False equivalency: Pablo Escobar planted a bomb in a club, therefore Graham Ellis is evil.
Screw it, in for a penny, in for a pound!
Everyone knows I'm a supporter of HVC.
But I'm going to go out and make a stand for Graham and his "cohorts."
Whoever said "These folks wouldn't know sustainability if it jumped up and bit them square in the ass." - you're wrong.
Belly Acres has had houses on solar power for twenty years. I'm glad to see the proliferation of solar panels on rooftops all over the Big Island - now. Current state of the art: $100 billion invested in solar will produce more energy than $100 billion invested in fossil fuel.
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/19/100-...nergy-oil/
Recycling? Belly Acres has a member, I've heard her referred to as "the re-psycho," who has been an advocate for recycling /all her life/. Pacific Garbage Patch? She anticipated it. Manufacturing using recycled plastic? She's doing it.
Buying local really does help the local economy:
http://content.time.com/time/business/ar...32,00.html Are we having a discussion about liquidity, diversification of the local economy, or are you merely repeating the same tired talking points issued by regressive business interests?
On the subject of the local economy, the USDA grant got EBT at the SPACE market off the ground. That EBT pumped $50,000/year into the local economy. I've heard someone say that Graham Ellis got $50,000/year personally from this program. That may have been the dumbest thing I heard all year. This money went to local farmers and businesses, the vendors at SPACE, YOUR NEIGHBORS. Without this program, this money may have gone to Walmart instead, then off to the mainland, never to be seen again.
We're living on the slopes of an active volcano. We need lightweight infrastructure to support local businesses, and Graham has been talking about that for YEARS. He also wants a marketplace, a school, and yes, a place for performances, fighting with a "drive to Hilo" mentality at the planning department. And now that the lava is threatening to cross the highway, everyone is suddenly concerned that we may not be able to drive to Hilo!
Even the marijuana: I don't care where you stand on the issue of legalization, current events in Colorado and other states show that pot growers may be on the right side of history.
OBVIOUSLY Graham and the Belly Acres members that built weird things on state land need to clean that mess up. But don't exaggerate: they aren't protected trees. I love 'Ohi'a, but they aren't protected trees! It was state land, not a state tree sanctuary or a protected forest. It wasn't the kids' circus, give me a break. Stick to the facts, and your credibility won't be strained.
]')and yet punalvr I would just like you to know that it was a community effort. The only reason we are here today is because many people did their homework/research.