"Green Living"

[JWFITZ]

Certainly, the issue at hand IS Hawaii, in light of this larger context. It is my home now, for good or ill, and the issue is personal.

So, in Hawaii what can we sensibly expect?

First, in the short term of 3 to 5 years, I'd expect very little in terms of Hawaii as we're thankfully remote. I'd expect a further and protracted withdrawal of the US economy as a whole which will impact the Hawaiian economy hard. So much of the building boom here that recently drove the economy especially of Puna was financed with home-equity loans of mainland home owners. That's over with, more or less for ever, and we can expect protracted downturn in own economy as a result. This may be a blessing in disguise, as it may force many of us locally to acquire the skills needing to live more modestly and locally.

I would love to steward some sort of project that takes these issues into account, as I'm one who has been fortunate to acquire a pretty massive catalog of skills, but the one skill I'm lacking is any sort of beaurocratic sense, and would need help getting a formal program together. Consider that a standing offer of volunteer aid in any way someone may take it.

Oil and material costs will certainly continue to rise, furthering Hawaii's isolation.

At some point however, we are bound to see a land rush as the first wave of ecological refugees desperately look for a place to weather what now has finally entered the realm of reality in the public mind at large. We can expect that wave of new comers from all around the world, as this island is truly a precious oasis. I'd expect values of land on the Big Island to be more or less on a par with land on any of the the other islands, and I think it is really important that we take this moment in history, while things are still relatively sleepy and local people's opinions to some degree still matter to legislate real meaningful and progressive reform that not only protects those disadvantaged that were born here, but the ecosystem of the island as a whole. We must insure that nothing gets built, and not a single tree gets cut without due respect for the impact that such actions have.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by JWFITZ
...and I think it is really important that we take this moment in history, while things are still relatively sleepy and local people's opinions to some degree still matter to legislate real meaningful and progressive reform that not only protects those disadvantaged that were born here, but the ecosystem of the island as a whole. We must insure that nothing gets built, and not a single tree gets cut without due respect for the impact that such actions have.

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JW -

You just earned a beer on me for that one! []

However, we need some things to get built. We are already lacking. If we could at least get things up to par... and then stop building, I'd be happy. []

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Today in History
About 9,000 ILWU sugar workers begin a strike for 39 days, 1974

[JWFITZ]

Thanks Damon, I'll take it!

But it really is an issue that is very important to me, having been one born and raised in an economically depressed rural community, and I know how damned difficult it can be to make your way in the world--even for me, not born into a broken home, with more less good health, and with better than average native smarts. Being the first in my family to graduate from college, it was a real struggle, paying for the whole thing with no guidance, with a young wife, working as a janitor for a church at 5 bucks an hour. After I graduate, even in spite of doing so with top honors in two departments, I simply cannot afford the 150 dollar graduate school applications, most of which don't even offer the courtesy of a thank you. So, I end up working at a wrecking yard, pulling parts out of dead cars at 5 dollars an hour. Many face a similar future. Fortunately that early marriage long ago ended, and produce no children otherwise I would have never dug myself out of that hole. It's very easy for affluent urbanites where opportunity is often within walking distance to expect people to bootstrap themselves. I will say, there are a lot of people for whom even a bus ticket is a lot of money. In this superficial society we live in, if your parents couldn't afford an orthodontist and you were born with funky teeth, you will NEVER hold a professional job in your life.

Genius is nothing without opportunity.

[gtill]

JW, you mentioned DDT use being ressurected, by WHO(world hlth org)or will this include the US? Just listen to the replys to this, DDT is back! But back with the controls it should have had from the start! It'll save millions of lives worldwide, I bet we will never get to use it!

I understand Lovelock was for Nuclear Power, we have geotherml resorces which could power the whole island, would that not pretty well eliminate foreign imports. Xcept HECO wouldn't even consider it!

[aprild]

"The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures may be far more difficult than previous research suggested, say scientists who have just published studies indicating that it would require the world to cease carbon emissions altogether within a matter of decades.

Their findings, published in separate journals over the past few weeks, suggest that both industrialized and developing nations must wean themselves off fossil fuels by as early as mid-century in order to prevent warming that could change precipitation patterns and dry up sources of water worldwide."

From The Washington Post. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23552526/

Jay,
Why did you decide to live so far up the volcano? The one reason I would live in HI is to avoid heating and cooling. If I live in the lower elevations, I eat more raw foods and fruit, too. I have less need for or desire for cooked food.

There are so many ways that one can live lightly on the earth. Not eating meat is a big one. Not eating processed food is another. I know that most Puna people are into eating locally grown food. That's one reason I love BI--more farms, more papayas, avos, et al.

As for invasive species... While I totally support the effort to keep Hawaiian native species alive and healthy, this is going to be the least of our worries. And I agree with Jay--if you have a gigantic eucalyptus tree mo bettah leave it, brah. They also make decent firewood, and are good for furniture and trimwork. Lovely wood. Plus they are a huge carbon bank.

Jay, so the fine point is that trees capture the carbon and hold it, only releasing it when they are burned or decompose. Does anything really change it to a better form?

Well, firs are extremely plentiful and grow quickly and easily. I would still NOT consider cutting a 1000 old anything. If it dies, then o.k.--use it. I have a huge, huge fir tree on my place in Mendocino. I love it. I was thinking more of redwoods and Joshua Trees and other more rare, slower growing trees.

You know that pollution from China blows right over to the US, probably stopping in HI for at least a little while. We're all in this together.








april

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

On the subject I saw a PBS documentary years ago. It was called The Mystery of Easter Island, Solved I believe - maybe something else. I have been unable to find it again and would like a copy. It relates to Hawaii as an island existence and to a discussion of the effects of climate change in this way....

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Ok... I'm at my desk...

It's called "Silent Sentinels: The Mystery of Easter Island" Produced 1990.

Here is the description:
SUMMARY Easter Island, a remote island off the coast of Chile, was once the home of an extremely complex and sophisticated culture.Now, only the remnants of its art and architecture remain as proof that this culture even existed. This program explores the origins and the abrupt downfall of Easter Island's 1,000-year-old culture, and how its societal organization and beliefs are reflected in their famous statues and their aesthetically complex architecture....

You know my email Rob.

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Today in History:
Pacific Commercial Advertiser announced that the Volcano House was open for business, 1866

[JWFITZ]

Good Morning All,

Hi April, I'm wholly with you.

I chose to live up the mountain primarily because my project here is a long term one, and the climate at 2700 feet is about perfect as far as I can see. It's 40 to 80 degrees every day, warms up fast, and the wood is used only minimally at night and at a very low burn simply to keep the house dry. If you figure that you'll add 10 degrees F to that in 20 years, very possible, it will be plenty toasty. As well, I get adequate sustainable rainwater, year round. As everybody clears and builds down the hill, the rain will first cease at the coast and get dryer and dryer up the hill. The altitude buys me a great deal of time, and I simply don't believe anybody has the will to avert disaster. As well, I work for a living, and it has a physical component to it, and while the climate down low is nice for cocktails on the porch in the shade it's pretty mean at the end of a tool. As well, there just a whole lot less "busybody" action up here, hippies, activists, methheads, or baby boomers posting signs about meetings of one thing or another. And that's fine too. It's very quiet, mostly real people with real jobs. Certainly, there's some kooks in the brush, and you should lock your stuff up, but all in all it's pretty sleepy and the riff-raff is going to get starved out with fuel prices as they are. That's already happening.

I really believe that high altitude tropical is probably the most valuable land in the world, and sadly there's very little of it.

[JWFITZ]

Oh, and we're far enough south here that the wind mostly blows the other way across the Pacific, right?

By the way, speaking of books--Canoes of Oceanea is a tremendously interesting read as well, and sheds a lot of light into the hidden dangers of island living.

[aprild]

BTW, Jay,

Is albezia good firewood?



april

[Rob Tucker]

Albezia is poor firewood. Kinda like Balsawood. Soaks up water like a sponge and rots fast. So far no one has found a practical use for it.