Green Magazine Hawaii

Home Certification

greenmagazinehawaii.com APR/MAY/JUN 2014

Vol. 6 #2

Green Business Resource Guide

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CONTENTS LIFESTYLE 07 THREADS AND GEMs

Kantha home décor, Super Citizen 08 SUSTAINABLE HOME

The green difference 09 IN THE KNOW

Q&A with Shirley Wagner 10 FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Honolulu Beerworks 11 ENTERTAIN THE BRAIN

Local film festivals 12 ART

21

Caren Loebel-Fried

COMMUNITY 43 GREEN RESOURCE

Hawaii Ecotourism Association, Akamai Pest Solutions 44 STEWARDSHIP

Papahana Kuaola 48 PASSION WITH A PURPOSE

Scientist and musician Casey Turner

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SECTIONS 04 EDITOR’S NOTE 06 BY THE NUMBERS

21 The Power of People

It takes hard work, determination and passion to be a steward of sustainability and an instrument of change

38 Checking All The Boxes

Green certification ensures the highest standards of sustainable building practices and the peace of mind that an energy-efficient home is an investment in healthy living

Creating a cover 14 ENVIRONMENT

Hawaii Invasive Species Council 2014 initiatives 17 EDUCATION

Ulu Garden at Lyon Arboretum 28 GREEN BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDE

A resource for sustainable products and services

COLUMN 45 BUSINESS

Michael Kramer on paying livable wages

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Efficiency First, My Friend “My bucket’s got a hole in it, I can’t buy no beer.”

—Hank Williams, 1949

In preparation for Mike Fairall’s story [“Checking All The Boxes,” page 34] about green certification for homes, Mike and I had a great chat about sustainable building and design practices at his Kailua office.

Mike is so well-versed in sustainable building practices, it’s mindboggling. After an hour of total absorption and a few pages of scribbled notes, his ideas about the relationship between energy efficient and money-saving building practices, a relationship that is unfortunately uncommon in Hawai‘i’s building industry, struck a chord. I realized that I had encountered these same philosophies several years prior when I interviewed John Harrison about his energy-neutral home for the first issue of Green Magazine Hawai‘i (Spring 2009).

The retired coordinator of the University of Hawai‘i at Mãnoa’s Environmental Center and founder of environmental consultant company 3E Advisory Service was giving tours of his ultra-efficient Nu‘uanu Valley home to anyone interested in learning about energy efficiency.

John’s home had it all in regards to sustainable design: passive cooling, solar attic fans, radiant barrier, insulation, energy-efficient appliances, water saving features, storm water management, reused and recycled materials, LED lighting, a solar hot water system and the feather in his hat, a five-kilowatt photovoltaic system with a battery backup. At the time, his home was one of only a handful of truly sustainable homes in Hawai‘i.

John impressed on me one thing in particular, his underlying principal for energy efficient homes. Plug all the holes in your bucket before filling it up, he said, otherwise there will inevitably be leaks.

John was making an analogy to the home being the bucket with energy going into the bucket. The holes are the necessities that require energy, like the hot water heater. Plug the holes, save energy, save money—simple. Common sense.

John suggested to start small when filling the holes, working within a homeowner’s budget to make one upgrade at a time—install solar attic fans, a solar hot water heating system, use natural lighting wherever possible and CFL and LED lighting when necessary and switch to energy-efficient appliances. Only when a home’s energy usage is as low as it can be, only then should the homeowner consider a photovoltaic system. With a smaller energy demand and no energy leaks, a small PV system will suffice to power the home, which in-turn saves the homeowner even more money, both on the size of the system and the energy savings from the utility bill. Voila, the bucket is full and remains so.

As homeowners rush to solar as a blanket solution for energy savings, keep in mind that if you haven’t plugged the holes in your bucket—taken the many other energy saving steps first—then you’ll be installing a much larger solar system (which will cost more money), you’ll still be wasting energy and you’ll be contributing to grid saturation and potentially keeping your neighbor from installing a solar array on their home. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you’re trying to do the right thing, but that’s the reality. Remember, sustainability is synonymous with common sense. Mike summed it up perfectly during our chat, “Efficiency first, renewables second.” —Kevin Whitton

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G R E E N M A G A Z I N EH AWA II.C O M

Published by Element Media, Inc. VOLUME 6 :: NUMBER 2 :: APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2014 Publishers Jamie & Naomi Giambrone Associate Publisher E. S. Adler Managing Editor Kevin Whitton, kevin@elementmediahi.com Staff Writer Alyssa Fukumoto Contributing Writers Mike Fairall, Tiffany Hervey, Michael Kramer, Natalie Schack Art Director Keith Usher Contributing Photographers Dave Miyamoto, Kevin Whitton Sales Executive Brian Lewis Administration Kathy Bell, Patrick Garrett, Sally Shaner Publishers' Assistant Chelsea Tsuchida Intern Kara Jernigan Advertising Inquiries esadler@elementmediahi.com Advisory Board Stuart H. Coleman, Hawaii Coordinator Surfrider Foundation Mike Fairall, Principal RME Mokulua High Performance Builder Alan Hornstein, President Lenox Metals Subscribe and read online at greenmagazinehawaii.com. Contact Element Media at 1088 Bishop Street, Suite 1130, Honolulu, HI 96813; 808.737.8711.

Follow Green at facebook.com/GreenMagazineHawaii and Twitter @greenmaghawaii. Green Magazine Hawai‘i is a quarterly publication available through subscription, direct-mail program 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.

ON THE COVER People are the power of change in the realm of sustainability. Whether working toward a cleaner environment, healthier food or a better society, it takes hard working, courageous and dedicated individuals striving to achieve a better world for the next generation.

Cover Photos: Dave Miyamoto

BY THE NUMBERS

Making The Cover For a single page with one image and a few words, the cover has to be the most planned, poured over and refined page of the entire magazine. It is the face of the issue, the sum of its parts and the all-important first impression. It must tell a story and pique a reader’s interest to keep reading. Take a closer look at why the January/February/March 2014 issue of Green Magazine Hawai‘i was such a

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popular pick-up. —Kevin Whitton

1 5

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with original mural artwork across Kaka‘ako were selected.

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Element Media

staff had a

photos

hand in the conception and creation of the cover.

were taken in three hours. One was selected for the cover and 10 were used in the article.

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LIFESTYLE THREADS AND GEMS

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Fashionable, sustainable and local

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Amerjit Ghag travels to Bengal twice a year in search of beautiful fabrics with a history. The Chai Studio owner peruses the merchandise of now-familiar local vendors, searching for eye-catching fabrics taken from old clothing that she transforms through the Bengali tradition of kantha. Kantha is a stitching process practiced by Bengali women where old garments are embroidered together to form quilts. Amerjit quickly took an interest in the concept as she was conceptualizing ideas for her Ward Centers boutique. Inspired by the diverse array of fabrics and wanting to look at something old with fresh eyes, she took the kantha concept beyond blankets to create Chai Studio’s line of kantha pillows, clothing, handbags and upholstery.

“It’s so naturally stone-washed over the years,” Amerjit says. “It’s kind of like having your favorite baby blanket.” Whether you’re feeling a kantha seat cushion or satchel, it is easy to see that the fabric has been well loved. It’s soft to the touch, mixed and matched with patches of different fabrics and light staining that speak to its years of wear around India. “It’s taking things out of their original element and making something different,” she explains. “We all want to have something different and beautiful, don’t we?”

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Featuring recycled materials and organic cottons whenever possible, owner Sandra Fowler tries to find sustainable and eco-friendly clothes and knickknacks from across the islands. Everything from elegant sundresses and infant onesies to local paintings and repurposed bicycle chain key chains can be found at this stylish boutique. Located at the center of the mall, the new location provides better exposure, regular business and easier access for shoppers.

Supporting local entrepreneurship is important to Fowler. “It helps local businesses to support other local businesses,” she says. “It snowballs. If you buy from me or another local store, then it helps them and what they’re trying to do and supports their passions.”

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LIFESTYLE SUSTAINABLE HOME

Think Before You Buy

Conscious furniture shopping means more value for your money Organics Furniture can be made using natural latex for the foam, organic cotton and linen for the fabric. Just like with food, the fewer chemicals that end up in your furniture end up in you. gas toxic chemicals into your home.

Sustainability One of the things that I like about the current movement toward green thinking is that we’re shifting from mindless mass consumerism to a more conscious understanding of what we buy and its impact on the planet and our lives. What we eat, wear, drive, live in and on can have a deeper meaning and be better for us, with just a bit more thought prior to purchasing.

If you’re trying to create an eco-friendly home, think about incorporating these themes into your life.

Building new furniture from reclaimed woods not only means drier wood less prone to cracking over time, but also offers a sense of history and texture. Using Forest means that the forests are being managed to insure their viability. Using fast replenishing materials such as bamboo or rattan also make a positive difference.

Well-built frames can last a lifetime and classic design makes reupholstery, rather than replacement, a viable option if things are starting to look dated.

Hawai‘i’s isolation means that nothing that arrives here from beyond the neighbor islands can be considered “green,” as that designation gets lost when an item travels more than 500 miles from its point of origin. We need to be mindful about bringing things to the ‘a-ina that have longevity and will avoid a premature curbside big item pickup. —Jeffery Thrun

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LIFESTYLE IN THE KNOW

Answer Me These Questions Three Knowledge from leaders in sustainability Shirley Wagner ASID-NCIDQ Certified, Principal Designer and Owner of Fine Design Interiors 1. How do you incorporate the natural environment of Hawai‘i into your custom designs?

We try to work with our clients to educate them and give them a choice if they want to design a healthy home. We always try to give them choices. I always say that everyone deserves a good design and a healthy environment.

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We purchase as much as we can from local vendors. It is a bit of a

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custom work with local wood workers for our custom furniture pieces.

We also use local cut lava stone, though clients have a choice of using basalt lava from China or local lava pieces. I’d like to work more with local artisans to use recycled materials, possibly for recycled glass countertops. I would also like to work more with the textile industry to use more natural and sustainable dyes to color cloths.

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The Perfect Pour Honolulu Beerworks is Kaka‘ako’s premier craft brew pub A neighborhood can have hip wall art, exciting restaurants, plentiful housing and a convenient location, but it’s not complete without one thing: a no-fuss, no-frills, just-good-beer-and-goodfood neighborhood bar. When Geoff Seideman looked at Kaka‘ako, he saw an up-andcoming area that had this exact

Photos: Dave Miyamoto

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LIFESTYLE FOOD & BEVERAGE

and a lot of elbow grease— Seideman did a lot of the basic contracting work himself—the payoff was well worth the effort.

Honolulu Beerworks is unique in a couple of ways. It’s the only on-island brewery in O‘ahu, says Seideman, set in an open warehouse-like building that matches the rustic-industrial vibe of Kaka‘ako perfectly. Its space, though modest in size, boasts a small outdoor beer garden (complete with decorative growing

the perfect laid back environment to grab some hearty grinds or knock back a couple of reasonably priced pints, brewed on-site in massive tanks just behind the bar. “This is a working brewhouse,” says Seideman. “It’s not a show. You get to smell the malts, the beer and the yeast fermenting. We want people to see and be part of that.”

In fact, Seideman’s vision was pretty simple: a range of good quality homebrewed beers paired with an uncomplicated comfort food dinner menu and a casual deli setup for lunch. “We want people to come here, spend a couple of hours, hang out and relax,” says Seideman, alluding to the open and inviting atmosphere that makes people from all walks of life feel at home. When it comes down to it, Honolulu Beerworks is the type of place Geoff would want to go for a beer and, he says, it’s what Kaka‘ako is missing. Or more appropriately, what Kaka‘ako was missing. —Natalie Schack Honolulu Beerworks 328 Cooke Street honolulubeerworks.com

LIFESTYLE ENTERTAIN YOUR BRAIN

Cultural Showcase Springtime in Hawai‘i means sunshine, tradewinds and international movie showcases across the islands courtesy of major local film festivals. Each year, these events bring professionals and celebrities. Fans converge on these events to celebrate the diversity of

Hawaii International Film Festival - April 4–10, 2014 Started as a project by the University of Hawai‘i’s East-West Center, the 1981 inaugural Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF)

Photo: Rae Huo

Photo: Randy Jay Braun

glamor, creativity and cultural cinematic celebration. —Alyssa Fukumoto

from six different countries.

HIFF has steadily grown in reputation and size throughout the years into an international

script writers, directors, actors and producers to participate in interactive workshops and presentations with industry professionals to accelerate their attendees’ involvement in the hiff.org Maui Film Festival - June 4–8, 2014 The Maui Film Festival (MFF) is a nationally recognized spectacle of talent and star power, where the average movie connoisseur can sit shoulder-to-shoulder with A-list to receiving Hollywood’s elite. Last year’s MFF honored Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain with the prestigious Nova Award for outstanding, versatile onscreen performance and recognized acclaimed young actress Brie Larson with their Rising Star Award.

The Maui Film Festival is, of course, not only intended for Hollywood bigwig recognition. Called "Hawai‘i’s answer to Sundance” by the Los Angeles Times, the show showcases in food, dance and history. mauifilmfestival.com

LIFESTYLE ART

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The Art of Caren Loebel-Fried Protecting the environment with meaningful block prints When protecting native Hawaiian plants and animals, public education is a key component.

Working with the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, award–winning children’s author and artist Caren Loebel-Fried uses her unique skills as a secondgeneration carver to create informational posters and meaningful images for the community. “I think all of our hope for conservation and preservation lies in education, especially with young people,” she says.

“And art might be a way to engage people young and older, those who might otherwise not be interested in conserving wildlife and wild places.”

This year, the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i’s annual wildlife educational poster features a block printing by Loebela young monk seal who lives at the Waikiki Aquarium.

Loebel-Fried set out to capture the engaging and playful nature of that by developing a connection with the artwork, people may feel connected with nature.

“Sometimes it is simply a connection with a picture,” she explains, “wanting to hang it on your wall and look at it through the day that moves us to realize that the picture represents a plant or animal that is in trouble, or an environment that is fragile and needs our help to maintain its viability.”

Loebel-Fried learned block printing techniques from her mother on the New Jersey shore.

Caren’s artwork is now inspired by her love for the ‘aina and explorations of the ancient Hawaiian legends catalogued at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Library. She has made Volcano, Big Island her home for the last 15 years, but still lives part-time in New Jersey with her family. After being involved with the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i for several years, Photo: Tina Aiu

Native Hawaiian Art

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ENVIRONMENT INVASIVE SPECIES

Thorn in the Side

The Hawaii Invasive Species Council protects Hawai‘i against invasive species The Hawaii Invasive Species Council, an interdepartmental collaboration between DLNR, Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, University of Hawai‘i and DBEDT, is leading Hawai‘i’s fight to preserve its unique ecosystem against harmful invasive species. They support statewide programs to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species in Hawai‘i, as well as management and public outreach efforts through policy and funding from the legislature and DLNR. For fiscal year 2014, they are working on a $2.55 million budget, allocated to projects as far reaching as the Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment to using native sea urchins as a biocontrol agent against alien invasive seaweed. “Our priority has been finding a balance between responding to new threats, such as invasive species arriving with Japanese tsunami marine debris or axis deer on Hawai‘i Island, while at the same time supporting the maintenance of core detection and response capacity statewide,” says Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council

By Natalie Schack

(HISC) Coordinator Joshua Atwood.

Twice a year, the council gets together to talk about policy recommendations and to define the state’s position on key environmental issues. Just last year, it adopted a resolution on federal “preemption,” the process by which the federal government regulates what is or is not an actionable pest species in Hawai‘i and what can and cannot be inspected for species of state concern. They also reauthorized the Brown Tree Snake Control and Eradication Act, which placed a line of defense and detection against the introduction of the brown tree snake, famous for decimating bird populations on Guam.

“Hawai‘i is a very unique state,” Atwood continues. “Within the United States, we’re the only one that has this climate, this geographic isolation, this set of species. We believe the state deserves special consideration within federal law because you can’t try to manage Hawai‘i the same way you manage the entire country. Our pests of concern aren’t going to be the same as

ENVIRONMENT INVASIVE SPECIES

Ohio’s pests of concern.”

There are 44 high-profile invasive species recognized by the organization, like the voracious apple snail, the noisy coqui frog and the nursery-grown, fast spreading Australian tree fern. Island Invasive Species Councils, funded by the HISC, act in a standing response capacity if something unexpected arises on their island, but they also target species that are known to be a presence in small and manageable numbers, before they get out of control. These are some of the threats the Hawaii Invasive Species Council will be focusing on this year:

Myconia Calvescens This broad-leafed, fast-growing plant is most recognizable by the vivid purple underside of the leaf.

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Axis Deer They’ve been on Moloka‘i and Maui for years, but they recently gained a footing on the Big Island after someone illegally transported them there. Axis deer present a threat to agriculture and watershed health. Presently, their numbers are small enough to handle, but with their high

Photo: BIISC

ENVIRONMENT INVASIVE SPECIES

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For years the Hawaii Invasive Species Council has been partially funding the Hawaii Ant Lab, based in Hilo and run by Dr. Casper Vanderwoude, the world’s foremost expert on fire ants. First detected on the Big Island in 1999, these teeny pests have flourished and established a presence on O‘ahu, Maui and Kaua‘i, thanks to their ability to move easily on interisland shipments.

To eradicate the ants, teams must arduously search out and destroy the nests.

Ballast Water and Hull Fouling This program is responsible for monitoring ships inadvertently carrying invasive aquatic species and is crucial because over 400 non-indigenous marine and estuarine species have invaded Hawai‘i.

Vessel biofouling and ballast water have been responsible for most of these introductions. The program also assumes responsibility for nonindigenous biofouling arriving from suspected Japan tsunami marine debris.

Photo: NWRC

Fire Ants

Report a Pest Part of the solution is a phone call away When you buy a plant form the nursery, always look for little fire ants, which are much smaller—one-sixteenth of an inch long—than our common tropical fire ants. Learn more about this new pest at littlefireants.com and call 643-PEST, Hawai‘i’s pest hotline, to report a sighting.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle, a large beetle with large larvae, is another new pest on O‘ahu. As their name suggests, they attack coconut palms. If you see palm damage like strange cuttings or boring holes, report that to the pest hotline as well. Dlnr.hawaii.gov/ hisc has detailed information on all invasive pests and council programs.

Photos: Kevin Whitton

GARDENING ULU GARDEN

Ulu Garden

An inspiration for homeowners and landscape industry professionals

By Kevin Whitton From the first ring of it, ‘Ulu Garden is a fitting name you might expect for a cultural garden at one of the many botanical gardens in Hawai‘i. But Ulu Garden at the Lyon Arboretum is quite different. First of all, notice that there is no okina in the word “ulu” at Lyon Arboretum’s Ulu Garden. That’s because the name does not harken to the starchy fruit from the ‘ulu tree. It refers to the Hawaiian word meaning: to grow, protect and inspire.

Gazing out from the quaint and cluttered porch from Lyon Arboretum’s Micropropagation Lab, program director Nellie Sugii envisioned something beneficial from the tangle of tropical foliage that surrounded the small, weathered cottage. She pictured an educational garden highlighting sustainable landscape practices.

Inspired by the thought, she applied for a grant and after being awarded funds for her project, hired sustainable landscape architect firm Ki Concepts to compile the hardscape drawings.

Nellie also hired Bernice Fielding, an arborist and sustainable horticulture

and landscape designer, as the project manager. Once the plans for the demonstration garden were set in stone and most of the tropical foliage was removed, Bernice, with a few hardy hands for help, was ready to start creating and planting.

Ulu Garden was created to inspire people to connect with and protect the ‘a-ina through sustainable, meaningful and environmentally-friendly gardening practices. It highlights several important aspects of sustainable urban gardening for people to emulate. It demonstrates stormwater management, using native Hawaiian plants, planting edible, medicinal and lei plants, as well as reusing materials and finding creative ways to build a garden with common materials.

“Ulu Garden is planted with plants in multiple layers to fight out weeds,” explains Bernice Fielding, now with Ki Concepts as their director of project and design services. “We mulched all beds to begin with and then let them go. We do not use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. When you plant

GREENMAGAZ INE HAWAII.COM

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GARDENING ULU GARDEN

the right plant in the right place, you shouldn’t have to irrigate or fertilize.”

One of the most important aspects of Ulu Garden is the bioswale, a shallow trench that captures stormwater runoff and directs it purposefully through the garden to avoid erosion, emptying into a two-tiered rain garden where it can naturally seep into the earth. To 18

G R E E N M A G A ZIN EH AWA II.C O M

mitigate the rapid rush of stormwater that comes from jeep trail and the upper parking lot, natural gutters were cut from the side of the road in front of the Micropropagation Lab and turned down the embankment into the garden to direct the runoff. The walls of the trench were stabilized with reclaimed Filtrexx, a bioremediation product filled with mulch. Covered in ferns and groundcover plants, the bioswale blends seamlessly into the surrounding foliage of all sizes, colors and textures.

The garden is planted in sections, which surround and envelope the lab.

Near the road is the ‘o-hi‘a garden, where lichen-covered ‘o-hi‘a lehua trees reach for the sun, surrounded by native plants like hibiscus, gardenia, o-lulu, naupaka, ferns and groundcovers. The trail bends through the lei garden, with flowering plants culturally significant for lei making, and into the medicinal garden. The medicinal garden is planted in the Huglekultur style, a type of

permaculture where green waste and wood is backfilled into ditches and the soil is mounded over the puzzle of debris. The plants are planted into the mounds. As the debris breaks down, it creates a natural fertilizer and holds moisture to mitigate the need for irrigation. The medicinal plants reflect the cultural diversity of Hawai‘i, featuring native Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese and European plants.

The path pushes on to the edible garden. Terraces were created from corrugated metal found on site and with old tires diverted from the landfill.

Cinder blocks are home to herbs that prefer dry places, while the terraces are filled with a hodgepodge of fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, papaya, beans, peppers and eggplant. The food harvested is donated to the Hawaii Food Bank. Bernice even found a way to hide an industrial generator that inhabits the edible garden. She placed filter cloth pockets in the open spaces of used

GARDENING ULU GARDEN

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wooden pallets to build movable, living walls of herbs.

A small bridge leads to the rain garden, one of the most important aspects of the garden. The rain garden is planted with a fleshy native Hawaiian groundcover called bacopa and features hapu‘u ferns and several varieties of taro, even a few endangered and rare varieties.

“In sustainability, Hawai‘i is far behind the mainland and the mainland is far behind Europe,” professes Fielding.

She believes that Ulu Garden is not only a tool for home gardeners, but also a great demonstration garden for landscape designers and architects, so that they can learn and utilize new sustainable techniques.

Education is also a key aspect of the garden. In addition to the children that tour the garden on school field trips to Lyon Arboretum, Ulu Garden is a place of community outreach, with curriculum designed for both homeowners and landscaping industry professionals. Classes feature instruction in the techniques found throughout the garden, like rain gardens, green walls, container planting and bioswales. Hopefully, Ulu Garden will not only inspire home owners to think differently about their backyards, but will create a stir in the landscaping industry.

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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FEATURE 5 LEADERS

It takes hard work, determination and passion to be a steward of sustainability and an instrument of change

By Tiffany Hervey

THE POWER OF PEOPLE

I

With visions of solar panels and wind turbines dancing in our heads, it’s easy to overlook some of the unsung heroes of renewable energy, recycling and environmental protection.

Environmental stewardship is about responsibility, accountability and planning. It comes in many different forms. While what they do may not be sexy or simple, the stewards profiled here are critical players in the protection and progress of Hawai‘i’s sustainability.

Photo: Kevin Whitton

t is a strange truth that, as biologist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner E.O. Wilson once said: “If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” For those who get the big picture, there is a need to do something, to somehow be a cog in the machine working toward an equilibrium while we are here in hopes that the planet does not have to rid itself of humanity to restore its health. Perhaps we can be as useful as those insects we often consider pests. We, the humans, are temporary and have to earn our keep.

What happens when a 500-pound engine no longer works and becomes trash? Or what happens when a large building gets demolished? A landfill is usually the next stop. Lenox Metals, LLC recycles commercial and industrial scrap metals such as copper, aluminum-based electrical wire, plumber’s brass, power and telecommunications equipment, electrical motors, pumps, valves, structural I-beams, plate and pipe, as well as other miscellaneous steel and scrap metals. Lenox has been recognized as a leader in Hawai‘i’s recycling market by developing creative solutions to disposing of large, often toxic items, diverted from landfills to domestic and international recycling markets.

“This has allowed our customers to not only save money on disposal fees but also receive a rebate that can be used to help support their operations,” explains President and COO of Lenox Metals, Alan Hornstein. His genuine concern for the planet combines more than 35 years of implementing customized recycling programs for a range of clients. Alan is innovative in finding safe, efficient and environmentally sound solutions to processing and recycling of commercial and industrial scrap metal. “This is all done as part of our goal to reduce the volume of material our customers send to landfills,” he says. One man’s trash really is another’s treasure. By using state-of-the-art technology to break down large items, Alan has been successful in finding outlets around the world that can reuse these metals.

“The most disturbing thing I’ve seen in this line of work is the failure of companies and institutions to conduct proper due diligence when selecting a metals recycling company to work with,” Alan says, shaking his head. “It still shocks me to learn of the unpermitted, rogue ‘recycling’ operations that are It's one thing to recycle bottles and cans, but Alan Hornstein has made a career of recycling commercial and industrial scrap metals, keeping recyclable materials out of the landfill.

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Photo: Kevin Whitton

Big Stuff

THE POWER OF PEOPLE Bob and Kelly King, owners of Pacific Biodiesel, are educating farmers about the benefits of rotating their fields with nitrogen-fixing crops like sunflower and safflower that can be harversted and processed into biodiesel and add nutrients back into the soil.

“The wonderful thing about biofuel is it supports small business and local jobs.”

Photo: Pacific Biodiesel

Shaking Hands

in business.” Alan encourages everyone to participate in the curbside recycling effort throughout O‘ahu and the state.

He concludes, “All residents and commercial companies have that right and opportunity to participate at some level.”

Photo: Kevin Whitton

Green Machines In 1996, Bob and Kelly King began recycling used vegetable and animal oil into biofuel (sustainable and renewable diesel fuel) on Maui. There had been pollution runoff issues and many fires at the local landfill because oil waste was not being properly disposed. Their company, Pacific Biodiesel, grew steadily as they continued to pick up waste cooking oil by the tons daily. They now have affiliates and clients across the country, designing and building 13 plants total. From one employee in 1996, they now offer local jobs for 70 employees.

“We solved a lot of problems when we first started doing this because it kept the oil out of the landfills and provided locally-made fuel,” Kelly recalls. “Maui County actually made it illegal to dump liquid oil into the landfills as a result.

We have customers that have been off of petroleum for 14 years, which means that they have been supporting local economy instead of depending on foreign oil imports.”

An exciting innovation is on the rise

for Pacific Biodiesel. They have been harnessing quick growing crops—100 days from seed to harvest—like sunflower and safflower to make biofuel oil. “This means, if something happened and we were left without fuel coming into our ports, we can have fuel in 100 days,” Kelly explains. They recently built a small crushing mill on the Big Island for agricultural waste and found that 75 percent of macadamia nuts never make it to market. “So we can take mac nuts, crush them and use the oil for fuel.

The byproduct is meal for the livestock industry.”

When biodiesel is created and used with a community-based model such as the King’s, 90 cents of every dollar made stays in the local economy. “I’m hoping the state will create a mandate for biodiesel, requiring a certain portion of the transportation sector to have to be biodiesel, because this sector is really lagging in meeting the state’s clean energy initiatives.” According to the United States Department of Energy, five million gallons of biodiesel can fuel 100 million miles of transportation.

In addition, municipalities can save million in landfill costs and diesel fuel expense with one biodiesel refinery.

“The wonderful thing about biofuel is it supports small business and local jobs,” Kelly says. “It’s truly sustainable—the perfect model of green economy.”

As senior manager for the Energy Excelerator, a program of the non-profit organization Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, Dawn Lippert helps companies reach the market and achieve scale faster than they could have on their own (like connecting entrepreneurs to people who can help them efficiently achieve their goals). She does this through targeted funding and strategic relationships to customers, investors and other partners, which means she supports innovation projects and works at the policy level to support Hawai‘i’s clean energy goals. In short, Dawn is key to leveling the playing field for innovation so that renewable energy solutions can come to market efficiently.

“Environmental issues affect real people in real places and often those that are most affected by pollution or climate change or oil drilling are those that do not have much of a voice or a vote,” explains Lippert. “Therefore, I think it is incumbent upon those of us who use energy and resources to know where those resources come from and try to use them responsibly. For clean energy in particular, the issue in Hawai‘i is really simple. We bring in tankers full of oil and essentially send them out full of money.

The other option is to make our energy here locally—developing resources as responsibly as possible for the energy we need—and keep dollars recirculating in the local economy.”

The Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative’s goal is for Hawai‘i to be 70 percent clean energy by 2030. In order to get there, Dawn asserts, new technologies and business models are needed, especially in order to integrate intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind, whose rapid rate of growth has been creating problems for the electricity grids and utilities.

GREENMAGAZ INE HAWAII.COM

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“We want many new technologies and companies to be invented here in Hawai‘i, to be homegrown,” the Yale University graduate says. “In order to do this, we believe that we need to connect local companies to sources of capital and talent from all around the U.S. and the Asia Pacific, since high growth companies need to be able to scale beyond Hawai‘i to ultimately be successful.” Dawn believes that the world’s environmental and energy problems can largely be solved by creative, impact-driven entrepreneurship. “The future is ours to claim and we all have a role in building the future we want to see,” she says. “I enjoy working with people to feel empowered to create the future.”

Dirty Jobs While Mary Lacques grew up in an outdoorsy family of ranchers and farmers and always recognized herself as a part of, not separate from, nature, when she began working at Patagonia, she drank the proverbial Kool-Aid and became a bona fide environmentalist. At Patagonia, Mary became involved in numerous issues in the California Bay Area, Santa Cruz specifically. It was there that she was trained, nurtured and encouraged to organize events that brought public awareness to myriad issues dealing with land and water, agroecological practices and pesticide issues. “We had a grants budget and it was very gratifying to be able to fund small grassroots groups just getting off the ground, which was usually some sort of a David vs. Goliath struggle,” she recalls.

Surfing brought Mary to Hawai‘i in 2001 and she never left. Now, as the Hawai‘i SEED secretary and board member, Mary organizes people and spreadings awareness for agricultural and food security issues. “In Hawai‘i, so many of us are not from here,” she says, “yet we bring our values and connection to the natural world, our personal ‘indigene,’ which helps to support a sense of a common kuleana to perpetuate and promote common sense land and water use issues.” Recently, Mary 24

G R E E N M A G A Z IN EH AWA II.C O M

Photo: Dan Johnson

THE POWER OF PEOPLE

organized the 2013 Raise Awareness Inspire Change Vandana Shiva events on O‘ahu, contributed to the second edition of Hawai‘i SEED’s educational booklet Facing Hawai‘i’s Future, organized the Waianae and Hale‘iwa film premieres of Islands at Risk, facilitated a partnership with ‘ lelo Community Media, organized GMO Week and continues to promote and plan numerous educational events around O‘ahu that connect and galvanize communities to become more involved in Hawai‘i’s agricultural issues.

“I never hear much talk about how unnatural and destructive conventional farming is to the natural world,” Mary relates. “It is our kuleana to grow food in as least a disruptive manner as humanly possible, adopting agroecological practices to retain topsoil and clean water—since everything eventually ends up on our near-shore reefs. Modern industrial agriculture, which includes conventional use of pesticides on largescale monocropping and GMO practices, is polluting the water and destroying the soil.”

Power Tools Denise Antolini always asked three questions of her clients when litigating: What do you want? What leverage do you have? What will you settle for? She now asks those questions of the community groups she works with when they are contending with issues of controversial

Everyone needs a helping hand and Dawn Lippert is helping start-ups focused on Hawai‘i's energy independence.

land development and environmental protection. “Knowing how to use the law gives you power,” she explains. “Making change is a combination of the law and the street—people power. The tool of law is how you get a seat at the table with the big guys—you have to have leverage.”

Denise is a founding and current member of the North Shore Community Land Trust, the Save Waimea Valley Coalition and Mālama o Pūpūkea-Waimea (President, 2005-present). Each of these organizations work for conservation and public education for critical ecosystems on O‘ahu’s North Shore. The groups have also been successful in halting land developers from building golf courses, strip malls and expensive subdivisions time and again.

Denise came to Hawai‘i as a full-time litigator for the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now EarthJustice), serving as managing attorney of the Honolulu office from 1994 to 1996. There, she litigated several major citizen suit environmental cases involving coastal pollution, water rights, endangered species, environmental impact statements and native Hawaiian rights. She was lead counsel on the legal team for the Windward parties in the early stages of the Waia-hole water case. When Denise had her first son, she transitioned from full-time litigation to teaching environmental law at the University of

THE POWER OF PEOPLE

Photo: Lynne Egensteiner

Hawai‘i’s William S. Richardson School of Law as a way to juggle her passion with the role of motherhood. From 1996 on, Denise has been at the law school, for many years as a professor of law and is now the associate dean for academic affairs.

“Much of what I do these days is behind the scenes,” she smiles.

“I’m kind of a quiet connector and legal From beautiful North Shore beaches to the advisor to community wooded Pu-pu-kea bluff, Denise Antolini is groups, advising and not afraid to use the power of the law to conserve and protect natural spaces. assisting on issues like legislation or negotiations with landowners.” Denise’s legal toolbox allows her to write grants that fund community organizations to make moves.

For example, Denise wrote a grant that funded Mālama o PūpūkeaWaimea to create (and soon erect) a series of educational signs that will explain the marine protected area that stretches from Waimea Bay to Sharks Cove. The signs were designed with NOAA with specific, place-based information on the critters, cultural stories and importance of conserving the unique ecosystems at Sharks Cove, Three Tables and Waimea Bay. “I tried the big, fancy legislative approach, drafting up perfect bills, and it didn’t often work,” Denise reflects. “I recommend the community approach, where we all get together, decide what we want, what’s our leverage, what can we compromise on and then go out and get it with the power of the people, using our tools of law.”

Photo: Peter Gommers

A veteran of mobilizing people for environmental causes, Mary Lacques is now focused on sustainable agriculture practices in Hawai‘i.

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A Legacy in the Making Merrie Monarch partners with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods and KFVE to replant native koa forests

Traditional Hawaiian culture is rooted in the act of respecting the ‘aina. Practicing ahupua‘a land management, the native Hawaiian people lived with nature, not in opposition to it.

Through an exciting new collaboration, this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival will support sustainability in accordance with Hawaiian tradition. Merrie Monarch is working with KFVE and Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods (HLH) to create an annual tradition called the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

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“The hula community is very cognizant of the fact that if we don’t take care of the ‘aina, the ‘aina cannot help them; because it will be depleted of all that is sacred to them as a hula dancer,” explains Luana Kawelu, president of The Merrie Monarch Festival, who is known lovingly as Auntie Luana by most. “The adornments—the flowers and the greens—they are very important in hula. If we don’t take care of it, it will all be gone.”

HLH has donated 1,000 acres of Big Island land on the slopes of Mauna Kea for the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

Within this land lies the Merrie Monarch Legacy Forest, which was created in 2013 to honor the 50th anniversary of The Merrie Monarch Festival. This year, 23 halau are expected to perform in the week-long ho‘olaule‘a (celebration) of Hawaiian culture; each halau may have up to 35 performers, including chanters and dancers. For each performer, KFVE will plant a Legacy Tree, a tree planted to honor the spirit of another person. Last year, 555 koa trees were dedicated by KFVE. The partnership was inspired to honor the dancers and to give back to the land.

“KFVE is really pleased to be involved. It almost gives you chicken skin when you think about putting something back in the ground and growing roots and becoming a part of the Hawaiian Islands,” says John Fink, general manager of KFVE, The Home Team. “It’s always been our goal to be an integral part of the media landscape in Hawai‘i and here we are, able to help out with this wonderful cultural legacy that is Merrie Monarch.

We are doing more than just televising it every year, we are actually planting something for the future, which we think is unique and hopefully people will see it as a gift.”

The area that is now the Merrie Monarch Legacy Forest was once the personal property of King Kamehameha the Great, the first king of Hawai‘i.

The remaining old-growth koa trees that still remain on the property are used as a seed source to replant the forest. Koa trees are a revered native species endemic to Hawai‘i.

Once reserved only for ali‘i, nearly 90 percent of the original koa forests were cut down after western settlement in the islands. The replanting of these native trees will help to restore the ecosystem to what it once was.

“These trees belong to all generation and with your help, we can save Hawai‘i’s forests, one tree at a time,” says Jeff

Dunster, CEO of HLH. “Through the efforts of KFVE, The Merrie Monarch Festival and other caring individuals, these incredible trees are making a comeback.”

The Legacy Trees will be marked with new radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, making it easy to identify and digitally track their growth. This allows people to check up on their tree online as well as visit it in person. The trees have already begun to provide homes for native birds. In other areas of their plantation, HLH is also planting a variety of endangered endemic flora including ‘ohi‘a and Hawaiian sandalwood. Auntie Luana plans to plant the first sandalwood tree in the Merrie Monarch Legacy Forest to honor her mother, who was the founder of The Merrie Monarch Festival. As more of Hawai‘i’s ‘aina is being develop, it is becoming harder to find the traditional ferns and flowers used for hula costumes. To overcome this issue, the Reforestation Initiative is working with the halau to plant the native ferns, such as palapalai, and flowers they need to create their hula outfits in the Merrie Monarch Legacy Forest.

“It all seems to relate to giving back to the ‘aina,” says John. “We really think it is what Merrie Monarch is about—perpetuating local culture and providing inspiration for future generations.”

To learn more or to sponsor your own Legacy Tree visit www.LegacyTrees.org.

GREEN BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDE

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LEEDing the Way Off-The-Grid with Green Sand Architecture + Sustainability Clients who are looking to build a beautiful home that is truly functional art turn to Green Sand’s architectural services. Green Sand incorporates strategies that tread more lightly on the earth, like natural ventilation and wind control, daylight harvesting, natural materials, local materials, overall healthier indoor environments and LEED certification.

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Green Sand’s business model is to provide all clients with individual principal level attention. Each project begins with detailed client interviews and site analysis. The site is studied in detail to determine available natural resources to harvest, use and control.

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Industrial Recycling Industry leader Lenox Metals keeps excess commercial waste out of Hawai‘i’s landfills Lenox Metals has been helping protect Hawai‘i’s environment for the last twenty-five years by providing turnkey metal recycling services to our customers and minimizing waste sent to landfills.

Our mission is to create value for our customers and employees through our scrap metal recycling operations. We strive to fulfill this mission by providing quality recycling services with integrity, innovation and safe operating practices.

We buy and sell in the current scrap market to provide the best return for our customers. Lenox sets itself apart from its competition by consistently creating comprehensive and innovative recycling programs to our suppliers and vendors. This allows for a greater percentage of recyclable material and less waste directed to landfills.

As one of Hawai‘i’s original “Green” companies, Lenox has endeavored to increase awareness of recycling issues and the public’s responsibility to help address those issues. We are active participants in public recycling programs as well as industry forums.

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Audi TDI Clean Diesel Getting more from less Audi TDI racecars have dominated 24 Hours of Le Mans, a prestigious performance and endurance race, 13 times in 14 years.

A hallmark of power and fuel efficiency, Audi has brought that same TDI clean diesel technology, with all the torque response of true Audi performance, to an innovative lineup of luxury-class vehicles. Audi pioneered TDI clean diesel engines deliver more torque, lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions compared to equivalent gasoline engines. They are the performance-oriented leader for fuelefficient vehicles.

With the TDI clean diesel, Audi is pioneering the way for the vehicles and fuels of tomorrow. Diesel sports a greater power density than traditional gasoline, which means that a gallon of diesel fuel has about 15 percent more energy than a comparable amount of gas. By combining a high compression ratio with direct injection in the TDI engine, combustion is more efficient and produces cleaner emissions.

Match that with Audi’s after-exhaust treatment—innovative diesel particulate filters and the nontoxic AdBlue reducing agent—and carbon dioxide is reduced by 12 percent. Up to 95 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions are eliminated, as well.

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Cartridge Refill Don’t toss those ink and toner cartridges in the trash, refill and reuse them with Cartridge World Hawaii Ink and toner cartridges aren’t items one spends much time thinking about. Out of sight and out of mind until the dreaded “out of toner” message appears when you have to print that important

document. Ink and toner cartridges are something we should pay a bit of attention to though. They require about one gallon of oil each and are made so well, they last 500 years in the landfill. North America alone places 350 million cartridges in landfills every year!

Most of the major components in a cartridge can last three to four times longer than the amount of ink or toner present, so there is no need to insist on using a cartridge only once. The technology exists to recondition cartridges so they perform the same as new cartridges.

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Hawaii, says, “There is isHolt, a misconception about Essentially, a misconception about Essentially, they are they are not copies or reconditioned compatibles, cartridges. they are the original branded not copies or compatibles, they are the original branded cartridges, cartridges, just reconditioned, the same as most manufacturers do just reconditioned, the same as most manufacturers do themselves themselves already.” already.”

At Cartridge World, we are keeping cartridges out of the landfill, At Cartridge World, we are keeping cartridges out of the landfill, reconditioning them, guaranteeing them 100 percent and delivering reconditioning them, guaranteeing them 100 percent and delivering them for free to business customers. The best part is, we charge less them for free to business customers. The best part is, we charge less than the manufacturers do. I like to say we are giving away bags of than the manufacturers do. I like to say we are giving away bags of money. Just call us with your list of printers and we’ll let you know money. Just call us with your list of printers and we’ll let you know how much you can save. how much you can save.

The The Green Green Build Build Making MakingBuildings BuildingsPerform PerformBetter Better Allana AllanaBuick Buick&&Bers Bers(ABBAE) (ABBAE) isis aa leading leading Architectural architectural Engineering firm specializing in making buildings perform better by engineering firm specializing in making buildings perform making them energy efficient and longer lasting with lower better by making them energy efficient and longer lasting operatwith ing cost. lower operating cost. For over 27 years, ABBAE has provided For over 27 assessment, years, ABBAE has provided investigation, assessinvestigation, design, engineering, construction ment, design, engineering, construction administration and administration and monitoring services based on real world monitoring services based on our realbuilding world experience gained from experience gained from forensics background to our building forensics background to support repairs, rehabilitation, support repairs, rehabilitation, new construction projects and

new construction projects, and construction litigation cases.

ABBAE has worked on several hundred projects in its ten year history here in Hawai’i and 3,400 project companywide. Our services include: Roofingcases.

Systems, Exterior Walls including Stucco, construction litigation Siding, Storefronts, Windows andhundred Doors, projects and Curtain ABBAE has worked on several in itsWall, 10- Waterproofing Systems (Above and Below-Grade), Podium Construcyear history in Hawai‘i and 3,400 projects companywide. tion,services Decks, include Balconies Lanai, Mechanical Optimization Our roofiand ng systems, exterior walls including and Energy Efficiency, Renewable and Alternative Energy, Plumbing, stucco, siding, storefronts, windows and doors, curtain wall, roof drainage systems and storm drains Structural and waterproofing systems (above and below grade), podium Seismic Upgrades. decks, balconies and lanai, mechanical construction, In support ofenergy our building envelope services alternate en optimization and efficiency, renewable andand alternative

Launched in 1988, Lenox Metals, LLC has worked to provide Hawai‘i with practical and cost effective "green" solutions at competitive prices. Our company's skilled workforce assists our customers in maximizing their recycling rebates through our turnkey customized recycling programs.

We believe that providing environmentallysound recycling practices helps keep our fragile island environment pollution free.

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PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING

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This is so next century.

This is Truth in Engineering.

With 30% better fuel economy than gas and 15% more energy in every drop of fuel, Audi TDI® clean diesel is not only powerful but also more efficient.* So as the world embraces diesel, it’s no surprise that Audi is once again leading the way with the A8, A7, A6, Q7 and Q5 models. Make the intelligent choice with Audi TDI® clean diesel.

Learn more at audiusa.com/tdi

Audi Hawaii 2770 Waiwai Loop, Honolulu HI 96819 808-447-8998 audihawaii.com *Based on comparison to comparable gasoline engines and drop of gasoline. See www.fueleconomy.gov for EPA estimates. Your mileage will vary and depends on several factors including your driving habits and vehicle condition. “Audi,” “Truth in Engineering,” all model names, and the four rings logo are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “TDI” is a registered trademark of Volkswagen AG. ©2013 Audi of America, Inc.

GREEN BUSINESS RESOURCE GUIDE ergy, ABBAE is staffed with licensed civil, structural, mechanical engineers, architects, registered roof and waterproofing consultants, accredited energy professionals, and LEED certified professionals.

ABBAE’S goal in reducing energy consumption in buildings while making them long lasting not only serves our clients’ needs, but also makes the world we live in a better place.” says Karim Allana, CEO.

to drop by one of their two O‘ahu locations to checkout their beautiful handcrafted pens. Simply Wood Studios can be found at 932 Kapahulu Avenue across from Leaonard’s Bakery or at the ground floor in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.

O‘ahu’s LED Solution Hawaii Energy Efficiency, LLC offers continual savings with LED lighting

Creating Timeless Beauty A modern writing instrument with Hawaiian beauty Aaron Lau of Lau Lau Woodworks has created some of the finest writing instruments in Hawai‘i since 2002. Inlaying local reclaimed Hawaiian koa wood with other unique materials, the pens of Lau Lau Woodworks reflect the beauty and originality of each owner. Lau Lau Woodworks has succeeded in pioneering a way to not only protect its pens from harmful UV rays, but to give their pens added luxury and personality. Aaron fuses koa wood with materials such as surfboard resins, recycled seed husks, coral, roasted Kona coffee, reconstituted stone and so much more! This means you are not only getting a custom writing instrument, but you are getting a writing instrument that reflects a person’s unique personality.

A lot of care and attention to detail go into Aaron’s pens. All of Aaron’s pens feature an exclusive “Executive” finish. This unique finishing process not only protects your pens from most chemicals and the sun’s harmful UV rays, but gives your pen that unique shine that Aaron’s pens are famous for. All of Lau’s pens come in a variety of sizes and prices, from the simple yet compact Basic Ultra Slim ($40) to the elegant Designer Havana Fountain Pen ($194).

While Aaron is gifted in creating unique pens, his wife Jill manages Simply Wood Studios, the direct retailer for her husband’s pens, also showcasing other Hawai‘i artists. Lau Lau Woodworks creates stylish, re-fill-able, exceptional pieces of art. Aaron and his family invite you 36

G R E E N M A G A Z IN EH AWA II.C O M

When we look at the rising costs of electricity, it is important to consider the technologies that can reduce our consumption while maintaining business as usual. Converting to LED lighting is perhaps the easiest way to reduce consumption and costs from 45 to 80 percent by simply changing your lamps.

Hawaii Energy Efficiency, LLC is a locally owned and operated LED lighting retrofit service provider offering advanced and economical LED lighting solutions for residential and business-specific applications.

Commercial properties, industrial facilities, small and mid-sized businesses will all benefit for many years from LED lighting as energy saving capital investment. LED fixtures are easily installed, while retrofit-kits are also a customized solution that utilize existing fixtures.

LED lighting eliminates routine maintenance with “lamp-life” performance-testing results at 50,000 to 100,000 hours. And there are no harmful mercury or ultra-violet while minimal heat levels reduce HVAC costs. Replace 400 watt warehouse or parking lot fixture with a 100 watt LED lamp (24hr duty = 10 month return; 12hr duty = 18 month return). Replace 32 watt fluorescent tubes with 18 watt LED lamps (24hr duty = 13 month return; 12hr duty = 24 month return).

All before rebates.

LED technology is the future in lighting and energy reduction.

Keeping with the latest market innovations, Hawaii Energy Efficiency, LLC sources and provides the most reliable LED products at key opening price points. The cost of continuing to overpay the highest electrical rates in the country is staggering. How long will you continue to do so? Call Hawaii Energy Efficiency, LLC for a free consultation to learn of the savings LED lighting and Hawaii Energy Efficiency, LLC provide.

Green Resource Directory ALLANA BUICK & BERS

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AUDI HAWAII

GREEN SAND ARCHITECTURE + SUSTAINABILITY

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2770 Waiwai Lp., Honolulu, HI 96819 808.447.8998 audihawaii.com

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91 Coelho Way, Honolulu, HI 96817 877.707.8733 hlh.co Archipelago

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Eggs’n Things

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Hawaii Ecotourism Association 808.235.5431 hawaiiecotourism.org

Hawaii Gas

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Herbologie Studio 318 Kamani St. herbologiestudio.com

Ho‘ala Salon & Spa 808.947.6141 hoalasalonspa.com

Hui Ku Maoli Ola, LLC

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Inspiration HDS

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Island Cooling

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91-185 Kalaeloa Blvd., Kapolei, HI 96707 808.682.5539 lenoxmetals.com Jamba Juice

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Kapa Hawaii kapahawaii.net

Lenox Metals

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Martin & MacArthur

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Mokulua HPB

808.263.9663 mokuluahpb.com

North Shore Soap Factory 808.637.8400 northshoresoapfactory.com

OceanHead Solar & Electric 808.735.5745 oceanheadsolar.com

Pacific Environmental Solutions 808.848.0513

Pacific Expositions Inc 808.945.3594 pacificexpos.com

Pacific Home

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Primavera Aquaponics LLC 808.489.1204 primavera-aquaponics.biz

Salty Wahine

808.442.1230 Saltywahine.com

Servco Auto Honolulu 808.564.1100 ToyotaHawaii.com

Still and Moving Center 808.397.7678 stillandmovingcenter.com

Sunetric

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The Bike Shop

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The Royal Hawaiian 808.923.7311 royal-hawaiian.com

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CERTIFICATION FOR HOMES

Checking all the Boxes Green certification ensures the highest standards of sustainable building practices and the peace of mind that an energy-efficient home is an investment in healthy living

Photos: Kevin Whitton

BY MIKE FAIRALL

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CERTIFICATION FOR HOMES

Building or remodeling a home is a daunting task. No matter the size or scope of the job, there are options for homeowners looking to maximize the dollar value of the project while ensuring the outcome exceeds standard quality measures. Green certification is a form of guarantee that provides third-party oversight during and upon completion of construction, focusing on various aspects of the project that are at the heart of quality management and have been the central guide for construction of the most precious institutions, like schools, hospitals and child-care centers, as well as homes.

Enhancing the environmental health of homes and buildings through managing indoor air quality, increasing water and energy efficiency and using recycled materials are standard methods for sustainable building. But the highest marks in green building come from managing the project from a perspective of sustainability: limiting waste, incorporating design measures that utilize natural light and ventilation and, most importantly, educating those involved on the importance of why these approaches are being taken.

While this may seem like an overwhelming task and another “to do” on the mounting list of things to consider when building or remodeling a home, it really eliminates a lot of the unknowns for homeowners embarking on their journey.

Simply put, green building certification programs—Energy Star, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and National Green Building Standard (NGBS)—have redefined the role of quality assurance. They incorporate all that is important in the construction of a home and organize it in a checklist format for the homeowner to understand. Better still, homeowners can rest assured in the validity of the work through the advocacy of a thirdparty inspector who walks the walk when it comes to green building. These programs have gained considerable momentum as new and long-time homeowners are realizing that certification is not only part of the green movement, but that it also provides an additional layer of quality assurance that has no price tag.

The initial concern of most homeowners is the cost of green certification. The typical certification process usually incorporates

LEED or NGBS certification with Energy Star certification and can run anywhere from $500 to $5,000, depending on how in-depth the homeowner and project team wish to be with the certifications.

Energy Star certification, which can be performed without the other programs, focuses primarily on energy efficiency and durability measures relating to the home’s performance as a machine (think about all the various components like the appliances, lights, outlets, bath fans, washing machines and air conditioners operating together).

LEED and NGBS certifications incorporate Energy Star certification and further focus on aspects of innovation and design, sustainability, site management, materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor air quality and education.

In order to build or remodel, design and engineering plans are also required (at least to be successful in the endeavor).

These figuratively cost around five percent of the construction budget and are drawn by an architect, designer or engineer. Most often, the end result is usually a bunch of rolled papers known as construction documents, which are plans, drawings and specifications of what is supposed to be incorporated into the home. Even though the architect and engineer will follow up with inspections to ensure what was designed is actually built, the reality, however, is the majority of ownership for quality control throughout the project falls on the homeowner, who most times transfers that responsibility to the builder.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily, especially when certification is employed to ensure the home is being built not only to spec, but also above code to assure high

GREENMAGAZ INE HAWAII.COM

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CERTIFICATION FOR HOMES

performance, quality workmanship and longevity of the large-scale investment.

It’s the price tag for peace of mind.

So far we’ve seen costs associated with certification, but what is the value of certification for the homeowner?

Bragging rights? A photo feature in a magazine? Green certification promotes built-in project management, involving the entire project team that designs, engineers, specs and builds the home. This orchestra is moderated by a neutral, third-party inspector/ consultant tasked solely to facilitate a common understanding that outlines the expectations of the project so all parties are on the same page and shooting for the best possible outcome, ensuring quality assurance. Green certification achieves a far more sustainable, efficient, healthy and happy home.

What are the options when it comes to certification? That, of course, depends on the project, the contractor and their willingness to participate in such certifications that require a third-party review of the project. The conventional first step is to get a basic understanding of Energy Star, because energy efficiency is the foundation that LEED and NGBS are built on. Working with an Energy Star Builder is a great way to know the contractor has been through the process

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before. While neither LEED nor NGBS certification programs mandate Energy Star certification as a requirement for their own certification criteria, the components of energy efficiency within Energy Star must be met in order to achieve LEED or NGBS certification.

Next, consider what components of LEED or NGBS might appeal to the project and if there are certain upgrades that make sense to include. Between the various certification programs the themes are pretty consistent: location and lot design, energy efficiency, water conservation, resource efficiency, innovative practices, indoor air quality and occupant education. Within each, various credits outline mandatory requirements and optional point measures that add up to determine the level of certification the project intends to achieve, ranging from Bronze or Certified all the way up to Platinum or Emerald.

The United States Green Building Council oversees LEED, which has been the most popular certification program to date for individual homeowners.

LEED has a number of certification programs, each pertaining to a type of building project. All residential projects fall under LEED for Homes, which is the only LEED certification program that requires a third-party inspector,

called a Green Rater. Green Raters are highly trained and required to have a background in green building. They must pass a certification course and go through a mentorship period with a national provider to ensure competency.

The National Green Building Standard, which is managed by the Home Innovation Research Lab, a partner of the National Association of Home Builders, is dedicated to residential construction.

Developed by a contingent of builders, this program is gaining a great deal of momentum as an alternative for builders wishing to pursue green certification with more flexibility. Coinciding with the International Building Code and prompting local municipalities to adopt versions of this code, it follows the same themes as LEED, but is distinctive by requiring only the builder to be involved in the process. While homeowners can request to pursue the NGBS program, their involvement is limited. A Certified Green Verifier, similar to that of the Green Rater, is the third-party advocate for this program, ensuring the mandatory requirements and measures chosen have been completed and approved for certification.

Additionally, if the Energy Star certification is pursued, having an Energy Star approved third-party inspector to

CERTIFICATION FOR HOMES

verify those requirements is necessary to achieve certification. Often, LEED and NGBS inspectors are also Energy Star qualified inspectors.

Over the last couple of years, these programs have continued to gain momentum and influence the building industry. The biggest impact is seen in changes to the International Energy Conservation Code, which encourages energy efficiency and has led to the creation of the International Green Conservation Code, intended to implement many of the mandatory high performance building measures that can be found in LEED and the NGBS. This influence has trickled into the housing market, with noticeable improvements and upgrades being considered when buying and selling homes. Photovoltaic renewable energy is probably the most popular of these upgrades in Hawai‘i. With soaring energy prices, solar panels are a nobrainer investment. And throughout the United States, the Appraisers Institute of America has started to implement

“Green Upgrades,” noting certifications and green improvements made to a home in the appraisal. Some states have even implemented a Green MLS listing which promotes Energy Star, LEED and NGBS certified homes so interested buyers can quickly identify these high performance homes.

What is the inherent value of pursuing these certifications when building or remodeling a home? First and foremost are the long-term financial benefits achieved from the energy efficiency standards required for certification. On average, a green certified home is 50 percent more efficient than a code built home. For Hawai‘i homeowners that equates to huge savings, not only on the utility bill, but also in the amount of solar panels needed if a photovoltaic system is installed to offset the electric usage. Second, these programs provide peace of mind, serving as checks and balances when it comes to quality assurance by enhancing the projects durability management and ensuring the implementation of best practice

construction techniques. This latent benefit is rarely considered, yet remains a valuable aspect of the construction industry, which is all too often absent from the custom residential market.

Certification requires commitment from the project teams—the architect, designer, contractor and trade contractors—that are willing to measure quality and work against a tangible level of certification that is committed to providing the occupant an efficient, healthy and durable home.

Mike Fairall is the owner of Mokulua High Performance Builder, a general contracting firm committed to building green certified homes and spaces. He holds accreditations from the National Association of Home Builders, United States Green Building Council and E.P.A., serving as the only Graduate Master Builder and Master Certified Green Professional in the State of Hawai‘i.

GREENMAGAZ INE HAWAII.COM

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The Hybrid ‘Ohana The smart way to drive

Hawaii commuters know the price of living and driving in paradise: hours spent sitting in traffic and steep prices at the gas pump. With 12 years of proven Hybrid Synergy Drive® (HSD) technology and the Prius line of vehicles, Toyota Hawaii meets local drivers’ demands for fuel efficiency and durable design.

Prius Liftback: Collectively, the Prius family performance history is telling of its quality—more than 95 percent of all Toyota Prius models sold in the last 10 years are still on the road.1 The model that started it all, the Prius Liftback, boasts three generations worth of fine-tuning along with the renowned ecosensitivity, wind-slipping shape and roomy interior comfort that drove the Prius to become the most popular hybrid vehicle on the market. The Liftback offers different modes for distinctive types of driving: ECO Mode for maximize fuel economy, EV Mode for drives solely on battery power for up to one mile under certain conditions and POWER Mode for increased throttle response.

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Prius c: Not to be outdone are the other Toyota Prius family vehicles. The stylish, compact Prius c is the most affordable in the line and offers the highest city MPG estimate of any vehicle on the road.2 The Prius c was named 2014 Best Overall Value of the Year.3 Prius v: The Prius v is a larger vehicle and the model offers more cargo room than most small SUVs4, with 34.3 cubic feet of available cargo space.5 It also possesses the highest combined fuel efficiency of any SUV,crossover utility vehicle or wagon.6 Prius Plug-In: The Prius Plug-In model provides the efficiency of an electric vehicle minus the range anxiety. The Plug-In is equipped with EV mode for short trips, normal hybrid mode for longer distances and a convenient charging time of less than 3 hours on a standard 120V home outlet.7 Whether you’re commuting across the island or running a quick errand in town, the Prius family of vehicles is the smart choice for the eco-savvy driver. Stop in for a test drive today. www.ToyotaHawaii.com [1] Based on IHS Automotive: Polk U.S. Vehicles In Operation registration statistics MY 20042013 as of October 2013. [2] 2014 EPA 53/46/50 city/highway/combined mpg estimates.Actual mileage will vary. Does not include vehicles with fuel efficiency rated by the EPA in mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) [3] 2014 IntelliChoice, www.intellichoice.com; Compact Passenger Car. Based on 2014 model year study. [4] Based on manufacturer's data for cargo volume behind second-row seats; MY 2012 Small SUV segment. [5] Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. [6] Among applicable hybrid and gas models within EPA Midsize Cars, Station Wagon and SUV classes. EPA-estimated 44 city/40 highway/42 combined mileage for Prius v.

Actual mileage will vary. [7] Requires a dedicated 15-amp circuit.

COMMUNITY GREEN RESOURCE

Developing a Certification Process Building a program for Hawai‘i's tourism sector In 2013, Hawai‘i saw 8.2 million tourists arrive who spent $14.5 billion, directly accounting for almost 20 percent of the state’s GDP. With this degree of impact, solutions for making the sector more sustainable have become a priority.

Since 1999, the Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA) has been working to address this issue Program for tour operators.

In order build a program tailored to the

The program is a two-step process: tour operator self-assessment and third-party currently reaching out to educate businesses, program and a cadre of evaluators are certifying businesses across the state that are leaders in greening the tourism sector. —Dr. Linda Cox hawaiiecotourism.org

from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, HEA has partnered with individuals from the University of Hawai‘i’s Cooperative Extension Service and the Environmental Center, the Surfrider Foundation, the Coral Reef Alliance, NOAA’s Dolphin Smart Program, DBEDT’s Green Business Program, DLNR’s Na Ala Hele Trail and Access Program, tour operators and local residents.

The Akamai Way

Orange pest extermination is the green solution When dealing with a drywood termite infestation, there are three proven treatments: heat, tent fumigation and XT-2000 Orange Oil Plus. Not only is tent fumigation inconvenient and time-

Solutions prides itself on safe, tent-less termite and pest control.

Originally invented and tested in California nearly 20 years ago, XT–2000 Orange Oil Plus is derived from distilling orange rinds, forming a solution that is 95 percent d-limonene (also known as orange oil). Utilizing the byproduct of orange juice manufacturing, orange oil is a renewable resource.

By using this pest management approach, fewer pesticides are being used and better environmental practices are being implemented.

Using a comprehensive drill-and-treat method, Akamai Pest Solutions is able to target and treat only infected areas. Trained professionals use a borescope to inspect wall voids and other possible areas of infestation during the orange oil treatment. Leaving behind no toxic residue, the oil moves through the wood like a gas, killing termites and eggs on contact. —Kara Jernigan akamaisolution.net

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COMMUNITY NONPROFIT

Papahana Kuaola Photos: courtesy Papahana Kuaola

Healthy ecosystem, healthy community Nestled in the jungle-covered valley of He‘eia, Papahana Kuaola is surrounded by the sounds of birds chattering and the babbling of He‘eia Stream. Past where the works to motivate the community to have respect for the ‘a-ina and to restore it to its natural state by combining Hawaiian knowledge and culture with restoration efforts. plants, something the Hawaiian culture recognizes both for its importance toward a healthy environment and for medicinal and sustenance purposes.

down the road from their current restoration area. Realizing the need for community education about

property it was overrun with invasive plant species and trash. One of their initial projects was removing and recycling the abandoned, broken vehicles that were left to rust in the streambed.

Gazing up the valley, Matt points out the remains of invasive trees that were removed and the sprouting, newly planted native Hawaiian ferns and trees. He laughs and shares that the idea of removing trees and clearing a large area of land to plant new vegetation is shocking to some volunteers, but it is about making the ecosystem healthy and sustainable. Invasive species, like the Java plum, require

help of their volunteers and core partners, Kamehameha Schools and Hui o Ko‘olaupoko, Papahana Kuaola has begun to create and maintain a healthy stream and riparian ecosystem. —Kara Jernigan papahanakuaola.com

BUSINESS ECONOMY

The Price of Quality

Being Green Means Paying Livable Wages Green business practices cover social, cultural and ecological realms. When combined with economic value, this create the quadruple bottom line of business performance. Beyond carbon footprint, toxic releases and waste management, how a business acts in the community, treats its customers and values its employees has a significant impact on business effectiveness and its “shade of green.”

Employees are business’ most significant asset. The quality of their work influences sales and public perception, which affects a company’s reputation, repeat customers and its profitability. The way employees are treated by management and owners directly impacts their motivation to perform. Put simply, respect earns respect, and we all know businesses in the community whose people demonstrate care and pride on the job with a sincere desire to help the company succeed.

In Hawai‘i, companies like Servco extend long-term healthcare and medical-insurance benefits to family members of employees and provides financial assistance to employees who want to further their education. Maui Divers Jewelry offers employees a stock ownership plan. City Mill provides cash awards for outstanding customer service and maintaining a safe work environment.

Bowers & Kubota Consulting provides bonuses, a wellness program and a 12-percent retirement match.

When it comes to wages, there is currently a debate about whether or not to raise the minimum wage, even though it’s clear that many low-wage employees need public assistance to survive.

In Hawai‘i, at least $18/hour is needed to provide for a household.

A consumer survey from the Hawaii Alliance for a Local Economy revealed that shoppers are willing to pay for better service. Simply put, businesses that pay better wages have happier employees who deliver better customer service.

Moreover, when people earn more, they spend more, meaning that businesses could see greater revenue if they raise wages.

Primarily, consumer spending drives the economy and the more money people have, the more they spend. The same is true in an economic downturn, which is why contractive policies that cut budgets, jobs, wages and unemployment benefits simply make

By Michael Kramer

things worse. Money is a lubricant and you have to spend and invest it to turn the economic engine; higher wages leads to higher spending, which means businesses receive greater revenue and can then hire more people—it’s a cyclical phenomenon.

Businesses exist within a larger economic context. If a business pays low wages and no benefits or if it pollutes or causes other forms of harm through its management, procurement, operations and waste practices, the cost for addressing the consequences of these actions falls to the rest of us via government.

So we citizens pay one way or the other, the question is whether or not business should internalize these costs or literally pass the buck to society to pay for them as taxes.

There is only a need for government to provide a safety net and assure decent wages that spurs economic growth when businesses fail to fulfill their social and environmental responsibilities.

When businesses pay well, respect culture, provide good benefits, invest in employee development and encourage participation in governance, then there are no battles between owners and workers, quality goes up and a company earns a solid reputation that assures financial success. So let’s stop blaming government when it is the private sector that controls the flow of capital in this country. We wouldn’t need to raise the minimum wage if business just provided livable wages. Our government has given business immense freedom to pay low wages, create tax havens, send jobs overseas and to engage in practices that cause environmental and public safety disasters.

A lack of freedom is not the problem for business; it’s a lack of responsibility.

Michael Kramer is Managing Partner of Natural Investments and is co-founder of the Hawaii Alliance for a Local Economy, the Think Local Buy Local Campaign, and the Kuleana Green Business Program.

Michael@naturalinvestments.com

GREENMAGAZ INE HAWAII.COM

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April 25, 26 and 27

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Photo: courtesy Casey Turner

PASSION WITH A PURPOSE

Rocket Science to Rock and Roll Scientist and musician Casey Turner finds his path in the tropics

Florida-native and former contributor to Green Magazine Hawai‘i, Casey Turner had a semitypical college experience for a science geek: he studied engineering and formed a punk rock band. Upon graduation, he embarked on an impressive, if expected, path. He worked on propulsion systems for NASA, hydrogen fuel cells for major car companies and on buses for the 2010 Olympics. In his spare time, he and his band spent summers touring and playing across the East Coast.

Eventually, in a turning of the tide that Casey calls “inevitable,” he took his career and his sound in a completely new direction.

Moving to California, Casey eventually chose not only to pursue music full-time, but to switch up his punk sound completely in favor of a more acoustic flare with his guitar and ukulele. His debut solo album, No Stress Express, enjoys airplay throughout the mainland, Australia, Guam and the Philippines, as well as on local stations throughout O‘ahu, Maui and Kaua‘i.

Casey can pinpoint two memorable

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experiences that affirmed his choice in career path: playing Kona Brewing Company’s 2012 Liquid Aloha Festival and his experience filming a music video in Bali.

“It was cool to hear the crowd,” he says of The Liquid Aloha Festival, happily recalling the cheers as he used a looper to turn his one-man ukulele show into a full blown band, emulating the sounds of a bass, kick drum, snare and percussion for a richer, truly unique performance.

Mentioning Bali evokes a more somber reaction. “Right after I filmed the [“Wayan and Friends”] music video and came back, Indonesia was hit with a massive tsunami,” he says. Compelled to help those affected by the 2010 Mentawai disaster, Casey teamed up with SurfAid International to see that all profits from the song on iTunes went directly to emergency services in Indonesia. —Alyssa Fukumoto caseyturnermusic.com

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Our efficient and innovative Design Build process utilizes state of the art 3D computer

trusses

software to bring plans to reality and helps facilitate your clients’ review. This eliminates on-site dimensional errors, correct

wall panels

connection details, and much more.

The result is a superior, high quality product at an affordable rate!

buildings

Our mission: BUILD IT RIGHT. FIRST TIME. ON TIME. EVERY TIME!

505

201 Kapaa Quarry Place | Kailua, HI 96734 www.CCSteelHomes.com info@ccsteelhomes.com (808) 239-5491

Call us for a free estimate on your next project.

You’ll be glad you did.

License #BC-21884

WE LOCALLY MANUFACTURE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL STEEL WALL PANELS, STEEL TRUSSES, STEEL TRUSS JOIST, STEEL STUDS AND TRACK

Š Aveda Corp.

LESS STRESS IS A BREATH AWAY Let us expertly care for you and transport you to a place of inner peace. From massages, facials and waxing, manicures and pedicures, to hair and make-up services using exclusively Aveda products, each experience is a journey in itself. New stress fix body creme and lotion featured with an aroma proven to reduce feelings of stress.

Gift Cards available in any amount to share with loved ones.

Call 808.947.6141 Ala Moana Center, 3rd level www.hoalasalonspa.com