Pandering to Partisanship

A friend asked me the other day if I was voting for Bernie Sanders. I emphatically said "yes," but, unconsciously I tempered it with "except I'm not sure I want him to win." She laughed and said "huh, then why would you vote for him?" I muttered out some terrible answer about Bernie moving Hillary leftwards, and then found myself oozing liberal self-righteousness by parroting partisan pundits talking points about the benefits of another Clinton in office. While I was ashamed at how I explained my answer, I was also shocked at my initial response. I've signed up to campaign for Bernie. I've donated $30. I have a Bernie Sanders T-shirt and bumper sticker. I posted on Facebook two years ago that I hoped that he would run for president. I support his message on climate change, campaign finance, and inequality being inter-related and overdue topics of American politics. I've even been calling myself a democratic socialist from before he made the term popular. Ever since uttering I’m not sure I want him to win, I've had a thirty-six hour maelstrom of inner dialogue that would make Freud proud yet any ideologue sick.


Here is the abridged version:

Please don't lecture me like I'm your younger brother. And stop parroting those podcast pundits and pretending like their ideas are yours. Remember, I'm in your head. Give me something I haven't heard. Why don't we want Bernie Sanders to win?

As Alfred de Vigny wrote: "Seul le silence est grand; tout le reste est faiblesse. Only silence is strong, all the rest is but lies."

Braddah... stop with the pseudo-intellectual bullshit. It doesn't suit you. You don't even speak French...

Ok. I'm sorry. It’s not that I don’t want Bernie Sanders to win. I just am growing more and more weary of partisan politics. The more I learn, the less partisan I get. And, the less partisan I get the less I have to say. It's easy to yell at each other when you don't understand what the other person is saying. But, what happens when both sides have a point?

It gets really, really complicated.

We spend our lives being taught to trust things that are beyond our comprehension. We trust our parents. We trust our teachers. We trust our scientists. We trust that the world is round. We trust that increasing the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere causes Earth to warm. We trust that the sun is 92.96 million miles away. We trust that photosynthesis is the process that allows plants to use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugar. For most of us, there's no way for us to verify these things, we have to take expert's word on it. This accumulation of trust is what separates us from our hominid cousins. And it got us from rain dances to the moon. But, this inclination to trust also fuels our partisanship.

Guns, abortion, climate change, gay rights, immigration, health care, the minimum wage, and economic policy-- these are complex issues, and we trust our media sources and favorite politicians to communicate the truth to us. But, we're not hearing the truth. We're getting a filtered version catered to some political bias.

This isn't just a modern problem. Henry Adams (great-grandson of the 2nd president and grandson of the 6th president) wrote in the mid 1800s that politics “had always been the systematic organization of hatred."

Blogging and social media are now the first line trenches in this "systematic organization of hatred." This blog and my Facebook have spewed more than their fair share of partisan warfare.

Yet, increasingly I’m understanding that there are moral truths buried beneath the data. But the policy recommendations behind those truths are often complex and messy. For example, gun regulations do decrease gun deaths, but probably not at the rate we would like to see. To achieve a meaningful reduction in mass murders, there is likely a slippery slope from gun regulation to gun confiscation. So, the NRA resists with everything they have. And both sides shoot flaming arrows at each other.

Fighting against climate change at the rate that we need to will harm our economy and result in government over-reach at an unprecedented scale. And both sides shoot flaming arrows at each other.
 

Ok... how does this relate to Bernie Sanders? He calls bullshit when it needs to be called. He’s identified campaign finance, climate change, and growing inequality as the biggest issues of our time. He’s rejected accepting support from Super Pacs. And he is calling for more democratic participation. Plus…. Have you looked at how far right the entire Republican field is? Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, the most moderate front runners, are both proposing tax plans that would cost just as much as  Bernie Sanders’ ambitious infrastructure and social programs. If Bernie Sanders is too far out in left field, then all of the Republican candidates are too far to the right. Hillary Clinton accepted money from foreign countries through the Clinton foundation while she was Secretary of State. Who else could you possibly support…?

Yes, subconscious mind, you are right. I’m still #Feelingthebern. By saying that I’m not sure I want Bernie to win, maybe I’m just yearning for Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden or another figure who could transcend partisanship and communicate complex topics. I’m disappointed in Bernie’s simplified populist rhetoric. I’m sure it makes good politics, but it makes bad policy and widens the political divide.

Bernie Sanders argues for a $15 federal minimum wage. It sounds good: fight for fifteen. If you're liberal, chances are that you support a massive increase to the minimum wage. When Republicans counter with the Congressional Budget Office study that found that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would lead to 500,000 less jobs, liberals respond with this study that a $15 an hour minimum wage would not in fact lead to any job losses in the fast food industry. With competing studies, shit hits the fan as both sides turn to morality. Conservatives say that liberals are just looking for a free hand out and liberals say that conservatives are selfish.

What we're missing is that both of those studies can be right at the same time. It is possible that the minimum wage would not lead to job losses while leading to 500,000 less jobs created. They are measuring different things. You're not going to get fired if the minimum wage goes up, but there is evidence that your kid might not be able to get a job. While Bernie Sanders and an army of progressives support the fight for fifteen-- I don't think any economists say the best route forward is a $15 federally mandated minimum wage. As this Brookings Institute study (left leaning think tank) argues, the minimum wage, because of cost of living differences, is best left up to state and local governments and should be half of the median income of a locale. That is not very compatible with a high federally mandated minimum wage. The federal government's role in ensuring a livable income is best utilized in the Earned Income Tax Credit. Studies show that it "encourages work, reduces inequality, raises family incomes, and moves families out of poverty." Paul Ryan (and most Republicans) and President Obama both agree. Yet, it's not part of our national dialogue. Maybe because the EITC is a Republican talking point, Bernie Sanders', while voting for increases in congress, has not mentioned it in his presidential campaign. 

Earned Income Tax Credit? You were more interesting when you were discussing Form Based Code last month. As your subconscious, let me explain to you that I officially have the attention span of a goldfish. You don’t create a political revolution by talking about tax credits. Just ask Donald Trump…  

Sure, the $15 minimum wage is a much simpler fight. And Bernie is pandering to the electorate by not getting into the wonk of the EITC. I support his quest to create a political revolution. And, what's a better rallying call: Enlist in the Fight for the Earned Income Tax Credit or: Fight for Fifteen. And so we fight for fifteen. The same is true of the free college debate. Why would we subsidize college for those who can afford it? Simply because free college for all sounds a lot better than free college for the super poor, reduced loan rates for those in the middle, and no change for those at the top. This simplified political rhetoric fires up the partisan army and we get even further away from actual solutions on real issues like climate change and inequality.

And I'm over it.

You know that you can’t gain national prominence without simplifying complex topics. It’s just not possible. And you also know that the notion of I'm over it is what led to the rise of the tea party and the freedom caucus. It's the mentality that gave rise to a conservative minority that uses shutting down the government as a bargaining chip. Aren't you worried about heading down the same path? What's at the end of that road?

That’s the problem. All of this partisanship is eroding our trust in political institutions. As David Brooks, everyone’s favorite centrist Republican, recently wrote: “Compromise and coalition-building is regarded as a dirty and tainted activity. People congregate in segregated cultural and ideological bubbles and convince themselves that the purest example of their type could actually win.” The Tea Party came to power by saying no. No to Obamacare. No to planned parenthood. No to the budget. No to immigration reform. Hell no to governance. And, because so many of us have lost faith in government, they're gaining power. Yeah, stick it to those shady characters in Washington. Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan are both products of the Tea Party revolution. You can even see a semblance of it here on Kaua'i. The top vote getter for county council on Kaua’i won because he was a minority no. He ran a successful campaign by pointing out all of his no votes. He didn't even need to put forward a plan of what he was for, because just saying no to a dysfunctional political system is enough. 

But, while saying no might get you into power, you can't hold it for very long. In a democracy, the minority power fights against things, while the majority has to fight for things. When you’re in the majority, you evolve to actual problem solving or you get voted out. You need to say yes, and you need some type of moral ideology to get there.

Uhh... Your last post was called Fuck Ideology. Your argument being that ideology leads us to deny facts as we head into the partisan trenches. What are you trying to say now?

The governing factions of both political parties have the same basic moral ideology for the function of government. It's even enshrined in our Declaration of Independence. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That's what government is supposed to do.

Guess what American politician said this?

Together, let us make this a new beginning. Let us make a commitment to care for the needy; to teach our children the values and virtues handed down to us by our families; to have the courage to defend those values and the willingness to sacrifice for them... It is essential that we maintain both the forward momentum of economic growth and the strength of the safety net beneath those in society who need help.

No, it wasn't Bernie Sanders or Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was Ronald Reagan in accepting the Republican nomination for President. I was surprised too. Republicans are motivated by supporting the poor just as much a Democrats. We have the same moral ideology. Republicans just put more emphasis on growing the economy and democrats put more emphasis on government support and taxation. Obviously there is a balance in there, and the two party system is supposed to be able to find that balance. That's what governing is all about. We need a moral ideology to get us on the right path, but we need to be flexible enough to adjust to the facts. Fuck ideology when it leads us to reject gun regulation because the NRA says so. Fuck ideology when it leads us to reject vaccines because Jenny Mccarthy says they cause autism. Fuck ideology when it leads us to shut down the government because we don’t believe in planned parenthood.

We've lost the balance because the extreme wings of both parties refuse to communicate. Because candidates like Hillary Clinton can openly say to a cheering crowd that her greatest enemy is the Republicans. No Hillary. That’s half the country. Or Kaua’i political candidates that claim to represent the silent majority. No. You represent everyone.

Luke, sometimes you sound like you're running for office. As your subconscious, I have to ask-- is this blog just a political platform for you? Because if it is, I want nothing to do with it...

This blog is anything but a political launch pad. It's more of an ironing board. The less passionately partisan I become, the less effective I would be as a politician. It's complicated is not a good answer. That doesn't create a Bernie Sanders revolution. And, if for some miracle my wonk could be an effective political tool, I worry even more about the effect that politics would have on my family and my own psyche. Henry Adams, a descendent of the largest political dynasty in the history of our country, wrote that

The effect of power and publicity on all men is the aggravation of self; a sort of tumor that ends by killing the victim's sympathies; a diseased appetite, like a passion for drink or perverted tastes; one can scarcely use expressions too strong to describe the violence of egotism it stimulates.

So, the answer is an emphatic NO. Just because I'm interested in the political process does not mean I want to be a politician. There are plenty of good politicians who have resisted the morally corrupting powers of influence—but I'd prefer to avoid testing myself. Can't I be serious about being a participating member of democracy without running for office?

I was just trying to butter you up. Don't be so self-righteous. You would be a terrible politician. And, I got you to go from whining about being "over it" to being "excited about participating in democracy." Just leave it to your subconscious to bring you around. I also take my job seriously. 

My point in all of this is that I don't think we're all too far apart. Red, blue, or socialist, we all agree on the core issues. Government exists to promote happiness. In order to promote happiness we need to reduce poverty, maintain our natural environment, and make sure that we all have a fair shot at success. Sometimes I think that all of this fighting is just a big misunderstanding...  

And yes, out of all of the available options, I'm voting for Bernie Sanders and I hope that he wins.  

Fuck Ideology

Since opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation... Reasonable - that is, human - men will always be capable of compromise, but men who have dehumanized themselves by becoming the blind worshippers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them the enemies of life.

         - Alan Watts

No matter what you do -- guns, no guns, it doesn't matter -- you have people that are mentally ill, and they're going to come through the cracks, and they're going to do things that people will not even believe are possible.  

- Donald Trump

Fuck ideology. Sorry if that word offends you. But there is nothing in the English language with an equivalent connotation. I wanted to write this post last week, but I promised myself that I would sleep on it until Monday morning-- as I know from experience; nothing good ever comes from anger fueled writing. But, Monday morning has arrived. And still on my lips as I come out of a restless sleep:

Fuck ideology. 

In case my blog is your only news source, last week a young man walked into his class at Umpqua Community College and reportedly asked all of the Christians to stand up and said "Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second." And then he went down the line executing everyone standing. He killed nine people and then himself. 

In a tragic ideological entanglement, his ideology led him to shoot them because of their ideology. And, because of our nation's pro-gun ideology, over 33,000 people die from guns in the United States every year. We have 106.4 gun deaths per million people. For comparison, the United Kingdom has 2.3 gun deaths per million people. Since 2002, for every one US citizen killed by terrorism, there have been 1,042 more killed in homicides. Add in 09/11, and the ratio is still one death from terrorism for every 120 deaths from guns. This isn't a little problem, this is a huge fucking problem.

There are hundreds of studies showing that the more guns you have in a country, state, town, or household--- the more gun deaths you will have in that country, state, town, or household. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that stricter gun regulations correlate with declining gun deaths (and vice versa). When Connecticut required a license for handguns, homicides decreased by 40% over ten years. When Missouri repealed a similar law, homicides increased by 23%. 

President Obama, in his remarks after the shooting, said: “Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response at this podium is routine. We’ve become numb to this. Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It’s not enough... Each time this happens, I am going to say that we can actually do something about it, but we're going to have to change our laws."

Last week I posted that quote on Facebook and have been engaged in arguments with four different friends since then. What about mental health? California has stricter gun laws than Hawai'i, yet 40x the total number of murders! What about the Second Amendment!....

If you are a right-wing Republican, there is no budging. You can present a thousand gun statistics in support of gun regulation, and it doesn't matter. People kill people, not guns. 

The far left does the same with vaccines and genetic modification. The evidence doesn't matter, it's how the idea interacts with our ideological entrenchments.

I did the same with Liquified Natural Gas. With my environmentalist hat on, I wrote a blog post recently explaining how LNG would be a barrier to renewable energy adoption on Kaua'i. Yet, after seeing the numbers for Kaua'i, which were not what I thought, I am now leaning in the direction that it could potentially be beneficial. I went on the radio on Tuesday to explain my understanding of both very valid sides of the wonky LNG debate for our island. The first person I saw after leaving the studio said "dude, you've got your priorities all wrong." The next person I saw asked "How much did the utility pay you to say that?"

And, the scariest ideological fight of our time? Climate change. The numbers are just as clear as gun regulations, yet with the fate of human civilization hinging on our response. And what does our dialogue consist of? Al Gore has a big house. Democrats are trying to impose more government regulation on us. It's overpopulation in those third world countries. Stupid hippies, it's cold right now, explain that!... 

Fuck ideology.

It's in our nature to want to see the world in black and white. As I've written before-- we need ideology because in the age of the internet we're facing information overload. We're bombarded with data and we need a way to sort through it all. To keep our head from spinning off of our shoulders we need a way to sort through the noise. And ideology gives us that. But...

My mom's 10 year-old cousins were led naked into a gas chamber because of ideology. My grandpa's mother and sister were shot in the back of the head in the woods outside of Auschwitz because of ideology. My wife was born in a refugee camp because of ideology.

 Locking the gas chamber. Pulling the trigger. Burning books. Marching. These were normal people, doing horrendous acts of violence.

As Victor Frankl, who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust wrote: "For the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of us does his best. So, let us be alert-- alert in a two fold sense: Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake."

And, right now we're failing. The country is more polarized than it's ever been. When Donald Trump says that "no matter what you do-- guns, no guns, it doesn't matter," he is wrong. He is choosing to turn his head away from the data. Yet, by categorizing the world as black and white he is appealing to our ideology. And we eat that shit up.

Increasingly, those who are ideologically driven, those who see the world in only two shades, are driven to politics--- the business of ideology. And we grow further and further apart.

Trump is a representation of us as Americans. Far left or far right, he is who we deserve. And, I'm sick of it. So....

Fuck ideology.    

Edit 10/06 - I also want to share this powerful essay about the right to bear arms. I understand completely that my perspective on gun regulation is a symptom of my relative privilege. I've never had to hunt for my food nor felt the need to have a gun for protection. And, after watching my friend shoot a boar twice with a .22 and not kill it, I understand fully the need for high caliber rifles when hunting (it's the most humane way to take down an animal). But, there is no moral argument against increased regulation. If you want a gun for protection or hunting, you should be able to get it-- but there should be plenty of hoops to jump through on the way to gun ownership.  

The climate has changed

Are you hot right now?

Yep, so is everyone else on the planet.

As of July 2015, Earth is currently 1.44 degrees hotter than it was between 1951-1980. It's on track to be .17 degrees hotter than last year. And, last year was the hottest year on record.

The World Meteorological Organization defines climate as the "average weather" over thirty years. And the planet is currently celebrating its 367th consecutive month (30.5 years) of higher-than-average temperatures. What does that mean? This is the new normal. The climate has changed. Let me rephrase that: we changed the climate.

And this is just the beginning...

That's why Apollo Kaua'i is hosting a monthly conversation on climate change (listen to last month's meeting here). The goal is to increase awareness, share inspirational stories, and, most importantly, plan for effective action. If you live on Kaua'i, come down to Niumalu Canoe Club at 6:00 on Wednesday for a conversation with Dr. Kawika Winter and Dr. Kehau Watson-Sproat on climate change, culture, and conservation. After their talk will be break-out sessions on the four specific action plans that were identified at the first meeting.



Let's do something.






Dr. Stephen Taylor, a professor at KCC who was a panelist at the last meeting, recently put this document together. It's a great starting point for getting engaged

What YOU can do about Global Warming

“Our actions over the coming few decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, later in this century and in the next, on a scale similar to those associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th century. And it will be difficult or impossible to reverse these changes. Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy for the longer term, and it can be done in a way that does not cap the aspirations for growth of rich or poor countries. The earlier effective action is taken, the less costly it will be.” 

– The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, 2006.  The review was commissioned by the UK Prime Minister

Your individual actions do matter but cannot bring about real change without collective action from others and major policy changes.  Probably the most important thing you can do is to model good behavior and organize with others (i.e. form or join a group) to inform and advocate for the changes you want to see.  

It Starts at Home: Taking care of yourself, the planet, and your wallet

Below is an excellent personal guide with three key principles for your household: 1. Saving the world, 2. Saving Money, and 3. Comfort is important!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/22/1348847/-The-Kos-guide-to-a-carbon-neutral-household-Intro

The guide above is pretty thorough but I’ll add some thoughts from off the top of my head in no particular order…

• Switch to LED lights.  They cost just a little more initially but they last longer and use about 1/3 of the energy of CFLs and just 5% of the energy of old-style incandescent bulbs.
• Get a solar hot water heater installed; this is a no-brainer.  There are huge tax credits that expire in 2016 from both the state and the federal government.  With those credits, the savings on your electric bill each month will cover your initial costs within 7 years.  After that, you’re banking extra money every month!
• Consider a new, energy saving refrigerator.  The better, more efficient models today use about 10% of the power of a 20-yr-old refrigerator.  You can save money by buying a new one.
• Monitor your use with a smart meter from KIUC.  Cut down on vampire power (Google it!).  
• Limit Air Conditioning (AC) usage.  
• Set up a clothes line and hang-dry your clothes.
• Cable boxes and video game consoles, in particular, use a lot of energy.  Consider internet alternatives to cable.  Or, just cancel cable, stop wasting time watching TV, and do something productive with your life!  
• If gaming is your life, read up on how to use less energy for your console and gaming habits.  For example, only keep it on while you play.
• If your household electric bill is $400/month or more, solar PV panels will probably be well worth it (i.e. they will save you money in the long run).
• Drive less; consider fuel economy on your next car.
• Get regular tune ups on your vehicle, check your tire pressure regularly, and unload unnecessary weight- this will help your car run optimally and more fuel efficiently.
• Consume less meat and grow some of your own produce to cut down on food miles.
• Fly less; this will also save you money.
• Use less water; anything that reduces your water use also reduces fossil fuel emissions because we extract, treat, and pump water to your house using energy!
• Use reusable water bottles and cups when going to Starbucks or elsewhere.
• Bring reusable bags to the store,
• Limit your consumption habits- everything you buy has had an impact on our environment through its manufacturing and delivery process, think twice before buying the newest iPhone, tablet, fashion item, etc.
• When you are finished using electronic products or glass, aluminum, plastic, etc. make sure you recycle them.  This can help save emissions from resource extraction and manufacturing processes as well as reduce toxic pollution.
• Think about and research where your everyday products are coming - including your lotions, makeup, and toilet paper.
• Support companies that are making choices based on the three Pʻs (People, Profit, Planet).
• Reuse everything you can, instead of throwing it away.
• Compost your food and yard waste- this can significantly cut down your solid waste.  The county has free compost bins you can pick up.  Call Laura Kelly at 241-4990.  Most of your paper can also be composted.
• When gardening or landscaping, choose plants that are well adapted to your climate and do not require a lot of resources including water to maintain.
• Use an electric or push mower instead of gasoline powered.

Personal Actions

• Inform others, Talk about these issues, where you want your community and the world to be like, and what you can do.

• You are the future; Find friends who share your passion.  Form or collectively join or get involved in a group dedicated to the things you feel most passionately about.  This can and should be really fun, especially at the local level.  
• Advocate as a group; it is much more effective than doing it alone (for example, if you call an elected official at the local, state, or national level they are much more responsive when you represent a group of people rather that just yourself).
• Boycott: research and participate in or organize boycotts of products companies that support fossil fuels or other bad behavior either through the business they do or the candidates and causes to which they donate.
• Write letters to media (local, national, internet, print and video, etc.) in support of science and the policies and politicians you support.
• Get involved at KCC- there is a new UH sustainability policy in place and our school is a part of the Presidential Climate Commitment, learn about what we are doing here at KCC to limit the school’s emissions.

Actions at the Local Level

• Support your electric utility in moving toward a more aggressive renewable energy portfolio. Encourage their conservation campaigns.  KIUC is already among national leaders in renewable energy watts per customer.  That is in large part due to members’ actions and votes!
• Support your local government in its planning.  The County is just staring a new planning process cycle: PlanKauai.com (facebook.com/kauaiplanning)
• Find out what the County of Kauaʻi is doing in regards to climate change and its possible effects here locally.  
• Push for more walk-able and bike-able pathways so that traveling without a car is easier and safer.
• Learn about and sSupport candidates who share your concerns.  Let existing candidates know your concerns.
• Contact local agencies – even if not elected – to inform and share your concerns and vision for the future.

Actions at the State and National Level

• Learn about and support candidates who share your concerns.  Let existing candidates know your concerns.
• Support state renewable energy targets.  
• Support other policies that you feel will help [e.g. address the three P’s (People, Planet, Proft) or E’s (Environment, Equity, Environment), etc.].  “Support” can mean calling or emailing representative to let him or her know what you want; research their positions and the issues; stay informed.  Let them know what you do and don’t like.  Submitting comments in open comment periods on specific policies.
• Contact State and Federal agencies – even if not elected – to inform and share your concerns and vision for the future.
• Push for divestment of the major corporations and your retirement savings to be divested of fossil fuels (for example, the State of Hawaii right now has large sums of your money invested in fossil fuel companies through State retirement programs that invest in the stock market.  These investments help fossil fuel companies in all that they do).

Luke, What are you Thinking?

Here’s a snap-shot of my internal monologue shortly after my 3^rd cup of coffee this morning.

Luke, WTF? This blog started because you wanted to try and live off the land in an off-grid Yurt, and now you’re writing about the positive effect that growth has had on Hawai’i? Have you looked around? The endless growth paradigm is driving us into the ground. I’ve heard you say that! Asshole, you’re giving me whiplash. After all that you’ve written about the status-quo, about climate change, the loss of open space, declining local agriculture, and waxing poetic about what happens when the black dust fences come down. Now, you have the schizophrenic nerve to write that the end of growth may be more worrisome than the slew of problems that we’ve inherited through our endless population growth?

Huh, schizophrenic? Really? Not only is that incorrectly used, but it's a terrible and offensive word choice for a post on an imaginary internal dialogue. All I’m saying is that we need to accept that our society is based on economic growth. Have you ever gotten a loan? Bought a house? Purchased anything on a credit card? The near certainty of future growth makes all of those things possible. And, it’s important for us to recognize that the main drivers of economic growth since the industrial revolution have been the population explosion and cheap energy in the form of stored carbon.

What about the endless expansion of agricultural subdivisions? What about the fact that nobody my age can buy a house? What about our lack of water? And, traffic! I’m going to sit in traffic for two hours this afternoon to go paddle in Hanalei Bay where there’s been a sewage spill because Princeville can’t handle their own shit. Are you telling me that these aren’t problems of too much growth?

Sure they are. But, don’t you live in an agricultural subdivision? It’s easy for you to say ‘no more growth,’ but what about all those people who don’t own homes? Who don’t have decent paying jobs? What would the end of growth mean for them? The last time the world was in a state of no-growth was feudalism. Do you know what broke the back of feudalism in Hawai’i and Europe? Trade, economic growth, the birth of towns, and economic mobility. When there’s growth, you can move out of the strata of your birth. How can we begin to solve our mounting inequality in a stagnant economy? How can government preserve open space? How can they invest in renewable energy and public transportation? We need economic growth. Population growth ensured that we now have a 35% better chance of owning a home and 62% more income than we would've in the '60s.  Would you give that up? 

Ok. So, what are you saying? Have more kids?

No. Not at all. The population will keep growing for at least another forty years. There are about 400 more births than deaths every year on Kaua’i. Even without immigration, people are going to keep making plenty of babies for awhile. We need to do a better job of managing growth and infrastructure now, so that we can decouple economic growth from population growth in the future. I know that you read that article in yesterday’s New York Times about how Japan’s population is declining by .8% per year, and they are having to cut services and abandon built infrastructure. Those are the results of ignoring the future threat of population decline.

And what about decoupling economic growth from carbon emissions first, shouldn’t that be a priority? If we don’t do that, we won’t even have the chance to figure out the population problem later. Democracy doesn’t think long term.

They happen simultaneously. The solutions for decoupling economic growth from carbon are the same as population. We need to continually invest in technology. And, though I know you have mixed feelings on this as well—that means supporting high tech industry on Kaua’i like the seed companies so that we're not so dependent on tourism. It also means supporting renewable energy. When we spend money on oil, that money leaves our local economy forever. When we spend money on renewable energy, that goes to KIUC, land owners, and local entrepreneurs. And, because they are a co-op, when KIUC makes a profit, they distribute it to every one of their customers/owners. And, most importantly, we need to support locally owned businesses. Spending $200 locally can generate as much as $500 for our economy. The emphasis on technology and local production leads to a smaller reliance on population growth while simultaneously getting us off of fossil fuels.

This is all easy for you to say. You’re sitting in an armchair at your desk. Have you driven down Puhi Road? We can’t even maintain our current infrastructure in the face of population growth. How can we hope to decarbonize and plan for a future of limited population growth?

As a rural community, we spend a disproportionately large amount of money per person. On O’ahu, the county spends $2,196 per person—on Kaua’i our county spends $3,035 per person. The difference being that we expect the same level of government services, but we’re more spread out. Every new agricultural subdivision of multi acre lots costs the county significantly more to provide service—water, roads, fire and police protection, etc—than it does for a home in the heart of Lihu’e. While we need to incentivize density and mixed use construction, our current zoning codes leave it up to the whims of the market to dictate development patterns. It’s in the best interest of the large land owners to continually rezone land to residential in order to cash out on their long term investments. And, because we’re short on housing, the Land Use Commission is inclined to always agree. Check out Numila’s re-designation to urban and the surrounding area being designated a “high growth area” in the South Kaua’i Community Plan. While that is a gift to the landowner, it’s also borne out of the housing crunch. We need more houses, and that is how the market provides them. However, there is a  different solution. Form Based Code gives the Planning Department the regulatory ability to control the “form” of development on Kaua’i. They can promote mixed use development, density, and livability so we don’t fall into the the same problems of every American suburb since the advent of the automobile. While it's a dirty word on Kaua'i, promoting density around our urban areas such as Lihu’e and Kapa’a would decrease commuting to Lihu’e and decrease our per-capita infrastructure cost of far-away developments. Traffic and high county expenditures start and end with planning.

Sorry I fell asleep. What were we talking about? Chem trails? Just kidding. Maybe I missed it, but why would we give more power to our county to control development?

Whether you like it or not, we’re going to have 15,000 more people on Kaua’i over the next twenty years. We need to accommodate that growth, yet plan for the flow to eventually stop. If we continue with business as usual, we can expect to continue to lose ag land and create far away subdivisions that cost a lot for the county to maintain.

Ok, I’m with you to a point. With traditional zoning codes, we know what we’re getting—residential here, commercial there, and agricultural way over there. Development forms and patterns are guided by the developers, not by the planning department. But, by attempting to manage development form, aren’t we giving a lot of undue power to the planning department? Sure, we may have a pro-active planning department now, but what if the next administration is financed by developers, and they don’t like the restrictive nature of Form Based Code? Can we really afford that inconsistency?

Of course that’s a risk, but that’s the inherent danger of democracy. Which is the best argument there is for getting engaged.

And, on that note, I guess you're going to post this on Facebook? Do you really need to post every single thought that you have? Is nothing sacred anymore?

Welcome to the 21st century buddy. 

Maybe Growth isn't the Problem?

After only a few years in office most Democratic politicians pretty much abandoned forced land redistribution as a social goal, and, whether consciously or deliberately or not, opted instead for land development as an essential part of the way to broad social and economic reform. The idea was that development would create new wealth for new groups of people in Hawaii. The living standards of middle and working-class people would rise. Thus rather than cut up the old pie of landed wealth in a different way, the idea was to make the pie grow more rapidly and continually by developing land intensively, so that everyone could have more without anyone having to give up anything of significance.

- Land and Power in Hawai'i


Today is the 56th anniversary of Statehood in Hawai'i. I grew up wishing that I could see Hawai'i in 1959. I had this romantic view of plantation life, dug out canoes, and empty surf spots. As time marches steadily forward I now look back at my childhood in the late '80s with that same romance. I grew up next to a cow pasture in Wailua Homesteads. Now, the only things growing in that pasture are large homes. Unless it was leaving Vidinha Stadium after the Farm Bureau Fair, a football game, or the 4^th of July—I do not remember ever sitting in traffic. Kipu Falls and Opaeka’a falls were two of my favorite places to go. On the weekends, it felt like we had Poli Hale all to ourselves. 

“Keep Kaua’i, Kaua’i”—“Grown here, not flown here”—“Slow down, this isn’t the mainland.”

There has always been an animosity towards new growth, new developments, and new comers. It's hard not to be angry when you see growing inequality, an affordable housing crisis, and continual development. But, even if you spend three hours a day sitting in traffic, even if you’ve lost access to waterfalls or beaches, and even if your favorite surf spot is crowded beyond recognition—you’ve benefited from Hawai’i’s land use policies.   

Before World War II, half of Hawai’i’s land was owned by 80 individuals or companies, and the very large majority of the remainder was ceded (or stolen, depending on your perspective) crown lands owned by the government. It was a concentration of power and ownership that was unprecedented in American history. At the time, it was nearly impossible to buy land. Not only were plantation level incomes too low, but the land was all tied up in agriculture and those in control had no incentive to start selling. But, with unionization, the initial economic diversity offered by tourism, and, most importantly, the return of Nissei WWII Veterans who used the GI Bill to earn a college education and political power—the economic situation changed overnight. A middle class appeared, and they wanted in on the American dream. 

The Democratic Revolution of 1954 was borne out of widespread discontent in low wages and a lack of available land for the new burgeoning middle class. As Wikipedia describes it: 

general strikes, protests and other acts of civil disobedience... culminated in the territorial elections of 1954 where the reign of the Hawaii Republican Party in the legislature came to an abrupt end, as they were voted out of office to be replaced by members of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i.

Development, development, and more development—were the keys to economic prosperity, and, over time, the keys to holding onto political power. A taxation policy of highest and best use instead of actual use ensured higher tax revenues, steady construction, and the steady development of all lands not designated as agricultural. Development fueled Hawai'i's economic engine and the ensuing financial windfall kept Hawai'i's political machine well oiled. 

As explained by George Cooper and Gavin Daws in Land and Power in Hawai'i:

following the ‘democratic revolution‘ of the early 1950s a new power structure began to form. In time it became resistant to change. It started recycling old members rather than continually pulling new participants up from the grassroots from which the founders emerged. Its elected leaders more and more relied on the money of the ‘haves.‘ In time they themselves became ‘haves.’[...] 

In Hawaii, as in other places in the United States, money buys votes. And in Council campaigns, the winners are usually financed by development interests: architects, contractors, attorneys, realtors, engineers, landowners, bankers, investors.

Yet, despite the growth-at-all costs mentality of Hawai'i government, despite the level of corruption and stagnation in Hawai’i state politics over the last 50 years, despite the fact that we all spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in traffic, despite lost access to waterfalls and beaches, despite open space and ag land converting to sprawling developments—if you own land in Hawai’i or have a job that pays a livable wage, you have probably gained more than you have lost. 

If you are the average person in Hawai'i, your chances of owning your own home are 35% better today than they were in 1960 and your personal income, adjusted for inflation, has increased by 62%. Would you trade your house or more than half of your annual income to go back to the Hawai'i of the 1960s? I wouldn't.  

Economic growth in developed countries follows population growth. More people, more houses, more growth, more money.

However, the reverse is also true. Less people, less development, less growth, less money. As the planet moves from an agrarian society to an urban one, the easiest way to raise your families living standards is to have less children. Because of that, birthrates are falling in every community on the planet. Japan, almost all of Europe, Russia, and some Asian Countries are facing precipitous population declines. In most of the developed world birthrates are at or below the replacement rate. And even among the poorest countries on the planet the birthrate is expected to level out by the end of the century.

The growth rate on Kaua'i has declined from near 3% annually in the 70s, to 1.3% between 2000 and 2010, and it's expected to fall to 1.1% annually over the next twenty years. Correspondingly, our state's annual economic growth rate between 1960 and 1975 was 3.2%, yet, between 1969 and 2007 it was only .6%. As our population boom slows, so does our economic growth. The slowdown is reflected in declining construction, declining growth in GDP, and stagnant tax revenue.

The rapid population growth and availability of land that fueled our economic explosion from Statehood is over. And I don't think it's coming back. While I've written about the threat of infinite growth and the need to control development, I'm beginning to think we should be equally concerned about the end of growth. As Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired Magazine, writes: 

We have no experience throughout human history with declining population and rising progress (including during the Black Plague years)... Here is the challenge: This is a world where every year there is a smaller audience than the year before, a smaller market for your goods or services, fewer workers to choose from, and a ballooning elder population that must be cared for. We've never seen this in modern times; our progress has always paralleled rising populations, bigger audiences, larger markets and bigger pools of workers. It's hard to see how a declining yet aging population functions as an engine for increasing the standard of living every year. To do so would require a completely different economic system, one that we are not prepared for at all right now.

Struggling economies do not invest in fighting climate change, environmental conservation, or policies of social justice. As much as perpetual economic growth has been part of the problem, we also need it for our solutions.

But, we can maintain economic growth in the face of finite resources and dwindling population growth. Continual increases in technology and productivity can maintain an economic engine in a steady state economy. And a dollar spent at a locally owned business generates 80% more for a local economy than spending it at a non local business. If we aspire to zero population growth, then we need to support education, high tech industry, and local businesses in order to maintain our standard of living while investing in the future.

I recently posted this picture on Facebook of our company retreat in Koke'e. A friend who works in conservation noted that grazing goats are both supporting that patch of grass (nitrogen manure) while undermining its support (eating the hillside bare). And, while the grassy area is healthy, the goats consumption habits will eventually cause it to erode away completely. They are both part of the solution and the problem for that isolated little land mass. Sound familiar?

Liberty Challenge

I was asked to write something about the Liberty Challenge for Pacific Paddler Magazine. It's my third year writing about the Liberty Challenge (here's my first and second attempts), so I tried to take a new approach this time. My parents were born in New York, and my grandparents immigrated to NYC during World War II, so for me there is no race experience on the planet like paddling an outrigger canoe in front of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. 


There is a rhythm to New York City. You can hear it in the still curing concrete of its old tenement buildings. You can feel it echoing off of the Freedom Tower, the United Nations, and the Statue of Liberty. And you can see it in the throng of humanity on the street. It’s the sound of history and the hum of life. It’s pervasive and addictive. Even in the climate controlled comfort of your hotel room, rest is impossible. With the humidity pressing down you lie awake in your sweat soaked sheets; listening to the noise on the street; watching the shadows on the wall; feeling the rhythm of the city.

If you’re from Hawai’i—or anywhere where the default pace of life isn’t set at 1.5x—then that inescapable NYC pulse can be exhausting. But, there is one way out. Every June there is a festival of Hawai’i on the Hudson River’s Pier 26. In the shadow of the financial district, with the Statue of Liberty viewable in the distance and the New Jersey skyline across the river-- the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge offers a fleeting reprieve from the pounding pulse of NYC. The sounds of Hawaiian music drown out the roar of the traffic. And there is an indescribable beauty in the contrast between the graceful sway of hula amidst the quivering energy of the city.

The mini Hawaiian oasis that New York Outrigger Canoe Club creates on less than an acre at pier 26 is just one more beat in the continuous thrum of city life. As immigrants from every corner of the world have funneled through Manhattan in search of a better life—they’ve each added their voice to the story of NYC. This multiculturalism is the energy behind the city’s pulse. And, as outrigger canoeing spreads through the east coast, Hawaiian culture is adding its own melody to the rhythm of NYC.

As you paddle to the starting line in the Hudson river, the cacophony of 8.5 million people pans away until there is only one beat left— the rhythm of six paddles hitting the water at sixty five strokes per minute. Because the river is far below the level of the street, the people and the cars disappear and you’re overcome by silence. The skyscrapers of New York, those monumental achievements to human ingenuity, are dwarfed by the storm clouds that roll through on race morning. After the incessant drum of city life, the solitude of finally getting on the water is a welcome relief.

And then… the race starts. Being in a wa'a is the same whether you’re paddling into Matira Bay in Bora Bora, racing a Koa Canoe in Hanalei surrounded by the cascading waterfalls of Namolokama, or fighting the current of the East River in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge.

L-R: Luke, Keola, Hayden, Travis, Kenny, Manutea

But, there is one difference. The currents around Manhattan, especially in the East River, can run as fast as four knots. So, while we’re used to looking for bumps to maximize speed, in New York it’s all about finding (or avoiding) the current. Races are won and lost based on a few inches of course. Hug the wall when you’re against the current or run the middle when you’re with the current.

It seems straight-forward—until you add forty other canoes, fishing lines, crazy ferry drivers, drunken yachties, submerged ancient pier pilings, and overzealous Homeland Security Agents with large guns. When you’re fighting a current and you need to duck in close to shore, you will encounter each of those treacherous obstacles. A siren and then loudhorn blasting “stay away from the Ellis Island,” multiple fishing poles stuck on the ‘iako and a crowd of angry New Yorkers running alongside (never paddle without a knife), a five canoe pile-up, the Staten Island Ferry—and that was just my experience in one race.

At the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge, the day is split up into three races: the women race first, the men race second, and the mixed race third. They start at 7:30 and go until 4:00. For those on the pier there’s food, entertainment, games, and vendors all day long. Each canoe is rigged with a GPS tracker so those who aren’t racing (and anyone with a smart phone) can watch the action live. For a sport that is known for its lack of spectator friendliness, GPS tracking, while in its infancy, will finally make our sport watchable.

This year’s event had the most competitive men’s field in any race outside of the Pacific. Primo, Team Kamanu, Newport Aquatic Center, and Team Kokua (a team of Hawaiian Airlines employees) duked it out in the men’s open-class division: with NAC taking top honors. In an impressive showing from a country that looks poised to become an international contender in the OC-6-- SAMU, the men’s team from Brazil won the stock canoe division, taking home the first place prize of entry fee and roundtrip flights to the Hawaiian Airlines Moloka’i Hoe. In the women’s division Team Bradley won by five minutes over Washington Canoe Club and team Wai Nui from Canada won the open-class division. In the mixed division it was Team Kaua’i ‘Ohana in first overall, and Washington Canoe Club winning the stock division.

After a long day of racing, the nights festivities kicked-off with the famous luau after-party. As the dancers from around Polynesia began to perform, the paddlers emerged from the beer garden with bellies full of kalua pig and lomi salmon. While there were no balmy trade winds, gentle lapping ocean, or swaying coconut trees— as the sun set on the Manhattan skyline to the tune of a lone ukulele, and a crowd of happy paddlers in aloha shirts recounted the days races— for one brief evening the rhythm of New York City life was in harmony with the melody of Hawai'i.



And… this is what happens when you don't bring a knife to NYC. 

Entagled during race - NYC
NYC: Flying fishing poles - Team Kamanu gets entangle during the race. Edited for time - overall over 3 minutes lost. Notice Manutea trying to bite through the line and Luke Evslin trying to use his paddle as knife... the fishermen were not too happy... :-) #kamanucomposites #oceanpaddlertv #libertychallenge
Posted by Ocean Paddler TV on Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Midnight musings on morality part II: Ned Stark, Abraham Lincoln, and the Piglet Apocalypse

For the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of us does his best.

So, let us be alert—alert in a twofold sense: 

Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of.

And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake.

  -Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

On Friday night, right after I’d posted my story of being a failure of a pig hunter, we heard dogs in the forest. One of them ran along the border of our property, barking and whining into the distance. And then, from about 9pm-midnight we heard the futile call of the hunter yelling, "EHHHH---EHHHH—EHHH” while the dog whimpered a barely audible reply from deep in the forest. Then again at 6am, “EHHH--- EHHHH—EHHH.” This time there was no response from the dog.

I happened to run into the hunter yesterday, who said his best dog took off after a huge pig in a swampy area. That swamp is behind my house, and that huge pig is, almost without a doubt, my nightly friend. Because I didn’t kill her when I had the chance, this hunter lost his best dog.

If my pig lives three more years (average life-span is 4-5 years in the wild), at the average feral reproduction rate she will have 24 offspring. If half of them survive to maturity, and half of them are females, they will collectively produce 144 more piglets over three years. Nine more years with a 50% survival rate, and we’re at more than 36,000 eco-system destroying descendants of my matriarchal night-time visitor. If it sounds like a zombie apocalypse, that’s because it is. Caused by me. Without intensive hunting, Kaua’i will be over-run by feral pigs.

But, the pig reproduction rate is a future hypothetical based on compound growth. Watching a hunter as he calls in vain for Junior, his lost dog, isn’t. While I wrote last week about my moral failings, I never expected to actually be confronted by their impacts.

You've heard of the nuclear football, yeah? It’s the infamous briefcase that is always near the president which contains nuclear launch codes. In case some despotic country launches nuclear weapons at the US, we will launch back enough war-heads to obliterate them. Because a retaliatory strike could, in an instant, wipe out millions of innocent lives (and possibly all of humanity), I recently read about a nuclear deterrence proposal that the nuclear launch codes should be in a metal capsule near the heart of a volunteer. Not their heart in a metaphysical way—I mean the muscle with the chambers that pumps blood through your body. That volunteer would have to stay near the POTUS at all times with a briefcase. Except, in the briefcase is only a knife. If nuclear war comes, the President would have to be prepared to stab the man in the chest and cut his heart out in order to get the nuclear launch codes. The brutal purpose of the act would be to ensure that if we ever launch a nuclear weapon, the President would have to have first-hand involvement in the brutality of the decision. If you’re not prepared to cut an innocent man’s heart out, you’re not prepared to launch a nuclear weapon.

Quick, name five historical figures other than Jesus Christ who have had an outsize impact on the world. Here’s my five—Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, and Adolph Hitler.  What do they all have in common? They killed a lot of people. Except for Abraham Lincoln, none of those men would be considered heroes of morality. They changed the world out of sheer brutality and in vain pursuit of glory. 

But, what about the good one? While Abraham Lincoln is widely considered our greatest president— his insistence on fighting the south to a complete surrender resulted in the deaths of 2% of the population of America (equivalent to 6 million people today). How many of us would be prepared to sacrifice 1 in 50 people for the simple idea that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Yet, does anyone alive (white supremecists don’t count) make the argument that Lincoln made a mistake by going to war? Or that that the cost was too high? The calculation of Abraham Lincoln was that democracy and abolition (though that came second) were worth sacrificing the country for. Yet, he is considered the greatest democratic leader in history because he took a moral calculation and acted on it.

As I argued last week, despite everything I've written for the last few years, there is always a right choice and a wrong choice. But, like my experience with the pig, indecision is a lot easier than slicing a jugular. Which is why I'll soon have 36,000 pigs outside my fence, why congress has stalled, and why our Kaua'i County Council is perpetually debating barking dogs, open space, and term limits. What about our limits to growth? Traffic solutions? The campaign promises to support local ag? We're fighting over ideology and nobody wants to get blood on their hands.

As Jon Stewart said last night in his final epic rant:

But then there's the more pernicious bullshit. Your premeditated, institutional bullshit, designed to obscure and distract. Designed by whom? The bullshitocracy… These bullshitters cover their unwillingness to act under the guise of unending inquiry. We can't do anything because we don't yet know everything. We cannot take action on climate change, until everyone in the world agrees gay-marriage vaccines won't cause our children to marry goats, who are going to come for our guns. Until then, I say it leads to controversy. 

If I learned one thing watching last night's GOP debate, it's that we love bullshit. John Kasich was like the smart kid with all the right answers, but nobody was paying attention because the asshole in the back of the class with the perpetual smirk and crazy hair was drunk again. Who's fault is that? In our zest for reality TV, hockey fights, and NASCAR car crashes-- divisiveness, controversy, and theatrics win every time. And we accomplish… nothing.

In the final words of John Stewart: "The best defense against bullshit is vigilance. So if you smell something, say something."

In this election season, I'm looking for the candidate who will wipe the feral pig blood off of their left hand before placing it on Plato's Republic to be sworn into office.

But, as this guy showed us, that type of person doesn't last very long in politics. 

If you don't know who this is, you are missing out on the greatest show ever made. Drop whatever you're doing. Stop listening to Donald Trump's head inflate and go watch Game of Thrones instead.