Maui running out of sand?

[Miulang]

Sand is something most people in Hawai'i take for granted. Now, however, there may be a looming shortage of sand on Maui, due to the increased needs for sand in construction. I never thought I'd see the day when sand had to be rationed! Since a good proportion of the sand from Maui is being shipped to Oahu for use in building, what's Oahu going to do if Maui starts restricting sales of the stuff?

"...The vast system of inland sand dunes that stretches across Wailuku has largely been covered by development, and what’s left is being mined – about 318,000 tons of the stuff dug out and used each year, 70 percent of it shipped to Honolulu. At that rate, the last available sand on the island will be gone within five to seven years, according to a report being prepared for the county...."



Miulang

[lurkah]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Since a good proportion of the sand from Maui is being shipped to Oahu for use in building, what's Oahu going to do if Maui starts restricting sales of the stuff?

This might be one of those times when it might be better to view the glass as half empty.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

This might be one of those times when it might be better to view the glass as half empty.

Especially if it's an hourglass.

[oggboy]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Remember Waihe`e and Waieh`u Sand Dunes.......

Sand has been taken from these area`s for the last 10-15 years maybe more....
Now they say we could be out in a couple years...
Yes its true, if you ever remember the sands dunes in these two area`s long ago before MAUI started to develope and see how much sand was removed, UNREAL.......
EH, watt up with dis, Hapa`i all the sand from Maui....
EH, maybe like nuff already.....

[Miulang]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Hui Oggboy:
Yeah, I remember the Waihee Sand Dunes and the Waiehu ones too. At least some of the dunes in Waihee going be protected, but Waiehu kinda sad; what the ocean doesn't take away during the storms, people are carting off to turn into concrete. That whole area around Sand Hills all disappearing too. I remember when the part that's now Maui Memorial Park was Apana Junkyard, and that whole area around Maui Memorial Hospital used to be mostly kiawe trees. Now get all dakine high mucka mucka kine "golf estates". Regular working kine peeps no can afford dakine.

Miulang

[oggboy]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

HOWZITT MUILANG

Yeah, I still remember when Apana`s was in that location, the dirt road pass Apana`s would take you to the old rubbish dump behind the Maui Mem. Hospital. Now across the street from B.H.S. all the sand is being removed for the next phase of the Maui Lani Devp.
ALL PROGRESS!!!!
no brainer?????

CAN???/CAN!!!
OGGBOY

[LikaNui]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Found a relative article in today's Star-Bulletin, at http://starbulletin.com/2006/02/15/editorial/oi.html .

[Miulang]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Apparently Mayor Alan Arakawa is taking the preliminary study about the impending shortage of sand on Maui seriously: he is asking the County Council to issue a moratorium on further exporting of Maui sand to Honolulu. This is going to put a severe (but welcome) crimp into the commercial building mania on Oahu. No more sand, no more concrete. No more concrete, no more commercial buildings unless they use steel or wood. No more sand from Maui, no more sand on Waikiki Beach (did you know that Waikiki Beach originally wasn't that wide band of sand and that there have been at least 2 times that tons of imported sand have been spread over the area for the tourists?).

Kauai and the Big Island might have to do the same thing eventually in order to protect their own beaches and sand for their own counties' use.

Miulang

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

you watch; they gonna start dredging the sand out of the ocean floor soon...or import it from L.A. (auwe malia! ^ v <- ->)

[Miulang]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Apparently the Maui sand crisis is worse than previously thought. Given the current rate of excavation and exportation of sand for construction, the County estimates that it will run out of sand within 5-7 years. Since 70% of the sand is being sent to Honolulu for use in construction of condos, etc., maybe clamping down on sand exports from Maui will help slow down growth on Oahu, when sand becomes more expensive and the cost to build goes up exponentially.

Mercifully, the sand dunes in Waihee will be preserved in perpetuity now because of the Sierra Club and the Land Trust.

Miulang

[timkona]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Slowing down the rate of growth in Oahu is sure to cause more affordable housing to come available.

Slowing down the rate of growth on Oahu is sure to add additional price pressure to existing stocks of dwellings at all price levels.

A or B ???

[MadAzza]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Apparently the Maui sand crisis is worse than previously thought. Given the current rate of excavation and exportation of sand for construction, the County estimates that it will run out of sand within 5-7 years. Since 70% of the sand is being sent to Honolulu for use in construction of condos, etc., maybe clamping down on sand exports from Maui will help slow down growth on Oahu, when sand becomes more expensive and the cost to build goes up exponentially.

Wow, you're right, Miulang, that would be a disaster for our housing situation! If we can't build up in town, we will have to build out -- pave over the fields. More people will have to own and drive cars, which will add pollution, and of course traffic coming into town will be an even bigger mess. And, of course, housing costs will continue to go up, up, up, pushing more local families to the mainland.

This is really worrisome. Not for me, I'm a homeowner and I'm happy there, and of course I can sell it for MUCH more later if nobody can build in town (for whatever reason) and prices go up. But I'm not selfish -- I worry about the effect the dearth of new homes will do to those who already can't find/afford homes. It's bad enough already, what with all the anti-growth (anti-poor people) forces trying to keep condos from being built.

It's almost like a conspiracy against the lower- and middle-income folks.

[timkona]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Ah, Maddie, Now you're rattin on the Sierra Club.

The best kept secret in the American Media is the supreme effort that liberal politics will pursue in order to create a more difficult environment for those least able to fend for themselves.

By their "well-intentioned" actions, a continuous stream of the downtrodden is begging for their help, which is the main reason they can turn around and tax those who have succeeded and villify their success free from moral guilt.

It's so twistedly sick, it scares me.

[timkona]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

I won't let this thread die.....and I DEMAND an answer from Miulang, among others.

[timkona]

Re: Maui running out of sand?

Come on, Miulang. Don't be a chicken. What say you?????

You cling to so much cognitive dissonance that you can't possibly debate ANYTHING logically.