Feedback and Progress
By Lisa Gibson President, Hawaii Science & Technology Council

Aloha! Welcome to issue #2 of The Wave, the new monthly online journal of the Hawaii Science & Technology Council. We were pleasantly surprised by your feedback in response to our website launch in November. Reader emails ranged from “it’s great” (Oz Stender) to high praise from a high school science teacher for William Bonvillian’s guest article, ‘The Innovation State: Why Federal Support for Science is Essential for American Prosperity.’

In response to our article, ‘Leaving Home is an Economic Indicator,’ a Big Island mom reflected on the prospects her daughters face today. “I can appreciate the out-migration from Hawaii,” she wrote.  “Both daughters want to live here, but realize there's something missing—your article may have nailed it—aspiration.”

From Kona, Ross Wilson of Current Events wrote:  “You hit the nail on the head here. I’m involved with a bunch of economic initiatives and your piece will keep me focused on the mission at hand.”

Economic focus remains our preeminent gnarly issue.  As shown in this month’s Scorecard feature, Hawaii’s state deficit is alarming.  Already, state legislators are telling constituents to propose anything other than money bills as they prepare for the 2010 session.  But cutbacks and juggling special funds – a la the furlough crisis – will take us only so far.  While we steer federal stimulus funds to shore up the public sector, we also need to plant seeds for real economic growth.   As Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson writes (12-03-09):  “Job creation is fundamentally a private-sector process, and the private economy is experiencing a broad retreat from credit-driven spending.” Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund declared (11-03-09): “While it is premature to begin exiting from fiscal support, governments should not hesitate to announce a credible exit strategy now.”

A credible ‘exit strategy’ for Hawaii’s stalled economy requires the foresight to install next generation infrastructure today.  That is the thrust of David Lassner’s lead article, “Creating Hawaii’s Broadband Future.” Citing the work of Hawaii’s Broadband Task Force, Lassner writes: “We found that transformational improvements in health care, education, public safety, entertainment, economic development and civic engagement would all be empowered through high-speed broadband.”

Also in this issue of The Wave:

— Author Tony Clapes outlines a strategy for island economic development, the first of a three-part series. 

— Mike Hamnett and Bob Shore document continued job growth in Hawaii’s science and technology sectors, even during the recession year of 2008.

— Attorney Douglas A. Codiga contributes a reprint of his superb recent article in the Hawaii Bar Journal titled “Hawaii Clean Energy Law and Policy.”  It provides highlights of the many state statutes and policies that guide our transition to renewable energy.

— In our monthly ‘Leadership in Technology’ series, Darren T.Kimura profiles Sopogy Inc., a leader in MicroCSP technologies that bring rooftop Concentrating Solar Power systems (CSP) to distributed generation markets.

— Finally, we invite readers to view selected videos.  They include: (1) a delightful talk by Ken Robinson on nurturing the creativity of children; (2) Volkswagen’s ‘fun theory’ initiative; (3) a preview of a new fuel-efficient, super quiet jet engine from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft; and (4) a lovely retrospective on the genius and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. 

— For good measure, we added a link to a terrific new website from the Royal Society celebrating 350 years of trailblazing science.

That’s the line-up.  We want The Wave – and our readers – to spur critical thinking and discussion. We welcome continuing feedback on our articles and commentaries.

If you wish to submit an article for publication, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Likewise, if you have a comment on an article, drop us an email.  Tell us what you like and don’t like.  We’ll listen. We invite you to become regular monthly readers. This e-journal is an exercise in civic engagement. Encourage your friends and colleagues to give us a look.

Catch The Wave!