Re-Energized
W Hen Iolani Palace’s monthly power bill doubled to more than $41,000 last fall, even drastic steps like cutting off the air conditioning in the adjacent barracks couldn’t bring costs back to where they had been just a few months…
Climate Change & Nature
Something Old, New, Borrowed & Green
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE ELEMENTS OF THE 19TH, 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES? Start with the U.S. government’s oldest scientific agency, with roots stretching back to the early 1800s; add historic Ford Island aircraft hangars that survived the…
Crowded Water
THE TRAVEL CHANNEL named Kona’s manta ray night dive one of the top 10 things to do in your lifetime. As they feed on the plankton attracted to the flashlights held by divers and snorkelers, the gentle yet massive rays,…
What’s Next for Solar
If you ever use a waste-burning toilet, don’t be surprised if you find out a solar-power company installed it. That’s one of the technologies being investigated by RevoluSun, a Honolulu-based solar company that has expanded its “Smart Home” division, offering…
For Starters: What Goes Around Comes Around
WHEN CHEF ED KENNY envisioned his new Kaimuki restaurant, Mud Hen Water, he aspired to totally integrate sustainability.…
Farm to Table, and Back to the Farm
WAIALUA, Oahu – Liz Ryan takes a bite of asparagus, just plucked from the ground at Twin Bridge Farms in Waialua. “Man, that’s good,” says the 59-year-old from Hot Springs, Arizona, who had never eaten fresh-picked asparagus before. “It’s a…
Did You Know? Odd Or Little-Known Facts From the Local Economy And Other Strange Places
THE HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT says fire safety and lives are more important than traditional Christmas trees in public spaces Fresh cut Christmas trees – the same kind you may have in your living room every December – can no longer…
New Source For Renewable Energy
Decomposition – the kind that occurs at landfills and wastewater treatment plants – creates natural gas, and there are moves locally to harvest that gas and use it for energy. Natural gas is primarily methane, which can be burned to…
Turning Unused Buses into Shelters and Showers
A group of architects and their supporters have a plan to transform unused buses into shelters and hygiene facilities for homeless people, and are now looking for funding and a nonprofit partner. This illustration shows how…
Editor's Note: The Sacredness of Mauna Kea
It is obvious to anyone who has been there or seen it shining in the distance, that the summit of Mauna Kea is a sacred place. Native Hawaiians are not unique in this reverence: Virtually all the great religions venerate…
