Parallel Reality of Anti-Cane Burning Activists 

Dear Editor,           August 8, 2015

My concern with the cane burning issue is the actual cane smoke exposure time to our residents.   Actual exposure time must be considered when discussing health problems, not the number of telephone complaints.

HC&S burn about 150 days of a 365 day year with a total burn time (smoke is in the air) of about 3 hours/burn or 450 hours per year. There are 8760 hours in a year, so all of Maui is exposed to cane smoke 450 hours or only 5 percent of the total hours in a year over 30,000 acres.

Not all burns affect Kihei, like we are led to believe, since HC&S also burn in Haiku, Makawao, Wailuku, Kahului, Hali'imaile, Pukalani, Kula, etc.

This is what is called “parallel science” where certain data is excluded, but comes to the same conclusion as if all the data together was included.  Real scientists want us to  to review all the data.  “Parallel scientists” want media attention only, and usually only present cherry-picked data that illustrates their desired result.

Maui’s “parallel science” is illustrated by only showing Maui cane smoke originating from where the most community noise originates in Kihei.  “Parallel science” excludes data from other areas, not illustrating their desired falsehood.

Health effects should be judged on scientific merit or exposure, not data from free telephone complaint centers.

All 700 plus HC&S and Maui workers, and their relatives, should remember who is trying to put them out of work. Donating to them is like committing worker suicide.

Don Gerbig

Lahaina, Maui