Home Birth Delivery: Our Water Birth Experience

Is Giving Birth at Home Legal?

Most people don’t realize or consider that a home birth is an alternative option to a standard hospital birth delivery. It’s legal in the state of Hawaii and many other places around the world. And it should always be, since giving birth naturally and at home is a fundamental human right.

More so, midwife assisted home birthing has been practiced by humanity for thousands of years. Way before hospitals came into existence.

Rally at Honolulu Hale against SB1033
Rally at Honolulu Hale against SB1033 in 2019
Lots of families showed up to support traditional midwives

In the state of Hawaii, however, a new 2019 law regarding Traditional Midwifery limited the freedom to choose a Traditional Midwife.
Lots of Hawaii families showed up to protest against it at Honolulu Hale, including our family with our home birth one year old to urge Hawaii lawmakers not to pass this law. The law passed.

Our home birth baby and mother supporting Traditional Midwives in Hawaii
Our home birth baby and mother supporting traditional midwives of Hawaii in 2019

This law grants 4 years to traditional midwives to continue their practice as is, but by the end of the 4 years the midwife needs to be “certified” in order to continue her practice legally.

However, there are no “certifying” schools in Hawaii, so traditional midwives would have to move to the mainland! And pay lots of money and spend a lot of time to get the certificate. Even if the traditional midwife has practiced for many years and has a great track record.

The following video shows the rally at Honolulu Hale in support of traditional midwives. The rally was also covered by the local news.

Our Home Birth Experience

About to give birth at home in the water in Honolulu

Home births are usually done with the assistance of one or more traditional midwives, since time immemorial.

The midwife gets to know the mother-to-be on a very personal level. A solid relationship is established through pre-natal visits, the birth, post-natal visits, and friendship.

We were blessed to have two traditional midwives one of whom was also a doctor of naturopathic medicine.

Our Home Birth Midwives Were Amazing!

The Naturopathic Doctor (ND) was also a very experienced traditional midwife with decades of practice in Hawaii. Along with our traditional midwife who worked for this same office they made a great team.

They were a perfect pair, truly loving what they do, very knowledgable and aware, very positive, fun, and most importantly they were on the same mental philosophy as us. Natural, simple, traditional. With love and soul.

From that point most of our prenatal visits were at the comfort of our own home! The prenatal (and postnatal) visits were very positive, informative, fun, and human. Something we didn’t feel with other prenatal (mainstream doctors).

Every once in a while we went to our naturopathic doctor’s downtown office and those visits were very nice too with the complementary benefit of second opinion.

We were truly blessed to have them.

Father holding his precious home birth baby. Photo by Diana Yushin / Best Hawaii Photos. This photo was selected as one of the finalists at the 2019 Hawaii PhotoCon "The Essence of People in Hawaii"
Father holding his precious home birth baby. Photo by Diana Yushin / Best Hawaii Photos. This photo was selected as one of the finalists at the 2019 Hawaii PhotoCon “The Essence of People in Hawaii” currently on display at Pictures Plus in Kahala Mall.

How Much Did It Cost?

$3500 in 2018. This included everything such as pre-natal, post-natal visits, the birthing pool, and even placenta pills made from the mother’s placenta. A a cute bonus was a heart made out of the umbilical chord!

Was it worth it? Absolutely!

$3500 may seem like a lot compared to a zero-dollar no-cost hospital birth, but we didn’t want a hospital birth. And I believe that “you get what you pay for.” So, sometimes free is not the best option.

When it comes to such an important event like giving birth I didn’t mind paying. Also, the insurance did cover for some of it – mostly the in-office visits.

The Water Birth

When it comes to home births, it’s popular to give birth in the water – also known as the Water Birth.

It makes sense. The embryo inside is submerged in embryonic fluid for around 9 months. So a water birth is a great transition, but it’s also more comfortable for the mother.

In our case the midwives brought a special inflatable pool large enough to fully fit the mother-to-be (5’8). They set it up inside of our living room and filled it with warm water.

Mother holding mother-to-be during a home water birth
Mother holding her daughter and mother-to-be during a home water birth

Some mothers choose to use their bathtubs or even large bodies of water like the seas, the ocean, rivers, lakes or waterfalls! But our bathtub wasn’t large enough and the ocean was too wild of an idea for giving birth for the first time.

Dolphin-assisted birth.. maybe next time 🙂

Even the simple idea of giving birth at home (with all the home’s comforts) seemed wild to some of our friends and relatives. Some didn’t know it’s even an option. Simply because the mainstream hospital birth is so standardized in people’s minds of our time (Others questioned if it’s safe. And so did we.

Tiny toes of our newborn daughter
Tiny toes of our newborn daughter

Natural Birth Means..

To us Natural Birth means: no injections, no vaccinations, no pharmaceuticals, no pain meds, no epidural shots, no invasive or controversial procedures. We simply focused on maximizing nutrition (through clean organic food and quality supplements) and a healthy, active lifestyle.

We are very fortunate and truly blessed. Our baby has never gotten seriously sick, and never even had a diaper rash. (We mostly use reusable cloth diapers.) She’ll be turning 2 soon.

We took our newborn to the beach at about 2 weeks
We took our newborn to the beach at about 2 weeks

Why Give Birth at Home: The Risks (of Hospital)

The reason why we decided to do a natural home birth was actually out of safety and philosophical reasons. For many years we’ve enjoyed and lived the natural organic lifestyle. And so we thought that giving birth in the hospital was too risky and unnatural for us.

Chart shows newborn deaths per 1000 live births. The United States ranked 33rd (out of 36 developed nations) in infant mortality. Almost triple infant deaths than that of Japan and much above the average of all OECD nations combined.

Giving birth – creating life is one of the most (if not the most) important events in a person’s life. Doing it the natural way was on our mind, naturally. And we like to keep things simple.. as much as possible in the complex urban environment of Honolulu.

We already knew that giving birth in the hospitals usually comes with a lot of interventions we didn’t want and didn’t agree with. From chemical injections to unnecessary c-sections or other invasive procedures we didn’t want to risk getting.

Also, learning grim statistics that newborn mortality rate in the United States hospitals is quite high, despite it being an advanced developed nation pushed us more towards a home birth. 

Our newborn with a special heart made out of her dried umbilical chord! Gift from our midwife
Our newborn with a special heart made from her umbilical chord! Gift from our midwife

We knew that any birth is risky whether done at home or in the hospital. But, we also understood that there are different degrees and types of risks.

It was determined that my wife is in the low risk category based on her prenatal checkups, blood tests, good health history, and biological age (she was 31). Throughout her pregnancy she was also very energetic and even regularly worked out! She rarely felt ill.

Even though she was in a low risk category, we still had a plan B: to go to a predetermined hospital of our choice if something goes really bad. Luckily nothing went bad that require plan B.

Happy daddy happy daughter. Photo by Diana Yushin / BestHawaii.Photos
Happy daddy happy daughter. Photo by Diana Yushin / BestHawaii.Photos

When Birth Risks Materialized

Everything went according to plan A. Most everything. Other than pushing the baby, which is naturally painful (especially without any chemical numbing agent) my wife had a tear during delivery.

Tears in the vaginal openings are not uncommon, especially when the baby is larger in size. Our newborn baby girl weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces at birth. Not the biggest (luckily!) and not the smallest. Just a solid baby. Very large babies often require c-section.

The tear was carefully stitched together by our experienced midwives in the bedroom. No hospitalization was necessary.

More Birthing Risks: The Umbilical Chord

When our precious baby girl was coming out, her neck was slightly tangled in her umbilical chord. If this were to happen in a hospital, then this would most certainly involve a c-section.

C-sections are all too common nowadays. Some women even choose this invasive and unnatural procedure to quicken the delivery!

Sometimes c-sections are medically necessary and must be done to save lives!

In our case, the midwife quickly recognized that the umbilical chord was around the baby’s neck, when the head started to come out. She quickly and carefully moved the umbilical chord over baby’s head to remedy this potential chocking hazard.

Umbilical chords often wrap around the neck of newborns. It’s an obvious hazard that can choke the baby if not taken care of properly. Luckily, umbilical chords are flexible, soft, somewhat stretchy, yet tough.

So, they can be pulled on without breaking and stretch enough to be untangled from a baby’s neck or another body part.

Resting after giving birth at home
Resting after giving birth at home

The Prenatal Visits

Prenatal Ultrasound: Against Our Consent

When my wife was pregnant we decided not to do any ultrasounds out of safety considerations after researching on the dangers of ultrasound. Ultrasound subject the developing fetus to unnaturally high frequencies of sound in order to create a black and white image of the fetus, supposedly.

You don’t need to be a musician or sound engineer to know that a high pitched sound can crack a glass! We definitely didn’t want to subject our precious embryo baby to the documented risks of ultra sound. 

We explicitly told our first (mainstream) prenatal doctor (MD) that we don’t want any prenatal ultrasounds. The doctor stated that ultrasounds are safe, while I was reading scientific research that showed otherwise!

The same doctor also told us we don’t need iodine because we’re surrounded by the ocean, so “it’s in the air”!! Just breathe. We thought it was a very ridiculous thing for her to say.

During the next prenatal visit to this doctor an ultrasound was performed on my wife without her knowledge or consent! It was actually performed against explicit demands of both parents during the first visit!

When my wife told me about the fact that the doctor did an ultrasound without our consent and knowledge I was shocked, disappointed and angry.

My wife was disappointed and shocked too. But at the same time very happy. Happy to see the black and white ultrasound image of our tiny 11 week-old baby fetus for the first time.

I completely understood her emotion and instead of focusing on the negative I did my best to focus on her happiness from seeing that ultrasound picture of our tiny baby inside of her for the first (and only) time.

That was the last time she saw that doctor who broke our trust more than once and that time was in a major way. A way that in my mind constitutes medical malpractice.

My wife tried another mainstream doctor for prenatal visits. He quickly failed in what we were looking for.

After that we were 100% with our midwifes (one of whom is a Doctor of Natorpathy).

Our Midwife prenatal visits were great. Mostly at the comfort of our home and occasional downtown Honolulu office visits for second opinion. We liked to to switch things up too once in a while.

That first newborn smile.. 🙂

Labor of Love

The labor lasted about 6 hours. When the contractions started to become obviously more frequent we called our midwife in the evening. She showed up shortly after, along with the doctor midwife. They quickly set up the inflatable birthing pool for the home water birth and filled it with warm water.

It was just the six of us at home, all in the living room during the birth: myself, my wife giving birth, the baby (inside), two midwives, and wife’s mother, who was very supportive.

Others wanted to come to witness the birth, but we wanted to keep it very private, as it should be. A home birth is not a spectacle. It’s a very private experience and having that comfort is very important, especially for the mother-to-be.

After heavy pushing and lots of pain, the baby’s head started to appear.. in the water. The umbilical chord was quickly pulled away from the neck and head and then baby came out into the water into the midwives hands who was patiently waiting to catch the baby all along. And out into the air!

Touched by The Light. Photo by Pasha Yushin / BestHawaii.photos

The Water Home Birth: of a.. Natural Wonder Baby

Baby was calm, quiet, and her eyes were open. She was seeing the outside world for the first time! It must have been a weird experience for her, but she didn’t cry. It was night time and our lighting was dim at comfortable levels. There was excitement in our living room. It’s a brand new baby!

We didn’t know weather it was a girl or boy yet! The only ultrasound was done too early to tell. So I asked the midwife and she showed us.

It was a girl! That girl that everyone wanted so much! That girl that puts smiles on strangers faces and brightens people’s lives with her wonderful soul. That girl, that reconfirms that Life truly is a miracle.

organic baby

How to avoid 5G and EMF Radiation in Honolulu and Beyond

We Surveyed Honolulu for EMFs

We measured Honolulu area for EMF radiation in the VHF-RF range to find EMF free zones, determine background levels, and locate worst sources of EMF electrosmog pollution in Hawaii.

Why? Simply because EMFs (especially in the high frequency range such as cell, wi-fi, 4G, etc.) have been shown to cause various health problems, as documented in the following scientific studies presented by the Bioinitiative Report.

EMFs are virtually undetectable by any of the five human senses, so specialized equipment is needed to locate and measure EMFs.

The results of our survey showed that EMF free zones in Honolulu are virtually non-existent. Which makes sense, since it’s a very urban area with lots of cell-phone towers, wi-fi, and now 5G on Oahu and some of the outer islands.

Honolulu background levels were mostly from “Yellow to Orange.” On a scale presented by EMFields “Green” being best (0.01-.02 v/m) and “Red” being worst at 3 v/m and above. Some areas were “Red”, usually directly dependent on our proximity to a mobile cell-phone tower, as we drove through Honolulu.

Acousticom 2 EMF Levels Chart
This is how Acousticom 2 RF Meter displays EMF Levels. ES stands for “electro-sensitivity” (of a person)

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“Green” areas were almost non-existent.
But, luckily we found some!

We used the Acousticom 2 EMF pocket meter to see actual exposure levels in our immediate environment. It’s extremely easy to use and it fits in the pocket.

The Acousticom 2 measures high frequency EMFs in the RF (radio frequency) microwave range from 200MHz – 8GHz. This range catches cell phone towers, Wi-Fi, smart meters, radar, cell phones, and common 5G frequencies. It even lets you hear these dangerous EMFs, which is helpful in determining its source. The audio function can be turned on and off.

Best EMF-Free Zones

1. Best EMF free zone we located in Honolulu was at Lyon Arboretum in Manoa Valley. Tucked away from cell towers, protected by lots of big trees and vegetation, and less people (with cell-phones!) than the adjacent Manoa Falls hike are main factors that make Lyon Arboretum a great place to escape the EMFs and get in touch with Nature!

Here we found it important to put our cell phones on airplane mode, so that they don’t emit EMFs we’re trying to escape from in the first place!

Halona cove had very excellent results too.

2. Second best was Diamond Head beach area between the beach and the cliffs. Although it was not completely free of EMFs, this area showed very low levels.

3. Third best was Makapuu beach, which had more EMFs than Diamond Head lookout area, but had much less EMFs than the background levels of Honolulu.

Worst EMF Zones

Worst areas for EMFs in Honolulu are generally any location close to a cell phone tower. The closer to a cell phone tower – the more radiation. This article has maps of cellphone towers.

High traffic areas such as Kapahulu Ave. and McCully Ave. showed above average readings for EMF exposure. These streets are lined with cell phone towers. Most of these cell phone towers are on top of apartment buildings!

A disturbing find is a cell phone tower on top of the Moili’ili Community Center which has a daycare inside. The cell tower is on the roof directly above children’s heads! Of course, staff, and visitors who frequent this area are exposed, as well.

We noticed that many cell-towers in Honolulu are also placed right across from public schools and pre-schools! This is disturbing, since children are more susceptible to EMF radiation than adults.

A child’s skull is thinner than that of an adult, so more radiation reaches their brain directly. Also, a child’s body is less developed to deal with the stress from the EMF radiation.

Conclusion: How to Avoid EMF Exposure

To avoid or reduce the potential damage from EMF radiation (including 5G) you have to leave the urban area to an area where your mobile cell phone has little or no cell signal.

For example, an isolated beach protected by a mountain/cliff or a deep valley tucked away in the mountains. (Some examples are described above under “Best EMF-Free Zones.”

When your mobile phone has no or little signal means that the closest cell tower is far away (and so is the radiation that it emits). Then, mobile phone should be on airplane mode or turned off so that it’s not radiating it’s own EMF frequency. Wi-fi and bluetooth should be off, as well.

For maps of most cell phone towers and maps of 5G towers in Hawaii check out this article.

It’s great to meditate, reflect, breathe deeply and slowly in this EMF-Free Zone Natural Environment.

ENJOY WHILE WE HAVE IT!

SINCE TECH GIANTS ARE PLANNING TO LAUNCH 5G DRONES OVER HAWAII (LANAI AND MAUI) AND AND THOUSANDS OF 5G/4G SATELLITES OVER THE ENTIRE WORLD IN EARTH’S ORBIT (STARLINK SATELLITE PROJECT).

WILL WE BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE COMING EMF DOSING?

YES! BECAUSE WE THINK AHEAD AND CAN ADAPT TO A RAPIDLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT!

Check out this in-depth article on how you can further reduce harmful EMF radiation.

Dangers of 5G and EMF Radiation

Physical health symptoms associated with EMFs and 5G

EMFs are dangerous to health

EMFs (Electro Magnetic Frequencies) including 5G are invisible, untouchable, and virtually undetectable, but they pose significant health risks to humans and other living beings according to many leading health experts of today and numerous scientific studies throughout the years.

Scientific studies on EMF exposure have shown DNA damage, Blood Brain Barrier damage, and a multitude of health symptoms ranging from fatigue to sleep disorders, headaches, skin conditions, and nausea just to name a few.

(Source: Bioinitiative Report)

Public Safety Limits on EMFs

Exposure limits in the US, Canada, and Japan only protect the public from death from overheating, not accounting for health risks mentioned above.

EMF public safety exposure limits vary greatly from country to country. The worst EMF public safety limits are in the US, Canada, Japan, and Israel.

Best EMF public safety limit is in Salzburg, Austria and few other European countries.

Types of EMFs

Non-ionizing EMFs are categorized by different frequency groups, for example: RF (Radio frequency), PF (Power Frequency) from power lines, electricity in the walls, sub-stations, etc. HF (High frequency), and VHF (Very High frequency) – a microwave frequency such as 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G are part of.

Ionizing EMFs are UV (ultra violet), x-ray, infra-red, gamma rays, etc. are not the focus of this article.

Sources of EMF (VHF) Radiation

Very High Frequency microwave EMFs including 5G are the one we’re concerned about the most, since it’s so prevalent in today’s urban high-tech environment.

Some of the worst EMF sources include: cell phone towers, wi-fi routers, smart meters, cell phones, bluetooth signals, cordless phones, and microwave ovens.

These devices operate in a very high frequency range of 800 MHz – 8 GHz. That is 800,000,000 Hz (800 million Hz) to 8,000,000,000 (8 billion) Hz!

5G stands for 5th generation (after 4G/LTE). 5G frequencies are expected to be at least 10 times higher than 4G frequencies mentioned above. Up to 86 GHz (86 billion Hertz).

For comparison, the human brain oscillates in the range of 1 to 30Hz range. (30Hz being a stress response/anxiety and 10Hz being an calm Alpha brain wave of creativity, reflection and mediation.)

Since these artificial EMF frequencies easily penetrate the human body and especially the brain, it’s no wonder top 10 symptoms of (ES) electro-sensitivity are related to areas of the mind such as mood, learning, and feelings (of anxiety/depression).

Conclusion

To reduce the health risks associated to continuous exposure to EMF radiation (including 5G), it may be wise to avoid it as much as possible.

After learning that EMFs and 5G are dangerous to health we decided to write an article on how to avoid or reduce this type of EMF radiation.

In the following article we give practical advice on how to reduce and avoid exposure to harmful EMF waves and 5G. We surveyed Honolulu area in search of low to non-existent EMF (VHF) environment.

Our conclusions are presented in the next article.

GMO Potatoes and How to Avoid Them

GMO potatoes: the latest. As of May, 2017 there are at least 9 approved varieties of genetically engineered potatoes in the US. The GMO potato made it to #4 (out of 15) on our updated list of GMO foods.

The potato is a major staple in the Western diet and source of energy through carbohydrates. Indeed, potatoes are very popular, therefore patenting them through genetic modification is highly lucrative.

Genetically modified potatoes are engineered to withstand bruising, viruses, fungi, and bugs. GE potatoes are also expected to exhibit low levels of acrylomide – a carcinogenic toxin produced by cooking potatoes. (Source: www.innatepotatoes.com)

J.R. Simplot is one of the largest suppliers of potatoes in the US. J.R. Simplot’s new generation of GMO potatoes is expected to be more marketable. It’s called “Innate.” In the Summer of 2014 about 400 acres worth of Simplot Innate GMO potatoes sold at Midwest and Southeast grocery stores.

Simplot aims to significantly increase it’s output of genetically engineered potatoes in 2017 by planting more than 6000 acres. These GMO potato varieties come from: Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Atlantic, and Snowden potato cultivars. (Source: USDA APHIS)

Genetically engineered potatoes don’t bruise or turn brown when cut, unlike non-gmo potatoes. GE potatoes will be marketed to grocery stores and restaurants due to their longer shelf life and “prettier” appearance. J.R. Simplot has been the main supplier of potatoes to McDonald’s. Even so, McDonald’s made a pledge that it won’t be buying Simplot’s Innate GMO potatoes.

Special Note: Potatoes, just like tomatoes are part of the Nightshade family. People who follow AIP (Autoimmune Protocol diet) or people with leaky gut tend to avoid members of the Nightshades, since they are thought to be irritating to the gut regardless of GMO status.

Different varieties of potatoes. Image credit: Scott Bauer, USDA ARS

How to Avoid GMO Potatoes?

  1. Buy certified organic potatoes. The surest way to avoid the GMO potato is to make sure your potatoes are organic. Organic farming specifically prohibits use of GMOs. The other benefit is that your potatoes won’t be grown in artificial chemical concoctions of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, bio-sludge, irradiation, and other unhealthy farming methods.
  2. Avoid non-organic processed food with potato ingredients. This includes frozen meals with potatoes, powdered potatoes (including mashed potato powders), canned soups with potatoes, potato chips, etc.
  3. Avoid Russet-looking potatoes when eating out. Unless the company or the food prep manager can tell you with 100% certainty that the potatoes they use are 100% non-gmo. This includes restaurants (big and small, fast and slow), deli departments, ready-made-meals at grocery and convenience stores, gas stations. The amount of Russet, Snowden, and Atlantic varieties of potatoes being GMO is increasing over time.
  4. Switch to sweet potatoes. If organic potatoes are not available or the non-gmo potato status cannot be verified, opt-in for the sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are healthy and delicious. Currently there is no GMO sweet potato on the market. There are several varieties of sweet potatoes. They can be identified by their color on the inside such as the purple “Okinawa,” the orange sweet potato, the yam, and the white sweet potato. Our personal favorites are the purple and the orange organic sweet potato.
  5. Switch to non-Russet potatoes. If organic potatoes or sweet potatoes are not available or the non-gmo potato status cannot be verified you can reduce your chances of bying GMO by getting potato varieties that haven’t been genetically modified. So, stay away from: Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Atlantic, and Snowden potato cultivars. These can be identified by light brown skin and off white inside.
  6. Switch to other sources of non-gmo carbs. Potatoes are carbs. Carbs are required by our bodies for energy production. Too much or too little carbs is not good. Other sources of non-gmo carbs, other than the sweet potatoes mentioned above include: rice, carrots, pumpkin, beans, pasta, bread (if made with non-gmo ingredients) etc. Basically any carb or starch that’s not on our list of GMO Foods.
  7. Grow your own! Gardening is fun, grounding, and connects us directly to what sustains us: our food, water, the Sun, nature. Potatoes are relatively easy to grow. There are techniques using barrels or large pots that allow you to really multiply the harvest substantially by adding more and more soil into the container as the potato grows. You can even go to a grocery store or farmers market to get your initial potato starters. Just make sure you start with fresh organic potatoes.

Organically grown Russet Burbanks potatoes. Image credit: Steve Caruso

Organically grown Russet Burbanks potatoes. Please note: GMO version exists. Image credit: Steve Caruso

Blue Swede (non-gmo) purple potato variety. Image by Paebi

Blue Swede (non-gmo) purple potato variety. Image by Paebi

ALERT: Hawaii Bees Huge Decline, Now Endangered Species

save the bees 1080 organic hawaii

Recently Hawaii experienced it’s worst honey bee die-off since the survey began seven years ago. It’s estimated that a total of 38% of Hawaii honey bee colonies collapsed according to the latest 2015-2016 annual survey by the Bee Informed Partnership. California honeybee loss was at almost 40%. Highest honey bee loss in the entire US was in Mississippi at over 71%!

This is a sharp rise in honey bee die-offs from the previous survey year. In 2014-2015 only 14% Hawaii bee colonies experienced collapse. That year Hawaii had least die-offs in the entire US. We wrote about it because it was significant and very positive news. But, unfortunately things changed for the worse very quickly.

The Yellow-Faced Bee: Now Endangered Specie

For the first time in US history bees were added to the Endangered Species list. Seven species of yellow-faced bees native to Hawaii were added to the Endangered Species Act in 2016. Although, this protection came right after the recent 38% honeybee die-off, it took the Xerces Society almost a decade to convince the government to protect these Hawaiian bee species.

Potential Causes of Bee Deaths

The million dollar question is: “What caused a 2.7 time increase in Hawaiian honey bee deaths in just one year?” Indeed, there are numerous factors that can hurt the bees: pollution, toxic agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, loss of habitat due to development, as well as biological enemies such ants, mites, and viruses like varroa and nosema.

aluminum chemtrail nasa

Luminous vapor trail of tri-methyl aluminum (TMA). Credit: NASA

One less-talked-about potential bee-killer is Geoengineering. Geoengineering is also known as Weather Modification – a form of climate control practiced all over the world, including Hawaii. It’s ironic that the scientific community often dismisses it as “chemtrails conspiracy theory,” while on the other hand it promotes it as areal atmospheric spraying and cloud seeding.

For example, NASA admits using atmospheric “tracers” containing aluminum, lithium, barium and other particles. Lithium is also used in batteries and as an anti-psychotic drug. Aluminum is a neurotoxin with strong links to Alzheimer’s and nerve damage. Aluminum is also toxic to plants. Barium is toxic, as well.

lithium chemtrail nasa

Image of a daytime lithium trail from a sounding rocket launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, in July 2013. Credit: NASA

Another example is straight from Harvard University. In 2018 Harvard scientists are planning to spray an aerosol into the stratosphere to reflect the Sun’s heat to combat global warming. These researchers want to test several undisclosed materials. However, from our own research aluminum oxide particles are one of the main ingredients used for this purpose due to their reflectivity and low weight.

Furthermore, a 2015 research study on wild bumble bee population and aluminum exposure found that the bumble bee pupae were heavily contaminated with Aluminum in the UK. According to the study: “The significant contamination of bumblebee pupae by aluminium raises the intriguing spectre of cognitive dysfunction playing a role in their population decline. (…) colonies with high concentrations (of aluminum) in the pupae tended to have smaller pupae.”

Considering all of the above causes behind bee deaths it is our conclusion that it is not a single cause, but rather a combination of above causes responsible for collapses in bee populations.

Fake Substitutes Instead of Real Solutions?

RoboBee

RoboBee. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Tech companies and researchers are rushing to capitalize on the sharp decline in bees and other pollinators. After all, humanity and plants’ lives have depended on real living pollinators for thousands and millions of years, respectively. Why not replace them with artificial robots.

So now, instead of finding real solutions, some are quick to offer fake substitutes in the form of robot bees. or Autonomous Flying Robots is not science-fiction, they are tiny insect-like-drones developed by Harvard University.

It’s ironic that Harvard is also behind the proposed 2018 geoengineering experiment (mentioned above), which could harm real bees with aluminum oxide aerosol. There are other similar bee-robot developments taking place around the world, including Japan.


Real Solutions to Save the Bees

  1. Live the Organic Life. As much as possible, buy organic food, naturally derived household and personal care products. Organic farming specifically prohibits the use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides and many other agricultural chemicals that are harmful to the bees and other beneficial insects, such as the Monarch butterflies. In addition, conventional, non-organic agricultural chemicals wreak havoc on our own health through toxic residues in food. So it’s a win-win for the bees and for our own health when we buy organic.
  2. Start an organic garden. Turn that plain-old boring lawn into a mini-biosphere where bees can thrive. Bees need flowers to pollinate. Grow bee-friendly plants. Where there are no flowers, there’s no sustenance for the bees. In addition, your family can harvest healthy, ultra-fresh organic produce without having to go to the grocery store every time. Organic gardening is very grounding and a great way to connect to nature, while making a difference for the bee community.
  3. Awareness and sharing. Keep it simple. Share this knowledge with everyone and anyone. If everyone on Earth followed the first two steps outlined above the whole world would change and transform into a welcoming habitat for the bees and other beneficial pollinators. The whole world would heal and become harmonious once again.

The following photos are from our visit to an organic honeybee farm on the Big Island in 2016.


Article sources:

Bee Informed Partnership
OrganicHawaii
Natural Society
Xerces Society
GeoengineeringWatch
NASA
Dr. Mercola
NaturalNews
PLOS.org
Harvard University

Earth Day 2017: Hawaii Events

Earth Day 2017 Hawaii

Earth Day 2017 is on Saturday, April 22. There will be lots of fun, family friendly Earth Day events in Hawaii to celebrate and raise the awareness of environmental preservation. We will be adding more events to this list, as information becomes available. If you know of an Earth Day event that’s not listed, please let us know and we will be happy to add it! 🙂

Oahu

Waikīkī Beach Clean-Up
Cost: FREE: Validated Self Parking at the Hyatt Regency for Beach Clean Up participants.
FREE Continental Breakfast provided
When: APRIL 22, 2017 Saturday 7am – 9am
Where: Meet at Dukeʻs Statue Kūhio Beach Park in Waikiki
More info

Mauna to Makai Earth Day at Waikiki Aquarium
Cost: FREE
When: Saturday, April 22, 9am-2pm (Free Admission!)
Location: The Waikiki Aquarium
Description: Guests will take part in interactive booths, entertainment and a variety of hands-on learning activities and displays that showcase preservation and protection of Hawaii’s environment. Among the activities will be a fish release and native plant giveaway. More info

VSH Earth Day Celebration
Cost: FREE
When: April 22, 1-6pm
Where: Banan
1810 University Ave.
Honolulu, HI
Description: Vegetarian Society of Hawaii event with lots of live music, t-shirt giveaways, special speakers/presentations, plant sale, delicious treats, fundraiser, and more. More info

Plant it Forward 2.0
Cost: $5 donation. Snacks and water provided.
When: Sat, April 22, 2017. 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: KEY Project
47-200 Waihee Road
Kaneohe, HI 96744
Description: Learn and Help Restore the Waihe‘e Lo‘i. Join us for our Earth Day service project torestore the Waihe‘e Lo‘i and learn about the history and importance the lo‘i plays in our current local culture.
More info: Society of Young Leaders

Earth Day After pARTy!
Cost: $10 donation
When: Sat, April 22, 2017, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Where: Arts At Marks Garage
1159 Nuuanu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96817
Join us for an engaging night of art, activism & environment gathered around the idea that we can create progressive positive change through passion, creativity & activated community! More info

Earth Day at the North Shore Country Market
Cost: FREE
When: Saturday, April 22 at 8 AM – 2 PM
Where: Sunset Beach Elementary School
59360 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, Hawaii 96712
Description: Live music, Yoga, community plant and seed swap. The market will have produce, flowers jewelry, art, kids clothes, succulents, jard drinks, healing ointments, photos, and much more. Everything is made in Hawaii. More info

Optimysstique Earth Day (North Shore)
Cost: Donation
When: Saturday, April 22. 10 AM – 9 PM
Where: YMCA Camp Erdman
Mokuleia Forest Reserve, 69-385 Farrington Hwy, Waialua, HI 96791
Description: Hosted by Optimysstique. Live music, djs, yoga, bodywork, clothing swap, seed swap, vendor village, and more. More info


Big Island (Hawaiʻi)

Earth Day 2017 Fair & Conservation Career Day
Cost: FREE
When: Friday, April 21st, 2017 • 9am – 2pm
Where: University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
200 W. Kāwili Street

Description: “2017 Earth Day celebration boasts educational videos, informational exhibits and science demonstrations, expert guest speakers, a food sustainability panel, environmental science skill-building workshops, marine touch-tanks, dance troupes, HICCUP Circus performance, hula, storytellers, face-painting, campus garden tours, an environmental career fair, unmanned aerial vehicle flight simulators, and many other engaging activities. Free plants, fruits, and other giveaways will be available throughout the day.” – Source: http://hilo.hawaii.edu/earthfair/


Maui

West Maui Greenway Earth Day 2017 Celebration
Cost: FREE
When: Saturday, April 22 at 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Where: Lahaina Civic Center
Phone: (808) 661-4685
Website: http://www.westmauigreenway.org/events.html

Description: First kick-off event to help raise awareness for the West Maui Greenway project, a proposed 25-mile, multi-use pathway along Maui’s Western shore. Lots of activities such as yoga, hula, keiki activities, arts, Greenway exploration rides, and music entertainment.

Organic Hawaii Part of Good Food Org Guide!

Organic Hawaii Good Food Org Guide

OrganicHawaii is honored and excited to be selected as part of the FoodTank and James Beard Foundation 3rd annual GOOD FOOD Org Guide featuring organizations creating a better food system across the United States! You can download the guide for FREE here.

Food Tank is a leading organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. FoodTank spotlights environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty and creates networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change. (Source: FoodTank.com)

The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher, James Beard was a champion of American cuisine who helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. (Source: jamesbeard.org)

Anointed the “Dean of American cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, James Beard laid the groundwork for the food revolution that has put America at the forefront of global gastronomy. He was a pioneer foodie, host of the first food program on TV in 1946! (Source: jamesbeard.org)

We at OrganicHawaii firmly believe that the best kind of food is local, organic, non-gmo, and wholesome.

MAHALO for your support!!!!

Kauai Canoe Plant Festival 2016

Canoe Plant Festival Celebrates National Farm-to-School Month

KALIHIWAI – On October 16th, 2016 Malama Kauai will host a Canoe Plant Festival gathering to celebrate National Farm-to-School Month and the fall harvest at their Community Farm in Kalihiwai Ridge from 10am to 5pm.

A wide variety of activities and workshops will be offered, including chef demonstrations and cooking workshops, as well as agriculture and growing-focused workshops, all centered around canoe plants, such as taro/kalo, coconut/niu, breadfruit/ulu, and others. There will also be music and vendors.

Adult tickets are $15 and those who purchase advanced tickets online will receive a special gift upon check-in at the event. Children 18 & under are free and there will be a variety of keiki activities offered.

The event is brought to you by Malama Kauai, a local nonprofit celebrating its 10-year anniversary of focusing on sustainability and food production issues for Kauai. Their programs include the 7-acre Community Farm that this event will be held at, as well as the Kauai School Garden Network, Hawaiian Charter School Food Program, Village Harvest Gleaning Project w/Kauai Master Gardeners, Kauai Ag Internship Program, and more.

This event is sponsored by Hawaii Tourism Authority, The County of Kauai, and KauaiFestivals.com. For more information on the event, including schedule of activities or to purchase tickets, visit www.MalamaKauai.org or call 828-0685 x12.

Mahalo!

Canoe Plant Festival

Action Alert! Support Hawaii Organic Farms

Action Alert Support Organic Hawaii farms

Recently Hawaii became the first state in the US to pass legislation providing tax breaks for local farmers to offset the cost of getting certified organic! This bill would allocate up to $50,000 to each qualifying farm operation to cover such expenses as organic certification costs and equipment, for example.

Hawaii governor David Ige hasn’t yet decided whether he will sign it into law. You can take action and tell governor David Ige why it’s a great idea to have more organic farms in Hawaii, so he can sign this bill into law!

Here are some good reasons to support this cause, which would create: #1. more availability of certified organic/healthy food! #2. cheaper/sustained prices on organic (more supply = price goes down) #3. better for the environment and health!! These 3 reasons alone are a huge incentive to sign this legislation into law!

TAKE ACTION! Submit your comments to Gov. David Ige by June 27 deadline IN SUPPORT of “HB1689” HERE!

Mahalo to Hawaii representative Chris Lee, Hawaii Center for Food Safety and all those who support these positive changes!

Updates on this measure are published here