Photo Voltaic & Sustainable Energy for Hawaii

I wanted to write about this extremely important issue that relates to Hawaii in numerous ways. From the top of the mountain to the ocean and reef. Energy affects all of us, it could be the cost of our electric bill all the way to impacting the environment as a whole.

I had a meeting with Pai Kamana members and a guest speaker named Dr. Allen. He is a chemist instructor here at MCC. Anyway he came and spoke to our group for about an hour. He gave us a very brief overview of what we could do here on Maui with photo voltaic energy. He said that we could be world leaders in creating a plan to go green and create sustainable energy here in the islands. I really liked what he had to say, it really made sense and I want to help support this move towards a cleaner, cheaper and better world for all of creation. Dr. Allen had a lot of information about what we could and should demand as students to aid the energy crisis here on campus. I think that he would be a great guest speaker in our class, so that everyone could hear what he had to say. Basically new construction on campus is still using old technology and energy wasting methods instead of the new and better way of photo voltaic "green and free from the sun" energy. We could have a learning class that teaches and installs the photo voltaic panels on campus on every building. By doing this we would be able to reduce the energy bill at MCC and have all that extra money for scholarships or programs or classes or higher pay for our all important instructors. There is so much that we could be doing with "going green" and creating a sustainable future as well as energy. These students would then go out into the community and do the same. It would create jobs, businesses and a greener future for Hawaii and help everything with the trickle-down effect. Dr. Allen said that the Bill Gates of the future will be in sustainable energy and photo voltaics, this will be the wave of the future, why not be the leaders here on Maui. The main point that Dr. Allen said to us was that until we as a state CHANGE POLICY AND MANDATE NEW BUILDING LAWS THAT REQUIRE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND PHOTO VOLTAICS, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. He said that we have to write to our legislature and demand the CHANGE IN POLICY AND THE PERMIT PROCESS, so that changes will occur. Until we do this as a whole it will not move fast enough to make much of a difference in our islands or life. This is a time where we all need to unite and make it happen for all of our future to improve as well as the earth.

There is so much to cover and I can not do justice on this blog, I am just providing a brief overview to this critical subject. I also got an email from Save Makena that relates to this same topic of discussion. http://savemakena@gmail.com :
This according to Savemakena.com:
*Maui needs to end its addiction to imported oil (palm oil or fossil fuel oil, they're both junk!) and start creating an economy in "Green Collar Jobs", and then we can also get off our dependency on development so we can save our special places instead of build them up!Go check out the renewable energy forum @ Kihei Community Center Tomorrow night at 6:30pm. Abengoa Solar, the world's largest solar electric plant is coming to present to Maui's public, legislators and candidates, their sustainable energy production.
1.) Tuesday, Oct. 28th, 6:30-9 pm: Renewable Energy Forum-Kihei Community Center- See attached Flyer. There will be a Q&A also.

I also found an article in the current issue of Maui Time Weekly: Here Comes the Sun: Harnessing Hawaii's Renewable Energy Resource. It is a great article and covers a lot of information relating to renewable solar, wind and wave energy here in the islands. The article also talked about the solar company Abengoa that will be at the forum at Kihei Community Center on October 28, 2008. The article talked about the many jobs that would emerge via this technology, the benefit to the environment as well as lower energy bills and our future. I like this move forward for Maui and Hawaii.

Here is a website that helps to explain what Photovoltaics are and how they work with the sun to produce electricity. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pv_basics.html This is put out by the US Department of Energy on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. I truly believe that this is an issue that we all must learn about and help to enforce as "new policy" for our islands future. It just makes perfect sense! The oil is and will run out completely! Why not start the change process now? Before the oil runs out and we are left in panic mode. I want to be on this wave of change! Mahalo Annjulie

Who to vote for in 08?

I am still undecided of who to vote for as far as the Hawaii candidates. It is really a tough issue because most of the time you go to vote and there are rules that make you vote within a certain party and do we really "know" the candidates? I mean they are mostly corrupt as far as I am concerned. For me, it is basically vote for the best of the bad because I do not know of any genuine politicians in America---they are all somewhat corrupt and biased. What if I like someone who is a republican even though I support Democrats in general and I am definitely voting for Obama for president--there is no way in hell I will support another Bush administration for the next four years. But I have some issues with Obama as well, for instance I heard him say that he would push the Akaka Bill and support it heavily, and I do not think the Akaka bill is good for Hawaii or Hawaiian people. I think that Obama most likely wants to aid the Hawaiian people and he probably thinks that the Akaka bill will help, but he probably has not really researched it entirely himself. So that is a huge fault and assumption on his part.

I really liked going to the forum last week to "meet the candidates" I thought that it was somewhat helpful as to making an educated decision on who to vote for. And actually I was surprised by one candidate Mickey Vierra R running for upcountry Maui district 12. I thought that he did a great job on answering questions and I liked what he had to say. I do not usually support republicans because they do not represent the working class such as myself in my opinion. However I did like what he had to say, but do I really know this guy? the answer is no! I decided to do some further research on him and actually not sure that I will support him. On this website called smart vote they did not have much of anything to say and I was left disappointed with this candidate, it is so hard to vote smart! This according to project votesmart website:
"Mickey Vierra repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff. "
I liked this website because it gives additional information on our candidates and helps to make a more informed vote. Http://www.votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=109606

http://www.kalanienglish.com/

I also wanted to comment on Senator Kalani English. I grew up in Hana so I have known Kalani for many years and for the most part I like and support what he has accomplished and done for Maui in the past. I will also vote for him in the future because he is a good senator and supports critical issues that affect all of Hawaii in a positive way that I agree with. Such as invasive species. I went and spoke to him after the forum and he told me that he actually was instrumental in creating the Maui Invasive Species Committee which is now known as the Hawaii Invasive Species Committee and each island has their own chapter. In doing research, I have learned that invasive species is the single biggest threat to Hawaii and our future relating to impact. This according to Hear.org http://hear.org/

The invasive species problem in Hawaii. The silent invasion of Hawai'i by
insects, disease organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests is the single
greatest threat to Hawaii's economy and natural environment and to the health
and lifestyle of Hawaii's people. Pests already cause millions of dollars in
crop losses, the extinction of native species, the destruction of native
forests, and the spread of disease. But many more harmful pests now threaten to
invade Hawai'i and wreak further damage. Even one new pest--like the brown tree
snake--could forever change the character of our islands. Stopping the influx of
new pests and containing their spread is essential to Hawaii's future
well-being.
Despite the efforts of more than 20 state, federal, and private
agencies, unwanted alien pests are entering Hawai'i at an alarming rate - about
2 million times more rapid than the natural rate. In 1993, the federal Office of
Technology Assessment declared Hawaii's alien pest species problem the worst in
the nation. Hawaii's evolutionary isolation from the continents, and its modern
role as the commercial hub of the Pacific make these islands particularly
vulnerable to destruction by alien pests. Gaps in current pest prevention
systems and a lack of public awareness add further to this serious problem.

Mahalo Annjulie

Are We "Celebrating" 50 Years of Statehood? According to the Government it is a Commemoration!

I wanted to research this to get informed and I am curious because I keep seeing the commercials on television regarding statehood and I wanted to dig deeper to maybe learn the "real truth" on this critical issue and how Hawaiians actually feel about it. I know in my heart how most feel, but is it portrayed in the media and history books...not at all until recently, and only some truths are general knowledge. You have to really get educated and research to find the "real truth" about Hawaii.

Over the years I have been studying and learning what I can about Hawaiian history because I am a citizen and I want to know the truth as much as possible. Relating to statehood, it seems that the public is not totally informed, visitors and mainland Americans have absolutely "no clue" when it comes to Hawaii and the many issues that surround it or the history in general. I think that the United States has bullied its way into Hawaii and just do what they please to benefit the military and the wealth of the U.S. The US knows exactly what they are doing since the overthrow of the kingdom. It has been a strategic plan to "acquire" Hawaii from the beginning!

The way the Treaty of Annexation was done in an "un-honest" way to say the least. The fact that 38,000 Hawaiians out of 40,000 total population were against annexation was completely ignored is horrifying. This is how the US works to get what they want. I am a born American, but that does not make me American in how I think! I think that there are many Americans that feel as I do and do not agree with the tactics of American Government, there are also many that are just ignorant and do not give a shit about any of the unjust committed by our government.

So I did some research (I want to do more) and what I have found is pretty ugly. It makes me and the country that I was born in look like greedy assholes that just do what ever it takes to gain more power and wealth including: Cheating, lying, killing, destroying, overtaking, colonizing, and of course tricking entire peoples and nations and kingdoms.

It is hard for me to even write objectively because everything is based on the above statements. The Native Indians have been nearly destroyed as well as the Hawaiian people.

So now back to "statehood", I have been seeing all of these commercials and I wanted to see for myself what people thought back in 1959 and today about statehood. Sure a lot of people were "for" and supported statehood or we would not be a state, but of course it was "achieved" in a sneaky way so that the native Hawaiian peoples voice was not heard because if it was we probably would not be a state, and certainly would not have been annexed.
This according to http://www.hawaii-nation.org/statehood2.html

The "Statehood Process" for Hawai`i was a double fraud. It not only failed to provide the correct set of choices to be voted upon. The process altered the "self" who could exercise "self determination." The qualified voters in this process were U.S. citizens who had resided in Hawai`i for at least one year. Since the American invasion and annexation and during its watch, thousands had migrated to Hawai`i, coming from the U.S., Europe, Asia and other Pacific Islands. Many were associated with the U.S. military's presence in Hawai`i. Others came for employment, education, opportunities or escape. These people who were or took up U.S. citizenship were all permitted to vote. But those who dared to declare themselves Hawaiian citizens, refusing to accept the imposed American citizenship, could not vote.

The Americans controlled education, economics, media, the judiciary as well as the internal political processes, managing in these years to continually squeeze the Hawaiian identity from public life. This practice of altering the "self" by maintaining control over transmigration, public education and economic dependence is familiar among colonial countries not wanting to lose their colonial possessions. France's conduct in Tahiti and New Caledonia and Indonesia's in East Timor, West Papua, and the Moluccas Islands are mirrors of the U.S.' conduct in Hawai`i.

Thus, 38 years after the Statehood vote in Hawai`i, the question of Statehood is being revisited, pried open, in fact, by this better understanding in Hawai`i of the rights which should have been accorded the "real" people of Hawai`i entitled to vote on such an important question.

This information is from from 11 years ago, but this is still being discussed today. Fifty years of statehood will be "commemorated" next August. The word "celebrated" is not used because according to The Honolulu Advertiser article: Statehood Commemoration Starts Leading Up to Hawaii's 50th Year is not "sensitive" to those who opposed it. http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/NEWS03/808140358/-1/RSS02

"The commemoration also will "be sensitive" to those in Hawai'i who have opposed statehood.The 25-member commission, for instance, has tried to avoid the use of the word "celebration," opting instead for the more neutral "commemoration." It has also promised to present all sides of the statehood story in its activities".

You can also go to http://www.hawaii.gov/statehood/ and there is a lot of information on the history of statehood plus the commercials that sparked me to research this topic as well as what the state plans are for the "commemoration" of 50 years of statehood. They "appear" to try to be somewhat biased, but not really! Mahalo Annjulie

It is all good today: Eastmaui Watershed Art Contest

Aloha and please enjoy,
I wanted to write about something that is both dear and positive to me. Last week was the annual art contest held by Eastmaui Watershed Partnership and Viewpoints gallery that highlights the native and endemic species on Maui. The contest not only brings awareness to all of us but it also brings a lot of beauty into our life.

I entered six photos and one painted ceramic plate, out of that, one photo was selected for the show. I am sure I did not place, but just to get selected was an honor. Out of 180 entries only 65 pieces were chosen including the elementary, middle and high school. My daughter also was selected for the elementary division with her painted ceramic plate "Hau hele wai" or the pink hibiscus of Maui. I was told by the biologist that this hibiscus is most common in Kipahulu valley, which is were I grew up (lower valley), so not only did I learn about the flower from the book "Growing Hawaii's Native Plants, but I learned even more from the biologist on hand at the gallery.

So I think that this is an absolutely awesome project that spreads awareness, creates money for the watershed, gallery, and artist and is a positive move forward for conservation on Maui. We have so many negative things going on right now in Maui and Hawaii, I wanted to focus on something good.

The show will be on display at Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao through October 21, 2008. If anyone is interested in native hawaiian habitat and species, I really encourage you to go and check it out. This project started as an idea and now has come full circle into a great success as an annual event. The art that was created in many different mediums, is absolutely astounding to say the least. I could have spent thousands of dollars, I wanted many of the artworks. This is also a chance for people to learn at the same time as getting maximum enjoyment either creating an artwork or simply going to view the work. Most of the pieces have a brief description about the species or scape, it is learning for all of us. The children love it too.

Some of the photos that I saw blew me away. It is a good way to get a glimpse of the fragile ecosystems and species that are not accessible to the average person. An extremely rare lobilia flower from the West Maui Bog.....wow incredible....how else would I ever have learned or even seen this flower if not for the art show/contest. It is a great cause and we all need to support these types of efforts hosted by the people and businesses of Maui/Hawaii.

If you do not have time to go to the gallery just visit the website of Eastmaui Watershed Partnership. http://eastmauiwatershed.org/art/ breathtaking art to enjoy.

Part of the importance of this event is also to learn what is native and what is non-native and INVASIVE. I learned in Hawaiian Field Biology 105 that before human contact a new speceis made it to the islands and established itself about once every 97,000 years. Now with the plant and nursery busisness as well as florists a new species gets here on average, can you believe this, ONE TO TWO EVERY MONTH!!! We all need to learn about this terrible epidemic. Just in the past couple of years I myself have seen the Wiliwili tree nearly die out, the Ohia rust take over east Maui, stinging nettle engulf Haiku and other areas, bee mite in Oahu and now in Hilo, fireweed is completely out of control... It just goes on and on. It makes me so sad because we could stop this and step up on ag. inspection accross the state. We all need to be aware when buying and planting ornamentals. I feel that there should be a committee to assess what is being shipped here and also to studdy impact on the whole. For anyone who wants to do this on their own, you can go to Hear.org and they have a great website that will tell you about invasive, native, endemic, and non-invasive species. Hey, we all owe it to our children, the islands and the fragile environment. Hear stands for Hawaii ecosystems at risk. Please check it out and visit this website it is another great one.
http://hear.org/

Back to the art contest. I think that all of us as citizens of Maui and Hawaii have a responsibility to preserve and protect the fragile environment as well as its species. This is a great example of people doing just that and also at the same time making a huge impact on residents as well as the children. I was proud to even enter and for my daughter and I both to get selected tells me that I am learning and helping to do my part where I can. Together we can make a difference. Malama Wao Akua
Mahalo Annjulie

References are: Growing Hawaii's Native plants, The Eastmaui Watershed Partnership and Haleakala National Park employee and artist Mellisa Chimera. And Hear.org.