Community Action Service pegs Jeff Mikulina for Award
November 5, 2008
The League of Women Voters of Honolulu is honoring Jeff Mikulina, Executive Director of Blue Planet Foundation, in a first-time award for community service. The Donald and Astrid Monson Community Action award will be given annually to an organization or individual who has made the year’s outstanding contributions toward or involving public interest planning, housing, or environmental issues.
"Jeff’s outstanding contributions during the past decade to responsibly manage and conserve Hawaii ’s environment have made our state a better place to live for years to come. The League is proud to sponsor this event and present the first Donald and Astrid Monson Community Action award to him," said Piilani Kaopuiki, President of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu.
A reception honoring the late Donald and Astrid Monson and first time recipient Jeff Mikulina, who until recently served as Executive Director of The Sierra Club of Hawaii will be held on November 13, 2008, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Honolulu Elks Club in Waikiki. Reservations are $50 per person and include pupus, one cocktail, live music, and valet parking.
As the Director of The Sierra Club of Hawaii for ten years, where he was the organization’s lobbyist and spokesperson, Mikulina was instrumental in the passing of legislation setting caps on Hawaii ’s greenhouse gas emissions, making solar water heating a standard feature on new homes, and increasing the funding of natural resource conservation and management through tourism taxes. He has previously served as vice chair of both the Honolulu Planning Commission and Honolulu Charter Commission and was awarded the EPA Region 9 Environmental Hero Award in 2003.
Interested persons may call the League of Women Voters of Honolulu at 531-7448 or email Voters@LWV-Hawaii.com. RSVP by Nov. 10th.
The League of Women Voters of Honolulu was founded in 1948. As part of its mission to encourage citizens to play an active role in elections and promote government oversight, members of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu have been actively involved in issues such as education, planning and zoning, transportation, environmental quality, campaign finance reform, prevention of domestic violence. The League of Women Voters of Honolulu has also provided voter services to the community by registering voters, assisting in vote counts, arranging and moderating campaign debates and forums, holding meetings and conferences on various public issues of the day and serving on State and City and County commissions and advisory committees.
Oahu’s Only Phone Book and Newspaper Recycling Plant
November 5, 2008
Island Shell LLC, an Aiea-based environmental manufacturing firm, recently completed installation of a $750,000 recycling mill. The mill is designed to process phone books, newspaper, and cardboard into environmentally sound products sold throughout the state. Bernie Boltz, owner, says, "Our plant is able to process up to 10 tons of waste paper per day".
At present the company produces two product lines: Green Lava Hydro-mulch™ and two brands of oil change Boxes. Hydro-mulch, made from 95% recycled paper, helps seed large areas inexpensively; it is also used for erosion and dust control. Oil change boxes, sold in most automotive stores state-wide, promote responsible waste oil disposal.
In addition Boltz states, "In a couple months our product line will also include InCide Pest Control Cellulose Insulation™." This product is made from 80% recycled paper designed to keep homes cool, quiet, and pest-free. Boltz also reports that Island Shell is actively working on expanding the product line to include a variety of environmentally-friendly pet products.
Island Shell Environmental Manufacturing is protecting Hawaii’s environment by using resources already in Hawaii, by producing goods that have a positive impact on the environment, and by reducing the need for export of recyclable materials . Says Boltz, "This plant is a great step in the right direction for Hawaii". He emphasized both residents and local corporations need to have an active interest in reducing waste to preserve the character and resources of our island home.
For more information about the company or to find out more about phone book / newspaper recycling, email Bernie at bernie@islandshell.com
Mikulina to be lauded for efforts on environment
October 31, 2008
The League of Women Voters of Honolulu is honoring Jeff Mikulina for his role in conserving and protecting Hawaii’s environment.
Mikulina, executive director of the Blue Planet Foundation, will receive the Donald and Astrid Monson Community Action award for his contributions.
Mikulina, former executive director of the Sierra Club Hawaii, will be the first recipient of the award.
"Jeff’s outstanding contributions during the past decade to responsibly manage and conserve Hawaii’s environment have made our state a better place to live for years to come," said Piilani Kaopuiki, president of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu, in a news release.
Mikulina, who was director of the Sierra Club for 10 years, was instrumental in the passing of legislation that set caps on Hawaii’s greenhouse gas emissions, made solar water heaters a standard feature on new homes and increased funding of natural resource conservation and management through tourism taxes.
A reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 13 to honor the late Donald and Astrid Monson and Mikulina. The event will be held at the Honolulu Elks Club in Waikiki. Reservations are $50 per person. Pupus and live music will be available at the event.
EPA honors Kauai group
October 29, 2008
A Kauai group is one of 12 being recognized nationally by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for improving environmental quality within the community.
The Anahola Homesteaders Council was awarded the first annual Environmental Justice Achievement Award for its “outstanding leadership in improving community environmental quality,” the EPA said in a statement Monday.
The council is working on improving water quality in the Anahola area rivers and streams and addressing solid waste management, the EPA said. The group also focuses on empowering Native Hawaiians through collaborative partnerships, community involvement and environmental protection in Anahola.
The award recognizes organizations such as academic institutions, state and local governments, and indigenous organizations, for distinguished accomplishments in addressing environmental justice issues.
Electric bikes provide greener commute
August 17, 2008
When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.
Ed Poor rides an eZee Quando II electric bike to work in New York City.
Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.
“I’m not out to win any races,” she said. “I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas. And where I live, I can ride my bike seven months out of the year.”
The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks.
Official sales figures are hard to pin down, but the Gluskin-Townley Group, which does market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, estimates 10,000 electric bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006.
Bert Cebular, who owns the electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels in New York, said his sales are up about 50 percent so far this year over last. Amazon.com Inc. says sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier, in part because of its expanded offerings.
“The electric bikes are the next big thing,” said Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp. executive turned electric vehicle guru.
They’re even more popular in Europe, where Sophie Nenner, who opened a Paris bike store in 2005, says motorists boxed in by traffic jams are looking for an alternative for short journeys that doesn’t involve navigating overcrowded transport systems.
Industry associations estimate 89,000 electric bikes were sold in the Netherlands last year, while 60,000 power-assisted bikes were sold in Germany.
The principle behind electric bikes is akin to that behind hybrid cars: Combine the conventional technology — in this case, old-fashioned pedaling — with a battery-powered motor.
The net result is a vehicle that rides a bit like a scooter, with some legwork required. Most models have a motorcycle-like throttle that gives a boost while going up hills or accelerating from a stop. On some models, the motor kicks in automatically and adjusts its torque based on how hard the rider pedals.
Although regulations vary by state, federal law classifies electric bikes as bicycles, and no license or registration is required as long as they don’t go faster than 20 mph and their power doesn’t exceed 750 watts.
Price largely determines weight, quality and battery type. A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop’s. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge.
Joe Conforti, a commercial film director from New York, uses a four-year-old model designed by former auto titan Lee Iacocca in the 1990s for running errands or getting to social occasions.
“It’s really nice,” said Conforti, who is eagerly looking to upgrade to a newer, more powerful ride. “If you’ve got a date, you go to meet friends — you go out on a (conventional) bike, you’re gonna sweat up. You go out in an electric bike, it’s great it’s terrific, you’re not gonna sweat up and you ride home fine.”
Bike dealers said the growing demand goes beyond just the uptick in gas prices, but also because of word of mouth. Cebular said business at his store and on his Web site has been booming.
“Fifty percent of that increase is probably because of gas prices, and the rest is that there’s just more bikes out there,” said Cebular, who has run his shop on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for seven years.
Improved technology also has made electric bikes more popular, Cebular said.
“When I started, there was only one bike that had a nickel-metal hydride battery — everything else was lead-acid and was 80 or 90 pounds,” he said. “That’s a huge improvement.”
Jay Townley, a partner at Gluskin-Townley, said the latest electric bikes are sleeker, better looking and hide their often-clunky batteries better than ever. That goes a long way to attract baby boomers and other mainstream customers.
“The new designs that we’ve seen in the marketplace are going to inure to the benefit of the electric bike companies,” he said.
Ultra Motor, an England-based electric bike and scooter company, is betting big that it can capitalize on what it seems as a growing market for attractive-looking two-wheelers designed specifically for U.S. commuters. The company on Tuesday unveiled its “A2B” model, a slick, low-riding electric bike.
Ultra Motor took a conventional bicycle and redesigned it with fatter wheels, a lower center of gravity and a thick shaft designed to hide the lithium-ion battery inside, U.S. Chief Executive Chris Deyo said. The result is a cross between a motorcycle and a mountain bike.
The company already has signed up 75 dealers nationwide to sell the $2,500 bike starting next month.
“A year ago, when you mentioned the word electric bike, people looked at you and they really weren’t sure what it was,” Deyo said. “Today, what we’re finding is we’re actually having dealers call us seeking an electric bike to meet the demand.”
Jamerson, the former GM executive who has become a staunch advocate for electric transportation, believes this is only the beginning for electric bikes. He retired from GM in 1993 after helping develop the company’s EV1 electric car, and he’s been an avid follower of alternative transportation ever since.
The EV1 project, though widely seen as a spectacular failure, helped convince Jamerson of the value of electric transportation. Given soaring fuel prices and thinning patience with foreign dependence on oil, Americans are ready to embrace electric vehicles, he said.
“Did you know there are 70 million electric bikes on the road today in China, and they are selling at the rate of 2.6 million electric bikes a year?” he said. “The public at large needs to understand that it is the right thing to do to move to electric transportation, and electric bikes and electric scooters will allow you to do that, to get that familiarity.”
As for Wolfe, she could not be happier with her bike, a 48-pound mountain bike with a lithium-ion-powered assist made by California-based IZIP. A self-described “tree-hugger for decades,” she drives her Honda Insight hybrid car or rides the bus when she’s not using her bike to get to work.
It’s part of her own personal campaign to reduce her carbon footprint. She also powers her home with help from a set of rooftop solar panels, and a geothermal furnace heats and cools it.
The furnace, she adds, even heats her water. Just one more way to reduce emissions, she said.
“Even my 92-year-old mother has a Prius,” she said. “So I come by my green credentials genetically.”
UH tries out environment-friendly concrete
July 13, 2008
Soon, rain that falls on the concrete courtyards amid the University of Hawai’i’s student apartment buildings will sink through the surface and flow into the ground underneath.
E Malama Aina Festival, Focus on Sustainability
July 12, 2008
Hilo, HI July 11, 2008 — The Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce announces E Malama Aina ("Lets Take Care of the Land"), a 2-day festival Nov. 7-8 at Hilo’s Mooheau Park, which will offer consumers and businesses a firsthand look at Hawaii Island innovations and best practices aimed at sustainability.
Fireman’s Fund offers ‘green’ policy in Hawaii
July 9, 2008
Hawaii is among 26 states where Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. will offer "green" insurance for homeowners, allowing policy holders to rebuild homes to green standards should their residence be completely destroyed.
Mayor awarded for Environmental Protection
July 8, 2008
MIAMI — Mayor Mufi Hannemann was presented today with the 2008 Mayors Climate Protection Award for Outstanding Achievement, in recognition of Honolulu’s 21st Century Ahupua’a environmental protection program.
The US Conference of Mayors presented the award at the group’s 76th Annual Meeting, held this year in Miami, where Mayor Hannemann spoke about the need to support the arts and the travel industry.
"I’m very pleased that the US Conference of Mayors has recognized our hard work to make Honolulu an environmentally friendly and sustainable city," Mayor Hannemann said. "We take environmental protection very seriously, and we will continue to be good stewards of our precious island and its natural resources."
Honolulu was one of four large US cities to receive the award today.
The City was praised for its Sustainability Plan, the "nuts and bolts" application of the principals outlined earlier by the Mayor’s Vision for the 21st Century Ahupua’a. The document is the first comprehensive sustainability plan developed with full participation of all affected City departments. It sets ambitious goals over a ten year time frame and identifies specific programs, responsibilities and methods for measuring progress.
"We must benefit from the wisdom of our Polynesian ancestors combined with the technological innovations of today to make our island home sustainable and self sufficient for future generations," Mayor Hannemann said.
Hawai’i’s original inhabitants developed a sophisticated and successful resource management system based on the ahupua’a land division that supported a population more than half as large as it is today. The concept of the 21st Century Ahupua’a is to develop a culturally appropriate strategy for restoring balance and sustainability to our island home.
"We must continue to learn from our Polynesian predecessors and renew our commitment to self-sufficiency and to the protection of our precious ‘aina," Mayor Hannemann said.
Mayor Hannemann is a member of the USCM Advisory Committee and the chair of its Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee, one of the USCM’s largest committees.
The committee today approved resolutions urging Congress to:
· support expansion of the US Visa Waiver Program to facilitate foreign travel to the US by residents of South Korea and other nations, which would greatly benefit Honolulu and many other cities with strong tourism industries;
· approve the Travel Promotion Act, which would establish the first substantial international marketing campaign to promote the US overseas as a travel destination;
· and to restore full funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Office of Museum Services after years of harmful budget cuts.
Mayor Hannemann also today briefed the committee on a proposal to establish a task force of mayors and private industry representatives to support Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games; and to set up a similar task force to help address problems created by the recent closure of Aloha Airlines and other carriers amid rising costs for jet fuel, which are harming the visitor industry in many cities.
Mayor Hannemann was the driving force behind the Ten Point Plan that the USCM adopted for presentation to presidential candidates, addressing a variety of issues that are important to our nation’s cities.
At the committee meeting, Mayor Hannemann discussed the positions of Senators John McCain and Barack Obama on issues related to travel and the arts, which are among the USCM’s priorities.
On behalf of the USCM, Mayor Hannemann, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and Miami Mayor and incoming USCM chair Manuel Diaz met last month with Senator McCain, who said he was very sympathetic to concerns about the airline industry problems and pledged to do all he could to assist.
Mayor Hannemann today reported that Senator Obama is very familiar with the USCM’s call for assisting and strengthening the arts, and has incorporated the arts in his campaign platform.
Senator Obama is also a co-sponsor of the Travel Promotion Act, which Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye has championed. Senator Obama has pledged to support Chicago’s bid to host the Olympics, and is scheduled to address the conference in Miami tomorrow.
Local businesses use eco-friendly foodware to serve food
June 27, 2008
HONOLULU (KHNL) - When you’re chowing down on a plate lunch, you’re probably not wondering where the Styrofoam plate will end up.
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