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Chair Report - Your Investment in Hawai`i's Future

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:53:52 +0100

2010 marks the fifth decade in which the Hawai’i Chapter of the Sierra Club has been protecting the environment. With our network of volunteers and members, we work on two broad fronts led by an extremely capable and energetic Executive Committee. First and foremost, we vigorously pursue a statewide environmental education agenda with our hikes and service projects. Many of you actively participate in our weekly local outings that are always free and open to the public. We also continue to make a priority out of introducing youth into nature through our many hiking and camping events.

The Sierra Club is also the only environmental nonprofit in Hawai’i that grades environmental decisions, lobbies on your behalf at the capital, and gets more pro-environment leaders elected. In fact, weʻre the only local environmental organization that interviews and endorses candidates for state and county offices and, in turn, is at the legislature to ensure good environmental decisions are made. Our recent legislative priorities included, in 2009, passage of some of the strongest renewable energy standards in the United States; passage of the Solar Roofs Bill in 2008 that makes Hawai’i the first state in the nation to require solar water heaters as a standard feature on all new homes; the Legacy Lands Act of 2005 that provides reliable funding to better manage the state's natural areas and to purchase pristine lands for long term protection; and the Bottle Bill, our landmark 2002 measure to increase participation in recycling for most beverage containers.

Our annual fundraising appeal in March is a critical part of our annual funding. Last year, the March Appeal provided approximately $18,000 in donations. This year, because of cutbacks from National Sierra Club and from a desire to expand services to our members, our goal is to increase the income from our fundraising appeal to $25,000.

As a proud Lifetime member, I would usually respond to the March or July appeal, but was not consistent in the timing or amount of the contribution. In the past, I also resisted the notion of a monthly credit card contribution preferring instead to make a single donation. But, in closely observing our annual budget and cash flow needs, I have come to appreciate our annual donors who contribute monthly. These donations allow our Executive Committee and State Director to more effectively plan and execute the Hawai’i Chapter’s core programs and initiatives. Without a doubt, there is a contribution level that you can afford (say a dollar a day?) and still feel the full benefit of ownership in the Chapter environmental agenda. Taking all of this into consideration, I have finally joined the ranks of the monthly contributor. I would urge you to join me by going to www.sierraclubhawaii.com/donate.

We are a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization under the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service, which means that our effective work for new environmental policies, contributions are not tax deductible. However, every dollar of your contribution stays right here in Hawai’i and allows the Sierra Club to continue our impressive environmental education and advocacy agenda. So with the 2010 March and July Appeals at our doorstep, please join me in making a contribution today for a clean, safe, and healthy environment in Hawai’i for our families to enjoy for generations to come.

Planting Native - `Ulei

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:51:44 +0100

Planting Native

by Rick Barboza

‘Ulei

Osteomeles anthylidifolia

Indigenous: All of Hawai’i except Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe.

Description:  Amazing shrubs with dark, glossy, pinnate leaves and very fragrant white flower clusters. These are one of my most favorite smelling native flowers. The flowers develop into white fleshy, fruit that ripen purple and contain up to four seeds inside. Generally this is a low crawling plant usually under four feet tall but some specimens on Maui and Hawai’i are well over twenty feet!

Distribution:   This indigenous plant is commonly found in a wide range of habitats from near the ocean on cliffs all the way up through the lowland dry forest and mesic forests on all of the main islands except Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe.

Cultural Uses: The hard wood of the larger specimens were made into ‘o’o, fishing spears, and the musical instrument ‘ukeke. The branches were bent into fishnet hoops as well as fashioned into arrow shafts. The leaves, flowers and fruit were also woven into lei and sometimes the fruit was eaten. Itʻs no blueberry or strawberry but it tastes pretty good when eaten on the trail and you’ve been hiking for six hours and have absolutely nothing else to eat.

Landscape Uses and Care:  This a great addition to any garden from a specimen plant, to a low hedge or a mass planting on a slope, it all looks good. It can even be shaped into a perfectly round ball about five feet in diameter. Few pests bother this one and its shiny leaves and beautiful flower clusters are awesome features. Once its established in the ground you don’t even have to worry about watering.

Extra Info: Other names for this plant include u’ulei or on Moloka’i its called eluehe. ‘Ulei is one of four native plants in the Rose family along with ‘ohelo papa our native strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), and two species of ‘akala (Rubus hawaiensis and R. macraei) our native raspberries. Now those buggahs are ono, better to use the ‘ulei fruit in lei instead.

Also its very important to pronounce ‘ulei correctly emphasizing the ‘i’ at the end (oolayee) otherwise in Hawaiian it will sound like a particular part of the male anatomy. Trust me, I can’t hold back the tears of laughter when people are describing their ‘ulei plant but are lazy in the correct pronunciation saying things like “my ‘ulei is so bushy”, or my ‘ulei looks so sick” or my favorite “people can smell my ‘ulei from twenty feet away!” Actually my most favorite mispronunciation of ‘ulei is when people come to purchase it from my nursery and upon seeing it remark “Wow Rick, you have the nicest ‘ulei I’ve ever seen!”

'Ulei photo by flickr user Cliff1066

Protecting Pu`u Wa`awa`a

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:13:03 +0100

The Hawai’i Service Trip Program (HSTP) conducted a service trip with 12 adventurous volunteers to Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a on the island of Hawai‘i from January 2-9, 2010. The work was conducted in coordination with DLNR Staff at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a, and was HSTP’s fourth trip to the preserve. Thanks to DLNR for allowing us to spend time in this lovely place.

Dry and mesic forests in the area of Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a were once considered the most diverse forests in all the Hawaiian Islands. Although the native forest communities have been greatly degraded during the past 100 years, a unique assemblage of natural communities and species are still found within the ahupua‘a. Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a represents one of the best places to restore and protect many floral and faunal species that are found only here or in other dry and dry-mesic forest areas of Hawai‘i. Several of these species are rare or restricted in distribution.

According to the DLNR management plan for the ahupua‘a, the most severe threats within Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a are fire, invasion by non-native flora and ungulate grazing. These threats cumulatively exert tremendous pressure on native flora and fauna, many of which are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. The work conducted by the HSTP volunteer groups – fencing, invasive species control, and outplanting – strongly promotes landscape level watershed protection. Our service trips have focused on several “priority areas” identified in the management plan.

A comfortable house (water, generator for electricity, and hot showers!) near a reservoir at the bottom of the preserve was our home for the week. We enjoyed fabulous clear skies, and a number of participants braved the cool January temps to sleep outside on the lanai under the stars.

Our first workday consisted of clearing an area near our house of fountain grass and lantana. DLNR has been outplanting native species in this area habituated by nēnē. We were lucky to see several nēnē pairs in the area. The second day was spent at a former protea farm north of the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a cone, repairing a fence that would allow native species to be planted inside the enclosure and clearing fountain grass from the fence perimeter. A third day was spent at the “Sanctuary Enclosure” at about 4,000 feet elevation, removing weeds and invasive grasses from around the base of native and endangered plants. Our final work day was spent back at the protea farm to complete our assignment.

Of course, HSTP trips are not all work, and we enjoyed good food, evening card games, spectacular night skies, and lots of laughter and new friendships. On our day off, we witnessed the big surf at Hapuna Beach, and spent the afternoon enjoying beautiful Kīholo Bay (part of the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a ahupua‘a. It was especially rewarding to have so many young adults on this trip, which bodes well for the future of HSTP and conservation efforts in Hawai‘i.

HSTP trips accomplish valuable work and provide participants with a fun experience and an opportunity to visit Hawai‘i’s wild places that may not usually be accessible. Please take a look at www.sierraclubhawaii.com/hstp if you’re interested in learning more or would like to be added to our email trip notice list.

Making Clean Energy Accessible

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:29:12 +0100

“A coup.” That’s how one participant described the Sierra Club’s recent forum focusing on “Property Assessed Clean Energy” (PACE) measure. Over 150 people from around the State gathered to hear from Cisco DeVries, pioneer of the PACE concept, and others discuss what Harvard Business Review has described as “one of the breakthrough ideas of 2010.”
So what was the hullabaloo about? Let’s start with a simple question: why don’t more people install renewable energy systems like photovoltaic (PV) panels or solar water heaters? While most people want to go green and save money on their electric bill, a significant number simply don’t have the upfront capitol to pay for these systems.
As Cisco DeVries described in a recent article, he thought -- as an environmentalist -- he should walk the walk and install a PV system. But when the bids came in, he says “I couldn't pull the trigger for all the same reasons that people everywhere aren't pulling the trigger.” “Which is, ‘Oh my lord, that's a big check.’” (See Miller-McCune: Francisco DeVries invents a financing mechanism that makes rooftop solar affordable in Berkeley and other cities, 6/23/09).
While in theory people could use lines of credit and home financing, this process can be difficult and (in this economy) unavailable. Further the average person moves homes every seven years, which makes it awkward to tie up personal credit over a long-term period.
In thinking about this problem, DeVries was struck by the sheer amount people currently pay on their monthly electric bill. Could this money be channeled into retrofitting their homes with solar? “The money was there,” he says. "At its root, there is a financing market failure for renewables and energy efficiency in people's homes.” Id.
The Breakthrough Idea. While working as chief of staff at City of Berkeley, DeVries came upon a means to solve the financing dilemma. DeVries was assisting a neighborhood that had collectively decided to put its utility poles and power lines underground. To pay for the project, the city created an underground utility district, a type of land-secured financing district that is a standard element of municipal bond finance.
Put simply, the utility district would sell bonds to cover the upfront costs of the putting the power lines underground. Homeowners in the project would then pay back the money through a tax assessment levied on their property — essentially an installment plan that would spread the repayment over 20 years, much like a recurring utility bill. The bonds would be made secure through a tax lien put on each participating property.
So how would this work in the clean energy context? Let’s say a homeowner wanted to do a couple of energy efficiency projects -- like installing roof insulation and putting on window tinting -- and install a photovoltaic system. The homeowner would find his or her own contractors and apply for the PACE program. If the homeowner qualified for PACE (meeting eligibility criteria such as demonstrating the utility bill savings would meet or exceed the cost of the project over time), then the city or state government would float a bond to pay for the homeowner’s cost. The homeowner would repay the costs through an assessment on the property’s tax bill over a specified period of time. The financing would be secured with a lien on the property.
In other words, as a homeowner or business owner you can get a loan for the retrofit, and pay it back as an addition to your property tax. If you sell your property, the assessment (i.e. the loan payments) transfers over to the new owner. Not a bad deal.
Want to find out more about this concept? Check out the Sierra Club website (www.sierraclubhawaii.com) and the PaceNow website (www.pacenow.org). We’ll keep you up to date with efforts to bring this idea to Hawai‘i.
Special thanks to Sierra Club volunteers Brian Bell, Randy Ching, Jeff Mikulina, and Gary Gill for helping pull this event together. And mahalo to the Blue Planet Foundation and the Ulupono Initiative for their co-sponsorship of this forum.

Produce or Pavement?

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:49:52 +0100

Preserving Prime Farmland so Future Generations Can Enjoy a Sustainable Hawai‘i
Some of the best and most productive farmland left on O`ahu will soon be history if we give David Murdock, owner of Castle & Cooke, permission to build 5,000 houses on Koa Ridge. Together with projects already approved in Central O`ahu -Waiawa by Gentry and Royal Kunia- it's a repeat of a failed 20th century policy: urban sprawl.
Ours would hardly be the first civilization to destroy its best farmland en route to ecological suicide, not even the first American one. The Mayans built stone cities, pyramids and reservoirs long before a human set foot on Hawai'i. Then their rains failed... for 200 years.
In Hawai'i we've reached a historic marker. We've seen the future. The last oil spike underlined our dangerous dependence on imported food and energy. Oil prices are rising again. Droughts presage changing rain patterns. Now we know: all new development must promote sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Yet, as Murdock's experts admit, Koa Ridge represents 5% of O`ahu's remaining prime irrigable farmland. This land has been successfully and profitably growing food for decades. If we pave it over, it will be lost forever.
In the last 20 years we've wantonly developed nearly 3,300 acres of prime farmland. As each parcel disappeared, the price of the remaining land went up, making life ever more difficult for farmers.
So what we decide to do with Koa Ridge, this huge piece of our aina, will be a loud signal of how we want O`ahu to evolve - our vision of the future of our cities and countryside. Do we mean it when we say 'let the country be country?' Do we mean it when we speechify about self-sufficiency? Because this massive project threatens our long-term goal to feed ourselves and sustain future generations.
From the Governor on down everyone agrees we should become less reliant on cars, more reliant on locally grown food and energy. We voted to build a mass transit system to take cars off the road and focus growth around a dense urban core. As private investors, homeowners, and as a community we're pouring billions into biofuel power plants, undersea electric cables, photovoltaics, wind farms, electric car charging stations, algae-to-energy research and a slew of other projects to promote a sustainable future.
Meanwhile Oahu's agriculture revolution is just beginning. It takes time to recover from the death of plantation monoculture yet already the acreage devoted to vegetables increased 475% between 1990 and 2004. Led by top restaurants, hotels and Wholefoods, by educational campaigns to encourage keiki to eat more veggies, and by oil driven food price inflation, the demand for locally grown produce is set to explode. We'll soon need every acre of farmland available.
In the face of this progress and those realities, Koa Ridge is a monstrous throwback. It's a good old fashioned gas-guzzling, freeway-clogging, water-slurping, stream-polluting, farmland-destroying urban sprawl that will eat up the last green corridor between Pearl City and Mililani.
This proposed new bedroom community is nowhere near the urban core of Honolulu or the second city. It's nowhere near the train. Its 15,000 occupants will flood onto H2 and H1, turning what is already the nation's second worst commute into an even worse nightmare of gridlock - boosting oil consumption and CO2 pollution, cutting productivity and robbing families of precious time together.
Our State Land Use Commission is not obliged to accept the petition by Murdock -one of the 200 richest people on the planet- to reclassify prime farmland so he can build 5,000 houses and vast commercial properties. Article XI of the constitution enjoins the state to "conserve and protect agricultural lands (and) increase self-sufficiency." Our statutes instruct the Land Use Commission to "assure the availability of agricultural suitable lands with adequate water to accommodate present and future needs."
With its rampant disregard for those concerns this rotten Koa Ridge idea has passed its sell-by date. Please join the Sierra Club in asking the Land Use Commission to deny Murdock's petition to create more urban sprawl by emailing luc@dbedt.hawaii.gov and referencing Docket Number A07-775.

Automatic Approvals -- Good or Bad Idea?

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:37:07 +0100

Every year, bills are introduced that "automatically approve" a project after a set period of time so as to encourage the development of some particular area of industry. The rationale is that the industry is lacking because the permitting process is too slow or too cumbersome.

Although the Sierra Club usually supports the development of business like renewable energy or affordable housing, we've steadfastly opposed automatic approvals. I thought it would beneficial to put out testimony we're submitting on SB 2110 to explain why. While we generally support the concept of affordable housing, we think it would hurt everyone to rubberstamp a project simply because a city or state official takes a vacation and fails to review a project in time.

Without further ado, here is our testimony:

Aloha Chair Sakamoto, Chair English, and Members of the Committees:

The Hawai`i Chapter of the Sierra Club is in opposition to SB 2110, which automatically approves ministerial permits for affordable housing after 45 days. We strongly support the intent of encouraging affordable housing, but are concerned that the incentives in the measure may undermine the desired goals of the policy and run counter to the concept of a democratically administered society. Our comments and concerns with the current draft, are as follows:

First, the simplest way to increase affordable housing in Hawai`i is to follow the lead of the County of Maui, which recently required fifty percent of all proposed housing projects to meet affordability requirements. See, e.g., SB 758. This solution, assuming it was enforced, would directly solve the needs of Hawai`i’s homelessness without engaging in poor community planning.

Second, the “automatic approval” of any permit is simply poor policy. Permits should be granted on their merits, not by mistake or governmental inefficiency. No community should suffer because government failed to perform. Consider:

What happens when a building is automatically approved that doesn’t meet health and safety standards? Is the State liable for any resulting injuries?
What happens when additional information is required by the department or agency and the deadline passes?
What happen when a county, rightly or wrongly, construes complex issues like subdivision approval -- that directly impact traffic, public access, and smart growth -- as a ministerial action?
What happens when there are complex environmental assessments and the like that need to be completed pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 343 and the deadline passes?
What happens when a contested case hearing is requested pursuant to chapter 91, HRS, and for any other period for administrative appeals and review and the deadline passes?
Is it ever appropriate to automatically approve a permit that will irreparably damage the environment or native Hawaiian rights? Doesn't that violate protections provided by the State Constitution?

Again, we understand and appreciate the intent of SB 2110. If the legislature prefers not to require the environmental features in the measure be mandatory for all developments, perhaps other incentives besides “automatic approval” could be incorporated to make such developments more attractive to builders. For example, perhaps an ombudsman program could be developed to shepherd projects of this nature through the review process. Or an “expedited fee” could be charged to pay for additional review staff and resources that would automatically be refunded if the project is not approved within a set period of time?

Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony.

HB 2338 - Reducing Citizen Participation in the Land Use Process

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:51:17 +0100

HB 2338, which allows the Counties to reclassify land before the Land Use Commission without meaningfully involving the public, is a terrible idea.

Citizen participation in land use decisions is an essential part of our democratic tradition. It ensures decisions are based on complete information (which may involved directly challenging biased studies paid for by developers). It gives decision makers sufficient information so that they can attached protective, enforceable conditions to permits. And it may stop environmentally destructive projects.

Further, participation by experienced organizations clearly acting in the public interest -- like the Sierra Club -- frequently enriches and helps the Land Use Commission make better decisions. For example, the Sierra Club’s participation in the Castle & Cooke/Koa Ridge clarified and established the requirements of an environmental assessment before approving a reclassification for a major subdivision.

In another example, the Friends of Makakilo recently challenged D.R. Horton’s failure to properly follow the Land Use Commission’s rules in the Ho`opili proposal. Because of the involvement of the Friends of Makakilo, the Land Use Commission ultimately rejected D.R. Horton’s application as incomplete. Without a complete application, the LUC determined it could not properly consider the project and impose appropriate timing conditions for the community.

HB 2338 directly rejects this type of citizen participation because “the counties have rarely initiated boundary amendments because they must go through the same process as private applicants.” This is a particularly flimsy basis to reject the democratic process. Let’s be clear. This proposal is nothing more than a means to advance developer interests and to avoid having to discuss the particularized impacts of each individual, large development on agricultural land. This measure should be deferred.

Proposals to Reduce Plastic Bag Use

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:59:49 +0100

The Sierra Club supports reducing the use of single-use plastic bags in Hawai`i by imposing a statewide ban or modest fee. (See, e.g., HB2645, HB2125, SB2559 and SB2560). Oil-based plastic bags simply are not a part of Hawai`i's sustainable future. Consider:

Plastic bags contribute to litter and pose a consistent threat to avian and marine life in Hawai`i -- the endangered species Capitol of the world;
Plastic bags are manufactured from a polluting resource that is becoming increasingly scarce;
Plastic bags contribute to a growing trash problem on all our islands and foible the State’s waste diversion efforts;
Americans throw away nearly 100 billion plastic bags each year and only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled.

Hawai‘i is facing a growing solid waste crisis. For example, the “2006 Waste Characterization Study" (available at www.opala.org) completed for the City and County of Honolulu, reveals some shocking facts about Oahu’s solid waste situation. Since the last waste characterization study in 1999, the trash from Oahu households increased by 30.2% from 316,491 tons annually in 1999 to 412,016 tons in 2006 (R.W. Beck, “2006 Waste Characterization Study,” April 2007, at 3-11). The population increased by roughly 3% over the same period (878,906 to 906,000)—meaning waste generation from households increased 10 times faster than population growth. The proliferation of plastic bags contributes to this problem.

Plastic bags are an expense that can be avoided and its alternatives promoted. In Hawai`i, plastic bags are an expense -- the cost of purchasing tens of millions of plastic bags annually -- which is most certainly passed on to local consumers. In addition, plastic bags tax our economy and environment when they are littered or placed in our overflowing landfills.

For example, a recent study conducted in Seattle concluded -- even with a high 13% recycling rate (greater than the national average of 3-5%) -- approximately 1,650 tons of plastic bags were put into the landfill annually. The net cost to Seattle and ratepayers of collecting, transferring and disposing of waste was calculated to be approximately $121 per ton or approximately $200,000 for plastic grocery bags.

Even if plastic bags are burned at H-POWER (only on O’ahu) they are essentially converted to greenhouse gasses, further hastening global climate change, and not addressing the root of the waste problem. Similarly, with nearly 40% of the State’s solid waste-stream able to be diverted from disposal at the landfill, plastic bags pose the single-most significant challenge to composting facilities, contaminating the compost, getting wrapped in the splines of processing equipment, and reducing the value of the compost product.

It should also be noted that two highly successful business in Hawai`i -- Costco and Wholefoods -- do not offer its customers plastic bags. These businesses are flourishing. The switch by Wholefoods alone kept approximately 100 million plastic bags out of the environment between April 22, 2008 and end of 2008.

How to Lose Weight in 2010

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:30:48 +0100

No, not that kind of weight. Instead make a commitment to lose one ton of carbon dioxide from your life. Carbon dioxide emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect and global climate change. Global warming is a massive change in the Earth’s environment, and we are gambling our planet’s future on the results. You can reduce the risk (and save money) with some simple lifestyle changes.

Want to lose a ton? Go on an energy diet.

Global warming is the most serious long-term environmental threat to Hawai`i. Scientists predict sea level rise, more severe hurricanes, and hotter temperatures. We all contribute to global warming. Each Hawai`i resident averages 18 TONS of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions annually1 (by comparison, Japan averages 9 tons per person and Sweden, 6 tons)2. We can do better. We have the knowledge and the ability to significantly reduce our contribution to global warming.

Here are ten ways to lose one ton a year from your lifestyle. And the best part? This weight loss plan will help save the environment AND your wallet.

Replace 7 100-Watt bulbs with 15-Watt compact fluorescent bulbs. Save one ton and big bucks annually. (O`ahu: $217, Big Island: $337, Kaua`i: $369, Maui: $315).3,4,5
Bike commute (or telecommute) 3 days per week to work. Save one ton and $328 annually.6,7,8,9
Install a solar hot water heater. Save nearly one ton each for a three-person household annually. (O`ahu: $600, Big Island: $930, Kaua`i: $1020, Maui: $870).3,5,10
Trade in your SUV for a fuel-efficient hybrid. Save 2.5 tons and $803 per year. (Switch from a Jeep Cherokee to Toyota Prius and save one pound per mile).6,11,12
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer. Save one ton for a typical household and $$$ annually. (O`ahu: $250, Big Island: $387.50, Kaua`i: $425, Maui: $362.50)3,5,13
Install a photovoltaic system for home electricity -- take advantage of the new $5000 tax credit. Save seven and one-half tons for average family usage annually.3,14
Skip a trip to the West Coast. Save one ton.14
Take TheBus one-third of the time for your transportation needs. Save one ton each year.6,8,12,16
Recycle 2500 aluminum cans, 3000 bottles, or 500 pounds of paper. Save one ton.17
Go on a Sierra Club work trip and plant 40 trees. Help to sequester (or absorb) one ton.18

BONUS: Get involved! Support policies and lawmakers that will help Hawai`i wean itself from fossil fuels. Sign up to learn more or become a volunteer today!

NOTES

1) State of Hawai`i Climate Change Action Plan 1998.
2) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2001.
3) Average of 1.8 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity produced in Hawai`i.
4) Assuming 5-hour daily usage.
5) Residential electricity rates in 2001 per kWh. HECO: $0.1432, HELCO: $0.2198, Kauai: $0.2376, MECO: $0.1901 (rates have gone up considerably since this date).
6) 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per gallon of gasoline burned.
7) Assuming 7-mile commute each way.
8) Assuming 22 mile per gallon (mpg) car.
9) $1.90 per gallon.
10) Estimated 3000 kWh savings in average household for solar hot water.
11) Assuming 13 mpg SUV (Jeep Cherokee) to 50 mpg hybrid (Toyota Prius).
12) Hawai`i average of 9000 vehicle miles traveled annually per registered auto.
13) Average family annual use of 1250 kWh.
14) 7800 kWh average household electricity usage per year.
15) One-half pound carbon dioxide emitted per passenger mile on jet.
16) Bus fuel efficiency of 80 mpg equivalent (4 mpg equivalent with average load of 20 passengers).
17) Source: California Integrated Waste Management Board, Container Recycling Institute, and Wisconsin Tissue.
18) One typical tree sequesters 1 ton over 40 years.

Introducing Our New Site

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:49:37 +0100

If it seems like we're moving sites once a year . . . it's because we are. We are transferring to a web-based user interface to allow a greater number of volunteers edit and update the website. It also seems like a more robust system, which is a good thing. After having recovered the website from one "crash," we don't want to go through that experience again.

One of the downfalls, however, is that we're going to lose all of our old blog posts. I guess we'll just have to write a lot more in order to catch up, right?

Please feel free to look around and kick the tires. Let us know if you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions!