Creating a Sustainable South Maui

 

FEATURED EVENTS   • OUR TRANSPORTATION FUTURE • RENEWABLE ENERGY ARTICLES • NEW REEF SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE • GROWING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER Next Community Meeting OUR TRANSPORTATION FUTURE Kihei Charter School Doors open 6 p.m. for light pupus and talk story Program: Begins: 6:30 p.m.– Ends 8:00 p.m. South Maui Sustainability will host two leaders in Maui’s transportation future. Jeff Hunt, Director of the Maui County Planning Department will describe the Maui Island Plan for our transportation future and Walter Enomoto, president of the Maui Bicycle Alliance will describe the history and future of biking on Maui. (See details) VIEWS OF MAUI RENEWABLE ENERGY Recent Maui Weekly renewable energy articles by SMS committee head, Chris Mentzel—good reading. • What Can You Do?, July 30, 2009 • The 100 Percent Solution, July 23, 2009 - Can we make all our energy wihtout oil? - Can we switch Maui completely away from oil, considering that wind and sun energies are variable and not always available? Like almost no other place on the planet, we are in the fortunate situation to have an abundance of natural energy resources. - Given the political will, Maui could be powered by 100 percent clean energy within five to seven years. • Dollars and Sense, July 14, 2009 • Maui’s Chance, July 9, 2009 • Our Energy Future, July 2, 2009       REEF SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE South Maui Sustainability (SMS) is excited to announce the creation of the Reef Sustainability Committee. According to SMS Core Group member and Reef Committee chairperson Teri Leonard, “Everything we do on the land affects our ocean and reef systems. We must take responsibility for our actions which include the use of injection wells, destruction of wetlands, runoff from our built environment, development, and over-population. The Reef Sustainability Committee’s mission is to educate ourselves and the public, and then follow through with, methods to reduce and reverse the daily damage we inflict on our South Maui reefs. Some of the suggestions brought to the Reef Sustainability Committee: Support established reef environmental groups Learn about water quality Clean Water Act: What is it and how does it pertain to the reef? Wastewater disposal systems Runoff issues Create and conduct educational presentations for schools and the general public Eyes on the Reef programs Each classroom “become a fish” for a year and learn all about that fish Reef Check and Sea-Link Conduct beach and underwater clean-ups Survey reef fish populations Learn to fish in a sustainable manner Create a publication (electronic?) “101 Ways to Save the Reef” Do you have thoughts and ideas? Please share them with us. Email Teri Leonard at teri@southmauisustainability.org for dates and times of upcoming Reef Sustainability Committee meetings. SMS will focus the September 10th community meeting on water quality and how it affects the reef. We will also be introducing several representatives of local reef advocacy groups. Updates will be released as the date of the community meeting draws near. (Reef photo by Peter Liu Photography, peterliuphoto.com) SCHOOL GARDENS After spring harvest at the gardens we began at the three Kihei public schools, students in the Kamalii Summer School Program are tending the garden and harvesting the vegetables and herbs while school is on break. Emily Goss, School Garden Commmittee chair, attended a School Garden Workshop on the Big Island with educators from across the State of Hawaii and learned much that will help in the coming schoolyear, especially as we expand the Kihei Elementary School garden. Topics of discussion included curriculum, garden design, soil fertility, weeds as our friends, and many models of successful school gardens and what makes them work. GROWING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER View the results of breakout group discussions from our presentation at the June 16 Kihei Community Association (KCA) meeting.   POSTINGS: We post articles about all kinds of sustainability issues from all kinds of perspectives to inform and encourage thoughtful discussion. The postings do not necessarily reflect the opinions of South Maui Sustainability. Newest Posts Power Shift 09—11,000 College-agers March on Washington for Sustainability Immediate Action Needed – The Medium Speed Electric Vehicle Bill (HB 144) Even “Organically Raised” Cows Are a “Climate Bomb” President’s Weekly Address, February 28, 2009: Keeping Promises Medicine at Your Feet – wild edible and medicinal plants PBS Hawaii – Alternate Energy Part 1 Build a Solar Power Generator for Under $300 Defining Sustainability-From Ray Anderson’s Interface Inc. “Let’s build Sustainable Ecosocial Communities”—Meeting in Haiku Buy Back the Beach – Maui Coastal Land Trust Lū’au Seawater Desalination: Solution or Problem? Food Fight – Wednesday Film at the MACC Kihei Elementary School Garden – First Planting New Computer and TV Recycling Program FUEL: The Film—Special Maui Screening JUNK: Sailing to Hawaii on 15,000 plastic bottles No-dig Gardening Clean Energy For Maui Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture Political Action—Food Democracy—Americans for a Sustainable USDA Go Local: South Maui Grocery Ads Oil Import Map from Rocky Mountain Institute Hawaiian Waterfalls to host “Parade of Ponds” to benefit South Maui Sustainability Defining Sustainability: Institute for Sustainability Grassroots Project Zero Pollution Motors – Air Car Timeline of Modern Sustainability Developments What is Sustainability – The Hanover Principles New Green Automobiles Next SMS Meeting: March 12 – Malama Aina N-PAC Conference & Annual Meeting – January 27 If you missed the Gardening Panel Maui Earth Compost article Thai Composting Method Speeds Cycle Model Principles for Sustainable Communities SMS Acknowledged s a Hui of the Year Portable Farms Sustainability Books Two January Events on the Big Island Waste Not, Want Not—Harvesting Backyard Fruit To Help Needy Kihei Elementary School Garden The Story of Stuff SMS Acknowledged As Hui Of The Year LEDs & Smart Lighting Could Save Trillions Of Dollars, Spark Global Innovation SMS Acknowledged MECO Testing Phoenix Electric Vehicles Composting: Is Oleander Safe to Use as Compost in Vegetable Gardens? What-is-Sustainability? Aptera 2e: 100 mile per charge Plug-in Electric Car Hawaii Endorses Plan for Electric Cars Greensumption Hui Garden Rock Wall Raised-bed Project Food Security: Bill Moyers Interviews Michale Pollan

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