Wednesday, October 9, 2013

3: Sustainability

Water in Hawaii:
Fresh water is the most basic cornerstone of civilization. In Hawaii, rain in the mountains has carved rivers over millions of years, and those pathways carry fresh water to the sea. And while an abundance of water is one of Hawaii's many blessings, the disparity between some of the wettest places and some of the driest has made the management of fresh water resources critical. Systems to divert, store and deliver that water have allowed for the proliferation of crops like pineapple and sugar and for development into areas far from natural streams.




The Latest report: The Hawaii Supreme Court will rule on how much water can be taken by Hawaii's last sugar plantation and how much must remain in four of Maui's biggest streams. In recent years, scales have started to tip in favor of small landowners in the fight for control of this public resource.


Solar Energy: 
Little by little Solar Energy has become of great use in Hawaii. Hawaii is determined to become one of the highest users of solar energy. The tropical location of Hawaii provides lots of sun energy that stands to be utilized more effectively in the future.  Oahu Wind Integration Study has release a report detailing the impact of solar power could provide Oahu up to 25% of its electricity while eliminating the need to burn approximately 2.8 million barrels of low sulfur fuel oil and 132,000 tons of coal each year. As of today, Hawaii has a renewable portfolio standard of 40% renewable energy by 2030. 



Wind Energy:
Wind power is a big part of the renewable energy for Hawaii. Wind power in Hawaii has the potential to provide all of the electricity used in the U.S state of Hawaii. It was concur that in 2011, Hawaii had the potential to generate all energy used in the state from wind and solar power.




Geothermal Energy:
Politicians and corporate lobbyist announced the benefits promised by a geothermal industrial buildup. they claim that geothermal energy is safe and clean, provides greater energy security, provides more jobs and that it will lower electricity costs. However there has been controversies about geothermal energy in Hawaii. Some claim that geothermal is fracking (hydraulic fracturing) while others say that it had produces clean efficient energy for the past years. there has been reports of local residents saying that they are beginning to suspect that the popular claim of Hawaii's geothermal energy being clean and safe, may ultimately rely on a lack of independent monitoring and reporting. 


Sources: Civilbeat.com/topics/water-in-hawaii
hawaiireporter.com-geothermal-energy

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