Hawaii is the first US state to finally ban shark fishing
On June 8th, in honor of World Oceans Day, Hawaiian Governor David Ige signed nine measures into law, including one that will safeguard sharks and other marine life. Act 51 (House Bill 533) came into effect early last month. According to the new legislation, it is now against the law to Read More...
Volcanic musical dynamics could help predict eruptions
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano dramatically erupted in 2018, causing earthquakes, ash plumes, and lava flows that demolished over 700 homes on the island. This was one of the worst eruptions the U.S. had seen since Mount St. Helens and unfortunately there was no credible model to turn to to help Read More...
Hawaii is the first US state to enact ban on shark fishing
On the first day of the year, January 1st, 2022, Hawaii became the first state in the US to enact a ban on shark fishing. House Bill 553 bill was first passed last year and under the new legislation, and now it is a misdemeanor to knowingly capture, entangle, or kill a shark in state marine Read More...
Scientists record events before a supernova for first time
Before now, researchers have never been able to watch a supernova (a massive explosion of a dying star) as it plays out. Although, as the chaotic aftermath is widely available in the universe to observe, scientists could take a pretty good guess at what actually occurs during the deadly Read More...
9-year-old stumbles upon 37-year-old message in a bottle
In 1984 and 1985, students from the natural science club at Choshi High School in the eastern prefecture of Chiba in Japan released 750 glass bottles into the ocean as part of a project to investigate ocean currents. This past June, 37 years later, nine-year-old Abbie Graham discovered one of Read More...
This new approach to parole helps reduce recidivism
Recidivism is a term that describes the tendency of previously incarcerated individuals to become reincarcerated一and it’s a huge problem in the US. America’s justice system is notoriously problematic, with criticisms ranging from a fundamental disagreement on what should be illegal to how Read More...
Thought Leader Series: Julian Spector on Hawaii's renewable future
This Thought Leader Series piece was originally published in Canary Media's August 19, 2021 Newsletter. BY Julian Spector Last week I visited Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, which is currently girding itself for the closure of the state's last coal plant. My mission: to figure out how Read More...
Rediscovery of endangered Hawaiian bird brings hope for its population
The Kiwkiu, also known as the Maui Parrotbill, was once a common sight on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Moloka’i. But as a result of human activity, feral pigs, wildcats, and mosquito-transmitted diseases, the golden, thick-billed bird’s population dwindled to around 150. In a bid to Read More...
Hawaii marks threat of climate change with state of emergency declaration
Hawaii is poised to take a momentous step in the recognition of the severity of climate change with the adoption of the State Senate Concurrent Resolution 44. Under the new bill, Hawaii will officially declare a state of emergency in response to the threat of climate change. Although this may Read More...
Patagonia wants to bring breadfruit to your local grocery store
While chances are that your local grocery store doesn’t have breadfruit in the produce aisle, that may soon change thanks to Patagonia Provisions, a division of the outdoor apparel company, which wants to help make the food system more sustainable and cut carbon emissions from the atmosphere. As Read More...