Editor’s note 4-22-2009
No one ever accused a newspaper of being above self-promotion—just look at the New York Times coverage of its five Pulitzer Prize awards this week—and Honolulu Weekly is game, especially when it’s for a good cause. If you’re reading this on Wednesday, we really hope you’ll come down to Fort Street Mall and check out the Honolulu Weekly Green Market. It’s an all-day event highlighting the best in environmental and sustainable arts, entertainment and business in Hawaii. Also sponsored by Blue Planet Foundation, Interisland Solar and Whole Foods, the day was dreamed up by Weekly publisher Laurie V. Carlson to bring together the eco-minded and business-minded communities, for networking, consciousness-raising and general good times. Take a look at our Hot Pick this week for more details, and come down to mingle with the like-minded and the curious.
HHH
The Association of Asian American Studies’ annual conference is in town this week for the first time since 1998. Five hundred-plus academics and writers from across the country will discuss “Challenging Inequalities: Nations, Races and Communities.” Margot Seeto has an interview with one of the featured speakers for this year’s gathering on the facing page, and there’s still space available at the conference itself, but if you’re looking for lighter fare, you might swing by thirtyninehotel on Friday evening. There’ll be a reception for noted Asian and Filipino American writers including Michelle Cruz Skinner, Theodore Gonzalves, Davianna McGregor, Lisa Lowe and others. No formal schedule or program, but plenty of informal drinking and socializing with some knockout writers.
HHH
On Monday, Kanu Hawaii members will gather at the State Capitol for a day of service—to lawmakers. They’ll be offering every office one free CFL lightbulb to anyone who brings an incandescent bulb from home, then walking the Capitol parking lot, checking tire pressure on every vehicle. Executive Director James Koshiba hopes that by performing service rather than engaging in confrontation, Kanu can demonstrate its values and commitments while drawing attention to the issues of climate change and energy.
“Each CFL we give away will use 80 percent less energy than the incandescent bulb it replaces, preventing 190 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and saving the user about $20 in electricity a year,” he said yesterday. “Because under-inflated tires make cars burn more gas, for every set of tires we help correct, we’ll save a full tank of gas and keep 220 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually.”
The fast-growing sustainability organization seeks to promote “island values.” As we all know, those values do not generally include strong language or direct confrontation. People around the Capitol are watching Kanu closely, this week and beyond.
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