Consider it a wake-up call from the ocean’s opala.

The great piles of debris floating in Kailua Bay and washing up on the beach over the New Year’s weekend — much of it plastics and fishing nets — were a stark reminder that we can’t avoid the consequences of our massive production of garbage by dumping it in the Pacific Ocean.

City crews and volunteers, including some from the nonprofit group 808 Cleanups, stepped up to haul out as much rubbish as they could. The efforts highlighted some concerns, but also some opportunities to address a worsening problem.

The city and state encourage citizens to report marine debris, so crews can clean it up. But the government response can be slow, and it still wouldn’t be adequate; there’s too much garbage out there.

Fortunately, there’s nothing like rubbish to bring out volunteers who love their beaches and can’t stand to see them dirty. Kailua Beach is one of those places where you’ll see people every day, walking the shoreline with bags, picking up whatever doesn’t belong.

Making it easier for volunteers and nonprofits to collect and dump marine debris would help. That could mean more disposal sites, especially on the Windward side, and streamlining or replacing the permit process required of nonprofits to avoid tipping fees.

Our public beaches are among our most precious natural resources. We all have a stake in keeping them safe and clean.

Beesley drags Chin into fray

Politics is a rough sport, and those who opt to play must be ready to rumble.

That’s the hard lesson for state Attorney General Doug Chin, making his first run for political office, for the congressional seat to be vacated by Colleen Hanabusa. Chin’s fledgling campaign is being tainted by his dubious support of campaign manager, Dylan Beesley — a Democratic operative now under federal scrutiny for money transactions involving the late U.S. Rep. Mark Takai’s defunct re-election campaign.

The Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit campaign finance watchdog in Washington, D.C., on Thursday filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Beesley, Takai’s one-time campaign treasurer. The complaint alleges Beesley “illegally converted the late Congressman’s leftover campaign funds to personal use.”

In the 18 months after Takai died of cancer in July 2016, Beesley has authorized nearly $104,000 to his private consulting firm, Lanakila Strategies LLC. The Campaign Legal Center’s complaint also noted: “facts suggest that Beesley is not doing much of anything to justify earning $5,759.16 per month.”

That assertion was countered some by Takai’s father-in-law, who on Thursday said the family had authorized the payments to Beesley to create a foundation in Takai’s name. It will fall to the FEC to suss out this sketchy situation.

Meanwhile, Chin’s congressional rivals — among them, legislators Kaniela Ing and Donna Mercado Kim, and Councilman Ernie Martin — are pouncing on Chin’s judgment. Candidates, take note: The political company you keep reflects directly on you.

More bicycles put drivers on notice

A half-year after its high-profile debut last June, Bikeshare Hawaii’s turquoise Biki cycles are showing they’re on their way to being a permanent part of our fast-developing urban Honolulu.

According to new statistics from its nonprofit operator, 180,457 Biki rides were logged in the three months ending December, holding better than steady with the 180,272 logged three months prior.

But remember: More bikes on the road means more care must be taken to share those roads. That applies to drivers of cars and other motor vehicles, as well as to pedestrians and cyclists alike. In-fill development is occurring in Honolulu’s urban core, and that’s part of wise planning — but it does bring an evolving type of street congestion.

Biki’s steady presence is a crucial reminder that there’s a bustling community emerging in Kakaako, which was an industrial neighborhood not too long ago. The fact that Biki’s rental stations stretch from downtown Honolulu through Kakaako and into Waikiki herald an upcoming busy traffic pattern.

Sharing the roads with all transportation modes needs to become an acquired reflex. This is the “Complete Streets” policy that was adopted years ago, and it is starting to come to fruition. Be alert, and take the time to take care getting around.