Do plastic water bottle companies realize how much damage they are doing to our ecosystem? Or do they just turn a blind eye and only focus on profit? Do these companies have programs within their operations that address environmental issues?

The answer to these questions is no. Plastics are polluting our oceans worldwide, and nobody is holding these companies accountable. Something needs to be done.

Environmentalists should hit the main culprits where it hurts the most — by impacting their profits. We should require these companies to invest in research and development for a hybrid type of plastic that is immediately biodegradable.

We need to get them to stop turning a blind eye and to respect our planet and all living things. Time is crucial.

According to Erik Solheim, the executive director of the UN Environmental Agency: “We will have the same weight of plastic as fish in the sea by 2050 if this continues.”

Russell Fellezs

Chinatown

—

Closure hurt keiki event at center

I was pleased the Honolulu Star-Advertiser spoke out on the closing of Kakaako Waterfront Park (“Park closure limits access to Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 30). The impact of this policy on the Children’s Discovery Center is particularly onerous.

As a former associate professor of education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I had many opportunities to visit the center. The staff works diligently to expand keiki knowledge, hands-on investigation, and play.

The unintended consequences of fencing off Kakaako Waterfront Park imposed severe restrictions on the center’s activities and access. For instance, the center had to cancel its “Keiki Swap,” which gives children the opportunity to meet and swap items with each other.

I hope these policies will be reconsidered to avoid punishing innocent children.

Barbara Landau

Corvallis, Ore.

—

Conceal-carry works for retired officers

Hawaii does not allow retired out-of-state law enforcement officers who live in Hawaii to conceal-carry (“Conceal-carry raises chances of survival,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 5).

Therefore, not even civilians are given much consideration for a concealed-carry license in Hawaii.

Retired out-of-state law enforcement officers know the laws and rules regarding justification of use of deadly force.

When you have an active shooter, with bodies falling all over the place, retired law enforcement officers would return fire to protect themselves and others.

Hawaii will have to have a couple of mass shootings or terrorist acts before it will even allow retired out-of-state law enforcement officers to conceal-carry.

Keoni Ronald May

McCully-Moiliili

—

Low-income housing project too costly

The city’s plan to house low- income and homeless people in studio apartments at 1902 Young Street is unrealistic (“City to convert empty building into 30 affordable apartments,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 8).

There are thousands of people homeless and under-sheltered. According to the Star-Advertiser, the city plans to purchase and convert this building for just under $12 million, to create 30 studio apartments. The per-unit cost is too high, just under $400,000 a unit. There are many condo units currently for sale in Oahu for less than that price.

We cannot afford to house very small groups at this high cost. Once the tenants move into these units, there will be little or no turnover of the units. There will always be people who need help with housing. The cost of $12 million should be to develop housing to help more people.

Vicky Walker

Waikiki

—

City, state must rein in monster houses

Seeing the rise of “monster houses” in Manoa leaves me disoriented. My neighbors feel shocked, too.

Speculators construct monster houses, selling to other speculators. The houses function as stealth apartment and vacation complexes on former single-family lots.

Building-code compliance isn’t cheap. While speculators play with the rules, our businesses pay. Lawful construction employs local people at honest wages. Speculators manipulate the visa system to hire cheap foreign labor.

We must end this menace before Hawaii irrevocably changes. Dense, poorly planned neighborhoods are susceptible to catastrophic fire and other disasters. Isn’t your life worth more than their money?

Our elected officials must regulate. We citizens must vigilantly document and report monster houses.

We need fair housing and community protection solutions. Monster homes cheat our tax system and rob from our quality of life.

Dylan P. Armstrong

Manoa