Excessive light obscures night sky

The article "Old Hawaii had clear view of the stars" in last Thursday's Star-Bulletin points out that we are trying to regain a connection to the night sky such as that enjoyed by early Hawaiians. What the article fails to mention is that regaining that connection is nearly impossible today due to the proliferation of poorly designed outdoor lighting.

Thousands of street lights and so-called "security" lights on Oahu waste megawatts of light energy that is beamed into the sky, where it obliterates our view of the stars. Beyond the loss of the night sky and the waste of energy, excessive lighting confuses wildlife and might damage human health. The state and the counties should pass laws similar to those elsewhere, mandating that all new light fixtures installed be properly designed to protect our resources. They are readily available and should be required in our environmentally conscious state.

Selfish drivers should get out of their cars

What is wrong with Oahu drivers when their rebuttal for the crosswalk law is to suggest ticketing pedestrians who take too long crossing the street? Are people so shortsighted in this car-crazy culture that they want to fine people who are actually walking? Think about it folks, if those pedestrians aren't walking or biking, they're going to be driving -- and that means you still have to wait for them to go before you.

As for the June 8 letter to the editor whining to "keep it fair" by ticketing pedestrians, sure, it's "fair" -- just as soon as you get out of your climate-controlled car with music and reclining seats, and work up a sweat getting from place to place, too. Learn the laws and be respectful of people in crosswalks who aren't encased in steel, like you are. Unlike pedestrians, it won't kill YOU to stop and wait.

Many of society's ills are products of choice

For quite some time now I have been reading the "Letters to the Editor" section of this and a couple of other newspapers in Hawaii. The frustration over traffic gridlock, taxation, noise, child abuse, homeless abuse, causes of homelessness and many other topics seems to dominate most of the letters.

Sadly, the only solution I can see for these social ills is for every individual to consciously reject their greed and selfishness.

With the exception of a few circumstances, the social problems of today are directly related to choice. You can choose to be greedy or not. You can choose to be selfish or not. You can choose to give or take. You can choose to steal or not to steal.

I suggest we all do our best to choose wisely starting now or the consequences will catch up with us all.

Windmills look better than huge generators

I was excited to read of plans for a wind turbine power generation project on Oahu (Star-Bulletin, June 9), but confused that people are concerned that it might be "ugly" and that they could see it. What do they think of the current power plant at Kahe and other sites around the island?

I think an array of windmills would be a fine sight to behold. They are an exciting technological marvel, and what a fine monument they would be to the spirit of preserving the aina!

Three-way stop better than roundabout

Ed Hirata (Letters, June 13), the director of the Department of Transportation Services, opines that a roundabout was needed as a traffic-calming measure at Ala Oli and Haloa drives in Foster Village. He paints those in opposition as opposed to traffic calming and safety.

What he fails to note is that most opponents in Foster Village are not anti-traffic calming, but anti-roundabout. The neighborhood board passed a resolution last month recommending a three-way stop sign at Ala Oli/Haloa, and roundabout opponents support that.

What we protest is the city spending half a million dollars to do what a pair of stop signs and some pavement paint would have accomplished at far less cost. What we want to know is why the city and our City Council representative Romy Cachola are so determined to provide this contract to a construction company, the community's opinion be damned.

Blaine Fergerstrom
Foster Village

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