• Sierra Club endorses Ben Sullivan for KIUC • Kauai Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Sierra Club • Think before killing anything Sierra Club endorses Ben Sullivan for KIUC The Kaua‘i Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the
• Sierra Club endorses Ben Sullivan for KIUC
• Kauai Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Sierra Club
• Think before killing anything
Sierra Club endorses Ben Sullivan for KIUC
The Kaua‘i Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Sierra Club is endorsing Ben Sullivan as the preferred candidate for the KIUC Board of Directors.
We believe that this important position takes someone who is not only a visionary (which he is), but one who is educated, grounded and knowledgeable in the area of clean renewable energy.
This is an extraordinary time in our history of electrical energy production. Burning oil for energy is not only a health risk to humans because of air pollution, but greenhouse gases threaten the essential fabric of life on earth through climate change. Rather than digging himself into a hole and dwelling on this potentially disastrous scenario, however, Ben voluntarily co-founded and became the first chairperson of Apollo Kaua‘i.
A grassroots organization, Apollo Kaua‘i over the past 3.5 years has served to educate our community by recognizing and advocating the bright future for clean renewable energy on our island. Potential energy production from wind, solar and water-generated energy elevates Kaua‘i head and shoulders above most of the Mainland. It is acknowledged by initiators of the recent Hawai‘i State Clean Energy Initiative that a concentrated move toward renewables has the potential of making Hawai‘i a leader as well as a role model for green energy worldwide.
According to Sullivan, a petroleum-based future is an uncertain future. We must make ending petroleum dependence a greater focus of our co-op’s efforts over the coming years. Although the co-op has recognized the need for reduced petroleum dependence, they do not go far enough in their analysis. One example: the 2008 Integrated Resource Plan openly admits a heavy reliance on petroleum price forecasts to reach its conclusions. These forecasts, however, are simply not reliable. We cannot afford to run a co-op that depends on a fuel that might cost $30/barrel next year, but (could) as easily cost $300 per barrel.
As KIUC board member, Ben would bring in his skills as an educator to augment KIUC’s energy efficiency and conservation efforts, which he believes are the most cost effective opportunities for energy savings and emissions reduction. In addition to his dedication towards promoting clean renewable energy on Kaua‘i, Ben is committed to furthering community involvement in co-op decisions.
In our opinion, his enthusiasm, knowledge, vision, community focus and practical business experience make Ben Sullivan the best choice for the KIUC Board of Directors.
Gabriela Taylor, Conservation chair
Kauai Group of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Sierra Club
Limit driving on the beach?
Driving on the beach is something we all should be able to enjoy and should only be restricted in certain areas such as protected lands, animal sanctuaries, private or military property (“Limit driving on the beach,” Letters, March 5).
In order to get our family and friends down to portions of the beach, we have to drive as the walk would take hours. Some of us fish and need to get our gear to certain parts of the beach.
Unfortunately, there are always going to be people that abuse the right and we need to concentrate on those individuals. Impose a 5 mile per hour speed limit on the sand. Maybe put up warning signs that vehicles without four-wheel drive will get stuck. I’m sure that a tourist getting stuck in the sand will not affect tourism in any way, but signs will at least warn them of what they are getting themselves into. It’s understandable that police can not patrol all beaches all the time with its limited resources.
To get rid of those individuals that can’t respect those around them, I propose if the public witnesses an unsafe act by a driver on the beach, we record their license plate for the police. They are placed on a list. After three reports from separate individuals a letter is sent to the driver and their beach-driving privileges are suspended for a period of time. If caught by authorities or reported by the public again, the individuals are ticketed for reckless driving as witnessed by the public. I would guess that anyone that is willing to report the act would be willing to be called as a witness in this case. Almost all of us have cell phone cameras that take video. Use it to record the act as proof of the driver’s actions.
By making it illegal to drive on the beach, we would be punishing everyone. Let’s punish the people that can’t follow the rules and don’t have respect for the people around them for once.
Adam Orens, Kapa‘a
Think before killing anything
There once was a man from Kansas who didn’t like roosters crowing. With a shotgun he killed 14 hens and three roosters and the neighbors cheered with each blast.
The stench was profound and their arrogance increased until their homes were invaded by hordes of centipedes which had formerly been controlled by the chickens. Likewise spraying herbicides to kill weeds opens up the soil to more erosion, more poison in the soil, siltification of the reefs, killing limu, coral and aquatic life.
Think it over before you kill anything. The life you save may be your own.
Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka ‘Aina I Ka Pono. The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Kawika Moki, Kekaha
