GROWING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER
June 16, 2009, 68 p.m., Kihei Community Center, 303 E. Lipoa St. Kihei, Maui, HI
The Kihei Community Association hosted South Maui Sustainability for a slide presentation and breakout group discussion of community gardens, renewable energy, reef sustainability and recycling and conservation.
SUGGESTED ACTION ITEMS FROM BREAKOUT GROUPS
RECYCLING AND CONSERVATION DISCUSSION
Curbside Recycling
Advocate for full service curbside recycling
In the meantime set up neighborhood recycling groups where neighbors take turns transporting to the recycle/redemption centers.
- Money collected could go to:
- The person who transports the materials
- The whole group
- Other organizations as a donation.
Advocate for the recycling of office paper.
- Packaging
- Charge for plastic bags in the stores. This stick might be a more effective way to reduce use of plastic bags than the carrot of getting a small refund for using your own bags.
- Find a way to get money for plastic bags (by weight) to motivate the pubic to pick up the bags, especially off the beaches.
- Energy and water Conservation
- Clean the exhaust ducts from electric dryers
- Turn off dishwaser “drying cycle”.
- Watch your wattage on all appliances with KillaWatt or other metering devices.
- Lower thermostat on hot water heater. 100 degrees is enough.
- Upgrade any appliances older than 10 years to Energy Star.
- Clean off the radiator tubes of your refigerator.
- Turn dishwashing and hand washing water off when not actually using it to wet or rinse.
- Turn off electricity for hot water heater, then turn on 15 minutes before needed. A timer box by the heater is better than using the circuit breaker for this.
- Plug appliances, sound and computer equipment into power strips and then turn off power strip when done.
- Use drip irrigation whenever possible
- Promote graywater usage and public policy.
- Advocate for Xeriscaping.
- Advocate for bike lanes, especially on the Norht/South Kihei collector road.
- Encourage bus usage
- Whenever possible rescue freshly dug up plants from beting taken to the landfill. Can take them to schools, Aloha Shares, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, churches, homes, etc. Also see www.MauiPlantRescue.com
- Use used coffee cans for storage.
- Convert old cloths into bags or material to chrochet into rugs.
- Take old towells to the Humane Society for use with the anmials.
- Use the library instead of buying new books.
- Use passive solar jugs to store heat for upcountry greenhouses
- Take used magazines to your doctor and dentist’s offices.
REEF SUSTAINABILITY DISCUSSION
Most important issues
- Carbon dioxide deposition, nutrient rich waters going into ocean.
- Run off from development (concrete, better construction, land use)
- Street run off, golf courses. Irvine& Newport Beach already doing good things. John Tetamer.com
- Decline in fish, over fishing
- Water quality
- Sewage dumping.
- Community ed. is poor, need to raise awareness. Population and growth problem
- What needs to be done?
- Start at worst problem and work back.
- Put filters in run off areas, since wetlands are already built over.
- Promote natural wetlands, have penalties to over fishing, rules and regulations.
- Neighborhood watch program.
- Mooring. Rotationrest rotation – put into law?
- Small steps s/b encouraged faucets, car washes, look at selfbehaviors.
- Consulting Hawaiian Kahuna
- More gray water use – education
- Apollo alliance –Pam lightfoot
- Water recycling link west Maui, establishing political strength, Gary Hoosier, political advocacy, Malama Kauau = connecting
- Pick two/3 political issues, strength together State issues DNLR enforcement, 24 county offices to work with.
- Use wastewater instead of dumping It., proactively protecting reefs now. Spending now to save reefs/water later.
- What is being done by other groups?
- Pump don’t Dump. Putting signs up to help protect reefs. Educating visitors PSA on Airlines, Ziggy Lovenut. “Eyes on reef” –How to recognize Coral Disease and algae Growth.
- Darla White. Shoreline reef cleanup Diving, snorkeling, beach line
- Aquamarine collection Legislation Dyer?
- What can we do? And how will we do it?
- Education. Create Hawaiian island alliances to gain political power.
- Encourage –testify legislators – to save reefs and waters
- Create Education programs, all age schools
- Presentations –water quality, respecting our waters.
COMMUNITY GARDEN DISCUSSION
- Possible Sites
- Kalama heights, Churches, ML&P land, Technology Center
- KCA back and front. Safeway –North Liloacatchment
Interested parties – Kirk Surrey, Anne, Michael
- Ideas for bringing in the community
- Church out reach, parents of children in schools, Rotary, SMS mailing list, Advertising in Maui Weekly etc. Flyers on Apt. doors.
- Master Gardeners. Marin County model.
- Tova
Challenges of water cost.
Do prototype, then “sell” idea.
Create a social network.
RENEWABLE ENERGY DISCUSSION
- Funding – Done by county or state – solar install paid on property tax bill and passes on to new owner w/tax credits over 50% it is a good return on investment 1017%. Also prop value goes up. $24,000.00 = 3KW system. Fed Gov will lend money for this. Standard measurement unit is peak power output of solar panels….?
- New units prices going down due to supply and demand
- MECO can invest in solar elect, themselves and will start doing installs.
- New super efficient glass which gives 3% better absorption of solar light.
- Panel warranties going up to 20 yrs.
- Efficiency = conservation w/out sacrificing
- Great person in Kihei for solar – Steve Fryer
- July 18th solar Town call Hawaii PV coalition.org
- Know what you need – Willy Bennett can do this for you.
