Green Magazine Hawaii Jul/Aug/Sep 2016 by Green Magazine Hawaii: Hawaii's Sustainable Living Magazine

SAVING KAHO‘OLAWE

OFF GRID IN HA‘IKŪ

I AM

HEMP

I AM NOT A DRUG

JUL/AUG/SEP 2016

Vol. 8 #3

greenmagazinehawaii.com

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A breakthrough in distributed energy resource management, the KumuKitª Powerblocks PV storage system enhances your PV systemÕ s abilities and allows you to store your own PV energy. The modular design allows for easy upgrade and incremental expansion, and the automatic emergency backup power feature provides for critical loads during power outages. System visibility is achieved through secure cloud-based tools in the Energy Dashboard interface, which makes it easy to manage select home loads with detailed visibility and historical-reporting capability. You can see where your energy is being consumed, identify electricity hogs, set electricity reduction and savings goals, and monitor your progress. So much more than batteries, the innovative Powerblocks PV storage system connects to new and existing PV systems, working together with your solar panels and household electrical devices to create a complete home energy management system. Power outages from tropical storms and grid failure are inevitable. Keep the

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THE INVISIBILITY OF NATURE This September, HawaiÔ i will serve as the global epicenter for environmental conservation, hosting thousands of leaders and decision makers from 1,300 organizations for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress. Held once every four years, this important meeting allows us to identify the solutions nature offers to global challenges, including the economic viability of reforestation.

An innovative HawaiÔ i-based nonprofit organization is restoring the balance of natural capital by planting 1.3 million endemic trees throughout the state. Forestry experts at the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) have been working with thousands of individuals and more than 70 organizations for the past six years to create ways of doing well while doing good. Jeff Dunster, co-founder and president of HLRI, and Darrell Fox, chief operating officer of sustainable forestry company Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, discuss whatÕ s working and how we can address locally what economists, global leaders and IUCN Director General Inger Andersen have called Òthe economic invisibility of nature.Ó ADVERTISEMENT

Q: Explain the economic invisibility of nature. A: (Fox) The economic invisibility of

nature is the value of natural resources that don’t get priced by economic markets. The IUCN has estimated that nature adds $72 trillion a year to the global economy by way of clean air, water filtration and recreational opportunities, to name a few. As we continue to ignore these “invisible” contributions of natural capital, we are watching our most valuable resource being depleted at unsustainable rates. We look at ways to quantify the impact of permanent reforestation. What is the dollar value of each tree’s oxygen production, water filtration, soil retention and carbon sequestration? Through the support of individuals, organizations and companies, HLRI has planted more than 325,000 endemic trees to date. It adds up fast. Developing and promoting measurements like these underscores the greater value of our forests to society and what doesn’t get priced into the market.

pollution, filter water and so on. If the logger had to reimburse society for the loss of those benefits, it might add another $25,000 in costs. The reason it is so hugely profitable for the logger is because society is picking up the tab for the loss of natural capital. We need to recognize the cost of natural capital and build it into our economic models. We need to calculate and disclose these externalities to compare the social performance of companies.

Q: What are the ways in which you are making forests in Hawai‘i more economically viable? A: (Fox) In addition to addressing the

natural capital that we just mentioned, we have shown that these forests can also produce numerous revenue streams without landowners ever cutting down a living tree. This includes Legacy Treeplanting ecotours, federal matching programs and even certified forest carbon

credits, which provide an ongoing income stream for up to 50 years. We have also found success with smaller-scale initiatives like the first-ever commercial harvest of honey from koa blossoms. Our Legacy Trees also benefit more than 350 charitable organizations in Hawai‘i and worldwide. It is without a doubt that the permanent reforestation of these trees bears much more economic fruit than harvesting them. Through state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies, HLRI works with landowners to establish and preserve economically viable and sustainable endemic Hawaiian forests, protect endangered species, sequester carbon and recharge watersheds. HLRI’s Legacy Trees are planted for permanent reforestation and are sponsored by businesses and individuals, with a portion of proceeds donated to charities worldwide. For more, visit legacytrees.org.

Q: What can be done to account for it? A: (Dunster) If economic models such

as carbon markets can be instituted as a mechanism to offset climate change, why can’t we design a similar model for conservation? There is currently an inability to see the difference between public benefits and private profits. Public benefits are often just hidden subsidies given to businesses, and if we look at business through the lens of public wealth, rather than private profit, it is an entirely different picture.

Q: Can you give us an example? A: (Dunster) Let’s say a logger cuts

down a live koa tree in the natural forest and sells it for $30,000. He didn’t plant the tree, raise the tree or care for it in any way. He simply harvested it. His operating costs may be $5,000, so he nets $25,000 in profit. But this is only half of the story. He has now taken away the tree’s ability to produce oxygen, reduce ADVERTISEMENT

CONTENTS VOLUME 8 NUMBER 3 // JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

HEALTH _____________________________________ _____________________________________ ________

ENERGY _____________________________________ _____________________________________ ________

10 Tech

32 Wind

12 Eat

33 Charge

Smart Yields app maximizes crop yield using real-time data

Bills Hawaii serves up local ingredients with a sunny Aussie twist

14 People

SUP world champion Kai Lenny gives back through his nonprofit Positively Kai Foundation

16 Ag

Time to set the record straight on industrial hemp—the wonder crop that could be a boon for Hawai‘i’s economy and environment

DESIGN _____________________________________ _____________________________________ ________ 22 Off The Grid

From repurposed building materials to energy storage, this sustainable Ha‘ikū home has it all

Floating offshore wind farms may be on the horizon

34 22

Jumpsmart Maui paves the way for a cleaner, smarter grid

34 Transport

Bikeshare Hawaii gears up to launch 150 public bike stations in Honolulu’s urban core

38 Solar

Jim Whitcomb of Haleakala Solar on the next phase of residential PV

NATURE _____________________________________ _____________________________________ ________ 40 Endangered

Preserving Hawai‘i's native ‘ōhi‘a lehua tree

42 Flora

UH Mānoa is now an internationally accredited arboretum

44 Conservation

After 50 years of ecological degradation, activists continue on the long road to restoring Kaho‘olawe

GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I .C O M

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Published by Element Media, Inc. VOLUME 8 :: NUMBER 3 :: JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

Publishers Jamie & Naomi Giambrone Associate Publisher E. S. Adler Managing Editor Kevin Whitton Editor Lauren McNally laurenm@elementmediahi.com

Contributing Writers Stuart H. Coleman, Lindsey Kesel, Molly Mamaril Contributing Photographers Aaron Bernard, Dave Miyamoto Administration Athena Keehu, Sally Shaner Publishers’ Assistant Enjy El-Kadi

Art Director Keith Usher

Advertising Inquiries E.S. Adler, esadler@elementmediahi.com

Intern Corinna Wong

Editorial Advisory Board Mike Fairall, Dr. Jack Kittinger, Jeﬀ Mikulina, Nicole Milne

Subscribe and read online at greenmagazinehawaii.com. Contact Element Media at 1088 Bishop Street, Suite 1130, Honolulu, HI 96813; 808.737.8711. Follow Green on facebook at facebook.com/GreenMagazineHawaii and on Twitter at @greenmaghawaii. Green Magazine Hawai‘i is a quarterly publication available through subscription, direct mail and bookstores throughout Hawai‘i. The views expressed within Green Magazine Hawai‘i do not necessarily reflect the opinions of management and ownership. Green Magazine Hawai‘i may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I .C O M

What a 100% green future means for Hawai‘i and for you.

SOLAR

THERM

On the path to 100% green energy, diversity is the key. As we continue to use Hawai‘i’s many sustainable resources for energy, we’ll reduce our dependence on imported oil. And you’ll have more ways to save.

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SMART GRID IS THE FOUNDATION

of a renewable energy future. With wireless technology built into the electric grid, it will enable more local green energy to be added.

AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CAN SAVE YOU MORE THAN

40% on the cost to run

your car. With Hawaiian Electric’s EV rates, you can charge your EV when rates are at their lowest.

will allow you to take advantage of proposed lower rates, when more green energy is being produced.

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LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS can support the transition to a 100% green future. Used in power plants, it’s cleaner and less expensive than imported oil and will help reduce your electric bill.

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RENEWABLE ENERGY STORAGE

AND MICROGRIDS

will provide backup for variable sources like wind and solar. This will help provide reliable service for everyone.

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These efforts will help lower your family’s total energy bill for electricity and transportation. And achieve the state’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

Honoring the past. Transforming the future.

EDITOR'S NOTE

MANGLED MONIKERS

reen. It’s the go-to moniker for environmental sustainability, slang for paper money, a slightly derogatory word for a novice and, if plants grow well in your care, you can even have a green thumb. Green is also one of the many playful terms for marijuana. Unfortunately, when a word is used in so many different circumstances, its meaning can become diluted or unclear. If a company claims to sell green widgets, are they selling widgets that are the color green? Are they greedy or jealous widgets? Are the widgets sustainable and, if so, to what degree? Do they replenish autonomously or break down into organic matter over time? In some cases, overuse of the word has actually muddied its intended meaning.

The same can be said for marijuana, a word that is often associated with cannabis in all its varieties, regardless of form and function. This overgeneralization has been cemented by federal laws that criminalize the plant as one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs known to man, right up there with heroin, LSD and MDMA—an unfortunate designation that continues to thwart efforts to study the plant and embrace it for its industrial uses. But you can’t get high from smoking hemp, the variety of Cannabis sativa that is grown specifically for industrial uses. Hemp has very low concentrations of the psychoactive compound known as THC. The fibrous stalks are used to produce rope, paper, textiles and building materials. The seeds are a nutritional food and a source of oil used for its moisturizing agents, in plant-based plastics and for biofuel. As consumers, we can buy T-shirts,

GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I .C O M

granola, twine and skin-care products made from hemp, but because U.S. law blindly condemns all forms of cannabis, it is illegal to grow hemp in the United States. We’re the only industrialized country in the world to impose such restrictive laws on this useful crop. It’s time to rise above fear-based political propaganda and call it like it is. Hemp could bolster Hawai‘i’s sagging agriculture industry and create manufacturing opportunities and new jobs. Hawai‘i State Representative Cynthia Thielen has been fighting to legalize industrial hemp and redefine hemp in our laws and social spheres for more than two decades. Help squash the stigma and give local farmers an organic crop they can plant and be proud of for all its utility and economic and ecological benefits. Remember, marijuana is for the head— hemp is for life. —Kevin Whitton

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HEALTH

TECH // EAT // PEOPLE // AG

| TECH |

SMART YIELDS

Photos: Smart Yields

Modern farming is smarter farming

GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I.C O M

High yields are the end goal for commercial farmers. With small profit margins on seeds, fruits and vegetables, increasing yield is a straightforward way to increase profit. Fred and Brendan Lau of MariÕ s Garden in Mililani were searching for innovative ways to make better, scientifically informed decisions to improve their farmÕ s productivity. They found Smart Yields, a desktop and mobile app that helps farmers collect and utilize field data in real time, allowing them to make quicker and smarter decisions to improve crop protection and increase crop yields. Large-scale farmers use satellite imagery and drones to collect data, but the data is not specific to individual farms. Smart YieldsÕemploys on-the-ground sensors that work with existing satellite and UAV technology to aggregate sitespecific data and provide real-time analytics. It’s like Fitbit for farms. ÒImagine a farmer standing in the middle of a field, gathering data in real time, receiving analytics and being empowered to be more predictive in running the farm,Ósays Vincent Kimura, co-founder and CEO of Smart Yields. ÒThe beauty of this system is that it can be used for any farm, large or small. The app emphasizes imagery versus language, so farmers worldwide may intuitively use it.Ó Smart Yields is part of the Fall 2015 cohort of the Blue Startups accelerator program. The app is already helping HawaiÔ i farmers manage pests and address microclimate conditions for high-value crops such as coffee, medicinal marijuana and macadamia nuts. With its success in the islands, Kimura is looking to scale up and collaborate with farmers on the mainland. Ñ K evin Whitton

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TECH // EAT // PEOPLE // AG

Photo: Bills Hawaii

HEALTH

| EAT |

BILLS HAWAII

Local eats with sunny Aussie vibes

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Split between a retro ground-floor café and an airy upstairs dining space with the rustic wooden paneling of a Õ 70s beach bungalow, Bills Hawaii is the first U.S. outpost of celebrity chef and Aussie restaurateur Bill Granger. GrangerÕ s ricotta pancakes and sweet corn fritters are renowned throughout his network of eateries in Sydney, London, Japan and Seoul, though heÕ s best known for the creamy, delicately scrambled eggs that have been the restaurantÕ s signature ever since Granger opened the original Bills in Sydney. But Bills Hawaii isn’t just about the breakfast. Granger himself may be monarch of the morning meal, but the self-taught chef is making home-style cooking and communal dining a daylong affair. His breakfast specialties are a mainstay at Bills locations around the world—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—but Granger’s affinity for fresh, local ingredients means that each restaurant has a personality all its own. Poke, kimchi fried rice and burgers made with organic MolokaÔ i beef are unique to the menu in HawaiÔ i. L auren McNally Ñ

HEALTH

AGTECH // EAT // PEOPLE // AG

| PEOPLE |

POSITIVELY KAI

SUP world champion Kai Lenny gives back

GRE EN M A G A Z I N E H AWA II.C O M

Photo: Courtesy of the Waterman League

Though he spends most of his time on the water, six-time standup paddling world champion Kai Lenny is as grounded as they come. Mentored by legendary watermen such as Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama and Robby Naish, the 23-year-old Maui native grew up windsurfing, hydrofoiling, surfing, standup paddling, kitesurfing and towing in with the best of them, and has been charging Pe‘ahi, the fabled big-wave break also known as Jaws, since he was 16 years old. At 18, he made history as the first-ever SUP world champion at the inaugural Standup World Tour in 2010. But what fires him up even more than collecting world titles and taking off on pristine waves around the globe is instilling in others the same respect and appreciation for the ocean that drives him to the lineup like a moth to flame. He created the Positively Kai Foundation in 2015 to support ocean-minded organizations like Nä Kama Kai, a local nonprofit founded by fellow surfer Duane DeSoto, with the goal of partnering in youth-driven initiatives geared toward ocean safety and environmental education. —Lauren McNally

HEALTH

TECH // EAT // PEOPLE // AG

| AG |

SHAKING OFF THE STIGMAS OF OLD,

HEMPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HEYDAY HAS ARRIVED BY LINDSEY KESEL

GREENMAGAZINE HAWAII.COM

Illustration: Keith Usher & Lauren McNally

Poor, misunderstood hemp has been the victim of unmerited discrimination for decades, but tenacious forces are uniting to change that here in Hawai‘i. At a time when everyone’s asking if the 36,000 acres vacated by Big Sugar in Central Maui will remain farmland, it could very well be hemp’s day in the sun.

GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I.C O M

ou can have hemp sheets, hemp dog collars, hemp protein powder, hemp rope and hemp milk delivered right to your door, yet itÕ s illegal in the eyes of the federal government to grow and produce hemp within U.S. borders. America is the worldÕ s largest consumer of hemp products, but we stand alone as the only industrialized nation with an active ban on hemp production. Although hemp and marijuana are strains of the same species, Cannabis sativa, hemp typically contains less than one-tenth of marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp will not only fail to get you high, but the plant has been dubbed “anti-marijuana” due to its concentration of cannabidiol, a chemical that stifles the mind-altering effects of

THC. Unlike marijuana, hemp plants grow up, not out, since longer stalks equal greater fiber yield, and they don’t produce the cannabinoid-rich buds harvested by marijuana growers. Hemp wasnÕ t always a redheaded stepchild. The plant saw a rapid rise to fame in the New World, joining the ranks of tobacco and cotton as one of the highest-grossing crops in the South. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence were penned on hemp paper. Hemp fibers were woven into fine garments worn by important people and sewn into the first American flag. The U.S. Census of Agriculture counted 8,327 hemp plantations in 1850, but expansive hemp acreage eventually gave way to petroleum mining and timber growers, and hemp farmers dwindled as cotton captured the apparel market. HempÕ s decline was further foreshadowed in 1935, when the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics, the predecessor to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), released pervasive propaganda

to convince citizens of the many evils of marijuana. Despite the fact that you won’t get any higher smoking or consuming hemp than you would off of lawn grass, hemp inevitably inherited its cousinÕ s tarnished reputation. It seemed hemp could overcome the mudslinging when Popular Mechanics sung its praises in 1938 as the Ònew billiondollar crop.ÓBut that same year, the exploitation film Reefer Madness was widely released, positioning marijuana as a gateway drug and the downfall of AmericaÕ s youth. It became taboo to even mention cannabis. AmericaÕ s last hemp crop was harvested in Wisconsin in 1957, and in 1970 the federal government named cannabis a Schedule I drug. Just like that, an economic gold mine that could feed, clothe and house the masses was gone with the wind. Hemp is considered by many to be a kind of super plant. ItÕ s fast growingÑ planting to harvest takes only 120 daysÑ and productive. It yields an average of two to three times more raw material than cotton. Since it pulls heavy metals and other pollutants from the ground, consuming and digesting toxins much like algae, hemp can be planted in depleted soil to restore it to health. ItÕ s mildew proof, less thirsty than sugar and usually requires no pesticides or herbicides. The entire plant is usefulÑ st alks, oil, seed, fiber and leavesÑ generating thousands of products,

from health foods to textiles to insulation and building materials. The cellulose fibers that comprise 70 percent of its makeup can be used to fashion cordage, carpet, nets and more. Paper and paper products made from hemp last hundreds of years and fully biodegrade, and hemp fiberboard is stronger and lighter than wood. Hemp seed is a complete protein rich in lanolin and linolenic acid and can be pressed into non-toxic diesel fuel, paint, varnish and detergent. Want an eco-friendly drywall alternative? Hempcrete is an inexpensive building material made by mixing hemp hurds, the inner fibers of the stalk, with water and powdered limestone to create a bonded material that is fireproof and waterproof. Biodiesel from hemp oil and biodegradable plastic substitutes are just a few of hemp’s more innovative applications. While domestic hemp lobbyists are desperately trying to shake hempÕ s guilt by association with marijuana, Spain, Canada, Chile and several other countries are already basking in the benefits of cultivating and processing industrial hemp. Since hemp products net annual revenues of approximately $600 million right in our backyard, legalizing the plant could infuse vast resources into local economies lacking an agricultural option that is both profitable and good for the soil. Now that Hawai‘i’s need for diversified agriculture has grown from a whisper to a scream, it could mean a come-toJesus moment for the state. HawaiÔ i State Representative Cynthia Thielen has spent two decades working to shift hemp’s classification from illicit drug to cash crop, and her steadfast commitment to this sticky issue is beginning to bear fruit. When Thielen was elected 25 years ago, her son Peter suggested she start educating herself on hemp, since HawaiÔ iÕ s sugar plantations were

going out of business. She visited hemp fields in France and began talking with people around the globe about the plantÕ s potential. She was puzzled by the fact that the United States stands alone in prohibition and began a mission to dispel the myths keeping hemp down. ÒHere you have a crop with 25,000 uses, none of which will get you high,Óshe says. ÒSo it made no sense that our sugar lands lay fallow. I wasnÕ t about to sit idly by.Ó Shortly after President Clinton issued an executive order naming hemp a Òstrategic cropÓin 1994, the Colorado Hemp Production Act of 1995 marked the very first piece of pro-hemp legislation submitted to a state legislature. Brought to life by social justice activist Senator Lloyd Casey, the bill would have allowed Colorado farmers to grow low-THC hemp, but it was quickly killed by the DEA. In 1999, HawaiÔ iÕ s hemp warrior made her first significant stride by working with the DEA to launch industrial hemp research via the Hawaiian Industrial Hemp Project. Thielen found funding and a principal investigator and got the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sign off on the project. The FDA’s Office of New Drug Chemistry was quick to throw up obstacles, but ThielenÕ s vision eventually came to fruition. The very first hemp seeds legally set in U.S. soil since 1957 were planted at a quarter-acre grow site in WahiawŠ on December 14. Governor Ben Cayetano declared it ÒIndustrial Hemp DayÓin HawaiÕ i, and the pilot program persevered for three years. Researchers made some headway in profiling the hemp varieties that could potentially flourish in Hawai‘i’s climate, but the project came to a halt due to administrative hurdles and lack of funds. In 2001, Thielen joined two other representatives, three senators and the speaker of the House in drafting a letter

far left: “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country.” —Thomas Jefferson, hemp advocate and American founding father. center: An article published in Popular Mechanics in 1938 called industrial hemp a “billion-dollar crop.” right: Though industrial hemp comes from the same species of Cannabis sativa as marijuana, hemp is bred specifically for its seeds, stalk, roots and leaves, not its buds.

Photo: Representative Cynthia Thielen

Representative Cynthia Thielen, fourth from right, plants the state’s first hemp crop at Waimanalo Research Station in May 2015 with UH Ma-noa administrators and researchers with the university’s industrial hemp project.

that urged President George Bush to consider industrial hemp a state issue, not a drug issue. The following year, the Hemp Industries Association sued the DEA for its interpretive rule banning hemp-seed and hemp-oil food products and won, exempting hemp foods from the Controlled Substances Act. Very little legislative progress was realized over the following decade, but Thielen continued on the path of educating her colleagues and constituents about the virtues of hemp. Every year, she hosted Hemp Aloha Shirt Friday at the HawaiÔ i State Capitol during Earth Week and led celebrations for national Hemp History Week. She conducted door-to-door polls that revealed overwhelming public support for industrial hemp and faithfully printed her office’s annual legislative report on hemp paper. A major step forward in the decriminalization of hemp cultivation happened when President Barack Obama signed the Agricultural Act of 2014 (also known as the ÒFarm BillÓ), allowing colleges and universities to set up pilot programs to grow and research industrial hemp with THC concentrations of 0.3 percent or less. Though red tape has stalled license approvals and prevented 20

GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA I I.C O M

seed stock imports to many grow sites around the country, HawaiÔ i was able to leverage this new law. Former Governor Neil Abercrombie approved HawaiÔ iÕ s Act 56, permitting the University of HawaiÕ i at MŠnoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to establish a two-year industrial hemp remediation and biofuel-crop research site in WaimŠnalo. After waiting nearly a year for the green light to import seeds, researchers grew three varieties at the site: temperate zone, tropical seed and tropical fiber. Before the project came to an end last December, they found that tropical fiber hemp grew rapidlyÑ m ore than 10 feet tall during its crop cycle of 15 weeksÑ w hile tropical seed hemp produced abundant seed. They also discovered the leaves of the hemp plant make for superior and inexpensive livestock feed. In early 2016, Thielen teamed up with Maui Representative Kaniela Ing to draft House Bill 2555 in support of a publicprivate partnership to expand industrial hemp research, growth and cultivation by opening it up to farmers across the state. The 26-year-old Democrat collected more than 9,000 signatures on Maui, with much of the championing coming from smaller farmers. “Hemp could lead a diversified

“The timing couldn’t be more perfect with the tragic end of sugar. I grew up on sugarcane, and this is a worthy successor.” —Maui Representative Kaniela Ing economy in a greater vision for a sustainable local economy in symbiosis with avocados, mango, papaya and energy crops like sunflower,” says Ing, who’s now focusing his efforts on combating the three-pronged opposition of water rights lobbyists, ObamaÕ s Environmental Protection Agency and misinformed HawaiÔ i residents who equate hemp with marijuana. Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company General Manager Rick Volner confirmed that the company is ready to begin trial planting of hemp, though Ing says that the interest may be contingent on being the only grower in the state. While Ing and Thielen are fighting to give Hawai‘i farmers the opportunity to legally grow hemp, theyÕ re also fighting to prevent a monopoly. After HB 2555 passed in the House of Representatives but didnÕ t make it in

the Senate, Thielen and Ing shifted their support to Senate Bill 2659, a bill drafted and introduced by Senator Mike Gabbard that would allow anyone to apply for a permit to research, grow and sell hemp in HawaiÔ i through the state Department of Agriculture (DOA). On May 3 of this year, decades of fighting an uphill battle paid off as the HawaiÔ i State Legislature passed the ÒIndustrial Hemp BillÓwith a unanimous vote in both chambers. Unlike some states, HawaiÔ iÕ s Department of Agriculture is highly supportive of legalized hemp. Scott Enright, chairperson for the HawaiÔ i DOA, is working to get the program running as soon as possible. HeÕ s adding staff to put the pieces together, working directly with hopeful growers and consulting with KentuckyÕ s commissioner of agriculture to leverage the stateÕ s successful program components. Though funding wonÕ t become available until July 1, Enright is actively seeking supplemental funds to properly kick off the program. If all goes well, heÕ s optimistic that farmers will be able to start the application process in late fall or early winter. What could hemp really do for HawaiÔ iÕ s economy? For starters, the fact that the plant will enjoy three growth cycles a year in our temperate climate could translate to impressive yields from hemp farms. Hemp’s nitrogen-fixing powers might be used to organically turn depleted, over-farmed soil into nutrient-rich soil. Couple that with manufacturing opportunities, and our islands could potentially support the entire industry from seed to sale, providing jobs and income to thousands of residents. HempÕ s low thirst, biofuel capabilities and petrochemical product alternatives are also on par with HawaiÔ iÕ s goal of 100 percent renewable energy. Thielen recently met with Scott Morishige, HawaiÔ iÕ s state coordinator on homelessness, about bringing in pre-fabricated hemp pods to serve as durable shelters. Made of hemp adobe, a material thatÕ s 60 percent lighter than concrete, hemp pods are termite proof and naturally insulated, and since you donÕ t need a building permit to construct structures lacking plumbing or electricity, they can be set up virtually

anywhere. ÒWe donÕ t have a lot of time on this,Ó Thielen says. “If we want to save jobs, we need to get that seed in the ground.ÓFor Ing, it’s not just a matter of upholding the tenets of a free-market economy, but also about getting ahead of the dangers of development by giving fallow sugar land a purpose and keeping agricultural tracts in production to keep HawaiÔ i green. ÒThe timing couldnÕ t be more perfect with the tragic end of sugar,ÓIng says. ÒI grew up on sugarcane, and this is a worthy successor.Ó Simon Russell, vice president and legislative chairman of the HawaiÔ i Farmers Union United, has a grower in Thailand who just produced five acres of hemp for seed. ÒUnfortunately, itÕ s a bureaucratic nightmare right now and weÕ re getting behind in HawaiÔ i,ÓRussell says. ÒWith three growing seasons, we have the climatic advantage, but not the genetic advantage, since thereÕ s very little research on tropical varieties.ÓNow that SB 2659 has passed, Russell is ready to put his name on the list for a grow permit, import seed and look at leasing land on Maui. He envisions the creation of a hemp cooperative that would allow farmers to trade seeds to see which varieties flourish in different areas of the islands. ÒHempÕ s versatility is ripe for the ingenuity of the American entrepreneur to be applied,Óhe says. Now that Hawai‘i has joined Kentucky, Colorado, Vermont, Tennessee and Oregon in legalizing hemp, we can perhaps enjoy a slice of hemp’s nearly $600 million in annual retail sales. But state recognition of a farmerÕ s right to grow and sell hemp is just the tip of the iceberg. According to Thielen, the fight is far from over. Though the U.S. Senate introduced a bill in early 2015 that would exclude industrial hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, the measure is still up for debate. ÒNowÕ s the time to turn our attention and pressure to Congress to say this is an agricultural crop and make it clear it doesnÕ t belong up there with other controlled substances,Ó Thielen says. ÒWeÕ ve got a long way to go, and itÕ ll take someone with guts and sense to make it happen, but itÕ s going to happen.Ó

HEMP > COTTON Hemp requires half as much land and water to grow and four times less water to process than cotton. Unlike cotton, hemp grows well without pesticides or fertilizers, and hemp fibers are stronger, softer and more durable than cotton fibers. HEMP > CONCRETE Hempcrete is an insulating building material that is durable, lightweight and naturally resistant to pests, fire and mold.

HEMP > PLASTIC Hemp plastic is recyclable, nontoxic and can be manufactured to be 100 percent biodegradable. Hemp plastic is stiffer and stronger than polypropylene plastic and can be used to make lighter, stronger, cheaper, biodegradable alternatives to fiberglass. HEMP > WOOD Hemp crops yield four times more pulp than an equivalent expanse of forest and take a fraction of the time to grow. Hemp paper is also more durable, contains less chemicals and can be recycled more times than paper made from wood pulp. GREENMAGAZINE HAWAII.COM

DESIGN

OFF THE GRID

| OFF THE GRID |

YOUR LIFE ON SOLAR

Passive and active solar design, sustainable materials, energy e ciency and a skate park—this Ha‘ik home has it all

Brad Albert has been a leader in the solar industry for decades. He was there for the glory days of solar in Hawai‘i and has weathered the storm of a statewide solar slow down. Through it all, he’s seen thousands of rooftops and just as many homes. When Brad and his wife planned their new, dream home on a two-anda-half-acre parcel in Ha‘ikü, they envisioned a completely solarpowered, low-energy home—no gas, no grid. Built for seamless indoor-outdoor living and inspired by the old canneries in Ha‘ikü,

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the finished product is a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath cannery-style home with agrarian-modern architecture, complete with a standing seam metal roof, corrugated aluminium siding with treated cedar accents and, of course, a 10-kilowatt PV system with Tesla battery storage and two electric car charging stations. A basketball hoop and cement skatepark landscaped into the halfmoon driveway completes the ultimate family abode. —Kevin Whitton

Award-winning photographer Mike Adrian has spent over a decade documenting projects for his discerning clientele. Based in Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;i, he travels extensively to photograph his clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; latest projects. mikeadrianhome.com

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clockwise from top right: Recycled wood from the propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-existing 1930s barn was used for bathroom vanities and this custom interior barn door; This living area on the covered lanai seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living; Wooden accents and furniture compliment the agrarian modern architecture; Having the proper craft for outdoor recreation is just as important as having the best PV system available; An open oor plan and high ceilings give the house a big feel for a small footprint. Kitchen cabinets by Leicht are high quality and affordable.

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above: The mini skatepark was designed and installed by Top Heavy Concrete and incorporates the natural landscape into a driveway that doubles as a skatepark and a basketball court. below: The 10-kilowatt net-metered PV system supplies enough power to offset all the energy usage in the house and charge the family's BMW i3 electric car. The Tesla Powerwall supplies backup power to all critical loads in the house in the event of a power outage and can be configured to self supply energy without exporting to the grid.

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HALEAKALA SOLAR LEADS HAWAI‘I INTO THE FUTURE

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In 1977, the world was just getting used to higher energy prices as a result of the rapid increase in the price of oil following the 1973 oil embargo. Haleakala Solar began installing solar hot-water systems to help consumers reduce their electric and gas bills. According to Solar Power World national rankings, the company has grown from a single product line into the largest solar company in the state of Hawai‘i, employing 180 local residents. The company now provides solar hot-water heating, PV systems, solar pool heating, PV-powered swimming pool pumps, energyconservation products, critical-load and off-grid battery systems, carport systems, solar air conditioning and electric vehicle charging stations for both the residential and commercial markets. The company opened its first showroom in 2009 to give consumers, contractors, architects, engineers and other interested parties a place to view products and talk to highly knowledgeable consultants about lowering their energy bills. The response to the first showroom was so great that the

company opened two more showrooms to serve the public. The showrooms are located on Maui in Maui Mall across from Whole Foods; on O‘ahu in Waimalu Shopping Center, across from Best Buy and right next to Zippy’s; and on Kaua‘i in Kukui Grove Shopping Center next to Times Market. Over the years, the company has monitored the changes occurring in the solar industry and kept up with its new rules and regulations. Company consultants are knowledgeable about HECO, MECO and KIUC programs and can custom tailor a variety of products to meet the new regulations and save you money on your energy bills. The company has many different financing programs available, all of which allow you to keep your tax credits and cost you less than the value of your energy savings. Visit haleakalasolar.com for photos, videos and more information about reducing or eliminating your energy bills.

TOP QUALITY

Homeowners with premium value homes trust Oceanview Roofing

What makes OceanView Roofing unique?

How is roofing in Hawai‘i different?

Experience and attention to detail. I have over 35 years of experience in the roofing business. We only use quality materials and we have extensive experience working with concrete and Spanish tiles, aluminum, wood shakes, asphalt shingles and flat roof silicone coatings. We also pay attention to important things that will give your roof a longer life, including stainless steel nails that won’t rust out, top quality underlayment (not just felt paper) and custom folded flashings.

In tropical climates, you have to choose a roofing product that will withstand the extremes of strong winds, excessive rain, heat, sun and salt air. Many sub-standard roofing products will fade, peel, chip or crack in this weather.

What should I look for in a roofing contractor? Safety. Beware of roofing companies are not compliant with OSHA regulations, meaning a contractor doesn’t have up-to-

date workers' compensation and liability insurance, which means you could be personally liable. Make sure to check the general insurance of the company that installs your roof before they start working and keep a copy for your files. You may have no legal recourse if your roof leaks and causes damage to your home. Ocean View Roofing is fully licensed and compliant with OSHA regulations to ensure best practices, service and the highest quality products available. oceanviewroofing.com

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ENERGY

WIND // CHARGE // TRANSPORT // SOLAR

| WIND |

OFFSHORE

WIND

Floating, deep-water wind farms may be on the horizon Our utilities currently generate only 24 percent of their energy from renewable resources. Could wind energy projects proposed for federal waters near O‘ahu’s north and south shores help Hawai‘i meet its renewable energy goals? AW Hawaii Wind, a subsidiary of Danish company Alpha Wind Energy, has proposed two offshore wind farms 12 miles northwest of Ka‘ena Point and 17 miles south of Diamond Head. A second company, Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind, is proposing a similar $1.8 billion wind farm comprised of 50 to 60 turbines 10 miles southeast of Barbers Point. Both companies plan to utilize floating wind turbines attached to platforms anchored to the ocean floor, with undersea cables transferring the energy to power plants on land. Each site would produce 400 megawatts of energy, or roughly a quarter of O‘ahu’s energy needs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, offshore wind resources are stronger and more consistent than wind resources on land, but the projects pose a number of challenges and environmental, economic and cultural concerns, including mitigating their potential impact on fishing practices and marine populations. “This is by far the most difficult thing in wind that’s ever been attempted on this globe,” says AW Hawaii Wind owner Jens Borsting Peterson. —Corinna Wong

CHARGE IT

Photo: Courtesy JUMPStartMaui

| CHARGE |

Alternate Energy is a residential and commercial solar energy company, providing more than 20 years of photovoltaic, solar water heating and solar attic fan solutions for Hawaii.

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It's going to take more than solar to achieve 100 percent renewable energy in HawaiÔ i. ThatÕ s where Jumpsmart Maui comes in, a $30 million demonstration project that uses electric vehicles as distributed energy storage to better manage Maui's abundant but intermittant renewable energy sources. Launched three years ago with funding from JapanÕ s largest public research and development management organization, the project was developed in collaboration with partners in HawaiÔ i, the U.S. government and Japan, including Maui County, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the U.S. Department of Energy. The goal? Facilitate electric vehicle integration and lay the groundwork for a more resilient clean-energy infrastructure on Maui and beyond. Jumpsmart Maui involves three components: EVs, renewables and grid technologies that balance power supply and demand. During the first phase of the project, 30 Kïhei households were equipped with charging stations and smart metering devices, and 200 EV drivers gained access to a network of DC fast chargers across the island. Approximately 300 Nissan Leaf drivers were enlisted for phase two of the project, which ran from February to March of this year. Bidirectional EV quick chargers installed in their residences enabled participants to power their homes with surplus energy discharged from their EV batteries during times of peak demand. Deployed at utility scale, the system dispatches power within the grid using electric fleet and other distributed energy resources to maintain a stable supply of renewable energy. L Ñ auren McNally

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| TRANSPORT |

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With 150 self-service bike stations planned between Chinatown and Diamond Head, Bikeshare Hawaii is gearing up to make Honolulu a bike-friendly city

NEW YORK HAS SUBWAYS. DHAKA

BY MOLLY MAMARIL

and County of Honolulu, the State of

HAS RICKSHAWS. HONOLULU HAS CARS—FAR TOO MANY OF THEM. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 90 percent of urban car trips are under two miles, so why aren’t Hawai‘i drivers hopping on bikes? A working group comprised of the City

Hawai‘i, the Environmental Protection Agency, Ulupono Initiative and Hawai‘i Pacific University set out to turn the tide with Bikeshare Hawaii, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization working to make bicycles a more convenient and popular option for getting around. Honolulu is the country’s only top-10 visitor destination without a bikesharing system to date, but that’s set to change in early 2017, when Bikeshare Hawaii rolls out more than 150 bikesharing stations densely distributed between Chinatown and Diamond Head, ready for riders seeking a new mode of transportation.

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Why Bikeshare?

Environment

Bike sharing could eliminate up to 4.3 million pounds of carbon emissions annually, improving air quality and helping Hawai‘i drivers reduce their dependence on personal vehicles.

Economy

With more riders on the street, annual retail spending is projected to increase up to $255,000 near bike-sharing stations.

Personal Expenses

Drivers who replace their cars with $200 annual Bikeshare memberships could each save roughly $8,500 in car expenses.

Community

Traveling outside of the confines of a car allows for more opportunities to socialize, whether picking up coffee near a rental station or riding recreationally with friends.

Public Health

Bike sharing is a convenient route to better health—Bikeshare users are expected to collectively burn 45,000 pounds of fat each year. Hawaii intends to operate a miniature network of five stations this September during the World Conservation Congress, a global conference run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Visiting delegates can use the bikes to commute from Waik k to the Hawai i Convention Center.

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Bike Sharing

101

Bike sharing is an on-demand, lowcost option for traveling short distances. Self-service bike stations operate 24/7 and are conveniently placed near shops, restaurants, schools, community centers and other popular destination areas. It’s like Redbox for bikes—riders can return the rentals to any station within the system’s service network. Bikeshare Hawaii will offer three affordable pricing plans: one for regular use, one for spontaneous use and one for single-use riders. Stations will be located four to five minutes walking distance from one another and will have between 10 and 12 bikes at each location. The topper? The bikes are suitable even for those wearing dresses and heels. Reports on international bike-share usage show that average trips last between 16 and 22 minutes and take place during morning and evening rush hour traffic. Riders typically use bike share for workrelated commutes, but in metropolitan areas with large visitor populations, bike sharing is often used for sightseeing. There are more than 800 bike-sharing programs around the world, with China, Italy and Spain topping the charts at more than 100 systems each. Though the U.S. has been slower to hop on the bicycling bandwagon, interest in clean transportation is growing. There are now at least 65 cities with bike-sharing systems throughout the country, with many others, like Bikeshare Hawaii, in the planning stages.

Paradise on Wheels “People used to live close to where they worked,” says Bikeshare Hawaii CEO Lori McCarney. “They knew their neighbors and shopped at local stores. However, over time, cars became more and more prevalent, making it possible

for developers to create communities outside of cities. The suburbs were born and many things changed to accommodate this new suburban life.” McCarney notes a shift in societal values, citing the current generation’s desire for more meaningful interaction with their environment. Bike sharing not only benefits the local economy by bringing in new customers to local businesses and service providers, but also increases street and sidewalk interactions between people in a community. “Instead of technology, we are seeking society again, we are seeking other people,” McCarney says. “If bikes can get back into the picture, they can be a good complement to that change.” Just as benches, walkways, public art and landscaping add to the character and aesthetic appeal of an area, bike sharing encourages people to use public spaces more frequently. “Bikeshare will become an element of the downtown street design, which will add to the area’s vibrancy and sense of place,” says Daniel Simonich of the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority in Kaka‘ako. “Streets account for about one-third of the city, and they can become ecosystems within themselves, which can build community cohesion.” With so many new riders on the roads, governments and nonprofits have also begun citing the positive impacts of bike sharing on public health, as well as benefits such as increased accessibility and mobility and reduced fossil fuel dependence. “There are so many cars on this island that our most important roads will always be at capacity,” says Bikeshare Hawaii President and COO Ben Trevino. “If we make space for people to drive, people will fill it. Congestion isn’t going away. We have to start thinking about giving people alternatives, allocating our road capacity more efficiently and being creative about how to help people meet their mobility needs.” Bicyclers use a fraction of the parking and road space, increasing the visibility of clean transportation and boosting the number of people that can comfortably move within and around Hawai‘i’s urban core.

= PROPOSED BIKESHARE STATIONS

Roadblocks Along the Way Honolulu’s limited road space, high traffic volume and limited bike paths pose significant challenges for Bikeshare Hawaii, but Trevino is optimistic. “[Bikeshare could be] the catalyst that transforms Honolulu into the world’s best bicycling city,” Trevino says. “It’s the tip of the multimodal spear. Bikeshare is a tool that can change people’s lives. Every person that lives in a transportation system designed for cars thinks of life in terms of driving. Bikeshare is a visible and convenient way to help enable a shift in people’s mindsets.” Bikeshare Hawaii has looked to bike-sharing cities such as New York, Washington D.C. and Paris for guidance, given their similarly limited biking infrastructure, large visitor populations and high-density residential and business areas. The pilot project B-Cycle, which launched in 2011 with two rental stations in Kailua, demonstrated the importance of operating multiple rental stations and choosing bike equipment that can withstand Hawai‘i’s downpours, intense heat and summer humidity. But unlike cities with frigid climates, urban sprawl and steep streets, Honolulu’s

warm weather, urban density and flat roads in the urban core are well suited for bicycling. “We have all the elements we need for a vibrant, urban community,” Trevino says. “We can easily compact our footprint, but the changes to get there can feel substantial. Not every individual will want to change how they do things. But the benefits—safety, economic vibrancy and opportunity, community health—accrue to the entire community. A period of adjustment will be necessary to understand how drivers, pedestrians and bikers will interact, but at the end of the day, we’ll have a better system in place that does more good for more people.” With the 2017 rollout right around the corner, Bikeshare’s creators are more confident than ever about establishing a large-scale network in Honolulu’s urban core. “DBEDT supports incorporating bicycle facilities, specifically bike-share programs, as a part of a holistic approach to clean transportation planning,” says Luis Salaveria, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and

Tourism (DBEDT). “Additional cost savings and benefits could occur if Bikeshare were expanded beyond urban Honolulu to other communities in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii County, Kauai County and Maui County.” Though Bikeshare’s startup costs are between $7 million and $8 million for bicycles, stations, technology and setup, the program is designed to be selfsustaining through ridership, donations and sponsorships. The past few years have been spent building support and gathering initial investments, and those partnerships have proven critical in the logistical process, since each station in the network requires a permit specific to its location. What’s next for Bikeshare Hawaii after the official launch in 2017? Measuring and tracking the program’s impact over time. GREENMAGAZINE HAWAII.COM

ENERGY

WIND // CHARGE // TRANSPORT // SOLAR

| SOLAR |

THE NEXT WAVE

With self-supply solar systems, the solar industry is poised to are up once again

BY JIM WHITCOMB Initially, Hawai‘i’s solar industry enjoyed a bright and golden period of growth and expansion. With Hawai‘i residents experiencing some of the highest electrical rates in the country, solar energy quickly became an attractive energy alternative. Hawaiian Electric Industries’ consumer-friendly net energy metering (NEM) system and generous federal and state tax credits allowed customers to pay off photovoltaic solar systems within three to five years. Unfortunately, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) put an end to net energy metering in 2015, which put an end to the industry’s decade of growth. Under the NEM system, residential customers with photovoltaic (PV) systems could sell their excess electricity to the utility at retail rates. At night, when PV systems weren’t producing electricity, customers could purchase power from the grid at the same price. With the proper number of rooftop solar panels, the occupant’s electric bill would only show a

connection fee of roughly $19 at the end of the month. According to the utility, the saturation of PV systems placing energy back onto the grid caused difficulties due to the intermittency of the energy source, which eventually led to the end of the net metering program. In the wake of net metering, consumers were still looking for ways to switch to renewable energy generation for their residences. Two models emerged. Under the new grid-supply system, customers can still sell their excess electricity to the utility, but for roughly half the price established in net-metered contracts. The utility is required to accept a limited amount of these systems and only has to pay for power fed back to the grid for two years, a very unattractive program for the consumer. The self-supply system is the alternative energy model. In this scenario, instead of sending excess energy to the grid, PV systems send it to an energy storage system—most commonly batteries. The biggest deterrent to this model is the cost. The customer must purchase a storage device in addition to a PV system. The good news is that companies like Sonnen, Sunverge, Aquion and Tesla

Jim Whitcomb is founder and CEO of Haleakala Solar, one of the largest solar and energy-storage contractors in Hawai‘i. haleakalasolar.com 38

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predicted the need for energy storage systems and recently brought them to market, giving consumers a wider range of choices and price points. Even with the added cost of batteries, the payback period can still be in the six- to seven-year range, saving customers tens of thousands of dollars. And with battery storage systems, there are no blackouts or power surges. As the wave of net energy metering recedes, a new wave is approaching shore with cost-saving benefits in tow. And keep in mind that not all savings are monetary. With PV, your rooftop is contributing to a huge reduction in carbon emissions. Saving money by using clean energy is a win-win for consumers and the environment.

TOYOTA STORIES I have a 2014 Prius Plug-in and I love it! Prior to purchasing my Prius Plug-in, I drove a 2001 Toyota Avalon. I loved that car, too, but since I drive a lot for work, I was filling the tank every week which costs about $260 per month. I now fill up every two weeks, and it only costs me $36 per month! ThatÕ s over $200 back in my pocket every month! IÕ ve had my Prius Plug-in for less than two years, but IÕ ve already put more than 31,000 miles on it. Without plugging in, I average about 55 miles per gallon. ThatÕ s 35 miles more per gallon than my Avalon. But it doesnÕ t stop thereÑ I a verage about 78 miles per gallon when I plug in, and just the other day, I had a 128-milesper-gallon day! Pretty impressive, considering I drive over the Pali every day. As a professional photographer, I love the cargo space of my Prius Plug-in. I can fit all of my photography and video gear for my onlocation assignments, and I can still fit my wife and three children in the car with all my gear! The heated seats are an added bonus. IÕ ve had three back surgeries, so I love that the heat helps the blood circulation in my back. Jerome O. Kailua, HI

Read more Toyota stories like Jerome’s or share your story at ToyotaHawaii.com/Stories

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ENDANGERED // FLORA // CONSERVATION

| ENDANGERED |

SAVING THE ‘ HI‘A TREE Conservationists turn to seed banking as rapid ‘ hi‘a death kills thousands of acres of Hawai‘i's native ‘ hi‘a lehua The native Hawaiian ‘öhi‘a tree is being threatened by rapid ‘öhi‘a death, a fungal disease that has decimated hundreds of thousands of ‘öhi‘a lehua trees on Hawai‘i Island. Rapid ‘öhi‘a death plugs the sapwood of the tree, turning the leaves brown and killing the tree within two weeks. To save the trees from extinction, the Seed Conservation Laboratory at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa’s Lyon Arboretum launched a crowdfunding campaign in February to collect and store ‘öhi‘a seeds from all of the Hawaiian Islands for future forest restoration, targeting high-risk areas on Hawai‘i Island as well as ‘Öhi‘a species endemic to O‘ahu. The laboratory has been storing native Hawaiian seeds for more than 20 years and currently holds 12 million seeds. 40

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The ‘öhi‘a tree plays an important role in protecting Hawai‘i’s watersheds and forest ecosystems. Native insects, birds and snails feed on the ‘öhi‘a tree, and its canopy protects smaller trees and shrubs. In Hawaiian culture, the tree represents strength, beauty, and sanctity and is thought to be the physical manifestation of Kü, one of the four principal Hawaiian deities. “There is an old Hawaiian proverbial saying, he ali‘i ka ‘äina, he kauä ke kanaka, the land is chief and the people are its servants,” says Kalena Silva, professor at UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ‘Ula o Ke‘elikölani College of Hawaiian Language. “And so we remember that the ‘öhi‘a doesn’t need us, we need it.” —Corinna Wong

Photo: University of Hawai‘i

NATURE

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ENDANGERED // FLORA // CONSERVATION

| FLORA |

LIVING LAB UH Mānoa is now a certified arboretum The University of HawaiÔ iÕ s lush, tree-filled Mänoa campus is one of 134 internationally accredited arboreta and one of two in the state alongside the universityÕ s Lyon Arboretum. The university received Level I accreditation for its campus arboretum from ArbNet, the worldÕ s only arboretum accreditation program, becoming one of 37 colleges and universities with the honor. Eight years after UH MŠnoa was founded in 1907, famed botanist Joseph

Hu¿ ku- Maol¿ Ola Transforming Land back to ‘Aina

Rock began filling the campus with hundreds of trees from around the world. Today there are 4,000 trees and more than 500 species, providing students and faculty a living, outdoor laboratory. Some of the more unique plantings include a West African sausage tree, a tropical South American cannonball tree and one of the largest baobab trees in the country. To preserve the variety and condition of the trees on campus, the universityÕ s Landscape Advisory Committee created tree-maintenance policies for the Buildings and Grounds Management department. The department also maintains a record of each treeÕ s species, age and condition in an online inventory. Visit manoa.hawaii.edu/landscaping/ plantmap.php to view the inventory and interactive plant map. Ñ Co rinna Wong

Photo: Kevin Whitton

NATURE

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| CONSERVATION |

AN ISLAND IN PERIL

FIGHTS FOR A GLIMMER OF HOPE

BY STUART H. COLEMAN 44

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Prior to Western contact, Kaho‘olawe was considered an important training ground for the ancient art of wayfinding, or celestial navigation. The island was named after Kanaloa, the Hawaiian god of the ocean, and is still considered sacred by Native Hawaiians, navigators and fishermen. The island also served as a pu‘uhonua, or sanctuary, where people went to seek refuge and be healed. When Captain George Vancouver arrived with the first Westerners at the end of the 18th century, he left 200 goats on the island as a gift to Kahekili, the leader of Maui. The goats multiplied, and ranches were established with sheep and cattle. Together, the voracious ungulates devoured most of the greenery on the island. Without native grasses and plants, the topsoil began to erode off the land, leaving it arid and barren. Due to its devastated ecosystem, the island was abandoned and later used as a penal colony.

Photo: Noa Kekuewa Lincoln

For three Native Hawaiian leaders with intimate ties to the island, Kaho‘olawe is a powerful symbol of loss and devastation as well as regrowth and healing. Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli was a medical student when he founded the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (PKO) and led the movement to stop military test bombing on Kaho‘olawe in the ’70s. Michael Naho‘opi‘i was a Navy officer who oversaw the island’s military cleanup before becoming executive director of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). Derek Kekaulike Mar was a student in one of the early PKO cleanups who has since gone on to lead restoration efforts on Kaho‘olawe as an environmental specialist and Native Hawaiian consultant. They each seem to live in two different worlds, with one foot in modern Western society and the other in traditional Hawaiian culture. On the 40th anniversary of the first occupation of Kaho‘olawe, Emmett Aluli, Mike Naho‘opi‘i and Derek Kekaulike Mar look back at the violent history of the island, the ongoing challenges to restore it and the promise this former sanctuary holds for the future.

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“It was an ugly scene, yet there was beauty in the land.”

Photo: Dave Miyamoto

—Noa Emmett Aluli

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. Navy took over Kaho‘olawe and used it for target practice for the war in the Pacific theater. The military continued bombing the island for almost 50 years, during which time Kaho‘olawe became the most heavily bombed island in the world. But with the rise of the Hawaiian Renaissance, a group associated with the Aboriginal Lands Of Hawaiian Ancestry (ALOHA) movement decided to stop the bombing and take back the island in 1976.

Noa Emmett Aluli: Doctor and healer Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli is a soft-spoken physician who heads up Moloka‘i General Hospital, but don’t let his white hair and laidback manner fool you. He once stood up to the most powerful military in the world to stop the bombing of Kaho‘olawe, and he still leads the movement to restore the island and return it to the Hawaiian people. Aluli was one of nine individuals who left Maui and crossed the ‘Alaläkeiki Channel on January 4, 1976, headed for Kaho‘olawe. The group called themselves the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (PKO). 46

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Critics claimed it was naïve and even foolish to challenge the U.S. Navy, but their actions would change the history of Hawai‘i and the movement for indigenous rights. From that day forward, they were known as the Kaho‘olawe 9. While the others were detained and escorted off the island that day, Aluli and fellow Native Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte hiked into the interior to survey the damage from five decades of bombing. Two days later, the two men were handcuffed, arrested and barred from ever returning. “It was an ugly scene, yet there was beauty in the land,” Aluli says in the documentary series Standing on Sacred Ground. A young surgical resident at the time, Aluli was risking his life and jeopardizing his medical career, but he knew he had a higher calling to heal his people and the land of Kaho‘olawe. Aluli went on to occupy the island many more times with the PKO. Led by Hawaiian singer and activist George Helm, the group filed a class action lawsuit against the military later that year. Helm once said that Hawaiian culture will only exist if “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness,” and he and Kimo Mitchell of the PKO became martyrs

for the cause when they disappeared at sea during a rescue mission to the island in 1977. It was an uphill battle, but the grassroots group miraculously prevailed. In 1980, the PKO settled its lawsuit with the Navy and was granted access to the island for four days each month. The Navy agreed to pay $440 million in damages to protect cultural sites, clear surface ordnance and begin soil conservation programs. “What we were able to do was magic,” Aluli says. It was an amazing accomplishment, but the PKO still had a long way to go before reaching its goal of taking back the island. Under the terms of the agreement, the Navy was allowed to continue bombing the central part of the island, and cleaning up after 50 years of bombing and military exercises seemed an impossible task.

Michael Naho‘opi‘i: Naval officer and lauhala weaver Born and raised on O‘ahu, Mike Naho‘opi‘i went to the Naval Academy after graduating from Kamehameha Schools and was then deployed by the Navy. He had always hoped to return to Hawai‘i,

After heading up the cleanup for the military, Naho‘opi‘i worked for a few years as a civilian contractor on Kaho‘olawe before becoming the head of KIRC. As executive director of KIRC, Naho‘opi‘i and his 16 staff members are in charge of managing the island’s infrastructure, protecting its cultural and historical sites and working with PKO volunteers to continue rehabilitation and restoration of its damaged ecosystem. “We are looking at everything from physically restoring the land to spiritually restoring the land to spiritually restoring the people who are doing the restoration,” Naho‘opi‘i says. The physical labor is back breaking, especially in such a hot, dry place, but the work is therapeutic. By teaching people how to heal, he hopes they can go

back and heal their own communities. Does he feel conflicted about having been a part of the military that was responsible for so much destruction of the island? “My role has always been to try to find the middle ground and get both parties to come to an agreement,” Naho‘opi‘i says. “Kaho‘olawe succeeded because of compromise.” During his many trips to the island, Naho‘opi‘i began studying the art of ulana (weaving) with young Hawaiians who came over to help clean the island. The process of weaving lauhala mats and hats calmed his nerves and connected him to his culture. “My kumu has always said, ‘You’re weaving relationships to create the future,’” Naho‘opi‘i says. “So we’re trying to weave all these aspects of Kaho‘olawe together.”

Photo: Noa Kekuewa Lincoln

and he got his wish when he was stationed at Pearl Harbor in 1993. But he soon learned that his home state was undergoing a dramatic political transformation. On the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, tensions with the military were running high. Naho‘opi‘i was working as a Navy lieutenant on a nuclear sub when he heard that the admiral in command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor wanted to see him. The admiral was looking for a junior officer to oversee the cleanup of Kaho‘olawe, which had become a political quagmire for the Navy. As a Native Hawaiian commander with a background in engineering, Naho‘opi‘i seemed to have the right qualifications. Upon learning that Naho‘opi‘i had been among the first groups of students allowed to do research and cleanups on Kaho‘olawe after the PKO settled its lawsuit with the Navy, the admiral knew he had found the right man for the job. Naho‘opi‘i was briefed by the former commander to expect serious animosity from the Native Hawaiian group. But when they met with the PKO volunteers, Naho‘opi‘i recognized two cousins and an old friend. Even though there was still tension over the continued bombing of the island, the young officer helped defuse the animosity between the military and the Native Hawaiian groups. During that first year, Naho‘opi‘i witnessed a series of social, economic and political developments that would transform Kaho‘olawe and the movement for Hawaiian sovereignty. President George H. W. Bush halted bombing on Kaho‘olawe in what Naho‘opi‘i saw as a political gesture to help fellow Republican Pat Saiki get into office. Senator Daniel Inouye seized the opportunity to sponsor legislation that transferred ownership of the island from the military to the state of Hawai‘i, leading to the creation of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) in 1993. That same year, the newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton issued an apology for the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. “All the stars were in alignment,” Naho‘opi‘i says. “It’s an interesting study in politics.”

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To Naho‘opi‘i, the restoration of the island is not only about planting seeds and growing trees but creating future leaders. “Kaho‘olawe has always been the training ground for the Hawaiian people,” he says. “Even for the younger generation, they’ve had a history of going there as students.”

Derek Kekaulike Mar: Environmental consultant and Hawaiian cultural advisor

beautiful the island once was and will be again. “I’ll be happy if one day I can sit with my grandkids in the shade of a tree that I planted,” Mar says. “Then I’ll know that my work on Kaho‘olawe is done.” In 2015, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation issued the Honolulu Declaration in Support of Cultural and Biological Restoration of Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve. The document recommends that the military continue to fund efforts to finish the job of clearing unexploded ordnance from the island, stating that “the full biocultural restoration of Kaho‘olawe is important not only for Hawai‘i and Native Hawaiians, but as a model for how restoration could be achieved following demilitarization anywhere in the world.” Unfortunately, the Navy’s $440 million settlement to clear the ordnance and fund the work of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission came to an end last year. The state legislature passed a bill to fund KIRC for two more years, but there is no long-term plan in place. Still, despite Kaho‘olawe’s dismal past and uncertain future, Mike Naho‘opi‘i believes it is never too late to change course and restore the environment. “If we can heal Kaho‘olawe,” he says, “we can heal anyplace.”

Photo: Noa Kekuewa Lincoln

Derek Mar first came to Kaho‘olawe as a student in Davianna McGregor’s Hawaiian studies class at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa in 1996. McGregor gave her students the choice of writing a long essay, working in the taro patch on campus or going to Kaho‘olawe for a weekend. “That was a no-brainer for me,” Mar laughs, recalling that first visit. “I fell in love with the place.” During one of his trips to the island, Mar met the woman who would become his wife. Planting seeds and working the land brought them closer together. Their relationship grew around their shared passion for restoring Kaho‘olawe’s scarred but still beautiful landscape. Over the last two decades, Mar has worked as a regular volunteer for the PKO and as an

environmental consultant and Native Hawaiian advisor for companies helping with the rehabilitation of the island. As an environmentalist, Mar sees Kaho‘olawe as a symbol of mankind’s destructive ways. But as a Native Hawaiian, Mar believes the island also reflects mankind’s best qualities. He’s amazed by the amount of effort, energy and time that community groups and individuals have given to revive and restore the island. Mar has invested so much sweat equity into Kaho‘olawe that he considers it his home. He lives on O‘ahu and works in a high-rise downtown, but he looks forward to his frequent trips to the uninhabited island. “It’s not just a physical home, but a spiritual home for me,” Mar says. “It’s a place I go back to recharge my batteries, to remind me of what’s important in life.” Mar estimates that he has put almost a million seeds and plants in the ground, most of which have struggled due to the lack of rainwater and fertile soil. How do you maintain and nurture those seeds in the face of such overwhelming odds? “That’s my ongoing mission,” he states. “I think it’s a lifelong adventure. It’s a lifelong kuleana with Kaho‘olawe.” Mar admits that it will take a long time for the island to be fully restored, but he is inspired by visions of how sacred and

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