Detractors of sustainable living are still out there. They say it's expensive, a sacrifice and too little too late. But families across the state are breaking down these stereotypes and proving that sustainability is a simple, realistic choice and that there are many ways to go about living a sustainable lifestyle, all with merit. A PV system isn't the end all, be all of sustainable living. There are so many more ways that we can all participate, like planting a garden and eating locally sourced food. How about volunteering for a nonprofit organization or education our kids about sustainable choices? Drive less, conserve water, compost, use a reusable container when you pick up take out food“they are all individual choices that build the foundation for broad-based sustainability in any community.

The bottom line is that a sustainable lifestyle should add to your quality of life, so the best thing to do is to adapt the choices into your life that work the best for you and your family. And where does the identity of family and self reside and become most apparent? In the home. It's a comfortable place to project who we are and what we stand for. So applaud your friends, family and neighbors that are living sustainably and sharing their trials and successes, because they are the drivers“you are the driver“for a better Hawai'i and a better tomorrow.

The Pragmatist :: Greg Koob

"Sustainability is having as little impact in the world as possible and putting back as much as you take out."

Greg Koob has lived a life of horticulture and environmental consciousness, going back to childhood. When he came to Hawai'i 25 years ago, his interested was focused on protecting native plants and endangered species. Now, as state biologist for the entire Pacific region under the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Greg was finally able to purchase his first home and selected an affordable Kalihi Valley residence that was in tune with his sustainable lifestyle.

The quaint, two-bedroom one-bath home had been recently remodeled, prior to his purchase, with upgrades like wood flooring and granite counter tops, but it was the expansive 5,000-square foot yard and proximity to his office that really captured his eye. Greg drives a Prius, but only on the weekends. He rides his bike to his downtown office, an eight-mile roundtrip. And being a vegetarian (for environmental reasons) his garden affords him the luxury of growing almost all the food he eats, save for a few necessities like tofu and flour. Using a simple 4' x 4' raised bed and a mixed planting approach to gardening, he produces a handful of fruits and vegetables like collards, kale, a variety of tomatoes, beans, lettuce, papaya, radishes, leeks, onions squash, bok choy and a host of herbs, just a fraction of his backyard harvest. He even plants perennial flowers to attract pollinators.

For Greg, his harvesting success comes from planting the right plants that grow in the locale and replenishing the soil with compost made from his kitchen scraps, yard trimmings and junk mail and paper. With plenty of rain in the valley, he utilizes his five-barrel water catchment system only when his garden requires another drink. Greg has even done away with a gas mower and weed whacker and cuts the grass with an old-fashioned push mower. The quiet pleasure has rubbed off positively on his neighbors, who have taken up the practice as well.

A soft spoken, knowledgeable and humble soul, Greg is naturally a minimal energy user and powers his house with a small, eight-panel photovoltaic system. With Energy Star certified appliance, Energy Star rated reflective shingles on the roof, CFLs throughout the house and his hot water heater operating on a timer for a mere hour a day, Greg's lifestyle is proof that with conviction and conscious choices, anyone can live a truly healthy, sustainable lifestyle with comfort and affordability.

The Newcomers :: Leroy and Kristie Malterre

"Having this new technology in our home, we'll be more energy conscious and more comfortable."

Leroy and Kristie are excited, and understandably so. Eleven years after purchasing a Hawaii Kai fixer-upper, they were finally able to rebuild their dream home. Originally, their plan was to renovate the house, built in 1965, to make room for their two children. But termite and carpenter bee damage and rot was so pervasive, they soon realized that a complete rebuild was in order.

Kristie dove whole-heartedly into researching and finding a contractor for the rebuild. After speaking with over a dozen contractors, Kristie found Mokulua Woodworking, who was able to keep the project within their budget and give them something no other contractors could“a sustainable home, from the ground up. Leroy will admit that his idea of sustainability went only as far as teaching his kids not to litter. Seeing the benefit of building with sustainable materials and principles invoked a complete lifestyle change, and now the family is excited to lead a more sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Their old home was deconstructed to keep as much reusable material out of the waste stream as possible. The slab was left in place and many of the 4' x 6' beams from the old house were salvaged and used as headers above the doorways in the home and trim around the windows, Kristie's idea to bring the good mana from the old home into the new one.

The new house was constructed with radiant barrier and insulation under a reflective-shingle roof, insulation in the walls, double-paned windows and window frames made from recycled content. Materials were cut offsite to reduce waste and recycled content building materials, like outside trim, were used whenever possible. Gutters were installed to collect rainwater and Leroy has plans for a catchment system to water their backyard garden, something his daughter is really excited about. Clothesline drying, no air conditioning, solar hot water, the list goes on and on. And as soon as the house is finished, a photovoltaic system will power the home with clean, renewable energy.

For the Malterre's, their new 2,800-square foot, three-bedroom two-bath home is a mansion. And for Leroy, it's "champagne dreams on a beer budget." We can all toast to that.

The Doer :: Susan Chandler

"If you get personally conscious and change your own behavior, than you can cut into the problem."

Two years ago, when Susan Chandler and her husband put a PV system on their roof, it wasn't for deep-seated moral reasons or purely for the sake of conservation. Their motivation was economic. As director of the Social Sciences Public Policy Center at Saunders Hall on the U.H. at Manoa campus, Susan was involved in the experimental greening of the high-rise building. Each floor kept data and monitored the trends of their energy usage and savings. It was the hands-on participation in the experiment that raised her consciousness toward sustainability.

At their five-bedroom, ridgeline home in Kaimuki, the solar hot water system on the roof seemed like a first step already taken. Susan made a Kanu Hawaii energy pledge to continue to conserve energy at home and use less fossil fuels. A photovoltaic system was the solution. With the federal and state tax credits, the couple was surprised how relatively inexpensive their system was and Susan says they now play a household game, tracking their energy, gas and water usage to get their consumption as low as possible.

With cool trade breezes that weave through the L-shaped home, the Chandler's have never needed air conditioning, so they found other ways to lessen their footprint. They installed Energy Star certified appliances, including a front-loading washing machine and switched to line drying. Living near the top of a high-elevation rise, Susan also made a conscious choice to limit the amount the times she drives down the hill in a day in order to save gas. They even installed solar attic fans to keep the attic cool. She also contacted the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to find out about saving water at home. She received the good news that their water usage was well below normal.

A couple years after that initial energy challenge, her economic decision to install PV has now taken on a deeper meaning and created a greater appreciation of her environment. Susan has become a self-professed sustainability proselytizer, sparking conversation with friends and neighbors. And it seems to have paid off, as her neighbor across the street installed a photovoltaic system and is now living happily at zero energy.

The Educator :: Olin Lagon

"It's the responsibility of parents to engage with their kids in areas of sustainability because these are the values that bring families together, encourage time together and keep things real."

It was 1992, in a Mexican restaurant in Kalihi, when Olin Lagon's wife suggested he read Diet for a New America. The book was a game-changer for him, sparking a new consciousness that still continues to guide his path in life and one that is evident throughout his home. Born and raised in Hawai'i, Olin utilized his educational background in accounting and engineering and is now the director of social ventures for Kanu Hawaii, what he calls social entrepreneurship.

He has woven the thread of sustainability throughout his life, from work to home, and is happy to share his values with his two young boys. Of utmost importance is a hands-on approach to teaching them about sustainability, which starts in the garden. For Olin, it's all about creating a connection to what his family is eating and health. So a few years ago he made a personal pact to plant only edible plants around his home. Now he has herbs, tomatoes, papaya, pomegranate, potatoes and a host of other veggies. In fact, the kids have their own small gardening plot and enjoy eating the fruits of their labor.

Inside his 2,000-square foot residence, Olin has been strategically working over the years to create a zero energy home, taking small, measured steps. They use cloth napkins and have no paper products in their kitchen and utilize the consistent trade winds to cool their home, sans air conditioning. With skylights for natural light, Energy Star certified appliances and a solar hot water heating system, Olin knew that the next step was a photovoltaic system. They planned to install solar in phases to take advantage of the tax credits, but with a stroke of good fortune, were selected by the Blue Planet Foundation's home energy challenge to receive a 24-panel photovoltaic system to power their home. Their house was also retrofitted for LED lighting throughout.

For Olin, saving energy always pencils out. The upfront investment is a small price to pay for a system that at some point is basically free. He believes that for a switch to renewable energy to really take hold, people need to change their thinking to rationalize the upfront cost. Olin holds up his electric bill and it's evident that there's a blossom of pride to see a blank statement with a minimal $16 flat rate connection fee.