Biologists believe our state is the endangered species capital of the world, as two out of three bird and other endemic species have become extinct since humans arrived.

Some may say the loss of a species here and there should be expected, since over 99.9% of the billions of species that have ever lived have gone the way of the dinosaur, and there are still roughly as many as 10 million species of life on Earth.

The problem is that many scientists believe we are living through a sixth major mass extinction, and the first one caused by a species: Us.

Most extinctions at human hands resulted from destruction of other species’ habitats. Scientists estimate there were more than twice as many mammals, birds, fish and reptiles alive only 50 years ago than there are today.

The sad reality is that many species are dying off at many times the natural rate, and now we have to add the lethal consequences of rapid climate change.

We have to rid ourselves of one more bird species: ostriches with their heads in the sand.

Robert Griffon

Makiki

Reconfigure parking stalls at Ala Moana park

Honolulu has wisely decided to forgo widening much of Ala Moana Park Drive to install new perpendicular parking stalls and new sidewalks. And it is not going to enlarge the Magic Island lot to add more parking. These plans would have eliminated a substantial amount of green space, destroyed at least 40 beautiful mature trees, and spent a ton of money to add a lot of new concrete.

However, it leaves unresolved the vital need for more parking. Fortunately, there is an alternative solution that Honolulu can, and should, pursue during the park’s improvement project.

The existing Magic Island lot and the expanded Keyhole lots can easily be reconfigured to add as much as 25% more parking. Just change their current layout of oversize two-way access lanes with perpendicular stalls, to narrower one-way lanes with angle stalls. This would add as much or more new parking as the original destructive proposal, but at very little expense and almost no damage to the park (a few small trees).

Brad Frye

Palolo

Managed access for Haiku Stairs best option

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) wants to remove the Haiku Stairs due to liability concerns. This would be an irreversible mistake, as the “Stairway to Heaven” is a world- renowned trail that is arguably the safest ridge trail on Oahu with breathtaking views.

If BWS is unwilling to maintain the stairs, it should hand over the land to another entity that is willing to open a legal access and manage the area. Most hikers would be willing to pay an entry fee and sign a liability waiver. The Legislature should pass a law that would give state, city and private landowners liability protection as long as they explicitly state that hikers are allowed to access the lands at their own risk.

Furthermore, hikers should be willing to pay for their own rescues. Charge tourists a much higher entry fee and use money from the fees to maintain the stairs. Limit the number of hikers and give preference to kamaaina. To even consider tearing down this historical treasure that is considered a bucket-list hike by so many is ridiculous and short-sighted.

Shiyana Thenabadu

Kailua

Don’t build Topgolf on Ala Wai wetland

As a retired teacher and volunteer in a kindergarten class here in Waikiki, I can tell you that by first grade, children already know what wetlands are, and they know about fluctuations. They also have a pretty good idea about the effects of upstream dams, drainage ditches, dikes, irrigation and other modifications that also must be considered.

Why don’t we know, too? The Florida wetlands program already regulates “any dredging, filling, or construction in, on, or over waters and wetlands that are connected, either naturally or artificially, to ‘named waters,’” which include the Gulf of Mexico, estuaries and lagoons.

Time, too, that we learn these things. On frequently protracted rainy days, the driving range at the Ala Wai Golf Course looks as if you need a kayak to get around. Wetlands also are subject to federal wetlands jurisdiction.

Build Topgolf on higher ground, not on a wetland (“Topgolf project at Ala Wai moving forward,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 12).

Cyndi Van Tassel

Waikiki

Sanders proposes bold, necessary changes

Froma Harrop’s column, “Nastiness of Sanders faithful hurts candidate, Democrats” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 24), does not validate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ advice that all political campaigners must refrain from bullying and ugly personal attacks.

She said Sanders had a “mediocre performance” in Iowa and New Hampshire when, in fact, his delegates are leading his opponents to date.

She said Sanders’ health-care plan would do away with all private coverage. Want Lamborghini coverage (implants etc.)? You can buy private coverage. Sanders’ plan covers eye care, hearing, dental, long-term care and coverage when changing jobs. It would relieve unions of repeated fierce health-care negotiations for employees, and health-care savings would give employers wiggle room to approve increased wages and pensions.

This is a time for bold steps, not the same old small steps.

Brad Baang

Waianae

California apology shows dangers of despotism

The apology of the California Legislature to Japanese incarcerated in World War II by the federal government, aided by the state of California, comes at an opportune time (“California apologizes for Japanese American internment,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Feb. 20).

It reminds people of this horrible injustice against citizens and aliens of Japanese ancestry by a democratically elected government, while across the Atlantic even more egregious atrocities were committed against Jews by blind followers of an unstable despot.

In both cases, neighbors were turned against each other in the name of protecting the state against persons falsely deemed less loyal by the majority. As President Donald Trump, now even more unrestrained by morality, ethics, truth or the law, demeans brown people, calling some animals, divides Americans against each other, the likelihood we will revisit “relocation camps” once again becomes more real with every tweet and executive order.

Unless he is stopped, we will all be either victims or executioners pitted against each other by a divisive despot.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

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