Soviet botanist Ivan Machurin’s immortal phrase “We cannot wait for favors from nature. To take them from it — that is our task” could be the all-encompassing slogan by which Russia’s resource-driven economy now lives. Even though the early 20th-century scientist was primarily referring to creating plant hybrids, his philosophy underpinned many of the...
Continue readingMonth: May 2012
Plans for Waikamoi flume unveiled
MAKAWAO – The leaking, redwood Waikamoi flume would be replaced with an aluminum channel supported by an aluminum truss along its entire 1.1-mile length, retaining precious surface water for drought-plagued Upcountry residents and providing a safe working platform for employees of the Department of Water Supply. The flume channels water from the Haipuaena Stream...
Continue readingMysterious deer growth a problem on Big Island
HONOLULU – Deer can swim, but not very far. When they showed up for the first time on the Big Island of Hawaii, mystified residents wondered how they got there. The island is some 30 miles southeast of Maui, where deer are plentiful. Hawaii wildlife authorities think someone dropped a few from a helicopter...
Continue readingBig isle drought persists
Drought lingered on the Big Island through another dry winter and is returning this summer to more deeply ravaged, already water-stressed places. These next five months aren’t expected to bring any real reprieve, especially for leeward areas, said Kevin Kodama, senior hydrologist for the National Weather Service. Weather officials are predicting persistence and possible...
Continue readingTea’s refreshing change
Chinese beverage takes on renewed meaning and styles to draw in younger generation Rather than while away their time in coffee shops like most of their peers, Li Jiayi and her friends are happy to spend 1,000 yuan ($158, 122 euros) between them over a pot of tea. Of course, it is not just...
Continue readingNation’s farmers cater to taste for foreign foods
Patricia Kontur was surprised when the blueberry export business to China was hit by a sudden slump last year, after five years of consecutive gains. The slump was not caused by shrinking demand but by rising competition in the mainland, said the export program director of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, which...
Continue readingCoffee buzz: Java drinkers live longer, big study finds; regular and decaf are equally good
MILWAUKEE — One of life’s simple pleasures just got a little sweeter. After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn’t matter....
Continue readingFears alpacas could spread bovine TB
Exotic and inquisitive, alpacas are charismatic pets and are prized for their luxurious fleeces. But an owner has warned that many alpaca keepers are in denial about the risk of bovine TB after she caught the potentially fatal disease from one of her animals. Dianne Summers, a 51-year-old owner of 20 alpacas from Cornwall,...
Continue readingOnion Fun in the Sun
Drawing in the crowds as usual will be the 23rd annual Maui Onion Festival Saturday at Whalers Village Fine Shops & Restaurant at Kaanapali Resort. With continuous entertainment on two stages, it’s always a draw because it’s fun for the whole family. Highlights include the Maui Onion Eating Contests for keiki and adults, live...
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