Improve standards for shipping animals

Mahalo to state Sens. Mike Gabbard and Lorraine Inouye for hearing Senate Bill 2715, which holds the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (DOA) accountable for enacting animal welfare shipping standards following the tragic and preventable death of 21 pregnant cows on a Young Brothers’ barge traveling from Oahu to Kauai last November.

The Matson shipping company says it already is in compliance with federal international transport regulations — including those related to animal welfare — for shipments of farm animals between the mainland and Hawaii. Young Brothers must do the same for interisland transport (“Young Brothers’ rate increase would invest in local ranchers,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 11).

At the bill’s hearing on Feb. 10, DOA committed to writing animal welfare shipping rules over the next two years. But Young Brothers shouldn’t wait that long to act. No animal should suffer unnecessarily, and the public, ranchers and farmers should demand that they don’t.

Dena Jones

Animal Welfare Institute

Inga Gibson

Pono Advocacy LLC

Consider concerns raised about Topgolf

I would feel remiss if I didn’t make one last attempt at due diligence to ensure affected parties are thinking through the apparent decision to install Topgolf at Ala Wai Golf Course (“Topgolf project at Ala Wai moving forward,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 12).

I recommend that affected neighborhood boards and their Council members, Ann Kobayashi and Tommy Waters, take a close look at the effects of this project on their communities, day and night, before consenting to the 20-year plan.

As I noted in my letter last August, my experience with these structures is huge fences that block views and brilliant lights that shine deep into neighborhoods until late at night (“Giant driving range would blight landscape,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 5, 2019).

The golf course is a key open space left in our overdeveloped Diamond Head area.

Again, I exhort the decisionmakers to make a personal visit to one of these facilities to see what they’re advocating. If it’s all about money, so be it — but be careful what you ask for.

Karin Lynn

Moiliili

Cough into shoulder instead of hand

Richard Tuggle wrote to identify people’s incorrect use of face masks (“Photos show incorrect use of medical masks,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 12). He noted that they must cover the nose as well as the mouth.

I would like to add that more public education is needed regarding sneezing and coughing. People should not cover their mouths with their hand to cough, but should instead cough into their shoulder or elbow. Coughing into a hand, then touching door handles, is one way germs are spread.

Debbie Aldrich

Haleiwa

Microplastics also found on farmlands

Microplastics littering our beaches are getting the lion’s share of media attention these days. However, microplastics now are being found on farmlands. With time, this unyielding plastic residue deteriorates into microscopic fibers, making its way, unseen, from the soil, up into food crops, and ultimately into the bodies of consumers — us.

These bits of toxicity contain chemicals known to contribute to a variety of illnesses, including cancers. They arrive on farmlands by way of commercial composting of clippings and debris from all kinds of green areas.

Surprise: Our yards are a gigantic source. A great deal of this plastic pollution comes from the countless black bags used to collect our green waste, which are then thrown wholesale into our green-waste barrels.

Here is the “no-brainer” solution: Empty the bags into your green barrel. It would be little more work, but it would save yard workers the money they would otherwise spend on bags. This could also save lives.

Don Hallock

St. Louis Heights

5G cell towers potential danger

We moved to Honolulu not too long ago and since then, I have been suffering from health-related symptoms such as headaches and insomnia.

Soon after, I learned that there are numerous cell towers surrounding my new home. I can spot three from my bedroom and at least one from my boys’ bedroom. I purchased a meter to test the EMF levels in my house and the level was so high that it peaked out in parts of my house.

Cell phone towers emit massive amounts of radio frequency radiation. The World Health Organization has classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

5G towers have entered our community and telecommunication companies want to build more, even though 5G has not been proven to be safe. We need a community that is safe from cell towers, especially for our keiki who are most vulnerable.

Mio Chee

Ala Moana

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