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How a YouTube video brought an extinct bird back from the dead
Kauai, Hawaii –– In 2015, Danish environmental artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen became obsessed with a bird that no longer exists. The Kaua'i 'o'o, a now-extinct species of small honeyeater, was last seen in Hawaii in 1987. According to a recent study in Science Advances, ornithologists have observed population declines in almost all of the Kauai Island's honeycreeper species, a famously diverse family of forest birds that have long-faced environmental destruction, the introduction of non-native species and slaughter of the native plantlife on their island. Scientists also say multiple more extinctions are likely in the coming decades. However, Steensen believes he and other ecologically-minded artists can one day bring long-lost species like the small Kaua'i 'o'o back from the dead, using a combination of technology, digital archiving tools and a whole lot of artistic imagination. Below is an essay on Steensen's current project on re-animation related to the Kaua'i 'o'o. Think of it as an introduction to the emerging world of online ecology.
The future of a cleaner, cheaper power grid is batteries
On the southern edge of the island of Kauaʻi sits an unsightly diesel power plant. The rust-covered smokestacks (a by-product of being next to the ocean) that emit a mechanical engine drone are a stark contrast to the serene beauty of the rest of the Hawaiian island. For decades this smoke-belching eyesore was the main source of electricity for Kauaʻi. But now it's being overtaken by renewable sources -- one that's made possible by batteries like those being built by Tesla.
Tesla's new solar energy station will power Hawaii at night
Renewable energy supplies are great because they produce power without filling the air with pollution. Yet, once the sun goes down solar panels become pretty useless. But Tesla and Hawaii have a solution that'll use the sun's rays both day and night using Powerpacks built at the Gigafactory.
Oceanic Time Warner Cable adds 4 HD channels in Oahu and Kauai
We can say with a straight face that there's hardly a time in Hawaii where watching HDTV trumps being out and about amidst paradise, but even those who can't spend enough time on pristine beaches need to kick back and catch some high-def entertainment every now and then. Oceanic Time Warner Cable has just announced that customers on the islands of Oahu (pictured) and Kauai will soon (read: this week) be treated to four new HD stations: Hallmark Movie Channel HD (1453), FOX Business HD (1108), Big Ten Network HD (1248) and Travel Channel HD (1325). When the additions are made, Oceanic TWC will offer a full 42 stations in Hawaii, giving you one less reason to resist the urge of buying that one-way ticket to OGG / HNL / KOA / etc.
