Hawaii
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In partnership with |
CONTACT
chair(at)apollokauai.org
NEWS FLASH: Apollo Kaua’i’s former Chair, Ben Sullivan, was elected to the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative Board. Ben stepped down from being the Apollo Kaua’i Chair to run for the Board the first time last year. This year, he garnered the most votes as a strong advocate of clean, renewable energy.
MISSION: The mission of Apollo Kaua’i is to promote energy efficiency and conservation and the use of appropriate renewable energy resources at the local and state levels through education, advocacy, demonstration and legislation to improve sustainability, livability and prosperity on Kaua’i.
AGENDA
We are a group of concerned citizens fostering a secure energy future for Kauai. The group was established three years ago with the encouragement of State Rep. Mina Morita and the national Apollo Alliance, whose mission is to bring energy independence to the US within a decade. Our dependence on fossil fuels, imported from around the globe, has become a debilitating addiction, a motivation for the invasion of other countries, a burden to our national economy, and devastation to our global environment. Kaua`i is especially vulnerable. From our tourist-based jet-fuel economy, to our already costly electricity, to the food we eat and the products we buy, we depend precariously on cheap oil. The consequences of our unrestrained use of fossil fuel are only beginning to be felt environmentally with our polluted air and water, acid rain, and accelerating climate change. For the benefit of our children and ourselves and the life of the land, it is imperative that we look again to our own aina to give us what is needed to sustain life.
WHAT’S IN THE WORKS
Apollo Kaua’i is working towards a sustainable Kauai including the following issue areas:
- increasing public transportation,
- reducing energy use in water and wastewater,
- eliminating solid waste,
- feeding ourselves with local farming, and
- rethinking relationships to our living systems.
We continue to promote a maximum 3R strategy (reduce, reuse and recycle) in order to divert resources from going to Kauai’s landfill by:
- Maximize Source Reduction Program;
- Expanding & maximizing recycling program;
- Passing legislation banning single-use plastic bags and plastic water bottles;
- Integrating curbside green-waste pick-up.
We are generating comments on Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan to push for a 70 percent recycle rate (vs. the Plan’s 35 percent rate)that will negate the need of a very expensive waste-to-energy plant.
PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Held a very successful forum on February 10, 2009 titled “Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative- What it means for Kaua’i.” A full house of over 120 people attended and listened excitedly to the speakers who presented discussion on the Kaua’i Planning and Action Alliance has posted the presentations.
- Participation & collaboration in the annual KIUC Candidate Forum.
- Continued advocacy for the Kaua’i Bus, the most recent campaign resulting in a half-million dollar increase in the Kaua’i Bus’ annual operating budget for ‘08 and ‘09.
- Extensive study and discussion of Kaua’i County’s solid waste management options and promotion of alternatives to landfilling and waste incineration.
- Review of various energy projects proposed by KIUC, including a wind farm being studied for Moloa’a.
- Hosted several community events focused on resource consumption and the rebirth of a sustainable island culture for Kaua’i.
- Held educational meetings on a variety of subjects, including energy conservation strategies, hydropower, solar hot water, and photovoltaic installations.
