Pollution continues to contaminate the water across America's beaches, causing 2,352 closing and advisory days in Hawai'i last year and 18,682 nationwide according to the 20th annual beachwater quality report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Beachwater pollution nationwide causes a range of waterborne illnesses in swimmers including stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems. full story

When the Kai Kanani was found anchored on a damaged section of coral and live rock reef in 2007, the owners of the boat, Makena Boat Patners, were found liable for the damage and as part of their settlement, agreed to donate of $130,000 to conservation efforts. The Board of Land and Natural Resource awarded the money to Hawai'i community environmental groups Makai Watch Program and Malama Kai Foundation. full story

Kona Brewing Company, a Hawai'i-born and Hawai'i-based craft brewery, has always had sustainability in mind: brewing the freshest beer closest to market, which helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. In recent months Kona Brewing Company has seen several of its environmental initiatives reach fruition. In October, both of its pubs on the Big Island and O'ahu became Certified Green Restaurants by the Green Restaurant Association and in December the brewery made Hawai'i's first certified organic beer. Now they can boast that their Kailua-Kona brewery and pub is the first beer production facility in Hawai'i to go solar.
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The push to bring electric vehicles to Hawai'i's roadways has been somewhat of a "chicken or the egg" conundrum. Before electric vehicles were readily available to the public, entrepreneurs considered installing a charging network to service electric vehicles, but the charging network was a hard sell without electric vehicles on the road to utilize them. Fortunately, Nissan came to the table with a mass-produced electric vehicle: the egg is about to hatch. full story

The heart and soul of Ira Rohter's A Green Hawai'i: Sourcebook for Development Alternatives lies within these lines, "The people of planet Earth began, in the 21st century, to create a wide-ranging public discussion emphasizing the interrelationship between environment, energy, food production, population, and more democratic institutions and political forms. Hawai'i was at the forefront of this profound change in consciousness." Written in 1992, Rohter's eloquent and profoundly hopeful manifesto was clearly ahead of its time. full story

As our eating and food purchasing habits shift and support flourishes for locally grown food and farmers, so does the manner in which we obtain our produce. A new link between farmer and consumer has developed in Hawai'i and community supported agriculture (CSA) is taking root with vigor. full story

The Department of Land and Natural Resources formalized a new partnership with public and private landowners to form the Wai'anae Mountains Watershed Partnership, a joint effort to protect, restore and enhance the Wai'anae Mountains watershed from the ridge to the sea while incorporating traditional, cultural and community values. The members include DLNR, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Gill-Olson Joint Venture, Ka'ala Farm, MA'O Organic Farms and the United States Army Garrison, Hawai'i and United States Navy Region. full story

Getting out of doors and enjoying Hawai'i's natural beauty is a cornerstone to a healthy life and sustainable living. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks, as part of their Recreational Renaissance initiative, just made the logistics of camping in state parks that much easier. full story

In a crucial decision, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the North Shore of O'ahu's sensitive coastal environment by requiring the Kuilima Resort Company to supplement the 25-year-old environmental impact statement (EIS) that was to be used for the widely contested Turtle Bay Resort expansion. full story

Lester Brown is a man on a mission. From his humble beginnings as a tomato farmer during high school, food and our dependency on the natural environment to provide it have been at the core of his life's work. In 1955 after earning a degree at Rutgers University in agricultural science he went to India where he saw in rural communities the deep interdependencies between food, population and the natural environment. full story

Sustainability has many faces throughout the community, an important one being the support for local business. In an unprecedented alliance, Aloha Air Cargo is extending the hand of partnership to the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF), helping local farmers and producers of local goods ship their products across the state at a discounted rate.
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When the Kihei Elementary School science class, led by Alana Kaopuiki and South Maui Sustainability (SMS) volunteers, decided to plant an edible garden last year, they had no idea of the community support, success and tasty produce that it would foster. Fast forward a growing season and school principal Alvin Shima has called for the expansion of the garden and the program to all Kihei Elementary students.
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"There are more than six billion of us on Earth, and there will be no sustainable development if we cannot manage to live together," comments French photographer/filmmaker Yann Anthus-Bertrand, in reference to his latest film, Six Billion Others - Climate Voices. full story

GREEN: Hawai'i's Sustainable Living Magazine is proud to be a Presenting Sponsor of the first annual Square Foot Gardening (SFG) Teacher Certification Training in Hawai'i. This one-of-a-kind training course will be led by Square Foot Gardening Founder Mel Bartholomew on May 20 - 22, 2010 at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of O'ahu. full story

Honolulu's mass transit plan to construct an elevated rail system, which is projected to alleviate road traffic by 30,000 vehicles, is moving ahead quicker than planned. In October, the City and County of Honolulu awarded the first of several construction contracts to Kiewit Pacific Company. full story

A gentleman wearing a light blue aloha shirt smiles at the omelet chef and places his order, "Mushrooms, tomatoes, chives and basil, please." full story

Filling up your gas tank with petroleum-based fuel may seem like an unavoidable fact of life. Regular, supreme or diesel, it really doesn't matter, they're all derived from the same ill fated and nearly exhausted source—oil. But although options may be slim for the time being, this doesn't have to be the case. full story

The Surfrider Foundation is celebrating 25 years at the forefront of the environmental and political fight to save beaches and coastlines across the globe from development. They are planning a huge bash in Los Angeles, Calif. where long-time supporter Eddie Vedder will be awarded the prestigious Wave Maker Award. full story

In 1996, the EV1, an electric car built by GM, began to appear all over California. These cars were fast, quiet, stylish, and produced no exhaust. Even more amazing, they ran without any gas at all. You simply plugged in your car at home or at a charging station and a full charge would yield 100 miles of driving. Imagine never having to pump gas again. Your car could charge while you slept and if your house could be powered with renewable energy... the possibility for a fossil free life was nearing reality. full story

The Big Island is aptly named not just because of its size, but because the island leads the state in renewable energy generation with 32 percent of their energy coming from renewable resources, mainly geothermal power. Unfortunately, the county itself is one of the biggest users of energy on the island, according to Mayor William P. Kenoi. The county recently acknowledged their grandiose energy budget and decided to scale back in more ways than one.
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I pulled my faded blue kayak down the sandy beach access-public access sign defaced to confuse and ward off tourists-slid it down the seven, steep wooden stairs and right to the edge of the water. Moku Nui was just to the southeast from my windswept perch on Lanikai's affluent shore. The wind was howling at 25 knots, the surf was 4 to 6 feet, just below advisory levels, and the gray sky was warning of rain. Dreading the paddle into the wind, I was already thinking about the way back. full story

Solar power technology has been around for a long time, but its popularity among consumers as an alternative source of energy has grown tremendously in the last few years. No doubt that solar tax credits, originally enacted by Congress in 2005, were a contributing force in solar's rise to energy-efficient stardom. full story

Solar power technology has been around for a long time, but its popularity among consumers as an alternative source of energy has grown tremendously in the last few years. No doubt that solar tax credits, originally enacted by Congress in 2005, were a contributing force in solar's rise to energy-efficient stardom. full story

In a move to reach the goals set by the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI)ó70 percent clean energy for the state by 2030óHawaiian Electric Company and sustainability mobility operator Better Place have teamed up to create an electric-car network for Hawai'i. The proposed network is only the second in the nation, serving as a blue print for other states and continuing Hawai'i's role as a leader in reducing dependency on foreign oil and utilizing renewable energy resources. full story

When it comes to fish and coral reef ecology, Dr. Alan Friedlander is one of the most sought after experts in his field. Focusing on the conservation of nearshore fisheries and community-based fisheries management, Dr. Friedlander is leading the charge to establish marine reserves throughout Hawai'i to increase fish populations and preserve the health of entire ecosystems. full story

An agreement between The Nature Conservancy and Ponoholo Ranch, a 96-acre parcel consisting of a long plateau along the rim of Honokane Valley at elevations between 3,400 and 3,800 feet, will help protect a one-of-kind population of Hawaiian tree snails in the Kohala region of the island of Hawai'i. full story

Wednesday, Jan. 21 marks the first of two statewide bi-annual waterbird surveys across the state of Hawai'i. Conducted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the survey covers more than 250 wetland sites, including marshes, reservoirs, golf course canals, prawn farms and even the Honolulu International Airport's reef runway. full story

Long time Hawai'i developer Castle & Cooke Inc. has ambitious green plans for Lana'i. They want the island, of which they own about 98 percent, to be powered completely by solar power by 2020. And with their recent completion of the state's largest single-site solar farm, Lana'i is on its way to that goal. full story