More employed better for us all

Hawaii’s unemployment rate keeps heading in the right direction: down. October’s rate of 4.1 percent was a six-year low and marks the third month in a row that the percentage of jobless residents has decreased, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

That figure is much improved from the peak of 7.1 percent unemployment, recorded in both July and August 2009, but still far from our best showing. In November and December 2006, a mere 2.3 percent of Hawaii’s labor force was unemployed.

Getting more people back to work remains the best solution to so many social problems vexing our state.

Building waste put to good use

The down side of a construction boom in a crowded island community is, among other byproducts, the increase in construction debris.

Of course, any increase in rubbish for a place with limited landfill space is a challenge.

So the development of a recycling system at PVT Land Ltd., the Nanakuli construction-and-demolition-waste landfill, brings a double dose of good news.

First, according to the company’s website, about 80 percent of what comes in can be processed into fuel. With daily intake at about 1,775 tons, that’s a big help.

Then it becomes fuel that can drive power turbines or be converted to synthetic natural gas. At full capacity, the system can produce enough power for 12,000 homes.

This doesn’t mean the landfill issue goes away, but every little bit counts — and this is not a little bit.