Eco-All Star's January Challenge-A Maui Perspective

The Hawaiian Islands are located farther from a continental land mass than any other island chain in the world. It is an important point to consider as we continue to rely on imported fossil fuels and imported food for our day to day living. Island home owners can make choices that will improve our self sufficiency and reduce our carbon footprint. The native Hawaiians were able to sustain a large population through the local environment. It is time that current residents start the steady shift back to this model of living.

Here are a few options that homeowners could take to make their island lifestyles more sustainable:

1) Improve your water heater. Electric water heaters are energy hogs plain and simple. Consider a solar water heater or an on demand water heater. The high cost of utilities on the island speeds the return on investement when installing any sort of device that improves your efficiency. It of course also means less demand for fossil fuels through the utility companies.

2) Power your house through a complete photovoltaic system or a wind turbine. Maui and Hawaii in general offer copious amounts of sun and wind. As with solar water heaters, return on investment for these upgrades is shorter due to high utility prices. Hawaii utility prices are quick to rise and slow to decrease. Until we reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, that is unlikely to change.

3) Plant a garden. Maui offers a year round growing season making your backyard an ideal spot for a veggie garden. If you have a little less space, a container garden will grow well even on the lanai of a condo. If you have a little more space, consider planting some fruit trees. Citrus, banana, avocado, papaya and mango all grow well throughout much of our beautiful island. If you really want to take the next step, consider a small chicken coop or some goats. They provide protein and manure to fertilize your garden. If you are looking for inspiration, the Dervaes family urban homestead in Pasadena shows how much you can do in even a small space. Growing your own food decreases our dependence on imported food, and it reduces your bill when you go to the grocery store. Imported fruits and veggies can be expensive!

The one area where this list is lacking is when it comes to new construction. While there are a few companies like Bamboo Technologies that have addressed green home construction on Maui, there is still considerable work to be done. While I have seen a few high end homes earn LEED status on Maui, sustainable design has been lacking on the low end. This is where the designs of Brad Pitt and the Make it Right Foundation would be a boon to a community like Maui. Maui developers are scheduled to build a significant number of affordable housing units on island over the next few years. Wouldn't it be nice if these homes were green and affordable? The designs would need little or no modification as our sub tropical climate is somewhat similar to New Orleans. The New Orleans homes are built on stilts, but it appears that they could be modified pretty quickly to be post and pier construction which is predominant throughout much of Hawaii. Were the Make it Right Foundation to sell these designs to Maui developers, the proceeds would help underwrite the cost of construction in the 9th Ward. It could be a true win win for all parties.

It is time for Maui and Hawaii to embrace green. Not only does it hold the opportunity to help the environment, over the long run it may very well save island home owners money.