Dr. Pang on GMO in Kaua'i

Today I learned about Dr. Pang, watched his recent testimony on Kaua'i about Bill 2491 and GMO, and found it compelling. While 100% of what he says may not be perfect, this overall message is the best thought out and well reasoned I have yet to seen by far. It's must-see (linked above) if you care about this issue.

Dr. Pang makes a number of excellent points that I won't attempt to condense and summarize here - he is the expert and speaks for himself most capably.

Speaking for myself, not an expert, my key takeaway that I found convincing is his appeal to disclosure: the first thing that we must do is to get the companies doing this work to log and report on their activities. The reasoning is quite straightforward: without solid information it's impossible to do any kind of scientific investigation at all. Only when we have actual data can we begin to look into claims of harm as well as exonerate the same activities from culpability. Absent reliable data, everything remains unclear, nothing can be proven one way or the other. (Again, this just touches on one part of he presentation and following Q&A in the video, but it's such a fundamental point I think it's worth focus.)

He anticipates and counters a number of obvious possible objections, but the bottom line here is even if it is imperfect data, even if the county cannot rigorously enforce accurate and full disclosure, collection of data enables science going forward. We can improve on data quality and quantity, compliance over time but the longer we delay we lose the opportunity to gather data at all in the present. Surely any responsible business already has all of this data and more internally. To the degree details are confidential the county should be trustworthy to keep it private, or only publish digests to interested parties such as researchers that would not reveal proprietary business intelligence inappropriately. Providing data about operations to the county cannot be a major expense at the scale these companies operate, nor is it at all a threat to their business.

Also the analogy Dr. Pang draws to sugar cane burning oversight on Maui seemed relevant and promising. Companies are obliged to log and report whenever they plan to burn cane fields, an essential part of the growing cycle for sugar cane. They provide the county details such as location, area, wind conditions before and after, and so forth. The county in turn can not establish buffer zones or warn citizens as appropriate given the information. Relating this back to GMO and Bill 2491, Dr. Pang aptly noted that ideally the county should get disclosure first and based on that information it could better set effective buffer zones rather than pre-establish buffers in the bill itself; however, he concurred that if the situation was deemed urgent then early setting of buffers arbitrarily was reasonable.

Additionally, Dr. Pang recommended (which Bill 2491 does not do) getting disclosure of the specific GMO mutations being released into the environment. This makes good sense as basic data gathering practice. There was confusion in Q&A, but I believe what this means is disclosure of the type of GMO product (for example, in the case of corn, is it herbicide-resistant or insecticide-producing).

We will see if touching on this topic leads to vociferous responses in the comments: I welcome input so long as it is respectful and backed by evidence cited (see below for my part; naturally, Dr. Pang backs up his statements with citations himself). Should anyone reading this disagree with my takeaway, I would invite them to comment, and only ask for a specific response ("disclosure" below means per Sec. 22-22.4 of Kauai County Bill 2491). Here are a few points I would like to see anybody's best rebuttal:

1. How would reasonable disclosure make the situation significantly worse?
2. If required disclosure is onerous to business, exactly how, and what are the major costs and impacts incurred?
3. Without real data from required disclosure, how can government or independent researchers possibly study the impact of GMO on west Kaua'i communities at all?

Background info:

• Dr. Pang on GMO health concerns
• GMO position paper referenced in the above talk (I don't necessarily "support" this)
• Kauai County Bill 2491 (as amended, latest version as of 2013/10/8) 

Saturday: Nualolo Trail, Emalani Festival

Early Saturday I headed to the west on Highway 50 and up Highway 550 to Koke'e State Park to hike the Nualolo Trail and also see the Emalani Festival.

I was the first hiker down the Nualolo Trail that day as evidenced by repeatedly getting spider webs in the face but it was worth it to get out to Lolo Point and have it all to myself. As a bonus, the trail offered me guava much of the way: handfuls of ripe fruit would either be right in the middle of the trail or easily picked up just at the edge. (I assume the fruit fell and naturally rolled to the slight depression usually near the center of the trail.)

Above is a shot looking down into the Nualolo Aina valley to the right (east) of the trail. It's always a striking view, well over 2000 feet down the steep sides. Inevitably white birds (egrets perhaps, they just look like white dots at this distance) soar through the air here. I can't imagine that the birds are flying around up there in order to get food: it must just be the beauty of the place that makes them circle seemingly without end.

I have already written about The Nualolo Trail before as the first leg of the wonderful loop hike: out Nualolo, over on the Cliff Trail, and back up the Awaawapuhi (with a walk back along the road to boot). The Cliff Trail that makes the loop possible has now been closed so had to do the Nualolo out and back.

It was absolutely clear out at Lolo Point (at the end of the trail, nearly four miles out). I took my time just looking around and savoring the silence ... that is, when the helicopters left the place alone. It must have been a busy day for them, at one point there were three of them flying around the one valley.

Heading back I ran into a few groups, in particular a nice couple from Iowa that I chatted with a few minutes. Back at the park, in my absence the place had filled up with cars parked along the road and over a section of the meadow by the lodge, and the festival was in full swing.

I had missed Queen Emma's appearance on horseback but got to enjoy the hula presentations and live music. As usual there was food and local groups of all kinds had booths set up in addition to the show.

Island days

It is good to be back to the island. I arrived a good hour late due to inter-island flight delay from Maui, then more delay renting a car but made it out of the airport before five. I swung by the storage locker where I stow things while off-island and grabbed nearly everything and with a fairly full Jeep headed for Kalaheo where I am staying right in town.

Wednesday

First day on the island I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go: the Allerton Garden (more info). It's a very special place in so many ways; entering the Lawai Kai valley it feels like you are being immersed in luscious tropical surroundings not quite of this world. Along the road I waved at gardeners I have worked with to say, "I'm back," and they seem genuinely glad to see me. (After all, in some small way I make their job easier.)

The familiar crew was there though reduced in numbers due to continuing budgetary constraints. That six gardeners can keep 83 acres of an elaborate tropical garden in shape is nothing short of a miracle, so I am happy to pitch in. We worked the stretch of road (not on the usual tours) that leads from the bamboo grove along the east bank of the river down toward the house and beach (shown above, right). That curvy coconut tree is just high enough for a truck to drive under it, though they said it gets weighed down when it bears fruit so they have to keep picking coconuts to keep access.

As you can see, their equipment is well used, and even this old truck they only had use of half of the day. Weeding and trimming took the whole day, but the work is peaceful and it's always a treat just to be there and spend time in that environment.

I met some of the other gardeners, got some starfruit at lunchtime, and the day went quickly. While up by the bamboo grove suddenly I heard a crash and looked just in time to see a twenty foot branch come crashing down inside the grove. It was easy to pull out and cut up for hauling to the compost pile. 

Flower in the rocky area
across from the curvy coconut

After work I met a friend for beer to catchup on things and watched the sun set (photo at top) at Glass Beach (in Eleele). A wonderful first day back.

Thursday

At 7am met the local breakfast group that has been kind enough to include me in their gatherings and caught up with everyone. It's remarkably easy to fall right back into the swing of island life even after two-plus months on the mainland.

Mid-morning I drove out to Waimea to visit my friends at the West Kauai visitor center and see how things are in the far west side. By then it was turning out to be quite a hot day.  Lunch at Island Tacos: my usual, the Seared Ahi Wasabi taco. Read the paper at the Hanapepe library and picked up some books for reading, then back to Kalaheo.
A friend's ulu (breadfruit) tree is loaded and he prepared some for me - best I've ever had. He picked it fresh, set the sticky white sap drain out a few minutes, then peeled, cut into chunks, and boiled it until soft like a potato. It was very moist and delicious: the taste is something like a potato with a texture perhaps more like a yam. With salt and a little pepper it was tasty.

Upcoming Events

Orchid on that curvy coconut

This Saturday (October 12) is the Emalani festival up at Koke'e. There will be live music, hula, and a portrayal of Queen Emma in memory of her epic journey up the mountain and out across the Alaka'i Swamp (before the boardwalk was built, obviously) to the Kilohana Lookout (hike). It must have been a sight to see with the queen's entourage trudging through the muck and mud up there for miles: how many European royalty would do such a thing?

Next Saturday (October 19) is "Na Mele No Kaumuali`i" in Waimea featuring original music to honor the last great king of this island. See the web site for latest information and details.

Maui transit

Few flights to Kaua'i are direct and on Hawaiian it's either via Honolulu or via Maui. I prefer Maui just because it's a smaller and thus easier to navigate airport and closer connection.

Also the food here in the airport isn't bad; at Honolulu, for all its size, I have not found a decent meal there yet. At Sammy's Grill (Sammy Hagar) the Beach Salad with Chimichurri dressing was good and there's a full bar.

I'm sitting in the central waiting area people watching. Mostly tourists with locals cruising through from time to time. There are several shops - local goods, T-shirts etc. mostly and a Starbucks in addition to Sammy's and a small food court.

When the airport navigation system was being installed after the war, Jim Hogg (chief pilot for Hawaiian airlines), flew so many test flights they decided to name the installation after him. The three-letter-code he modestly chose this catchy variant on his own name: OGG, which is easier to remember than the city name Kahului for me at least. If you don't fly direct, via OGG may be your best option.

Flying to Kaua'i

Today I'm flying back to the island after a long absence taking care of business mainland. Writing from the airport gate there may be a few helpful things I can offer to prospective travelers.

I have been flying Hawaiian Airlines and always been happy with the service. For domestic round trips they offer "Coach Plus" which for an extra $50 gives you two checked bags plus no-fee flight changes. Since they charge to check bags anyway it's almost free and ability to change flights (you do pay difference if the new flight is higher priced) is great. For example you can hop on an earlier connecting flight if you arrive early (though not if you checked a bag). One glitch I have learned about is that if you can't change return flight online (and the error message you get doesn't explain that at all), it only works if the ticket is yet unused.

At Lihue airport transit lounge check out the world clocks - a little different than the usual.

At Lihue bags usually appear promptly after arrival in my experience. If you are renting a car walk across the airport loop road and get on a shuttle to the agency you want. There can be significant lines at rental agencies so if you can get a priority reservation it may be worth it. 

Macadamia nut pancakes

Make the mix (note: this makes twice what is called for below; halve if you just want a little)

You can make this just as the first step, or mix ahead in large batches (see below); it keeps as long as flour keeps fresh.

2 c all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Optional: crush a handful of macadamia nut and saute at low heat generously in butter until light golden brown. Later, you will drop nuts on grill and then batter on top, if you like sprinkle more on top of raw batter for the flip side.

Add liquids to make pancakes (serves 2 generously or 4 modestly)

1 c mix (above)

1 c buttermilk or yogurt or milk or combination (to taste)

1 egg (don't toss the shell yet!)

half shell-full of vegetable oil (*)

optional: add 2 or 3 Tbsp of coconut milk

(*) Crack egg in two, save one intact half shell, fill to brim with oil to measure.

This makes a very thick pancake batter which I like. 

If you want to thin by adding more liquid you can adjust easily to your taste.

Drop onto well oiled grill preheated to between 375 and 400 F.

Spread out batter to about 1/2 inch thickness. Flip when golden brown, both sides.

Serve with coconut syrup or maple syrup to taste.

To make a large batch of mix, here are quadrupled amounts:

8 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c sugar

7 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

Nacirema

If you have any interest in anthropology and you haven't read about the Nacirema yet, I highly recommend it. My take is below the fold, so you can have a fresh, unprejudiced view first if you like. Here's the classic initial study: it is an old study but with some minor updates holds up remarkably well as still very accurate and insightful. (Apparently this remains the #1 most popular article of the entire open collection maintained by the American Anthropological Association [source].)

Body Ritual among the Nacirema - Miner, Horace (1956)

Here's another piece, however, in my opinion it's overdone and belabors the points it makes.

The Mysterious Fall of the Nacirema - Thompson, Neil B. (1972)

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So what's the point and does this have anything to do with Kaua'i?

To start this new chapter I wanted to do something different, and stretch the boundaries of this blog as well as push myself to tackle tougher subjects, go out on a limb. (I welcome feedback in comments, especially if this is a turn for the worse.) Also, I found it wonderfully hilarious while at the same time in places painful to read.

In my time on Kaua'i I have learned quite a bit (though I am just a beginner) about Hawaiian culture. Many people there hold the traditional culture in very high respect and subtly incorporate it into daily life in ways big and small. That the old culture persists in Hawaii is well-known to even the most casual tourist (though they may have a very limited surface understanding of what that culture is). To me this is a striking contrast to the mainland - where there is an absence of interest in past culture.

I am writing from the mainland, from within the bounds of time and space of the Nacirema, yet the culture described by Miner comes across as quite foreign despite being fairly accurately portrayed. While the article is dated, I remember as a child the era of the time of the writing, and know it to be quite accurate at the time. Yes, it generalizes behaviors that in fact individually vary considerably, but then all anthropology makes sweeping generalizations for the sake of brevity as well as to capture broadly applicable insights. While in fifty-some years there have been some changes, those changes have been quite subtle, in fact, surprisingly little has changed compared to our subjective sense of how much the world has changed over the last fifty years.

Yet if you go back another fifty years, the body ritual practices of the same peoples and place would be quite different: a lot less privacy, less regularity, and far simpler and cruder. That is, these core rituals have at most a tenuous tie to older generations and are largely newly synthesized in our lifetimes. Notably, today we have little interest in the past practices of those people. Looking back we would surely find their infrequent and minimal hygienic practices backward and of no relevance to ourselves. In other words, we have neither respect nor interest in the body rituals of our ancestors despite that fact as Miner accurately points out that today such rituals are considered extremely important by any proper member of society.

Yes, there are many obvious differences between the two localities; body ritual is just one facet of a complex culture to focus on; nonetheless, I believe that the contrasts are instructive. Big generalizations:

• Hawaiian culture (despite suppression and much loss) has continuity over time unlike Nacireman.
• Modern people in the islands hold the older culture in high respect and seek to continue it.
• Older culture is woven into modern life in Hawaii, the two existing harmoniously side by side. 
• Nacirema radically evolves ritual while deeply embedding it in current culture while ignoring if not completely ignoring most remnants of formers ways.
• Nacirema cultural continuity with the past is minimal; Hawaiians seek to maintain past culture.

Absolutely, the Nacirema body ritual article is parody in the sense that the author was obviously part of the culture from childhood and personally perfectly familiar with the practices described (claims of managing to get subjects of the study to reveal information are clearly made up for effect). Yet had a "Martian anthropologist"actually written the piece, it may well have turned much the same, and what it says (for the time it was written) is reasonably accurate if light on details.

Yet the palpable cognitive dissidence of reading such familiar practices expressed in such a foreign (at times bizarre-sounding) way is Miner's point. Which brings me to my second point: studying Nacirema suggests some differently nuanced ways of interpreting learnings about Hawaiian culture.

• Never underestimate the fact that as outsiders observing another culture, we don't have full context and hence easily describe what are to the people themselves very sensible practices in an unnatural way, falsely making them appear quite strange (when arguably they are not really so at all).
• When our own peculiar practices are objectively laid out for inspection our instinctive response is, "yes, but, you see, our [ritual] really works!" So if the ancient Hawaiians were still here, that probably would be their response as well.
• Looking at ourselves through the lens of anthropology perhaps best teaches us a little humility and provides excellent perspective as to how well this academic study really captures the essence of any culture it may study. It's a great reminder not to overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge of things we in fact know fleetingly little about.

Finally, that so many people do treasure the traditional culture of Hawaii and in whatever way they can keep it alive today is essential to making it accessible and understandable, and by living it they wear off much of the strangeness of simply being different, which in turn enables us all to experience it in a genuine way not otherwise possible. Mahalo, Hawaii.

A New Chapter

I'm heading back to Kaua'i next week and very much looking forward to it. Look for this blog to get rolling again very soon.

I've been thinking about how this blog best adapts going forward as my trajectory to the island strengthens. While I have be no means seen the entire island by any stretch of imagination, I have covered most of the easily accessible parts one way or the other. I need to get a lot more experienced before attempting to go further off the beaten path: though I have some promising leads it will take time. Most of the travelogue sort of things I can write about usefully I already have.

Let me explicitly invite comments from anyone "out there" as to what they would like to see more or less of. While I can go deeper there isn't a lot of new material I expect to come up with unless I broaden scope. And of course I hope to keep it interesting.

My current thinking is to start writing about living on the island, shifting away from visiting the island. In the past year I have spend well more than half my time there (though I have not fully moved there, I am working on that) so have a unique transitionary perspective that goes beyond the typical visitor's. While I have tried to clearly express my own point of view, things should get more opinionated and more subjective because when you live somewhere you don't exactly stay objective about the place.

My favorite Kaua'i blogger recently called it quits (for the time being at least) and while I can't begin to fill that hole, nor am I that plugged into goings on, I can say that I will miss her insights and it does stand as a shining example.