Archive for November, 2010
China Develops First Fuel Cell Light Rail Locomotive
The train is powered by an advanced permanent-magnet motor and hydrogen fuel cells, which are used to power the synchronous motor and frequency converter.
Sustainable Holiday Practices
Americans throw away 25% more trash during Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday season than at any other time of the year. This amounts to 25 million tons of trash! In an effort to help reduce this waste, Kanu Hawaii and Kokua Hawaii Foundation have teamed up for the third year to challenge people to Simplify the Holidays. Here are their suggestions.
- Use a locally grown or potted Christmas tree.
- Get off junk mail lists to save paper, trees, and our climate.
- Use reusable or biodegradable products instead of disposables for my parties.
- Set up recycling bins at my holiday parties.
- Give four gifts of plants or food instead of buying other items.
- Give three gifts of time (e.g., ukulele lessons or a massage) instead of buying items.
- Start an eco-friendly holiday tradition.
- Reuse materials like newspaper, paper bags, maps, etc., for gift wrapping.
- Package gifts in reusable bags.
- Use energy-efficient LED Christmas lights to decorate my home or tree.
- Create holiday cards from reusable materials or send paperless greetings via e-mail.
- Organize a Secret Santa gift exchange, instead of buying gifts for all of my friends, family, coworkers, etc..
- Make three gifts instead of buying new items.
- Shop for gently used gifts instead of buying new items.
- Combine errands to use less fuel.
- Take my own reusable bag for all shopping purposes.
- Make at least one donation to a local non-profit on behalf of friends and family.
- Give three needed items to less fortunate families.
- Volunteer at least three hours of my time.
- Recycle my Christmas tree as green waste.
- Bring a 100% local dish to a holiday party.
- Host an Eat Local holiday party.
- Shop at locally owned stores.
- Purchase handmade gifts from local artisans and crafters.
- Journal on kanuhawaii.org about my efforts to simplify the holidays.
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Dec. 1 Hearing on Widening the Piilani Highway
Wednesday, December 1
6:30 PM
Kihei Elementary cafeteria
The Hawaii Department of Transportation will hold a “public informational meeting” about widening Piilani Highway from two lanes to four lanes between Kilohana Drive and Wailea Ike Drive.
Questions expected to be addressed are:
– Is the benefit of widening strictly for the benefit of Wailea 670 and Makena Resort?
– Who will pay for this project?
– Is it lawful for the state to pay public funds for a change that primarily benefits private companies?
3rd Year’s planting at Kihei Elementary School Garden
Contact our School Garden Committee if you’d like to help at the garden.
Locavore Potluck & “Two Angry Moms” movie
Dinner & A Movie
Thursday, December 9
6:00 PM
Kihei Charter School [map]
Back to our usual 2nd Thursday of the month, join us for a fun and educational evening featuring great food and a movie about improving the food our kids eat. And pick up a few Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) to go!
We’ll start off at 6:00 with a food prep demo by Chef Andrea of Whole Foods. She will demonstrate an item that could be part of a healthy school lunch made of local ingredients like mac nut butter, apple banana and honey sandwiches on HomeMaid Bakery bread.
At 6:30, we’ll socialize and enjoy the potluck local dishes that everyone has brought. Please bring a dish to share made from predominantly Hawaii Grown/Produced ingredients. It should be labeled for ingredients and boldly noted if it is VEGAN, CONTAINS MEAT, etc. Please make the effort to have your dish on the table prior to 6:30 so everyone can share the food. This is also a trash free event, so bring your own eating utensils.
After a quick dinner (7:00 P.M.) we’ll be showing the movie, Two Angry Moms. This is a true documentary about (you guessed it) two angry moms who decided to try to change school lunch programs. Learn more about what our kids are fed at school and what we can do about it.
UH Maui College’s Go Green Club, in an arrangement with the Blue Planet Foundation is giving away free CFLs. The Go Green Club, is made up of students involved in greening the UH Maui College through such planned initiatives as setting up a office paper recycling on the campus, will receive $400 for their club from the Foundation by collecting the names of people receiving the bulbs. We’ll have bulbs at our event and all you need to do is submit your name.
Everyone is invited. Follow the SMS blue and yellow signs from Pi’ilani Highway and Ohukai to find the high school.
South Maui Sustainability 