The Conversation: Monday, August 3rd 2015
Hawaii Conservation Conference: Tom Lovejoy
Starting today, 1200 protectors of Hawaii's ecosystems are gathering for the 23rd annual Hawaii Conservation Conference. Unlike in past years, this year, Hilo not Honolulu is hosting the conference and as we heard last week on Town Square, the change of venue seems to have energized the event. One of the speakers who also hopes to energize the crowd is Dr. Thomas Lovejoy. For decades he has been at the forefront of international conservation biology and the quest to preserve biological diversity, a term he first used in 1980. He has directed the World Wildlife Fund-US program, founded the TV series Nature and is often credited with making tropical forest conservation a public issue.
- Intro Music: Monday, Monday by The Mamas and The Papas
- Outro Music: Battle of the Species by Antibalas
Asst. General Secretary of the International Astronomical Union: Piero Benvenuti
Few of us look at the night sky as often as we might like. But when we do, it’s with a sense of wonder that never completely goes away. Imagine, then, the life of the astronomer, able to use ever-evolving new methods to travel farther and farther away from home and ponder those unanswerable questions that have tantalized us from the beginning. The members of the International Astronomical Union will be reaching out to the public to share their sense of wonder with the people of Hawaii over the course of the next eleven days.
- Intro Music: Aguilas and Cobras by Brownout
- Outro Music: Si, Se Puede by Antibalas
In the quest to find a solution to homelessness, most arguments lead back to affordable housing. The conversation usually turns on current inventory, plans to find funds to fix existing, now uninhabitable units, and attract new ones. Tomorrow, a coalition of advocacy organizations will stage a Housing Now rally at the Honolulu Hale. Rev Bob Nakata represents Faith Action for Community Equity.
- Intro Music: Got Django by Hot Club of Hulaville
- Outro Music: Journey Through Time by The Shaolin Afronauts
Sand Sculpture Kauai: Julian Miller
Sand sculptors are, by nature, a philosophical lot readily able to adapt to the fleeting nature of their creative output. They have to be that way, impermanence is built into their chosen discipline. That doesn’t keep them creating works of sculpted art that are large, detailed, and incredibly elaborate. Their work seems to get more spectacular each year at Kauai’s Sand Festival and Sand Castle/Sculpture Contest, which links Hawaii artists to a nationwide movement.
- Intro Music: Con el Cuete by Brownout
- Outro Music: Castles in the Sand by Tuck & Patti
