After a recent visit to Hawaii’s Oahu and a meeting with a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) Principal in the architectural firm Architects Hawaii Limited (AHL), 2nd Green Revolution came away with a deeper appreciation for many of the unique sustainability issues facing the Hawaiian archipelago. Obviously resource availability, including freshwater and raw materials, plays an enormous role in the islands’ ability to be self-sufficient. As one land developer pointed out in a conversation, there is no lumber on the islands, which are all volcanic rock. There are stores of bamboo, but for high-rises, the materials needed to produce steel and concrete (coal, iron, cement, etc.) are nonexistent.
The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) reports that “Hawaii [house bill] 1880 and [senate bill] 1985 establish a tax credit for the acquisition of environmentally-friendly green technology facilities” (PDF). Separate legislation to mandate residential projects achieve similar standards faced heavy opposition from developers who see green building requirements as too limiting.
Driving down the main highway (H-1), one notices an abundance of solar hot water heaters in certain neighborhoods. With the abundance of sun, this technology represents a wonderful opportunity to reduce energy expenses and institute a reliable renewable energy source. What about geothermal? In a state with a population nearly 5 times that of Iceland (and more isolated) using the geologic hot spot that helped form the islands seems to be a win-win situation. Hawaii’s big island is the only volcanically active in the archipelago. Currently there is one geothermal power plant on the big island.”The Puna Geothermal Venture facility is the first and only commercial scale geothermal plant in Hawaii. It produces about 30 MW of power, or 20 percent of the island’s needs.”
The discussion with AHL’s principal architect centered around the sense of community necessary to develop sustainably. However, no major light rail system currently in place. The Bus, with a weekly ridership of nearly 500,000 and more than 500 buses, is the only mass transit option. Mass transit is a hot button issue on the island. 2010′s democratic primary and gubernatorial race may hinge on Honolulu’s proposed light rail transit system. According to the Lundberg Survey, gasoline in Hawaii consistently ranks as the most expensive in the country.
Jared Diamond’s Collapse details the plight of islands (including Easter Island and the Pitcairn Islands) when a people outstrip their resources provides a stark warning. The various stories Diamond recounts of past civilizations and their demise sends a warning to the microcosm of islands. In order to develop sustainability islands (and nations) must balance their natural resources with their economic aspirations. Diamond’s premise is that islands serve as a microcosm of the earth, as the time span for resource depletion on islands is often much shorter than the world as a whole. (For a more in depth discussion on this topic, please see this earlier post.)
[image source: NASA]
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