Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 2, 1 February 2010 — A future without oil? [ARTICLE]

A future without oil?

So many of us in Hawai'i are working on transitioning to lifestyles that will work well in the eoming, post-oil eeonomy. Naney Redfeather has her Hawai'i Island Sehool Garden Network, whieh supports teaehers and students who plant gardens. Jerry Konanui speaks on growing kalo. Our E Mālama 'Āina festival, the Thirty Meter Teleseope, Geothermal Energy - all will help our people as oil priees eonhnue to rise and everything gets even more expensive. Regarding geothermal - it's eheap, the priee will not go up and it is a revenue souree for the state and OHA. It will help low-ineome folks keep their lights on, and we won't have to tum off air eonditioning in our keiki's elassrooms beeause the priee of eleetrieity has heeome prohibitive. Puna Geothermal Venture already pays the state around $3.5 million annually. The Offiee of Hawaiian Affairs eurrently reeeives $700,000 a year from geothermal. No other renewable energy sourees return money to either the state or to OHA. We need to do what's in our best interest. If we don't choose geothermal, we're going to get the mueh more expensive option foisted on us - biofuels - and we'll have to pay the eostly bills. This should not be determined by speeial interest groups. Let's all speak up. Richard Ha President, Hāmākua Springs Country Farms Pepe'ekeo, Hawai'i lsland

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