Greening The Music Industry

"The whole music business in the United States is based on numbers, based on unit sales and not on quality. It's not based on beauty, it's based on hype and it's based on cocaine. It's based on giving presents of large packages of dollars to play records on the air."
-Frank Zappa

The music industry must integrate environmental ethics into its business model in order to survive. By definition, the music industry is a large leviathan that is slow to change. In fact, the big five record labels, Universal, EMI, BMG, Sony, and Warner, which control 80% of all titles produced in the US. (www.oligopolywatch.com) Many of these labels, along with the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have been unable to keep up with technological change. This oligarchy of labels run on a “Small Tail” business model, or the practice of a few record labels selling to millions, contrasted with a “Large Tail” business model, where millions of small labels sell to hundreds. (www.entrepreneurs-journey.com) Of course, this entails a large paradigm shift for the large labels: making music is not for profit only, but instead, will have to face the ethical challenges placed before it. The industry as a whole, the large and small labels, will have to make adjustments and incorporate an assortment of environmental ethics, moving away from a utilitarian ethic and doing things only if it conforms to the principle of utility, towards an amalgamation of environmental ethics such as deep ecology, eco-feminism, animal rights and animal liberation, all the while being pragmatic and certainly more flexible. In order of this change to happen, the so-called “Big Five” will probably be broken up into smaller pieces or dissolve altogether. This dissolution may increase a larger variety of music available to music fans. However, it also would be the death-knell of record stores around the world. The big five own most of the distribution networks, although there are a few smaller, reliable independent distributors throughout the world. Many record stores have closed recently, such as Tower Records and Mill Valley’s Village Music. Most of these closings are due to a change in consumer practices such as downloading music through the internet (legally and illegally) and the fact that our planet is going through major upheaval with war and the idea of cheap oil in plentiful quantities being extinguished. Using environmental ethics will be the only way for the music industry (in a new form) to continue.

When I began doing research for this paper, I was asked, “Why the music industry?” My response is, first, I am a musician who runs a record label (Unitree Recordings). Because of this, these concerns directly affect the amount of money I make and whether or not I am able or willing to continue releasing music using traditional methods such as CDS and vinyl records. Secondly, I am a music fan. I have a large, eclectic collection of music on a variety of formats; I count thousands of vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, and mp3s among my collection. I love music and I want to see music continue being created. I also believe that music is an excellent method of creating change. Of course this goes against the large tail business model, where a small amount of artists are sold to a large amount of people, but instead, music is a way of social revolution. Music itself is not the revolution, but instead, music can cause revolution through lyrics and by its actions. Many smaller, independent record labels such as Dischord Records from Washington D.C., to Smog Veil records in Chicago, San Francisco’s Alternative Tentacles and the G7 Welcoming Committee from Canada already have integrated environmental ethics into their business model. Many have done so for over 25 years. These labels continue to buck the tradition and the status quo of the “Big Five” labels. Instead of reinforcing the traditions of distribution, formats, and utilitarian and shallow ecology ethics, these labels push the envelope, whether it is lyrical content, packaging, distribution, or price points. They also are friendlier to their artists and give a fair royalty rate compared to the Big Five. Because of these models, I think that it is important for the music industry to be at the forefront of developing new methods of distributing music while using a strong environmental ethic.

Environmental Ethics




Environmental ethics began, according to the Center for Environmental Philosophy (CEP), in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, when “environmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics.” (www.cep.unt.edu) There are two major papers written at this time, Lynn White’s “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis” (March 1967) and Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons” (1968) along with rediscovered essay by Aldo Leopold, “A Sand County Almanac”(1949) entitled, “The Land Ethic.” Leopold claims that the roots of the ecological crisis are philosophical. In the 1980’s a new movement was created. EcoFeminism, which unites environmentalism and feminism, argues that there is a relationship between the oppression of women and the degradation of nature. (Dictionary of Philosophy) We can see this manifested in Hawaii as the islands themselves are referred to as a “She” or a “Her.” Some would say that this gender assignment is so Hawaii can then be “raped” of the natural resources.

Environmental Ethics “challenges the anthrocentrism (i.e. human-centeredness) embedded in traditional western thinking.” (plato.stanford.edu) To continue, Environmental Ethics also looks at the “distinction between instrumental value and intrinsic value. Instrumental value values things as means to further some other end. For instance, the forests felled for our liner notes and glossy music magazines are a means to the end. However, their intrinsic value would mean that the forest themselves already have a value, regardless whether or not they serve a purpose to humankind. This belief is somewhat difficult to implement, and there are many who would disagree, we as humans have often thought of ourselves as the masters of our domain, and it’s hard to grasp ideas that disagree with this belief. Furthermore, as our natural resources dwindle, and the aesthetic beauty of the forests is clear-cut for paper and wood, the air we breathe and water we drink becomes more polluted and human population continues to grow at a rapid pace, intrinsic value is seen as a luxury and more is demanded from our resources.

Shallow Ecology



The shallow ecology movement, or the fight against pollution and resource depletion mainly concerns wealthy and developed countries. Recently, the Eagles signed an exclusive agreement with Wal-mart and with this agreement, Wal-Mart’s publicity machine created an atmosphere touting Wal-Mart as an eco-friendly store. According to Wal-Mart’s website, the Eagles signed this deal because, “In the past year [we have] unveiled [a] simple and straightforward environmental goal…to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain the earth’s resources and environment.” (www.walmartfacts.com) Of course, this can initially be seen as a step in an eco-friendly direction, but it also buys Wal-Mart a lot of free publicity. However, in 2000, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection sued Wal-Mart, claiming that 11 Wal-Mart stores left pesticides and fertilizers in their parking lots. When heavy rains came, the residue from the pesticides and fertilizers washed into the rivers and streams adjacent to the stores. (Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center) This is just one example of Wal-Mart’s true environmental policy, and is also indicative of the shallow ecology ethic. There are certainly many more examples of Wal-Mart’s environmental record and claims that they build on farmland and add to the urban sprawl blight have been well documented in a variety of reports, articles and movies.
Photo Courtesy of Catawbariverkeeper
There are other shortsighted aspects to this shallow ecology ethic, pertaining to the Eagles themselves. Wal-Mart claims that their “partnership with the Eagles demonstrates how serious they are about giving [their] customers a choice of unique, world-class products.” (Metroactive) However, Wal-Mart has a policy of censoring records, forcing bands to change their song titles (Nirvana’s “Rape Me” to “Waif Me) and refuse to carry certain titles. Of course, this is their prerogative; they can sell (or not sell) whatever they chose to. However, Wal-Mart’s online digital music store, “Liquid Digital Media, they has undercut I-Tunes price point of 99 cents to 88 cents, forcing artists to take a smaller royalty on every song sold. In fact, I opted out to have my records sold through this store because of their environmental record and their small royalty rates. Nevertheless, the Eagles and their exclusive deal also takes their CD out of smaller “ma and pa” record stores; the same stores that built them into being the super-rock juggernaut that they have become.

The main criticism of shallow ecology is its use of utilitarianism. The problem of utilitarianism is that if Wal-Mart found that their commitment to their environmental goal becomes not profitable, they will discontinue this practice and find a way to justify it. Another recent trend is carbon offsets, which have become popular with shallow-ecologists. Carbon offsets allow you to continue to pollute if you pay a certain amount of money, which is supposed to be used to plant trees or fund a river cleanup. However, these offsets are already being used by corporations similar to the absolutions given to the crusaders in the middle ages. The absolution allows the Crusaders to kill and commit various crimes on their way to Jerusalem as long as they promise to fight for the “liberation of Jerusalem.” Countless people were defiled by the Crusaders who believed in this absolution, similar to the amazing amount of pollution being released into the atmosphere, defiling our environment. Carbon offsets initially seemed as a good idea, however in a recent article by Business Week Magazine, carbon offsets “reveals that some deals amount to little more than feel-good hype.” (Business Week) Carbon offsets have become a multi-million dollar industry, but they haven’t reduced the amount of pollution released. The behavior by the polluting companies and businesses hasn’t changed much and this is the fundamental flaw of shallow ecology.

Deep Ecology
“Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress.”
~John Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain


In contrast, the Deep Ecology movement is concerned with “biospheric egalitarianism, “the view that all living things are alike in having value in their own right, independent of their usefulness to human purposes. (plato.stanford.edu) This theory is concerned with the entire world. In fact, deep ecology also struggles to understand that organisms (human or otherwise) are ‘knots’ in the biospherical net, the identities of which are defined in terms of their ecological relations to each other. According to deep ecology, this connection to the world and to nature also can give us a better sense of “self” or identity.
Deep ecology is concerned with environmental activism and social change, “designed to bring about what Arne Naess calls wide ecological sustainability.” (Sessions)


Smog Veil Records (Photo by Anthem Magazine)"
Unlike shallow ecology, which doesn’t concern itself with economic sacrifices, deep ecology is an ethic that demands sacrifice and commitment. There is however, a record label from Chicago, Illinois who is devoted to the deep ecology ethic, Smog Veil Records. Smog Veil, run by Frank Mauceri has taken a building in Chicago and completely rebuilt it by and replacing the electrical infrastructure. They have installed solar panels and wind turbines on the roof, both of which supply the building with electricity. Plastic jewel cases have been replaced with recycled paper “digipacks” and their goal is to do away with using plastic altogether. And, according to an article by Lou Molinaro, Smog Veil hopes to “produce gross revenues from digital distribution greater than hard goods, thereby replacing need for high-impact packaging.” (Jamilton) In my experience, digipacks are somewhat more expensive than CDs manufactured with jewel cases, however, there have been many creative CD covers created with digipack design. What’s truly interesting is that Mr. Mauceri has invested a lot of money and time into creating a “green building.” I believe that he has shown a deep commitment to the environment and to the deep ecology ethic.




The word “deep,” referenced in deep ecology also refers to the level of commitment and the “deep” movement “involves deep questioning, right down to fundamentals.” (Brett) In 1997, Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky of the punk rock band Propaghandi started “G7 Welcoming Committee,” a label devoted to “allowing the evolutionary process that has guided and nurtured life on this planet for millions of years to continue unabated.” (G7) They also run their label using Parecon economic theories, which they feel is an alternative to capitalism. One possible Parecon theory that G7 uses is a community based model, which tries to keep their business on a small scale, which is locally based, and certainly self reliant. In order to implement these ideas, the G7 Welcoming Committee has decided to do away with packaging music altogether, at least in a physical form. Their entire catalog is now offered online in high-quality, non DRM-coded MP3s. (The DRM code is a software designed to prevent the copying the music) both of these are distinctly different than from Apple’s I-tunes, which is encoded with DRM and is at a smaller bit-rate than what G7 offers. The people at G7 state that their record label is an “idea of resistance…[we are a] 'Welcoming Committee' to tell them with words and actions, what we think of their power and neo-colonialism, around the world and at home, and that people are willing to fight back...”(G7) Not only is the G7 deeply committed to deep ecology ethics but they also feel that their economic base and the music that they offer must reflect these ethics as well.



Punk rock music offers a chance for political activism, and many people who identify with the punk rock movement whether it is musically or in spirit are committed to social activism. Bands like Crass and the Subhumans; members of the “second wave” of English punk rock criticized the Sex Pistols and the Clash for turning rebellion into money. The second wave took the rhetoric of the first wave and turned it into a clarion call for revolutionary thought. Another difference between this wave (and it’s continuing offshoots and sub-genres) is it’s do-it-yourself (DIY) ethic, which translates to music flying “under the radar” of pop music, but it has created a thriving underground community. In fact, one such band somehow leaped into the world of pop music in 1997 with their hit, “Tub Thumping,” by the English band, Chumbawamba. I’ve known Chumbawamba since 1985, when they released a split 7 inch with the San Francisco band, “A State of Mind.” Their commitment to radical politics and environmental issues has been a large influence on me personally. That being said, as I researched deep ecology I couldn’t help but think of the activism of Chumbawamba and how they reflect the deep ecology ethic. In the late 1990’s the automobile manufacturer, Renault, used a song by Chumbawamba for an advertisement. Chumbawamba in turn, took the money offered by Renault and gave it to anti-capitalists in Italy, Brazil and South Africa. (Czyzselska) In 2002, Chumbawamba was offered 417,000 pounds by General Electric for an ad selling an X-ray machine. They turned it down, citing the fact that GE manufactures planes that drop bombs on Afghanistan. What’s truly telling about Chumbawamba was that until recently, they never publicized the fact that they were giving the money away because they “didn't want to be using money as an apology for what we were doing with the band and our lives.” (Czyzselska) Recently, Chumbawamba was paid $200, 000 by General Motors and the band turned around and gave the money to two anti-corporate activist groups who planned on using the money for “corporate-jamming activities.”(Aitch)

As Chumbawamba has proved, there is an alternative to the business model the large record labels offer and to some extent, they use the “small-tail” form of music marketing. Although they did sign to a large label during their peak on the SoundScan charts, they used that money to subvert the system whenever they had a chance. Subsequently, they have left the large record labels and their current record, “A Singsong and a Scrap” is released on AK Press, an anarchist collective based out of San Francisco which distributes many books pertaining to the Deep Ecology movement.



Deep ecology, as well as Chumbawamba, has been accused of being misanthropic, or against humankind and “progress.” However, deep ecology seeks to heal humankind’s relationship with the earth and isn’t against progress, but is against stupid progress. Subsequently, the criticism of deep ecology comes from all angles, especially in business magazines and on conservative pundit talk shows on television. Once such pundit is Charles Krauthammer, who writes in a recent Time magazine, an article entitled, “Saving Nature, But Only For Man.” (Time) Krauthammer argues, “A sane environmentalism does not sentimentalize the earth. It does not ask people to sacrifice in the name of other creatures.” However, Smog Veil records prove that sacrifice and commitment to deep ecology ethics is not only possible, but also economically viable. Furthermore, according to the deep ecology ethic, “the well-being and flourishing of human and non-human life on Earth have value in themselves (intrinsic value).”(Brett) This is not sentiment, nor is it insane. Although deep ecology is far-reaching it doesn’t fully address the social component of environmental ethics and since the early 1980’s, Eco-Feminism has been introduced to tackle these components.

EcoFeminism



In Nigel Brett’s article, “Deep Ecology: Ecological and Psychological Study” he interviews Michael E. Zimmerman, Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University who offers an interesting contrast between deep ecology and eco-feminism,

“There are many eco-feminists who call themselves deep ecologists…but there are some who’ve made an important claim against it. They say the real problem isn’t anthrocentrism but androcentrism- man-centeredness. They say that 10,000 years of patriarchy is ultimately responsible for the destruction of the biosphere and the development of authoritarian practices, both socially and environmentally.” (Brett)

By using the music industry as my model, if we are to integrate eco-feminist ethics into our business model we will have to make some fundamental changes to not only the system itself, but also the way music is marketed, packaged and sold. Lyrical content will have to be examined as well. Fortunately, there are some strong examples of eco-feminist ethics currently performing in the industry. I’ve mentioned Chumbawamba in deep ecology, but their lyrical content reflects an eco-feminist ideal. With a song such as “Stitch That!” they tell the story of a drunken man who beats his wife at dinnertime, only to find that during the night, she sews him into the sheets of his bed and thrashes him with a frying pan and a colander. The song is a noisy rap with a comical twist: “Isn't it true what small can do/With a thread and a stitch and a thought or two/He's wiped his slate, his boozing's through/Goodbye to a drunken husband” (Chumbawamba) Using a feminist approach, Chumbawamba not only takes on an abusive patriarchy, but they show you can use comedy and irony to subvert the tradition of rap. Contrast this with a popular rapper, 50 Cent, who raps, “Them Twinkies got your ass gettin' fat fat/Them cookies got your ass gettin' fat fat/That cake got your ass gettin' fat fat/Bitch you grown, that ain't baby fat fat.” (50 Cent) Calling women “bitches” and “ho’s” is not acceptable when filtered through an eco-feminist ethic, and in this example, probably not acceptable in a variety of places.

The eco-feminism ethic would also have to address women in the music industry. Since its inception, men have dominated popular music and record labels. Women are seen as performers, and even then, many of them are not taken seriously. The Los Angeles band, L7, told me that they were often told that they were “pretty good, for girls.” The men’s stronghold of the music industry is beginning to fail and with the technology for women to create their own websites which offer downloads for sale will continue the trend of decreasing sales of the “Big Five.” The goal of eco-feminism in the music industry is an attempt to “replace the [dominant patriarchal structures]…with a [structure] that values the feminine. Eco-feminists can point to artists such as 50 cent and compare his portrayal of women in his songs to the portrayal of the earth. Anti-environmentalists use the term “Mother Earth” to deride eco-feminism. These men also draw on old sources such as Greek philosophy and Christianity to continue their hegemony, which implies that men are the driven by reason, while women are driven by emotion. However, the connection of women and nature is very close, as is their joint suppression. In Patrick Curry’s “Ethological Ethics,” he writes, “to exalt women as nature rather than despising them, while preferable, merely inverts the dominant values attached to male/female essentialism, it preserves the same destructive logic, when the point is to subvert it wholesale.” (Curry) While eco-feminism ties together the destruction of the feminine and the destruction of nature, it shouldn’t demonize the masculine to gain power; doing so would just reverse any ethical advance. My understanding of feminism is that it is solution-based. Using the term “ethics of care,” feminists have moved away from deontology and utilitarianism and instead are trying to create ethical relationships that connect people. These relationships are not just between women, but also for the entire world to learn how to value, care for and protect the natural world. For the music industry to adopt eco-feminist ethics, we will have to actively participate in moving away from a male-dominated and destructive industry.

The pushback from environmental ethics opponents has picked up a lot of momentum in recent years. Major media and a variety of scientific organizations have lambasted Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. Al Gore himself has been scrutinized and found guilty for flying in private jets to attend environmental meetings throughout the world. Of course, he could fly on a commercial plane and silence his critics but he does not, and opens himself up to more criticism. This is unfortunate, but it does underscore the tightrope that people involved with environmental ethics have to walk. If the music industry were to move away from the physical packaging of CDs and towards a download-only medium, the amount of plastic used in the creation of CDs would diminish greatly. However, there are many problems associated with this possible solution. For one, download-only music is elitist. As popular as computers have become, not everyone owns a computer, or is connected to high-speed internet. The eco-feminist ethic is very critical of elitism in any form. Second hand record stores and resale outfits such as Amazon offer inexpensive methods of purchasing music. For many artists, they strongly desire as many people as possible listen to their music. By denying a secondhand market, the amount of listeners would diminish. Secondly, the music industry is connected to other media such as print and television. Most print media (and internet-media) will not review releases that are only available as downloads and this policy would have to change in order to publicize and review new music. Deep ecologists will also point out the amount of trees and pollution that paper causes and music magazines would have to adjust to the new media, further reducing the amount of advertising revenue that is generated. Many smaller underground magazines could be in serious trouble and the giants in the industry who can afford to publicize themselves like the Eagles could replace exciting bands. Ultimately, music sales are predicated by great music. If the music itself isn’t any good, (a subjective judgment) there is no amount of publicity that can save it. Witness the amount of Britney Spears CDs found in a secondhand music store. However, the music industry is going to have to adapt to change. Whether it is a popular artist like 50 Cent or an obscure underground punk rock band, the methods of selling music will have to continue to develop with technology, or they will disappear along with our natural resources. Environmental ethics allows ourselves to try and create an ethos that we can adhere to, one that is the least damaging to the earth.

Works Cited


Zappa, Frank “Music Industry Quotes to Live By”
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/musicquotes.htm
Hannaford, Steve “Industry brief: Music recording I”
http://www.oligopolywatch.com/2003/06/28.html
Wal-mart “Eagles and Wal-Mart in Strategic Marketing Partnership”
http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4552.aspx
Robinson, Lindsay “Wal-Mart and the Environment”
http://publici.ucimc.org/aug2001/082001_5.htm
Elgin, Ben “Another Inconvenient Truth” Business Week Magazine
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_13/b4027057.htm
Author Unknown “A Very Brief History of the Origins Of Environmental Ethics for the
Novice” http://www.cep.unt.edu/novice.html
Jamilton Lou Molinaro “Rock N Roll is Coloured Smog Veil Green”
http://jamilton.typepad.com/loumolinaro/2007/03/rock_n_roll_is_.html
Brett, Nigel “Ecological and Psychological Study”
http://www.webnb.btinternet.co.uk/deep.htm
G7 W.C. http://www.g7welcomingcommittee.com
Czyzselska, Jane English Rebel’s Story Mojo Magazine, September 2003
http://www.pomonauk.com/books/boffwhalley/papers.php
Aitch, Iain “General Motors Gets Tub Thumped” Salon Magazine
http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2002/01/30/chumbawamba/
Krauthammer, Charles Time Magazine, June 17, 1991
http://www.riverdell.k12.nj.us/staff/molnar/readingsavenature.htm
Marston, B “North Shore Oil Exploration and Drilling”
http://uwstudentweb.uwyo.edu/M/marston/NorthSlopeMainPage.htm
Chumbawamba “Stitch That!” Jesus H. Christ (Never officially released, found on
www.chumba.com in mp3 form and on various bootlegs)
50 Cent “Fat Bitch” No Mercy, No Fear BCD Music Group
Curry, Patrick Ecological Ethics: An Introduction © 2006 Polity Press
Walsh, Bryan Time Magazine, Nov. 17, 2007
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1685199,00.html

Other Sources:

Dictionary of Philosophy Penguin Books © 1996

Environmental Philosophy: From Animal Rights to Radical Ecology © 2001 Prentice
Hall
William Shaw Ethics At Work: Basic Readings in Business Ethics Oxford
Press © 2003
Veronika Kalmar Label Launch: A Guide to Independent Record Recording,
Promotion and Distribution St Martin’s Griffin © 2002

Sugarcane and Abuse of Power: Eroding lands of the Hawaiian Archipelago

“Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono”




Throughout the Hawaiian Islands, poor management of industrialized agricultural lands is eroding topsoil. The erosion of topsoil, in the unique geographical position of the Hawaiian Islands, needs to be questioned, studied and halted. The process of sugarcane burning leaves the soil bare and without ground cover, and this leads directly to a high amount of soil vulnerable to erosion caused by water and wind. Using drip irrigation to irrigate the sugarcane fields, the direct application of pesticides and fertilizers to the soil leads to increased alkalinity and possible desertification of soil. Industrial sugarcane plantations are no longer viable in Hawaii. The agricultural practices of plantation mono-cropping should diversify with reforestation, fruit and nut farms, vegetables and a multitude of other self-sustaining farms, replacing the plantation model.

Overthrow of The Hawaiian Kingdom




The history of sugar plantations in Hawaii and their role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy is certainly controversial. Ward Churchill writes in his book, Islands In Captivity, in 1848, “the king and the ali`nui reluctantly agreed to the privatization of land” (Churchill). Foreigners, (non-native Hawaiians) quickly bought up tracts of land and assumed control over Hawaii. The land was divided between the government ali`i nui (leaders) and maka`ainana (people who lived on the land). However, Churchill writes, out of 88,000 Hawaiians, only 8,200 maka`ainana were awarded land. Most of these plots were only three acres, with is only one percent of the total acreage of the islands (Churchill). Missionaries received 650 acres apiece as an award for bringing Christianity and “enlightenment” to the islands. Once the land was “under control,” several former missionaries invested in sugar plantations. Once the sugar plantations matured, they discovered that distributing their product to the US was very difficult. The U.S. imposed a tariff on sugar imports in order to protect its own sugar industry. U.S. businessmen called for the annexation of Hawaii as a territory but were thwarted by King Liholiho `Iolani.

During the American Civil War, sugar grown in Hawaii grew even more important to the United States. The South, where most of the U.S. had their sugar fields, was beleaguered by the war and the Northern States looked to Hawaii for their sugar. On August 12, 1893, the Hawaiian Government was overthrown by Lorrin Thurston and Sanford B. Dole. Dole became the provisional President, before turning over Hawaii to the United States government (Tighe). President Grover Cleveland called the overthrow “an act of war” (Tighe). Now that Hawaii became a territory of the United States, the plantation owners became stronger. The native Hawaiian population became too small for the plantations to exploit, so the plantations imported thousands of workers from the Continental U.S., China, Japan and eventually the Philippines to work in the fields. The plantations gathered in strength and built an sugar-based economy in Hawaii. The sandlewood and koa forests were cut down and sold for their lumber. The forests were turned into fields for the plantations. With the deep rooted trees cut down and their stumps uprooted, the process of eroding topsoil, through poor management of industrial agricultural fields began.

Erosion in Hawaii



Erosion has always been a part of the Hawaiian Islands and has created the wonderful waterfalls, verdant deep valleys, and deep rich topsoil. For millions of years, the eroding volcanoes have become deeply cut and gullies have formed. In fact, the Northern Hawaiian Islands are smaller than their southern counterparts due to long periods of erosion. According to Jim Watson of the United States Geology Survey, “The oldest volcanic rocks on Kauai… are about 5.5 million years old and are deeply eroded. By comparison, on the "Big Island" of Hawaii… the oldest exposed rocks are less than 0.7 million years old”(Watson). However, in the last three to four hundred years, erosion on the Hawaiian archipelago has steadily increased and reached a point where it is dangerously close to becoming serious threat to sustaining agricultural lands.

The reefs that provide the surf breaks so many of us enjoy are one of the forgotten victims of topsoil erosion. However, after even light rains, every bay along the North Shore of Maui is a dark red color, instead of the deep blue and white wash. Peter Weber of USA Today reported “reefs provide immeasurable service by protecting coastal lands from the erosive forces of the sea” (Weber). If the reefs die, beach erosion will become even more drastic and miles of valuable coastline will be washed away. Houses, roads, harbors and piers, beaches, and any other property on the coast will be vulnerable to storms and tidewater. Weber writes, “in the 1992 International Symposium on Coral Reefs, Clive Wilkinson of the Australian Institute of Marine Science… estimates that, to date, people directly or indirectly have caused the death of five-10% of the world's living reefs and that, at current rates of destruction, another 60% could be lost in the next 20-40 years” (Weber). Sedimentation by sugar cane and pineapple farming removing all vegetation from their fields has an enormous negative effect on coral reefs. The sediment that rests on the coral reef initially blocks out sunlight, reducing photosynthesis. This leads to a loss of energy available which weakens the coral. To continue, the coral polyps depend on wave action to clean the sediment and the coral is forced to “produce extra quantities of mucus to try to wash off the particles” (Weber). When the coral is weakened, it is vulnerable to disease and may possibly die. Everyday that the oceans off the coasts of Hawaii are foaming red, the coral reefs are in danger. This poses a serious threat to all of the Hawaiian Islands.

Topsoil




In the book “Erosion and Sediment Control Guide for Hawaii,” topsoil is defined as the upper layer of soil, or the “plow layer, or upper six to eight inches of soil… [it is] a term used to indicate friable, fertile soil…”(USDA) Topsoil is where the nutrients are stored, which are used by shallow-rooted plants. It is also very vulnerable to erosion from wind or water. According to Tom Paulson, a reporter for Seattle.pi.com, the online version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, topsoil is disappearing all over the planet. In the article Mr. Paulson quotes David Montgomery, a geologist at the University of Washington as saying, "… we are now losing about 1 percent of our topsoil every year to erosion, most of this caused by agriculture." Desertification in Africa is happening at an alarming rate, caused by grazing cattle, the cutting of forests and woody areas along with poor management of the soil through agricultural practices. China is also experiencing desertification, where “inefficient use of water resources for agriculture practices in dry zones increases the risk of soil salinization” (FAO). When waterways are diverted from their natural courses, or if the reservoirs underground are drained, topsoil becomes severely alkaline. This alkalinity leads to death of vegetation, which then leads to desertification. In China, there are over 99 million hectares of saline land throughout the country, which is a result of “inadequate irrigation practices” (FAO). Desertification is also happening in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America. In fact, “over 30 percent of the land in the United States is affected by desertification” (UNCCD).

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reports that “desertification is not a natural expansion of existing deserts but the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas” (UNCCD). Instead, desertification happens when there is a gradual loss of soil productivity, (mineral depletion) and then the loss of vegetative cover (shrubs, trees, grass). Droughts and floods play a large part in this process, along with war and economic pressure. In many cases, trees are cut down for firewood in order to cook food or stay warm. It is a difficult proposition for anyone to convince someone to go hungry or cold in order to save a tree when starvation is imminent. Because of these conditions, valuable trees are cut down and the erosion process begins. The process of forests and grasslands becoming a desert is fairly fast. The rich topsoil found in these areas took centuries to form, but once the course begins, the soil will dry up and be washed or blown away in a matter of years. This is one of the consequences that Hawaii is facing due to sugarcane farming.

Industrial Sugarcane and Erosion



For many years, sugarcane plantations were very successful in Hawaii. According to the Hawaii Agricultural Resource Center (HARC), “The first successful sugarcane plantation was started at Koloa, Kauai in 1835” (HARC). Concerned with the availability of water, irrigation ditches were dug, the first in 1856, and artesian wells were introduced in 1879 and finally mountain wells and tunnels were completed in 1898 (HARC). In a lecture by Dick Mayer given to tourists at the Maui Beach Hotel, sugar grown in the Hawaiian Islands was sold to California and fueled the Gold Rush (Mayer). To continue, he stated that before California became a top agricultural State, the Hawaiian Islands grew most of the growing West coast’s fresh produce such as potatoes, onions and corn, and then shipped the produce to California. Agriculture in Hawaii was crucial in the development of San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, sugar production in Hawaii has steadily decreased in the past 40 years. Competition from Brazil and the Caribbean, along with states such as Louisiana and Florida, has lessoned the demand for sugar grown in Hawaii. In an article which first appeared in Agricultural Outlook magazine, Annette Clauson reported that “Hawaii's sugar production peaked at 1.2 million tons in 1968, has steadily dropped since 1986…” (Clauson). Some sugarcane fields are converted into coffee and macadamia nut farms, and oftentimes, sold to developers to create new homes and developments. However, the fields that do remain in Hawaii contribute greatly to the erosion of agricultural lands.

The Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company’s (HC&S) website outlines the sugarcane operations in Hawaii. According to their website, HC&S fields “receive two to four passes by a 36-inch harrow… to break up the soil and facilitate water movement…[they then use] three ripper shanks which rip the subsoil” (HC&S). Cane stalks are cut into 12-inch sections, which each section having nodes from which new plants will emerge. These sections are planted in twin lines, with a spacing of three feet between the two lines and six feet between each pair of lines. Planting machines make furrows, inject drip irrigation tubing into the soil and then drop in the “seed” sections (HC&S).

Growing sugar in Hawaii is extremely dependent on irrigated water. In fact, The East Maui Irrigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander and Baldwin owns and operates 74 miles of ditches and tunnels to deliver 450 gallons of mountain water per day to Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company (HC&S). The Waihee ditch system, which is owned and operated by HC&S has 12 miles of ditches and tunnels and can deliver up to 120 Million gallons per day (HC&S). There are 47 reservoirs on the HC&S plantation with the storage capacity of 1.065 billion gallons or water, along with 16 deep well pumping stations that can deliver 242 million gallons per day (HC&S). Furthermore, according the HC&S calculations, 55% of the water comes from surface runoff sources. Millions of gallons of water are delivered and administered to the cane fields. However, what happens to the fields once the sugar cane is burned off, before the fields are tilled and the new “seed” sections are planted? This is when the fields are the most vulnerable to erosion.

Sugarcane is harvested after a maturation period of two years. The fields are burned, which, according to HC&S is to reduce the amount of leafy matter, the tops and dead cane (HC&S). The burned cane is then raked by large machines and loaded into huge hauler trucks. Each of the trucks can carry 45-65 tons per load. HC&S claims that burning sugarcane is a cost effective measure, and in their supplemental web-pamphlet entitled “Cane Burning,” they state that if they “had to stop burning now, before workable green harvesting technology is developed, [they would] be out of business” (HC&S).

In contrast to the HC&S agricultural practices, an organic sugarcane farmer, and former Secretary of Agriculture in Alagoas State, in Northeast Brazil, Milton Maciel, believes that sugarcane can be grown and harvested without burning. In his article, “On Sugarcane and Soil Erosion in Brazil,” Maciel states that “depending on how a soil is managed…it may degrade severely, losing its capacity to hold water, air and life. Consequent destruction of its aggregates results in compaction and/or erosion” (Maciel). He continues, “For best results, it is mandatory that cane isn’t burned for making harvest easier” (Maciel). When the sugarcane fields are burned in Hawaii, the entire biomass is removed from the field, leaving the soil bare. What happens next is very important. When all the biomass (the leafy matter and the tops), is removed, none of the important nutrients from the detritus reaches the soil. If sugarcane was not burned, the leafy matter and tops could be tilled back into the soil, which would then add humus along with creating a stronger, better soil. This soil could then retain water and the soil would become more porous, allowing water to reach below the top layers of the surface. According to Maciel, “the combustion of trash has a tragic record for soil fertility and is a clear squandering of a very rich source of organic matter and nutrients for this soil.”

One of the fascinating aspects of the sugarcane fields are the drip irrigation lines that are placed into the ground when the “seed” cane is planted. Miles upon miles of thin black plastic lines are injected into the soil. An interesting aspect of these lines is that liquid fertilizer and pesticides are carried through the lines and dripped into the soil. After the cane is burned, the irrigation lines are scraped up and discarded. With close inspection, the berms that circle the sugarcane fields have pieces of black plastic lines protruding from them. Pushing the topsoil, the nutrient-bearing soil, to the edges of the fields, creates these berms. This causes even more erosion as evidenced by the huge plumes of dust that cloud over the fields bearing this destructive procedure.

Researcher Claude Alvares wrote a paper in 1999 entitled, “Water Efficient Sugarcane Farming,” which detailed the sugarcane practices of the Indian sugarcane farmer, “Suresh Desai.” According to his research, sugarcane cropping is very resource-intensive and that the “heavy requirement of water is one of the major question marks hanging over… sugarcane development (Alvares). Most importantly, he states that the use of artificial fertilizers (used by HC&S) lead to “a progressive decline in soil fertility since the soil fauna, including earthworms, and microbes are gradually eliminated. The more fertilizers [that] are used, the more water is required” (Alvares). Many tests have shown that the use of artificial irrigation leads to the desertification of the fields. According to Alvares, the accumulation of pesticides and fertilizers leads to salinity in soil (Alvares). When the PH level of soil becomes to alkaline, plant growth becomes severely stunted. Often times, even more water is used, because the plant looks wilted. With intensified water use, the process of salinity accelerates, and the soil becomes barren and unable to sustain any plant life. When this happens, not only are the natural resources exploited to extreme levels, but erosion, by wind and water will hasten the demise of these fields, creating dust storms and the possibility of flooding. If and when this occurs, the lush, tropical fields of Hawaii will become a desert and the reefs that surround the Islands will die off from sediments washed out to sea and be choked to death. When the reefs die, the shorelines will be vulnerable to beach erosion from the ocean waves and tides. The Hawaiian Islands are in serious danger due to our eroding soils.


Sediment from Soil Erosion (Photo courtesy of EPA)

In the past few years, ethanol production from sugarcane has been developed in order to produce “biofuel,” created to offset peak oil. Throughout the Southeastern United States, India, Myanmar, and Latin American nations, sugarcane is harvested to create alcohol, which is mixed with gasoline. There are many people who support the conversion of sugarcane for ethanol and rumors of sugarcane grown in Hawaii for the U.S. to use as ethanol have floated around in the past few years. However, In the article, “America Is Not Brazil,” Milton Maciel points out the differences between America’s fuel consumption and Brazil’s. Maciel states that Brazil has fewer cars and a population that is 61% of the USA’s population therefore, using Brazil as a model for America is using a variety of false premises and poor logic. According to Maciel, “Without fuel ethanol, Brazil would…need…8 million gallons [per] year of gasoline… compared to the USA’s 140 billion gallons [per] year” (Maciel). For the US to convert to corn ethanol, we would have to dedicate 350 million acres to corn, not including any corn for humans or animal feed (Maciel). Presently, the US only has 75 million acres dedicated to corn (Maciel). Furthermore, Maciel states that “it is easy to replace all gasoline when you would only need 8 billion gallons per year…”(Maciel). Ethanol created by corn or by sugarcane is not a sustainable enterprise. Sugarcane dedicated to ethanol production in Hawaii will only excaserbate our problems with erosion and replaces one problem (lack of oil) with another problem (dedicated food for gasoline replacement). In order to survive, Hawaii is going to have to diversify its agricultural practices.

However, controversy surrounds the diversification of agriculture in Hawaii. The HC&S “Operations” webpage quotes a University of Hawaii study that “shows… if all the fruits and vegetables consumed in Hawaii – by residents and tourists alike – were grown in state, they would require only about 12,000 acres more than Hawaii’s existing fruit and vegetable acreage. [This is] less than a third of HC&S’ 37,000 acres (and a small fraction of Hawaii’s total cane…acreage” (HC&S). Nevertheless, diversifying Hawaii’s agricultural practices is the key to sustaining and protecting Hawaii’s future. By diversifying our cropland from a monoculture like sugarcane or pineapple to a plethora of other crops, such as coffee, tea, fruit and nut trees; fresh produce such as lettuce and other leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, beans, peas among many others will greatly reduce our need to import, or remove altogether, our need to import food. Food prices, which at present have reached astronomical levels, could be reduced. Reforestation of former fields on severely sloped lands would stabilize the soil and help filter precipitation from the clouds.

There are some difficulties growing certain foods in Hawaii, especially compared to sugarcane, which only demands a lot of water and fertilizer. The sugarcane pests, according to HC&S are mostly controlled by natural predatory bugs or biological control (HC&S). In my experience growing tomatoes in Hawaii, the plants are very susceptible to leaf miner, a bug that eats through the cellular walls of the tomato plant, thereby reducing the effectiveness of photosynthesis. Also, aphids and whitefly prey on tomato plants and, unlike growing in the Northern United States, they multiply unchecked by frost or freeze. Compared to sugarcane, which doesn’t apply insecticides (Pesticides, according to HC&S, include insecticides and herbicides), growing produce could increase the need for chemical pesticides. These pesticides, as stated earlier, could increase the desertification of Hawaii’s soil.

In August 2007 edition of GSA Today, a publication of the Geological Society Of America, the article entitled, “Is Agriculture Eroding Civilization’s Foundation?” proposes a unique question. Is the erosion of topsoil going to undermine civilization? In fact, the microcosm of Hawaii should serve as a reminder to the rest of the world. Every dust storm, rainfall, road paved, and new development built has a huge impact on topsoil of Hawaii. According the article in the GSA Today, “compilations of data around the world show that soil erosion under conventional agriculture exceeds both the rates of soil production…” (Montgomery). Industrial agriculture in Hawaii, using the conventional methods described by the HC&S website is using the topsoil, fertilizing it until it is alkaline and no longer viable and allowing it to be eroded by wind and water. Of course, then the sediments that are washed out to the ocean contain pesticides that kill the reefs surrounding the islands. This reef die-off allows the shoreline to become vulnerable to waves, tides and erosion. Sugarcane was once a viable economy for Hawaii, but because of globalization, industrial sugarcane in Hawaii is no longer profitable. The sugar companies have used Hawaii, and in many cases, exploited Hawaii, and have now moved on to other countries to exploit. Currently, the plantations and agricultural land in Hawaii is under siege by a new type of Baron, the large developers who buy up agricultural land and build high-priced homes. And, like the sugar Barons of old, the developer will try to skirt around the law, or they back legislators who are sympathetic to their plan. Thusly, the overthrow of Hawaii continues.

In order for Hawaii to reduce and eliminate erosion, the methodology of industrial agriculture needs to be scrutinized. Hawaii cannot afford to lose more topsoil to erosion. While global warming receives many of the headlines in the newspapers, soil erosion should be a great concern to civilizations. Historically, many wars and battles have been fought on and over fertile agricultural lands. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria in order to procure agricultural lands (Kikuchi). The battles of WWI and WWII in Europe often were fought in agricultural fields. One of the reasons Hitler invaded the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia was to acquire agricultural land and industry. The desertification in Africa has led to famine and war. Throughout the world, fertile growing grounds and clean, available water has been the driving influence of a thriving civilization. When these are threatened or destroyed, the civilization often will fall. Again, Hawaii is in a unique geological position. If the peak oil crisis occurs, as predicted, importing food to Hawaii will be cost-prohibitive. Gasoline and fuel prices will escalate and basic utilities such as electricity, water and sewage may cease to function. If this happens, Hawaii will be severely affected. By conserving and protecting topsoil, the fertile top layer of dirt, this could be Hawaii’s defense against these outside forces. According to the GSA Today, numerous studies have shown that “conventional tillage reduces soil organic matter and thereby reduces biological activity that supports soil fertility” (Montgomery). In order to reduce industrial-caused erosion, the practice of burning and tilling the sugarcane fields in Hawaii must come to an end. We cannot afford to lose any more soil to inefficient agricultural practices.



It may prove to be difficult to convert sugarcane fields to organic farms with diversified crops. After years of abuse and nutrient depletion, the topsoil found in sugar and pineapple fields is usually quite infertile. The use of “green manure,” or the use of cover crops that can be tilled into ground can help improve soil fertility. However, David Montgomery reports in the GSA Today that “with each pass of a straight, angled blade of a conventional plow lifts and turns soil over…moving it downhill little by little” (Montgomery). Every time the soil on a slope is tilled, more soil is pushed downhill. Using conventional methods to farm, like the plow, will also need to be addressed, especially on the sloped fields of the volcanoes of Hawaii. Smaller, diversified fields that don’t require huge tractors pulling plows may need to be implemented. Also, reforesting Hawaii could also increase rainfall and at least, it could trap precipitation carried by the wind. By reforesting, topsoil fertility will be increased by the amount of detritus and waste matter from the trees. Deep-rooted trees will improve the ability to control erosion and stable the soil. The under canopy of forests such shrubs and grasses protect the soil from movement. Water and sediments are trapped in this vicinity, often causing highly fertile property in these areas. Nevertheless, much work is to be done. By doing so, we may be able to offset some of the jobs lost by the slowing of the sugar economy. Hopefully, Hawaii will be able to discover a way to produce enough food, perhaps finding ways to preserve it using new technology instead of freezing food or using cans; both of which use natural resources and create waste.

Growing sugar in Hawaii is a constant reminder of its colonial past (and present). The wasteful management of the fields is a daily overthrow of Hawaii’s natural resources and with topsoil erosion, the coral reefs are inundated with pesticides and sediment. The attrition of topsoil in Hawaii can be controlled and possibly eliminated by careful management and planning by the State and its people. It should be considered that Hawaii is different because of its unique geographical position in the world. Hawaii needs to see that the agricultural practices in the Continental U.S. do not apply in Hawaii. Until we begin to work towards a self-sustaining civilization, we will continue to erode everything our society is built upon.

Works Cited:

Alvares, Claude. "Water-Efficient Sugarcane Farming." South-South

Cooperation. 01 Jan 1999. South-South Cooperation. 5 May 2008

.

Churchill, Ward. Islands In Captivity. 1st Edition. Cambridge: South End Press,

2004.

Clauson, Annette. "Hawaii's sugar industry under stress - Hawaiian sugar cane
acreage and production decreases to 26% of U.S. cane production, down from 38% in 1975 - U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service report." BNET BUSINESS NETWORK. 21 Oct 1991. Food and Beverage Industry. 21 May 2008 .
FAO. "Tackling Desertification In The Korqin Sandy Lands Through
Integrated Afforestation." Food and Agricultural Organization of the
United Nations. 01 Jan 2008. Forestry Department. 30 Apr 2008
.
HC&S. "HC&S - Operations." Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar. 01 Jan 2008. 1
May 2008 .
HC&S. “HC&S-Cane Burning” Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar. 01 Jan 2008 5
May 2008
Kikuchi, Bert. “World Civilizations Lecture” Maui Community College. 2006
Spring Semester
Maciel, Milton. "On Sugarcane and Soil Erosion in Brazil." 26 Dec 2006. Ethablog.
1 May 2008 .
"America is Not Brazil." EV WORLD The Future in Motion. 03
Oct 2006. EV World. 5 May 2008 .
Mayer, Dick. “Lecture.” Maui Beach Hotel 03 26 2008
Montgomery, David R. "Is Agriculture Eroding Civilization's Foundation?" GSA
TODAY 01 Oct 2007: 4-9.
Napier, Ted. "Soil and Water Conservation Policies in the United States:
Evolutionary Trends and Future Options." (2002)
Paulson, Tom. "The lowdown on topsoil: It's disappearing." Seatlle.pi.com.
22 Jan 2008. Seattle Post Intelligencer. 30 Apr 2008
.
Tighe, Michael. "Hawaii's Own A Look at A Century of Annexation."
Associated Press. 08 Aug 1999. Hawaii-Nation. 7 May 2008
.
UNCCD. "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." 01 Jan 2008. The United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 30 Apr 2008
.
USDA. Erosion and Sediment Control Guide for Hawaii. 2cd. Honolulu:
USDA, 1981.
Watson, Jim. "Hotspots: Mantle Thermal Plumes." United States Geological
Survey. 05 May 1999. United States Geological Survey. 29 Apr 2008
.
Weber, Peter. "Coral reefs face the threat of extinction." Encyclopedia.com. 5
Jan 2008. USA Today. 29 Apr 2008
.

Interview with Maximum Rock N Roll, Issue 284

Where did you get the name, “White Rose”?

Steve-I learned about the White Rose in a literature
 class I was taking at Maui Community College, my
 professor wanted us to understand the power that students can, and should wield. She had us read a children’s book entitled, “Rose Blanche,” which was about a little girl who found out about the concentration camps at the edge of her town and at the risk of her own life, Rose would go and feed the prisoners her own lunch. I was really moved by this and
 researched the history of 
 the White Rose students. It was amazing to see that there were students who stood up to the Nazi regime.
What are you doing to live up to that name? To name a punk rock band after the students who were killed for
 distributing leaflets 
is a pretty bold move, don’t you think? 

Steve- I agree completely. I think that by naming
 ourselves after the students, we took on a big
 responsibility and it is one that I don’t take lightly. And that what I feel my professor was challenging me to do; I think she wanted her students to use critical thinking and ask themselves what they would do in Rose Blanche’s position. I feel very strongly that
 we need to be more than a band. I am working on ways
 to address many of the issues that we face in Hawaii today, whether
 it is corporate tourism and the prostitution of Hawaiian culture, or homelessness and hunger in Hawaii, as well as
 reforestation projects here on Maui.


Nate- I think the awareness we raise by choosing this
 name is reason enough, especially in this society where
 you can protest wherever and whenever you want without
 fear of reprisal, 
 I think it's time we realize if we actually want 
change, it is going to cost a little more than rubber 
bullets and tear gas.

Steve- The Islands of Oceania, which are usually seen as vacation spots or playgrounds for the rich are angry. Samoa was taken over and parceled up by the Europeans and the US in the similar to the way Africa was. The atolls of Tokelau are in danger of being lost to the ocean, due to the sea-level rising. Many people believe that in order for the islands of Oceania to throw off the chains of globalization that they want to return to primitivism. However, I disagree. Many of the people of Oceania, the thinkers and the intellectuals, want the island be self-sustaining and exist without having their natural resources stripped and sold. This isn’t a rejection of modernism. This is for our own survival. We cannot afford to pay high fuel costs to have food shipped here when we can grow our own food.



You are not from Hawaii, why would you take on
 Hawaiian issues? 

Steve- You are right, I’m not Hawaiian, I’m from Michigan. 
 However, I feel that it is my responsibility, as an outsider, to
 understand the illegal 
 takeover of the Hawaiian nation if I am to live
 here. I owe it to myself to see what happened here, and what is happening here. They didn’t teach me the ‘real’ history of Hawaii
 when I grew up in Michigan. We were told that Hawaii
 voted to be the 
“50th” state. What they didn’t tell us is that
 Hawaii was offered two choices: A. become a state or
 B. remain a territory. 
The option to regain their sovereignty wasn’t
 offered. After reading about George Helm and what
 happened in 
 Kahoolawe when they tried to stop the Navy from
 bombing the island, I felt that I had to do a lot
 more than go surfing and revel in the beauty of Hawaii. Just the other day I was visiting my sister-in-law on Oahu and during the entire day, we could hear munitions being exploded and the Navy practicing bombing missions. What needs to be understood is that the fresh water table sits on top of the salt-water table, within a sort of cup. If that is cracked, like they believe happened to Kahoolawe, the island of Oahu will not be able to sustain itself.

Nate- One thing I have been particularly interested in 
has been U.S. foreign policy throughout its history and 
this is just another example of us spreading our 
empire at the expense of indigenous people and their 
culture. 


What are some of your goals musically? 



Steve-Like I said, I hope to be more than a band. I
 hope to connect on a personal as well as a musical level. That’s really important to me. 

Nate- One of the main things that attracted me to punk
 rock was the awareness it raises about various social
 causes whether it is homelessness, racism, Women’s rights, or the anti-war movements. I am not African American but I agree and support the civil rights movement; if I lived back in the sixties, I would have marched and protested for their rights. I am
 not from the mountains of Chiapas but I believe as 
human beings they are entitled to the same quality of 
life as myself, I am not a woman but I believe that no
 human being should have to be abused because of
 gender.
Steve- I hope to raise more awareness. I know a couple of women who have gone through the “Women Helping Women” program on Maui, in order to get out of violent relationships. Women Helping Women provides lawyers, and advice to abused women. If anything, I want to be a vehicle of information as a band, and look for hope when there doesn’t seem to be any.

What makes you think your band is special? Don’t you
 think there are enough punk rock bands out there? 

Steve-I has loved punk rock for a long time. I’m 38
 years old and have participated in it since I was 13
 years old. I do 
think there are a lot of crappy bands out there, but
 I don’t think we are one of them. I think that
 sonically, we are a really 
 powerful band. We don’t play really fast blast beats
 or growl like the cookie monster, but we do play
 aggressive music 
 with a lot of melody. Back in the eighties, I saw
 bands like D.O.A. and Ruin and those bands blew me
 away. When Nate, 
 and I talked about putting a band
 together, those were two of the bands that came to
 mind. I wanted to rock as hard as they did and I don’t see bands doing that
 anymore. I don’t know if that makes us special or
 not, but I don’t hear 
 too many bands that sound like us. 


Nate-I started listening to punk when I was 14,and it
 has shaped who I am as a person more almost anything 
in my life so this is something I cannot help but do. 
 As far as other bands are concerned, I think our
 sound is more of a resurrection of the old stuff rather
 than another dressed-to-kill bands that sound like 
everyone else. 

Steve- I have been asked if we play ‘old-school’ hardcore and my reply is always “No.” I’m not interested in being a revival band, but we play this way because this is how I write songs. This is the way I play guitar. In 1981 we didn’t call it ‘old-school.’ To quote David Hayes, “It was pre-school.” We play the music that we want to hear.

What is the scene like in Hawaii?
Steve- 
 On Maui where we play the most, the scene is pretty
 small. When we play all-ages shows, they are pretty
 well attended, 
 but for the most part, there isn’t that big of a
 rock music scene. The funny thing is that there are
 some really great bands 
 here. Khrinj, who are our local metal band are
 absolutely amazing. Every time I see them play, I’m blown away
 by their sheer 
 ferocity. Gomega is another great band from Maui. On
 Oahu, there are a ton of kids and adults in the
 scene and lots of 
 bands. The Hell Caminos are our local psychobilly
 band, Black Square is reggae-influenced punk and 86
-List is a great 
 punk rock band. We have also made friends with The
 Insurgents from Oahu and they put on a great live
 show. Unity 
 Crayons is a local collective on Oahu and they put
 together a lot of great all-ages shows. To be honest
 with you, I 
 haven’t ever seen such hard working people in the
 punk scene before. And they do it on a volunteer
 basis! I’m really proud to work with people like that.

Nate-On Maui where we live, the scene is small but
 growing. The lack of venues is one of the main reasons it is so small. 
On Oahu the scene is pretty cool with Unity Crayons 
putting on a lot of all-ages shows. 


Steve-And even on Oahu, keeping all-ages venues open is really hard. It is a testimony to their hard work that they have shows as often as they do.




What are your feelings about Myspace? How do you
 justify using a website owned by Rupert Murdoch and
 the Fox news 
 corporation? 


Steve-I don’t like the fact that Rupert Murdoch owns
 Myspace. I know that eventually they will find a way
 to ruin it. 
 According to Wired magazine though, they really
 don’t know what to do with it yet. Recently though, 
 the military is 
 using Myspace to recruit kids. I’m not cool with
 that at all. I have to say though; I have met a lot
 of really cool people on 
 Myspace. It has been really good to White Rose. 
 Instead of us using it to beg people to “check out
 our band,” we just 
 promote ideas and try to be nice to people. That’s
 not a marketing strategy though, I see it as an
 extension of what zines 
 do and did in the past. I loved reading MRR and
 sending letters to SNFU or Final Conflict, asking
 them for an interview when I wrote my fanzine. 
 On Myspace, I can talk to them directly. Where else
 would I get to talk to Mike Watt or Bruce Loose? I
 never got to see 
 the Minutemen or Flipper, but I do get to message
 them and they answer back. I think that is really
 cool. We have met so many cool people on Myspace that it outweighs the
 negatives in my opinion. I don’t think that Murdoch
 would agree 
 with any of our positions on anything and it’s great
 to use his own weapons against him and his
 corporation.

Nate- How many trees do they chop down to print a 1 month
 of MRR? Even if the paper is recycled what corporation
 is it bought from? 


Steve- I think it is very difficult to remove oneself from the taint of corporations. I do everything I can to support local farming and local businesses. We use a lot of other Internet forums as well, but Myspace seems to be very popular right now.

Nate- I drive a truck to haul my drums to shows and we 
use Myspace to spread our anti-corporate message. In a
 way, I guess we are using this system to work against 
itself. 
 We are all guilty in some way, I mean, they kill trees for postage stamps and envelopes. If Rupert Murdoch is spreading republican
-fascist ideology, I say, let’s use his evil for something good. 


What are your goals as a band? 

Steve- I would love to be able to travel as a band and
 tour. Right now, it’s financial suicide for a band
 from Hawaii like ours to 
 tour. The logistics of us coming over without a lot
 of help are really tough. I hope to tour the
 continent next summer. We 
 have a lot of songs ready for the next CD as well
 and I’m really excited about recording them. I love
 working in the 
 studio and recording and the next CD should be
 amazing. We also are going to put out some 7 inches
 as well, hopefully 
this fall and we are always looking for new ways to put release our music. 

Nate- Steve pretty much capped that one. However, next time we record, we are going to try to use mind-control riffs to get people to like us more. 


Any other things you would like to say? 


Steve- I hope that we can connect with people. I’m really
 excited about our new CD and would love to hear from
 people. They can order it from us for $12.00 postage paid to PO
 Box 880908, Pukalani, HI, 96788. 
We also have t-shirts and stickers available.



If you are interested in ordering this issue, you can get it Here




INTERVIEW WITH BELGIUM MAGAZINE, RMP

Interview with Belgium RMP
RMP- Hey there, thanks for accepting the interview Smiley, so let's get started shall we. First things first, we need to know who'll be answering the questions.

Steve-I’m Steve, I play guitar in the band.

RMP -That being said, we'll start with a few general questions so that our readers have a general idea of the band. When did you guys know that it was your passion to start a band?
Steve- I’ve played in a lot of bands before and I’ve always wanted to have a band that plays the kind of music that we play and address the same types of issues that we do in the band. Nate, the drummer, and Noah the singer/bassist are brothers and they have played in bands together before. They too wanted to play the type of music that we play. Basically we all wanted to play in a band where we can play anything that we want. If we want to play reggae, we will. If we want to play rock, or punk or whatever, we are willing to give it a shot. If it sucks, then we usually won’t let the song get out of our rehearsal room.

RMP-What bands would you guys compare yourself with? How would you describe your own music?

Steve- We’re all over the place. The roots of what we do are punk rock. That’s what we play, but there are elements of a lot of bands that have influenced us. I suppose I’d describe our music as melodic, loud, socially-aware, honest and sometimes fast, sometimes not. We’re not going to set any land speed records –I think there are enough bands that play lightning fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love that type of music, I just don’t have the ability to play like that. What bands do we compare ourselves too? That’s pretty hard to answer. I could say just about anything, but I’d be wrong! I don’t know of too many bands that we sound like, but there is traces of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Stooges, and The Descendents in the music. However, I can’t compare us to them –they have all proved to be timeless and unique. Hopefully, someday we could be like that.

RMP- Has Punk music been with you all your life?

Steve- It’s been with me for a long time. I’m 39 years old and grew up in Michigan. We had people like Ted Nugent who played in our area a lot –he was played on the radio constantly. Ted was like a local band for some of us. I was pretty young though and wasn’t able to go out and see concerts like that, but I had neighbors and cousins who discovered punk rock and I got turned on to punk rock from them. It was somewhere in the late 70’s, but I didn’t call myself punk rock until the 80’s. To me, REO Speedwagon was no different than anyone else –it was music and it was entertainment. I eventually saw that punk rock could also be radically political and that was really attractive to me.

RMP -Punk has many subgenres. How do you personally define "punk" these days?
Steve-I really don’t know. I’m not sure if I should or could define punk rock. I know what it is to me. I think that it has the potential to be amazing, fun, exciting, radical (in the true sense of the word), but it also can be trite, boring and plodding –without any meaning at all. I know that when I was young, the idea of punk rock having it’s own internet sites and radio was way beyond my imagination. Punk rock was music for outsiders and misfits when I was younger.
RMP- How did you guys come up with quite an unusual name like (Order of the) White Rose?
Steve- We named ourselves after the White Rose students in Munich, Germany. They wrote leaflets denouncing the Hitler regime and distributed it among their fellow students. They were eventually caught and executed. However, I felt that their commitment and desire to challenge the authorities was inspiring.

RMP -How popular is (Order of the) White Rose in the United States?
Steve- Not at all! We have a lot of work to do for even people who are hip to the whole punk thing to hear about us. Coming from Hawaii has its disadvantages, touring is difficult and getting our name out to other people in the scene, even with the internet, has been tough. I work at least an hour a day putting together mailers and promoting the band and our ideas.
RMP- In 2006 you released "War Machine", your first full CD. What are the main themes of the CD? Where did you get your inspiration?
Steve- I think we address a lot of things on War Machine. One major idea that we had was to look for solutions and look for self-affirming ideas. Our songs, “In Control” and “Resist Despair” talk about these things. Our song “Seeds of Destruction,” which we also re-worked for the b-side of our 7-inch, is about genetically modified foods. “Who Would Jesus Bomb,” was a song questioning Christian’s pro-war stance.

RMP- Can we expect new material in the near future? If so, is there an evolution in your style or is it the same in your face punk music?
Steve- Yeah, we’re recording demos at every practice and writing new songs. I think the evolution of our music continues what we did on War Machine. Some of our new songs are about the missionaries coming to Hawaii, immigration, and the people of New Orleans and the Katrina disaster. Musically, we are getting to play better as a band, and that helps writing better songs, and a more cohesive record.

RMP- What are your guy’s opinions about all the downloading that goes on?
Steve- I think that our songs are all available for download at one place or another. I’m not against it, but our records are really cheap and I’m willing to cut people deals if they want one. The artwork on War Machine is by Winston Smith and the 7 inch has a poster by Keith Rosson. Brian Walsby drew the front cover and Keith drew the back cover and the poster inside. I like records with good art in them. I don’t get that with a download, it doesn’t really feel ‘real’ to me without the physicality of a CD or record. But, with our natural resources like oil dwindling at a fast pace, downloading may be the way to go. I’m not sure that I want to just churn out records and CDs without thinking about what goes into their production.
RMP- Have you guys played on any big festivals or done any major gigs yet?
Steve- We’ve played with the Bouncing Souls and The Dropkick Murphys. Those shows were pretty big. We haven’t played any big punk rock festivals yet, but I’d like to.
RMP-You recently did a tour in California, did everything went as planned?
Steve- Yeah, it went well. I got sick, but we had great shows in Berkeley and Ridgecrest. I wanted to see how hard it would be for us to tour –we’re all very busy with our families, work and school, so it takes some planning for us to tour.
RMP-What's the funniest thing that has ever happened in a show?
Steve- I think anyone who asks if they can play my guitar after I get done playing is hilarious. I don’t lend out my guitars to people so they can show me how well they play “Sweet Child O’ Mine” on guitar. Every time someone asks me, “hey dude, can I play your guitar?” I get really confused. I would never ask to do that. It’s not the funniest story, is it? I wish I had some crazy story to tell, but I don’t really have any. Most of the time, people don’t talk to me –I’m older than a lot of the people who come to our shows, so they probably see me as their dad or something.



Do you guys have any favorite bands you like to listen to when off - stage?
Steve- When we are about to play, I like to listen to anything but punk rock. I like listening to jazz before we play. That being said, most of the time I’m listening to the other bands that are going on before us. I just get nervous watching them.
Do you guys have other jobs besides performing in a band?
Steve- Yeah, I work in a bakery with my wife, Nate works construction and Noah is a tattoo artist. I also attend college.

RMP-Final question, try to convince our readers that attending a show of "(Order of the) White Rose" is an absolute must.
Steve-That’s a good question. I don’t know if we’re an absolute must-see type of band. If it comes down to eating or going to see us play, please go eat first. I remember going hungry because I bought MDC’s “Chicken Squawk” 7 inch instead of food. I don’t recommend doing that. However, we will put on a honest show, we’ll be trying to rock out and entertain the people in the audience. Nate, our drummer is fun to watch. He hits the crap out of his drums and that’s a blast to watch.

Thanks for your time, and keep us updated about new releases. We'll gladly mention them on our site!

The Disneyfication of Hawai`i

The Friday 17th edition of the Honolulu Advertiser reports that new plans for a Disney-owned timeshare and hotel development will open in 2011. Although there are concerns that the economy of Hawai`i has slowed considerably, this new resort will have 350 rooms and 480 timeshare units. The estimated cost of the resort will be around $800 million and they plan on employing 1,000 people once the resort is opened.
Wing Chao, the executive vice-president of architecture and design at Walt Disney states, [The resort] honors Hawai`ian culture but splashes in some ‘Disney magic,’ …guests can swim in a saltwater snorkeling lagoon that will feature native fish and ‘some elements of Disney characters.’”




Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts says, “Disney acquired 21 acres for the resort a year ago and has since been learning more about Hawai'i, planning and researching…This project is very true and authentic to who we are.”
You can probably see where I am going with this; I am deeply troubled with the idea of Hawai`i becoming “Disneyfied.” The Hawai`ian imagery and culture has been co-opted for hundreds of years. Hawai`i was reported to be an island of friendly savages by Captain Cook. Currently it is seen as a idyllic, laid-back culture where the employees of the resorts will bend over backwards in order to please their guests. At a current meet the candidates forum for the Hawai`ian chamber of commerce, I heard Maui County Councilwoman Gladys Baisa, wish that she was just a “little bit Hawai`ian,” so she could relax. Earlier, I wrote about the imagery used in lounge music to promote the idea of a relaxed jungle culture.

Tahiti women painted by Paul Gauguin



I believe that Disney will use a lot of the imagery found in lounge music in their resorts. Mai Tais and rum and cokes will be served along the piped in sounds of Martin Denny. Tourists will pull their overly-stuffed suitcases through lounges with palm fronds stapled to the wall. Disney characters will run through the resort; will the chuckling Goofy character work in the fake Lo`i? Will Minnie Mouse join the hula shows? I don’t believe that this is unfair; in the news report on KGMB News, the characters, “Lilo and Stitch” made an appearance while the Governor smiled and clapped. KGMB




The attacks on Hawai`ian culture have been consistent and incessant. If the resort is built, I’m sure that many jobs will be created, and local people need jobs and of course, Disney isn’t exactly known for their fair wages (Signon). However, the Disneyfication of Hawai`i is potentially dangerous and another example of the commodification of a proud people and culture.

Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room




Signon

Disney is Hell in Haiti

This oil painting by Johann Zoffany depicts
Cook's death at Kealakekua Bay.


Richard Cooksey.
"Ode to the Memory of Captain Cooke." Written at the Desire of Mr. Dunster. October 14, 1780."
In: Miscellaneous Poems.
London, 1796
Too soon, alas, it struck thy heart,
Thou child of science and of art!
Too soon thy scene was clos'd.
While waving (pity-mov'd) thy hand,
Fair Mercy's sign, the savage band
To mercy--death oppos'd!


Captain Cook Made a Good Dinner © Stephen Hart

They came for the coconut
They came for the trees
They took what they could
They took what they pleased

Then they brought disease
And made the islands sick
They sell what they could
And burned every tree

Captain Cook made a good dinner
he thought he was a god
(but it) turns out he was a sinner
so, with a pinch of salt and a bit of poi
chop him up ‘cause
He makes a good stew