"Rotary Club announces Kaua‘i 2008 Green Business Awards"
by Rodney Pascua

Green Business winners honored at Rotary awards luncheon

Kaua‘i businesses are going “green.”

The Rotary Club of Kapa‘a is pleased to honor eight local businesses as winners of the 2008 Kaua‘i Green Business Initiative Awards (KGBIA).

“All of the winning businesses have gone beyond environmental compliance to adopt and exemplify the best ‘green’ practices over the past 12 months,” says Rodney Pascua, chairman of this year’s program, noting that each business displayed a proven track record in one or more areas of efficiently using raw materials/supplies, managing waste responsibly, managing shipping/handling responsibly, saving water and saving energy.”

Winners include: Island Soap Company in the category of Wholesale and Retail Manufacturing; The Shoe Repair Shop in the Retailer category; Habitat for Humanity under the Nonprofit category; Aloha We Deliver! in the Home Business
category; Unlimited Construction in the Builder/Developer category; Saffron Mediterranean Cuisine in the Restaurant category; Farias Cattle Company in the Grower category; and H&S Publishing in the Publisher category...

See rest of article at:
http://www.kauaiworld.com/shared-content/e-edition/display.php?pubdate=2...
and second page at:
http://www.kauaiworld.com/shared-content/e-edition/display.php?pubdate=2...

Award plaques below created by Scott Mijares of Hawaiian Woodys in Kilauea:

From: http://www.rgemonitor.com/
Greetings from RGE Monitor!

"The 2008 U.S. Presidential election was historic itself owing to the candidates’ profile. But the timing of the elections as the U.S. and global economy are in the midst of the worst financial crisis and recession in decades reminds us of the Great Depression era and the 1980s recession when incoming Presidents Roosevelt and Reagan faced immense challenges to cure the economy’s woes.

By the time Obama takes his oath in January 2009, he will face an economy which is still in a middle of a severe and prolonged recession where households will continue to face unaffordable mortgage and other debt, declining value of homes (that financed their consumption all these years), risk of debt default or foreclosure, tight access to credit with stringent borrowing conditions, erosion of their retirement savings amid the bearish stock market, over a million lay-offs taking the unemployment rate to 7-8% and critical foreign policy challenges.

http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/10/20/news/kauai_news/doc48fc32a...
Water, sun and hydrogen help power Kilauea man’s van
By Michael Levine - The Garden Island
Published: Monday, October 20, 2008

KILAUEA — Most people have heard the myth of the water-powered car. While some of the principles are still more science fiction than science, a Kilauea man says he has figured out a way to get significantly improved fuel efficiency from his car with the help of water, the sun and some ingenuity.

Dan Green, whose fortuitous surname graces his Web site at www.mrgreenenergy.com, believes the technology, called HHO for the molecular elements of water, could change the way we all drive and lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.

“This is free knowledge, and knowledge is power, and power should be given to the people, especially in times like these,” Green said. “It’s our God-given right to harness solar and wind power. Water falls from the sky, that’s a God-given element as well.”

Technically, Green’s modified 1985 Volkswagen Westfalia van is not “water-powered” or “solar-powered,” but hydrogen fuel-enhanced, he explains. The process works like this:

∫ Solar panels on top of the van convert the sun’s rays into electricity, “trickle-charging” a second battery Green has installed.

∫ The electricity is run through a stainless steel electrolysis cell submerged in a small four-cup tube of water in the vehicle’s trunk.

Friday, October 17, 2008

A little more than a month ago by chance I met Gary Bulson, Senior Engineer for the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, mentioned in the article below. Have also been impressed with the leadership that the Hyatt Regency Kauai has been taking on related matters, particularly with solar and guest available recycling.

I compare this to another hotel here on Kauai that regularly left almost all of it's glass doors open on almost all floors, losing an untold amount of air-conditioning to the open environment. One, it was an incredible expense for the hotel not allocated to individual guests, and two, it was a huge waste of energy. All it would have taken to address is a quality control standard that all employees close any glass doors they saw left open by guests. But that was not done. Maybe it will be done in the future. Anyway, the Hyatt is providing great leadership on these matters throughout the state as with the following example:

"Hawaiian resort installs Inncom's ecoMODE system"
Oct 16, 2008 H&MM Week In Review

Niantic, Conn.--September 17, 2008--"The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa has become the first Hyatt property to upgrade its energy-management system with the environmentally-friendly ecoMODE option from Inncom..."
[Rest of article here: http://www.hotelmotel.com/hotelmotel/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/5592... ]

Aloha, Brad

Aloha all!

Thank you to everyone that attended last night's meeting, and the week previous! The response has been amazing! Last night we went from concept, to actual reality with the collection of the first payments for ownership shares! This means that we are ready. To all of you who have been asking questions and expressing your support, the time is now! Please call Evan to set up an appointment. (346-2395) Remember there are only 100 initial shares that allow you to become one of the first owners of a business thats soul purpose is the strengthening of Kauai's economy, food supply and overall sustainability. The website (http://www.manaohana.net) still has any information for those of you who have still not looked at the business plan etc., but is currently being updated to suit the needs of an actual physical business. Thank you to our newest partners Lisa & Roland with Windsong Botanicals and 7th Veil, Loui Cabebe, Donovan Cabebe and Rick, welcome to the team!

Remember, time is running short and soon the opportunity will close, so call us today!

Mana `Ohana, LLC
Lauren Shaw Meek
Evan Meek
& Partners
(808) 335-6169

Hey, in the major business magazine in the state:

http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/May-2008/The-Road-Less-Tra...

"The Road Less Traveled"
By Scott Radway

Kauai

"When considering the difficult task of achieving economic, environmental and cultural sustainability on Kauai, the good people of the Garden Isle could probably use a road map. Well, thanks to Malama Kauai, they’ve got a start on one.

The Kilauea-based nonprofit has assembled the island’s first definitive Green Map, which highlights 50 businesses along with other organizations that utilize green practices and allows them to market their environmental bent. The reverse side of the map will highlight challenges on Kauai and discuss ways individuals can be more sustainable.

“I thought this was a cool way to bring the business sector, environmental organizations, even policy makers and consumers together,” says Andrea Brower, project manager at Malama Kauai.

Brower says the basic criteria for a green business are recycling programs for offices, which means recycling office waste such as paper, recycling computers and printers and installing energy-efficient light bulbs. For restaurants, it also means such things as providing environmentally friendly to-go containers and buying local produce. “Some of the businesses have not made all criteria, but they are making strides and we offer resources to get them there,” Brower says.

http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/05/25/news/news07.txt
Kapa‘a rotary seeks green businesses

by The Garden Island

Posted: Saturday, May 24, 2008 - 11:11:41 pm HST

The Rotary Club of Kapa‘a is seeking nominations through June 23 for its second annual 2008 Kauai Green Business Initiative Awards program.

The annual program honors local businesses that have gone beyond environmental compliance to adopt and exemplify best “green” practices over the past year.

Honorees should have a track record in the areas of efficiently using raw materials and supplies; managing waste and shipping and handling responsibly; and saving water and energy. Entrants must show that their initiatives benefit the environment as well as the company’s economic performance and long-term success.

Categories include: hotel, retailer, activity, builder, home business, grower, technology, energy, nonprofit, restaurant, publishing and real estate. Consideration is given to businesses in other categories if they meet the criteria.

Last year’s winners include Otsuka’s, Sheraton Kauai, Hawaiian Mahogany Co., Unlimited Construction, Aloha We Deliver, Kayak Kaua‘i, Permaculture Kauai, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Blossoming Lotus and Malama Kaua‘i.

Entry forms are available online at www.kapaa.rotary-site.org

E-mail completed forms to Rodneydakauai.com">Rodneydakauai.com or fax them to 332-5988. For more information, call Rodney Pascua at 482-0980.

Published on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 by Center for Media and Democracy
This Earth Day, Let’s Scrape Off the Greenwash
by Sheldon Rampton

Today marks the 38th annual celebration of Earth Day, and once again the event comes with its fair share of PR hype and misleading marketing campaigns. In the spirit of dedicating ourselves to genuine concern for the planet, today is therefore a good time to look carefully at corporate environmental claims, some of which consist more of empty rhetoric than real substance.

Companies like Wal-Mart are announcing environmental initiatives. General Electric has its “Ecomagnation” advertising campaign. In Singapore, a shopping center is advertising that customers can “shop to save planet earth” — and if they buy enough, they might win a new car!

The ritual of green hypocrisy frequently requires that companies and politicians redefine environmental progress in increasingly creative ways. Last week, for example, George W. Bush announced a plan to address the problem of global warming by “halting the growth” of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2025. Beyond the fact that this target date is 17 years in the future, what really means is that during those 17 years not only will greenhouse gas emissions continue, the amount of those emissions will continue to grow. As columnist Gail Collins observed in the New York Times, this would be akin to having an overweight person announce a plan to achieve “an 18 percent reduction in the rate at which he was gaining weight, to be reached within the next decade.”

What “green” practices is your business engaged in? The Rotary Club of Kapa`a wants to know!

For the second year, the Rotary Club of Kapa`a is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2008 Kauai Green Business Initiative Award to honor local businesses, which have gone beyond environmental compliance to adopt and exemplify best “green” practices over the past 12 months.

Businesses that are eligible are cordially invited to enter this year’s award program. In the spirit of inclusion, please pass this on to other businesses you know of that are involved in important “green” practices and who are eligible to enter.

Awards will be bestowed to local businesses with a track record in the areas of efficiently using raw materials/supplies, managing waste responsibly, managing shipping/handling responsibly, saving water and saving energy. Entrantsmust show how their green initiatives benefit the environment as well as the economic performance and long-term success of their businesses.

Categories for the Second Annual 2008 Kauai Green Business Initiative Award include: Hotel, Retailer, Activity, Builder, Home Business, Grower, Technology, Energy, Nonprofit, Restaurant, Publishing and Real Estate. Consideration also will be given to businesses in other categories, if they meet the criteria.

Peek at building’s ‘green’ technology
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by Amanda C. Gregg - The Garden Island

KALAHEO — The island’s new, “green” National Tropical Botanical Gardens headquarters boasts optimized natural light, native landscaping, and is made of materials found within 500 miles.

And though it’s not officially open for another year or so, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative President and CEO Randall Hee, board chairman Dennis Esaki and KIUC board member Peter Yukimura and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Hawai’i director toured the building yesterday, to get a peek.
*

Also in attendance was Chipper Wichman, NTBG director.

The co-op helped secure a $300,000 interest-free loan granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the NTBG headquarters, which will go toward the $14-million, 20,000-square-foot structure that will house an herbarium and library, while doubling as an educational, research and conservation center.

Yukimura, the former chair of the KIUC member relations committee that is charged with the task of securing and releasing the $300,000 zero-interest loans to qualified non profits, said only co-ops can apply for the loan.

The money was given by the USDA’s Rural Economic Development Land and Grant program.

The interest-free loan for the NTBG was the second of its kind the island has received so far, the first of which went to Kauai Hospice. The next in line to receive the $300,000 grant is Island School, Yukimura added.