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+--- Thread: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding (/showthread.php?tid=23577)
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - randomq - 10-07-2025
We'll be importing "good clean American coal" before this fascist regime is done.
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 10-07-2025
"At least $67 million in federal funding for six Hawaii energy projects appears to have been pulled by the Trump administration over qualms about worthiness.
Short sighted political stunt, but what do long term investors think? Solar stocks continue to rise despite the politicization of watts and volts. So I asked The Google, what gives?
Recent strong performance in solar stocks is driven by a resilient global demand environment, favorable policy developments, and declining costs, despite mixed results in some market segments. The broader market trend for solar is upward, even with short-term volatility.
Global market drivers
Sustained, strong global demand: The global market for solar energy continues to grow, with new installations reaching record levels in 2024. This was led by the Asia-Pacific region, which accounted for 70% of new capacity. The industry is expected to keep expanding in the medium term, driven by electrification and climate goals.
Record-low costs: The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for utility-scale solar is now one of the lowest of any energy source. This makes solar a highly competitive power generation technology worldwide. Costs have been driven down by technological advances, manufacturing economies of scale, and significant overcapacity in the global supply chain.
Data center boom: The explosive growth of AI is fueling a massive increase in demand for electricity to power data centers. Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are major customers for solar power, and this trend is expected to continue.
Fortunately we in Puna still have ways we can personally contribute to a low carbon present, and future:
1) Install solar electric and hot water on your home
2) Buy an EV. I did, 3 years ago. I drive for free off rooftop solar.
3) if you have a retirement fund, invest in low carbon equities. I’ve had First Solar for many years.
4) Grow a garden. Check out the food forest post on Puna Events.
In Puna we can construct a low cost greenhouse with hoops and plastic (yes I know where it comes from, but we’re looking at the big picture, not picking nits). In winter you can grow yer own dinner if you minimize the rain and maximize the sun.
When low IQ BrainWashington DC tries to own the libs, because DEI has been replaced with qualifications based on “how does s/he look on TV?” you can still respond with your environmentally low and high tech smart home.
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - ironyak - 10-07-2025
To pick some nits (who wants 'ukus after all? ;), the energetic inputs and CO2 outputs of the plastic components will almost certainly exceed the caloric gains and carbon capture of that greenhouse unfortunately (i.e. it's not actually sustainable - maybe bamboo and some cloth variety instead? A classic wood and glass structure? What was used before the plastics explosion?).
Can also try more open air plantings to figure out what works fine on its own in your area of course. We have fun periodically with grex mixes that are highly diverse so when we run into a drought, torrential downpours, or both, different varieties flourish while others die off, but there is almost always something that prefers the haphazard conditions on offer these days.
The kale grexes are neat in that some plants give you dinosaur kale, some thin-leafed kales, while some even give brussel sprouts, or broccolis, or wild mixes of each on the same plant. Had plants last multiple years as well so dinner plans are sorted in the long term as long as you can keep figuring out new ways to boil 'em, bake 'em, or stick 'em in a stew (or salad).
But yeah, efforts at local resiliency on an isolated island chain always makes sense, even moreso as the powers-that-be lose their mind defunding programs that foster energy independence and work instead to construct a centrally-controlled oligarchic petrostate.
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 10-07-2025
the energetic inputs and CO2 outputs of the plastic components will almost certainly exceed the caloric gains and carbon capture of that greenhouse unfortunately
Probably.
But if you add in the shipping costs, other transportation, grocery store keeping the lights on - - and perhaps a mainland to Puna comparison of a vegetable’s vitamin and mineral content, I’d give the gold medal to local grown.
torrential downpours
That’s one of the biggest problems in Puna, especially in winter when we don’t dry out much. Glass covers work, especially good if you can recycle off an old house (remove the paint). And there’s no microplastic particles raining down on your organic vegetables. In my early years I found I could only reliably grow five veggies in the uncovered great outdoors. I don’t have my field notes at my fingertips right now, but I’ll try and remember to add later. Basil was one, but there’s only so much pesto you can eat Makahiki season.
Basil, mizuna, cole crops, green onion & leeks, Japanese white turnip (Hakurai), parsley
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 10-08-2025
Hawaii has one of the highest costs for electricity in the nation. But we also have some of the highest gas prices. The NY Times published an article today with charts comparing the cost of driving 100 miles EV vs gas. What’s more expensive in Hawaii?
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - Durian Fiend - 10-08-2025
(10-08-2025, 05:10 PM)HereOnThePrimalEdge Wrote: Hawaii has one of the highest costs for electricity in the nation. But we also have some of the highest gas prices. The NY Times published an article today with charts comparing the cost of driving 100 miles EV vs gas. What’s more expensive in Hawaii?
Thanks for posting. An interesting analysis, yet not compelling for a move to Idaho IMO.
Remember this old bumper sticker? "Attention all Buddhists seeking the state of pure nothingness-try Idaho".
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - leilanidude - 10-08-2025
Amount is fairly accurate for EV charging cost in Hawaii. Wife's averages right at 4.0 miles per kWh lifetime so 100 miles would use about 25 kWh at $0.45 per, or about $11.25.
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - ironyak - 10-09-2025
Edge - a mainland to Puna comparison of a vegetable’s...
It's all relative of course, and there's always room for improvement. That said, accounting for all inputs, from plastics to possibly some synthetic fertilizer (which is made with methane, bags of soil, etc, all of which also has to be transported via fossil fuels), not sure how local to consider some local-grown vegetables. It's like taking out a 10 million dollar loan to start a corner 25cent POG stand - can you recoup those costs in the long run? Maybe, but only on a time scale that exceeds the life of the project's materials and proprietors.
And there’s no microplastic particles raining down on your organic vegetables.
That's an interesting consideration - where are you getting water that doesn't have microplastics? Reverse osmosis/membrane filters? Filling up glass cisterns at the water machines for use on the sheltered veggies? (no more raw water craze? ;)
Basil, mizuna, cole crops, green onion & leeks, Japanese white turnip (Hakurai), parsley
Cole crops is doing a lot of lifting in that "only five" count (as they include kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc, etc), but would add most choi veggies (boc, pak, kai, gai, etc) like mizuna seems to fare well, as do sweet potatoes & greens, and jicama has survived the downpours for us (probably like other turnips). If someone can find a stone to kick things off (basalt or obsidian are interchangeable here), could end up with a substantial "five"-veggie soup for those rainy days.
The NY Times published an article today with charts comparing the cost of driving 100 miles EV vs gas. What’s more expensive in Hawaii?
Interesting how Hybrids outperformed both EVs and gas-powered - basically the average hybrid is more efficient regardless of fuel source than the average EV and average gas-powered vehicle (probably because of design considerations to maximize travel distance on the smaller battery pack - imagine applying the same design requirements across the board).
This sort of cost analysis skips over the source of the electricity though - burning coal/natural gas (or bunker fuel - go team Hawaii) to produce electricity for EVs is just burning fossil fuels at a different location (and quite inefficiently too as ~60% of the fossil energy is lost during electricity production and transmission). For those that don't have enough home solar like Edge to charge the vehicle, many of their miles traveled in an EV are still powered by fossil fuels. Would be good if states could stabilize their grid and expand their renewable capacity (the clock is ticking) - maybe the government could assist with some programs and projects, maybe even six, along those lines that Hawaii could access...
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 10-09-2025
like taking out a 10 million dollar loan to start a corner 25cent POG stand
Yes.
The old how do make a million dollars farming? Start with 10 million.
Or this gem from the manager of the Cenex gas and farm store when I started to grow vegetables commercially back in the 1980’s on the mainland:
“Getting into farming? These days you have to be either rich or stupid to start farming son. And it helps to be both.”
He was happy to eat a quart of the first crop of strawberries I grew though.
RE: Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding - ironyak - 10-09-2025
Edge - The old how do make a million dollars farming? Start with 10 million.
Sure, but the actual true physical cost is measured in tons of pollution lasting hundreds of years impacting the habitability of the planet, not measured in some made up, transitory, fiat denomination. How many tons of pollution are the pint of strawberries worth? Could they be grown without that cost (they were once upon a time, for like 99+% of human history, right?)
One day I'll pin you down on some of this, but appreciate the dance in the meantime. For now, back out into the far-too-much sun out there (rainy side my okole... maybe a covered grow area of some sort would help. Like a house, but for growing green things ;)