Letters: More businesses should ‘buy local’ when possible; Millions in climate change costs; Trump is the swamp

It warms my heart to hear that the management of Zippy’s decided to save Dave’s Ice Cream’s 20 or so workers jobs just before the holidays (“Zippy’s Restaurants scoops up Dave’s Ice Cream to supply its 24 locations,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 18). This, instead of continuing to do business with Meadow Gold’s mainland-based owners who decided that it would be cheaper to bring in ice cream produced on the mainland.

Now if only those other restaurants who preach “grown local, buy local” would do the same and fill their hearts with aloha, instead of their pocketbooks.

Byron “Jiro” Kaneshiro

Wahiawa

Our survival depends on population control

Recently this newspaper published a commentary by Robert Walker, president of the Population Institute (“Humanity is overwhelming planet, so curb overconsumption,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 19). My thanks to the editors for bringing this important message to their readers.

Robert identified the human world population, now approaching 8 billion, as the underlying root cause of many of our current problems, including climate change, water shortages, deforestation, hunger, extinction, strife and political dysfunction.

His organization offers hope for our survival based on downsizing the human footprint by addressing world population, and suggests several first steps to accomplish this goal before it it’s too late.

Richard Fucik

Aiea

Hawaii faces millions in climate change costs

There are many falsehoods in Christopher Appel’s defense of Big Oil companies, but the most outrageous claim is that these major climate polluters are “leading” the work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (“Climate-change lawsuits bad for environment, Hawaii residents,” Star-Advertiser, Commentary, Dec. 17).

According to ExxonMobil’s own 2019 Outlook for Energy, there will be no reductions in the carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuel companies through 2040, and no plans whatsoever for these emissions to reach zero. For too long, money and energy were put into creating misinformation and doubt, instead of these companies using the massive resources at their disposal to actually help solve the existential threat of climate change. Now Hawaii taxpayers are facing millions of dollars in costs to counter the rising seas and extreme weather Big Oil’s business helped create.

Courts exist to protect the public and hold bad actors accountable. That’s exactly what Honolulu and Maui’s lawsuits against Big Oil will seek to do.

Jun Shin

Kaheka

Gabbard should reveal constituents’ desires

I am astonished, confounded and extremely disappointed that yet another Hawaii politician seems unable, unwilling, and/or unprepared to represent her constituents.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and her staff represent their constituents, so I’d like her to release the statistics from her office as to how many of her constituents took the time and effort to contact her office to express their desires as to how she should have voted on impeaching President Donald Trump.

In the unlikely event that no input was received, then report that as well to further corroborate that Hawaii voters deserve what they get for “ainokea.”

Tom Bellit

Kailua

Gabbard cast aside precious Hawaii vote

When “Gabbard, Case part[ed] ways on impeachment vote” (Star-Advertiser, Dec. 19), 50 percent of the people of Hawaii were left out of our democratic process. This is particularly troubling because we are a people who vote our principles.

We were the first state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. We gave the world Barack Obama, who became president by mobilizing the vote. Our kupuna vote each minute of each day in protest on Mauna o Wakea.

The facts supporting impeachable offenses came largely from the testimony of the nonpartisan, dedicated men and women of the American foreign service. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard acknowledged President Donald Trump’s wrongdoing. Thus, whose interest was she representing by casting aside one of our two precious votes?

It is easy to be silent. It takes courage to stand to be counted.

Patricia Medina Talbert

Makiki

Trump isn’t draining swamp; he is the swamp

If you are the swamp, you can’t drain the swamp. If you believe that President Donald Trump is draining the swamp, maybe he can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge — or a diploma from Trump University.

Joseph Leonardo

Black Point

Include affordable housing at stadium site

“Who is my neighbor?” As a Salt Lake resident, that is the question I am asking myself after attending the Aloha Stadium Master Plan Community Workshop.

My neighbor is someone whose needs I put before my wants. I see an opportunity to do that in the stadium redevelopment by advocating for as much transit-oriented affordable housing as this site will physically allow.

Let us, as a community, welcome housing in this plan. Let us not think of our neighbors as only those we live close to us but as all who are burdened by the lack of affordable housing on our island and would benefit from our inclusivity.

Who are our neighbors? Those whom we choose to love as ourselves.

Calvin Pham

Salt Lake

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