A special volunteer
A special volunteer
Thanks to the Tribune-Herald for showing pictures and printing an article about groups of local people, such as club members, students and divers volunteering their time to clean up the ocean and shoreline. I especially liked Mr. Ed Hara’s statement about, “This annual cleanup is an opportunity for community members to join together in a global effort to remove litter and debris from our coastal environment.” This thought comes close to why we organize these events.
During our cleanup at “Four Mile” beach park, we had a pleasant surprise. A local fisherman stopped fishing and spontaneously started helping us with the cleanup. He even went to the extent of going home to get his mask and fins so he could help the divers. This is the true spirit of a beach cleanup.
Mahalo to all.
Bill De Rooy
Hilo
Vandalism & GMOs
The article, “Papaya problem,” in Sunday’s paper (Sept. 29) would lead one to believe there is an association between the papaya farm vandalism and the GMO debate. There is no such thing, and the suggestion casts an unfair shadow on those of us trying to regulate GMOs.
Yes, the papaya were GMO papaya, but virtually all the papaya in the area is GMO.
If one were targeting GMO papaya, why hit the same farmer twice? Yes, there is a GMO debate going on, and it will get louder. But to my knowledge there has been no evidence of GMO-related sabotage. Not one bit.
And let’s be clear, the proposed bill exempts papaya in every way. Having gotten all that could be asked, I would think the papaya lobby would be grateful and supportive.
I know plenty of folks in the anti-GMO debate. I have never heard a whisper of someone taking responsibility for such actions, nor have I ever heard it advocated. We all know that farmers are to be supported, not targeted.
Those of us trying to regulate GMOs are not guilty by association, as this article suggests. We are working to protect our other crops, our aina, and the people from genetically mutilated experiments.
State Sen. Russell Ruderman
Keaau