Question: What is a veteran ID card? Do I need one of those if I already have the veteran mark on my state ID? Is it the same as the health card?
Answer: A veteran ID card, known as VIC, is a photo ID that eligible veterans can show at stores, restaurants and other businesses that offer discounts to veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No, you don’t need a VIC if you already have a veteran’s designation on your state-issued identification card or driver’s license, which will serve the same purpose. No, a VIC is not a health insurance card. It does not replace other military ID cards that you might have, such as a veteran health identification card or a Department of Defense ID.
Q: Did they pass the bill making it easier for the terminally ill to die with dignity?
A: No, an expansion of Hawaii’s “Our Care, Our Choice Act” failed to make it out of the conference committee that considered House Bill 1823, HD 2, SD 2. The bill would have expanded the medical professionals authorized to prescribe lethal medication that dying patients administer to themselves; shortened the waiting time for patients to request the lethal dose; and allowed telehealth visits.
You can read the measure and related testimony and committee reports at 808ne.ws/HB1823.
Q: Auwe. My grandson talks a lot about sustainability, so I told him that bitcoin mining is bad for the environment, but he laughed like I thought it was dug up from the ground. The kids who think they can make money from this need to hear both sides of the story.
A: Bitcoin mining refers to the process of creating new bitcoin by using computer networks to solve complex math problems that verify the digital currency’s transactions. It is done online and requires huge amounts of electricity.
“As the difficulty and complexity of bitcoin mining has increased, the computing power required has also gone up. Bitcoin mining consumes 143.5 terawatt- hours of electricity each year, more than some countries, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index. You’d need 9 years worth of the typical U.S. household’s electricity just to mine 1 bitcoin as of August 2021,” according to Bankrate.com, a personal finance website.
The website describes risks and potential rewards for the miners, who earn bitcoin for verifying and processing the decentralized cryptocurrency’s financial transactions.
As for environmental impact, in 2021 about 77% of Hawaii’s electricity was generated by burning fossil fuels, mainly oil but also some coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Q: Is there some way to see which community groups asked the Legislature for money and which ones were awarded?
A: Yes, Grant-in-Aid applications and funds awarded are posted on the Legislature’s website, at capitol. hawaii.gov/GIA/GIA.aspx. This session’s results are posted, as are records from past years.
Auwe
On Thursday at 6:15 a.m., I was in the crosswalk heading mauka across Kapiolani Boulevard at Cooke Street when a bicyclist riding west on Kapiolani ran the red light and almost hit me. Why ride on Kapiolani when there’s a protected bike lane only one street away? — A.O.
Mahalo
On Wednesday evening my wife and I dined at the California Pizza Kitchen in Mililani. We were totally surprised and humbled to learn that the family at an adjoining table paid for our dinner. I’m sorry that they left before we learned of their thoughtfulness and generosity. We were unable to thank them in person and want them to know how much we appreciate their kindness. — R and D
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
