Consider this hypothetical situation:
People get together and force the issue to have Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. change the way it rids the rubbish from the fields prior to harvesting. The Legislature listens to the people and eventually makes it illegal to burn, as HC&S done for years. A law is put forth and passed that prohibits HC&S from burning.
HC&S in good faith, attempts to comply with the newly enacted law and stops burning. HC&S incurs a huge amount of debt trying to comply with the new law. HC&S goes bankrupt and eventually out of business because it can't afford to sustain the new process or harvesting method.
HC&S is now gone, the fields dry up and die, leaving dust and dirt in the central valley. The dust and dirt are picked up daily by the prevailing winds and distributed everywhere. The dirt, dust and silt land on the ocean and reef system. The reef begins to die, the ocean is polluted, the sealife suffer. People complain about the nonstop dirt and dust. In the meantime, the cost of sugar has increased astronomically due to lack of supply.
Now, I ask, are you sure you want our future to go this way?
Scott Borge
Kahului
