06-14-2007, 05:05 AM
aloha all,
good topic and input. i'm all for the alternative energies, and putting the "control," back into the individual's hands.
i think Hawai'i is in a unique and favorable position, in that it is surrounded by water. what about energy from wave action, desalinization, solar and so on? i know these still have hurdles to overcome, but the push for cleaner energy is really still in it's infancy. unfortunately in america, we rarely do anything until it's too late. i've often thought Hawai'i should be at the forefront of green energy. why not require all rental cars to be ethanol based or hybrid? would promote green energy and possibly generate income for cane farmers. (look at Brazil. i believe they're somewhere around 75% fuel self-sufficient from cane-based ethanol, driving around GM cars!).
i liken the never-ending consumption in america to the fall of the roman empire. it's just a matter of time. people have survived on this earth for thousands of years with far less than we do now (god forbid there isn't a starbucks on every corner, or you can't get cell phone reception). we've gotten kinda soft in this country...
i recently went to china on business, and i'll tell you what, when they figure it out, we won't be number one. they're tough! i witnessed 90 year old ladies pullling around 500 pounds of rice on carts, and most people rode bikes, walked or took mass transit. unfortunately, i also noticed that in having outsourced our manufacturing to china, all we've done is sent our pollution overseas, where it isn't regulated as stringently as we do here. but what goes around comes around...
i think the answers will be found in Hawai'ians discussing, demanding and changing the laws and their own habits. it all starts with us....keep up the dialogue, and make the changes in your life that you can, for the aina....
malama pono,
:?)
good topic and input. i'm all for the alternative energies, and putting the "control," back into the individual's hands.
i think Hawai'i is in a unique and favorable position, in that it is surrounded by water. what about energy from wave action, desalinization, solar and so on? i know these still have hurdles to overcome, but the push for cleaner energy is really still in it's infancy. unfortunately in america, we rarely do anything until it's too late. i've often thought Hawai'i should be at the forefront of green energy. why not require all rental cars to be ethanol based or hybrid? would promote green energy and possibly generate income for cane farmers. (look at Brazil. i believe they're somewhere around 75% fuel self-sufficient from cane-based ethanol, driving around GM cars!).
i liken the never-ending consumption in america to the fall of the roman empire. it's just a matter of time. people have survived on this earth for thousands of years with far less than we do now (god forbid there isn't a starbucks on every corner, or you can't get cell phone reception). we've gotten kinda soft in this country...
i recently went to china on business, and i'll tell you what, when they figure it out, we won't be number one. they're tough! i witnessed 90 year old ladies pullling around 500 pounds of rice on carts, and most people rode bikes, walked or took mass transit. unfortunately, i also noticed that in having outsourced our manufacturing to china, all we've done is sent our pollution overseas, where it isn't regulated as stringently as we do here. but what goes around comes around...
i think the answers will be found in Hawai'ians discussing, demanding and changing the laws and their own habits. it all starts with us....keep up the dialogue, and make the changes in your life that you can, for the aina....
malama pono,
:?)