There have been numerous stories written about pesticides and pesticide drift in Hawai‘i. The issue with pesticides is a complex one, with opposing viewpoints from many perspectives. Instead of trying to polarize the issue, we as a team tackled this subject from many different angles. We broke up the story into four chapters, each of which covers a different angle of the large issue - the contentious issue of pesticide drift.

 

In the first chapter, reporter Ieva Bytautaite describes an encounter from a Waialua resident’s point of view after experiencing pesticide drift. In the second chapter, reporter Alden Alayvilla focuses on the state and what regulations are in place to protect residents and farmers. Reporter Janelle Guerrero-Miguel explores why some organizations and individuals are against the mass-use of pesticides on fields near residential communities. She also tracks who is in charge of regulating pesticides, the state or the county. In the last chapter, reporter Ana Giliberti-Ippel takes a look at why pesticides are an essential part of a successful agricultural cycle.

 

Videographers Jessica Lotts, graphic designer Amber Khan and newsroom assistant Meakalia Previch-Liu also contributed to each of the stories.

 

Our hope is that after reading this piece, our audience will have a broad, multi-faceted understanding of the issue.

 

 

~Ho‘a O‘ahu Investigative Team (Fall 2015 cycle 1)