
acidicaion would have proound impacs in Hawaii on some o he mos undamenal biological and
geochemical sea processes.
According o Dr. Flecher, sea level in Hawaii has been rising over he pas cenury a approximaely
0.6 inches per decade, leading o episodic ooding and erosion along he coas, he resul o exreme
ides and weaher evens. Climae change is expeced o escalae sea level rise. Coasal roads and com-
muniies are under hrea. Sal inrusion in coasal welands and groundwaer sysems will inensiy
and exreme ides will increase in already-challenged drainage sysems, and rising ocean waers will
coninue o cause increased coasal damage. Due o local variabiliy, changing winds, and ocean cur-rens, undersanding he patern o sea level change is complex and calls or careul monioring and
improved modeling eors.
1 www.climae.gov/#climaeWach
2 "Climae Change Repor", Garden Club o America Conservaion Commitee Vice-Chair - Climae Change LJames,
November, 2011.
VIEW OF HONOLULU HARBORPhoto by Pat Wall
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Using a se o slides
o visualize a projeced
coasal sea level rise o 3
ee above he 1990 level by
he end o he cenury, Dr.
Flecher summarized his
dramaic presenaion wih
he ollowing conclusions
or Hawaii:
Climate changes are
having measurable impacs on human communiies and naural ecosysems
Climate changes continue to threaten Hawaiis water resources and forested coastal communi-
ies and marine ecology.
Our hanks o Dr. Flecher or a lecure ha provided he NAL/Conservaion Commitee atendees
an inormaive baseline in he general science o climae change. Linking he rends o climae change
daa o projeced impacs on Hawaiis naural resources, Dr. Flecher oulined he challenges Hawaii
aces and he need or ocused governmen monioring and planning or adapaion and miigaion
sraegies. See "Climae Change and Sea Level Rise in Hawaii" by Dr. Chip Flecher, Deparmen o
AERIAL VIEW OF WAIKIKICourtesy of Wikipedia.com
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Hawaiian Elecric Companys slogan, "Energy Indepen-
dence is up o us," speaks volumes. Wih niney percen
o Hawaiis energy generaed by impored ossil uels and he
highes elecriciy raes in he Unied Saes, Hawaii adoped
he Clean Energy Iniiaive in 2008. I is he naions mos
aggressive energy policy, ormed hrough a parnership beween he Hawaiian Islands and he U.S.
Deparmen o Energy. Te agreemen mandaes ha by 2030 he Hawaiian Islands will derive 70
percen o heir energy needs via a combinaion o renewable resources (40 percen) and conserva-
ion programs (30 percen). An imporer o six billion dollars worh o oil annually, he Hawaiians are
consanly a he whim o world markes, poenial supply uncerainies, and heir own aging elecric
inrasrucure. Over 10 percen o Hawaiians Gross Sae Produc is devoured by energy coss. No
surprisingly, he Hawaiian Islands are ripe grounds or a diverse porolio o aggressive clean energysraegies.
One leader o he charge is Je Mikulina, execuive Direcor o he Blue Plane Foundaion, a local
biparisan nonpro commited o
a ossil uel-ree uure or Hawaii.
He spoke abou his several-old
mission during he GCA Conserva-
ion/NAL sudy rip in Honolulu.
His organizaion promoes imple-
mening sringen energy policy,
creaing a social movemen around
energy, and developing pilo pro-
grams o help consumers make wise
HAWAIIS CLEANENERGY IMPERATIVE
BY CAROL DAVIS
Green Spring Valley G.C. (MD) Zone VIZone VI Representative, GCA Conservation andNAL Committees
BIG WIND AND WAVE ON MAUICourtesy of Wikipedia.com
Geology and Geophysics, School o Ocean and Earh Science and echnology, Universiy o Hawaii
a Manoa.
Coninuing in an academic role, Dr. Flecher provided me wih a 2010 Brieng Shee, "Hawaiis
Changing Climae." In addiion o my noes, his paper has been an imporan resource or his aricle.
I also hank Dr. Flecher or his lis o climae change Inerne resources (which I will gladly share wih
hose who are ineresed). And, nally, a lasing hank you or addressing me as a growing "climae
change junkie".
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energy choices. Te group pushes or an islandwide surge in use o renewables: gahering and soring
more power rom world-class radewinds, broadening use o solar energy, drawing energy rom ocean
swells, and expanding use o local biouels. Te Foundaion seeks o urher energy efciency and urges
cooperaion among residens, companies and he governmen o cu consumers coss.
Soluions o Hawaiis burdensome uel coss are lierally all over he map. Six wind arms are in op-
eraion on Molokai, he big island o Hawaii, Maui, and Lanai. Tey have a combined poenial urbine
generaion o 1,000 megawats. One in our homes in Hawaii currenly has a solar ho waer sysem and
all new homes require insallaion o rooop hermal solar panels as o 2010. (Waer heaing accouns
or abou 40% o he average elecric bill.) Hawaiis rs uiliy scale phoovolaic insallaion was con-
sruced on Lanai and expansion o phoovolaic panels a schools, hospials and correcional ceners
was announced his pas December. Oceanlinx, an Ausralian company, recenly se up a saionary
plaorm o he coas o Maui o
capure kineic energy creaed by
waves, currens and ides via com-pressed air buoy echnology. An-
oher projec in Honolulu pumps
cold seawaer ino a cooling saion
o use or air condiioning. Te
40-degree waer brings he em-
peraure down in he disribuion
sysems o over ory downown
highrises, saving over 20 percen in
annual cooling coss. Te Hawaiian
Ligh Company aps ino he vas
cauldron o hea under he Kilauea Volcano, where ho waer and seam ravel up wells o he surace
o generae elecriciy. And he Hawaiian Elecric Company is now parnering wih Japan on a "Maui
Smar Grid Projec" o nd ways o miigae he unpredicable naure o erraic energy producion rom
wind and sun.
As par o Hawaiis Clean Energy Iniiaive, Hawaiians are ackling ransporaion issues, as well.
Te Deparmen o ransporaion aims o reduce ground uel usage 70 percen by 2030 and place10,000 elecric vehicles on he road wihin ve years. A Palo Alo, CA-based company, A Beter Place, is
seting up a nework o charging and batery replacemen saions or Hawaiis growing ee. Misubi-
shis rs Norh American delivery o heir "i" 100 percen elecric model was o Honolulus por. EV
cars are now available or ren a he Honolulu airpor, more Zip Cars are available in designaed spos,
and eighy HEV ransi buses are errying passengers around Oahu.
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC)USES THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WARM SURFACE WATER AND DEEP COLD WATER TO DRI VEA HEAT ENGINE. THE VERTICAL TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE MUST
BE AT LEAST 20 DEGREES, AND IDEALLY 30 40 DEGREES.Courtesy of Wikipedia.com
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Green iniiaives and ingenuiy are prevalen hroughou he islands. Blue Planes conservaion pro-
grams have included ree CFL/incandescen exchange programs on Molokai a businesses, schools,
churches, and Hui Up, an appliance replacemen projec. Te Foundaion purchased Energy Sar ap-
pliances in bulk a wholesale prices and passed he discouns along wih bill rebaes o residens. On
one planaion in Maui, biomass, known as sugar cane bagasee, produces all o he energy or he plan-
aion and is sold o he local elecric company. Oher experimenal crops or biomass producion in-
clude eucalypus, which does no require exensive replaning as i regeneraes rom sumps; and algae
arming in he sea. One indusrial park is ueled enirely by biodiesel, primarily animal as and wase
grease rom resaurans. New publicly-owned buildings in Honolulu now have o be LEED ceried.
Looming quesions include he enormous coss or grid modernizaion and island inerconneciv-
iy via undersea cables which are needed o efcienly disribue he renewable resources hroughou
he islands. Te governmen is considering raising he barrel ax as dedicaed unding or clean energy
projecs and as an emergency und. Residens o he smaller Hawaiian islands resis he environmenalimpac and disrupion o new energy resource developmen and seek royalies and communiy benes
packages or use o heir land and resources. In he 1990s, he Big Islanders proesed agains hermal
energy venures, earing ha hey were sucking he lie orce ou o Pele, he volcano goddess o he Ha-
waiian people. Furhermore, aer he 2012 Sae o he Sae Address, Je Mikulina is concerned ha
Governor Abercrombie has now added impored naural gas o he energy mix, lessening he urgency
o renewable power generaion projecs and conservaion eors.
Hawaiians reuse o run on empy, however. Hawaii currenly leads he naion in energy savings
perormance per capia. And, visionaries like Je Mikulina are commited o achieving he 70 percen
Clean Energy Iniiaive goal and harnessing Hawaiis many indigenous resources o susain he com-
muniy.
Sources:
blueplaneoundaion.ino/Recen-News/gov-abercrombie-hi
blueplaneoundaion.org
Hawaii Powered, 2010 HawaiI Clean energy Iniiaive
www.mauielecric.com/poral/sie/heco
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011
www.onewaer.org/sories urning o he Ocean o Cool Honolulus Skyscrapers, 2010
Knigh Cener or Inernaional Media, Univ. o Miami School o communicaion
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Popular auhor Cynhia Barnet has ollowed her award-win-
ning book,Mirage: Florida and he Vanishing Waer o he Eas-
ern U.S.wih a new ile,Blue Revoluion, Unmaking Americas
Waer Crisis. In his book she observes ha he issue is no
ha we don have enough waer bu raher ha we don have enough clean waer o wase. She de-
scribes how communiies around he globe are addressing heir waer supply problems, worrying ha
he American people are unconneced o he waer hey depend upon and so leave reshwaer ecosys-
ems unproeced and vulnerable.
Cynhia Barnet reminds us ha:
1. America was blessed wih a vas amoun o waer above
and below he ground. Our lakes conain he larges number o sh
and reshwaer species ound anywhere on he plane, ye our resh-
waer habias are now he mos degraded o all American ecosys-
ems, wih 40% o all sh species imperiled. Ye many individual
saes are beginning or coninuing "waer wars" wih heir neigh-bors. We can conras ha siuaion wih waer-independen Singa-
pore, where every drop on ha iny island is used and reused.
2. Many Americans mainain he illusion ha he resh waer
supply is endless and abundan. Tey believe he myh ha we can
always urn on our ap and have all he waer we wan. Sill, hey undersand litle abou where he
waer comes rom, who conrols i, how much i really coss and where i goes aer we use i a kind o
"hydraulic illieracy" making us no value waer enough o proec i or pay or i.
3. Americans use more waer han any culure in he world (abou 410 billion gallons a day or
150 gallons per person). Hal o his resh waer is used in agriculure. Te oher hal, which we use in
our households, is pu on our lawns (Americas larges crop) and landscaping wih all o i reurning
back o our waerways pollued primarily wih pesicides and erilizer.
4. When we undersand ha resh waer is a naional reasure ha mus be conserved, reused, re-
cycled and proeced insead o being squandered like " liquid liter", and ha our exising waer supply
model no longer works, Ms. Barnet believes we will adop an American "waer ehic." Some drough-plagued American communiies have already been orced o esablish such sandards, ollowing he
lead o an increasing number o religious organizaions who sen ou a moral call or responsible sew-
ardship o he land.
THE ILLUSION OF FRESHWATER ABUNDANCE
BY SUSAN CAVEN
First Vice- Chair Conservation Committee
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PRIVATE GARDEN TOURSTO END OUR JOURNEY
Photo by Sue Klein
Photo by Gretchen Downs
Photo by Gretchen Downs
Photo by Gretchen Downs
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A special thank you goes to the Hawaii study trip
committee, led by Chair Heidi Ho, including Hono-
lulu G.C. members Lisa Cavanah, Lili Meagher, Jean
Abbott, Heidi Bornhorst, Barbara Kuljis, Phyllis Lee,
Elizabeth Riegels and Joyce Tomonari for an extraor-
dinary trip, and to the members of the Honolulu G.C.
that welcomed us into their homes and gardens. Addi-
tional thanks goes to the leadership of our Conserva-
tion and National Affairs and Legislation committees,
Fayetta Weaver and Melissa McAdams, respectively.MELISSA MCADAMS AND FAYETTA WEAVER
Photo by Pat Wall
Conservaion Wach, a publicaion o he Garden Club o America, is produced
by he GCA Conservaion Commiee. Readers' ideas, conribuions, and
suggesions are welcome, as are requess or addiional inormaion on any o he
subjecs presened, and may be emailed o he Edior.
Candace C. Lyche, Edior
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INDEX
"STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN ON ISLANDS" 1
BY SARAH YOUNG
THE ANCIENT HAWAIIANS APPROACH TO CONSERVATION 2
BY MARSHA MERRELL
PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA: WHERE NATURE AND CULTURE MEET 4
BY JENNIFER FAIN
JAPANS TSUNAMI AND MARINE DEBRIS 6
BY DIANA FISH
KAWAINUI MARSH - ANCIENT HAWAIIANS
UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF CLEAN AND PLENTIFUL WATER 8BY RUTH FLOURNOY
AQUACULTURE, OLD AND NEW 11
BY SARAH YOUNG
AN UPDATE ON GMOS 13
BY JOAN MURPHY
ALIENS ON MAGICAL ISLANDS: A REPORT ON OURCONSERVATION-NAL TRIP TO HAWAII IN 2012 16
BY JEANNE ARTHUR
ABLE TO LEAP TALL BUILDINGSIN A SINGLE BOUND? WELL.... ALMOST. 18
BY SUSAN OSBORNE
BREADFRUIT, A STAPLEFOR WORLD HUNGER 19
BY TINA FREEMAN
CLIMATE CHANGE ANDRISING SEA LEVELS IN HAWAII 21
BY LINDA JAMES
HAWAIIS CLEANENERGY IMPERATIVE 24
BY CAROL DAVIS
THE ILLUSION OF FRESH WATER ABUNDANCE
BY SUSAN CAVEN
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Fayeta Weaver,Chairman
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Mill Valley Mounain Garden Club (VA)
Zone VII
2502 Sanley Avenue SE
Roanoke, VA 24014-3332
(540) 345-2229
(540) 345-5726 (ax)
Melissa McAdams, Chairman
GCA Naional Aairs and Legislaion
Knoxville Garden Club (N) Zone IX
1043 Craigland Cour
Knoxville, N 37919
(865) 558-9441
(865) 250-3890 (cell)
Candace C. Lyche,Edior
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Hillsborough Garden Club (CA) Zone XII
171 New Place Road
Hillsborough, CA 94010
(650) 537-0506
Anne OBrien,Assisan Edior
GCA Conservaion Commitee
Columbine Garden Club (AZ) Zone XII
6018 Eas Cholla Lane
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
(480) 874-3323
(480) 970-8328 (ax)
CONTACTS