The March 11 Star-Advertiser had a scary headline, “Virus could cost 6,000 jobs,” but inside was Lee Cataluna’s wonderful column (“Weren’t we going to diversify our economy?”).

Here, Cataluna is doing what she does best, questioning the dominant “wisdom,” and offering innovative and courageous insights for us to ponder.

Yes, as Cataluna suggests, when tourism has faltered (one still remembers the empty streets of Waikiki in the days after 9/11) it dawns upon us how fragile an economy based on tourism really is — especially in a time of rapidly intensifying climate crisis. Indeed, will the trope of surf and sun survive rising oceans, disappearing shorelines and hotels and parks and much warmer days? Not to mention coming global financial upheavals?

As Cataluna suggests, it is time to make diversification a priority. And we might begin by investing in our youth, in investing what we need to in making our K-12 and higher education systems world-class. And go on to achieving food and energy self-sufficiency.

Noel Kent

Manoa

Cataluna wants diverse economy, but not TMT?

Lee Cataluna sarcastically pointed out that our state should have diversified our economy sooner to be less reliant on tourism following crises like the coronavirus outbreak (“Weren’t we going to diversify our economy?,” Star-Advertiser, March 11).

Her hypocrisy is astonishing. Cataluna wrote numerous columns in support of the protesters trying to stop construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. The protesters claim Mauna Kea is sacred to the Native Hawaiian people (It isn’t. We destroyed the kapu system 200 years ago).

If the protesters succeed, it would spell the end of the astronomy industry on Hawaii island, destroying one of our largest non-tourism, non-military industries — one that has created hundreds of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, and groomed our keiki for STEM careers to compete in a global economy.

It is even an industry where a lot of work can be done remotely, supporting at least some workers and their families during a quarantine crisis.

Cataluna mocked politicians for saying, “We’re going to be the world center of fill-in-the-blank.”

We actually are a world center of astronomy, providing extensive scientific knowledge to all of humanity.

Samuel Wilder King II

Native Hawaiian attorney

Liliha

City’s Sherwoods plan would be destructive

The mayor is going forward with his plans to build a sports field on a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a designated funerary site, and one of the last remaining coastal forests on Oahu.

Some may think we stopped Phase 1 and there was a compromise agreement. Not so. Sherwood Forest still faces the same threats that make no sense in today’s Waimanalo.

There are now plans to lay more irrigation throughout the bulldozed area. An archaeologist I spoke to said this would be the most dangerous part of the outdated 10-year-old plan, risking even more damage to remains and artifacts below ground.

This historical site needs protection, not development. Meanwhile, traffic has gotten worse. Why create more? Water is precious and all over the world there are devastating water shortages, including here in Hawaii. Why waste it for a sports field?

Jody Green

Waimanalo

Don’t heed false stories about coronavirus

After almost 3-1/2 years of President Donald Trump, I know exactly how he thinks. If anything goes right he takes the credit, e.g., economy and stock market before the coronavirus. If anything goes wrong or doesn’t go his way, e.g., being impeached, he blames the Democrats or Barack Obama or both.

Everyone, please stay safe and protect yourselves from the COVID-19 virus. Don’t believe false narratives on the internet about the virus and don’t let politics get in the way of practicing good, preventive hygiene.

Howard K.W. Lee

Hawaii Kai

For some, pregnancy can be dangerous

In response to “Why is pregnancy considered an illness?” (Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 12), I would like to ask Jim Wolery if he has ever been pregnant.

Has he heard of hyperemesis gravidarum? Preeclampsia? Gestational diabetes?

Pregnancy isn’t a walk in the park, it and childbirth can be deadly. It can make permanent changes to your endocrine system and your life, if you get through it. I know that most of us do, but even with all our medical advances, some don’t.

So let’s flip the tables.

Why is erectile dysfunction an illness? It’s a natural process of the aging male body, yet millions of dollars are spent looking for a cure — money that could be spent on cancer research or anything more important.

Medications and devices to alleviate these symptoms are covered by insurance. Why is this?

Probably because the CEOs of major insurance companies are in their 60s and their companies’ first customers. Looking out for themselves and their boys.

Jane Fee

Hawaii Kai

Industrial hemp can be major agricultural crop

With many articles being written about the downward turn of Hawaii’s economy, and the losses incurred by the tourist industry, I seem to be one of only a few promoting the growth of industrial hemp as an agricultural crop.

It would provide jobs not only in agriculture but in manufacturing, retail and the technology field.

Hemp is know mostly for its seeds and flowers being converted to CBD and edible products, but the entire plant is usable.

The leaves provide livestock feed, the outer stalk provides fiber, and the very hard inner stalk can be processed to make biodegradable food containers and many other products.

Grown inside with the use of technology, it can produce four to five crops per year. It is time for our political leaders to take a really hard look at hemp.

Ken Takeya

Kailua

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