No perfect solution
There is no such thing as perfect energy production.
We all know fossil fuel power plants belch massive emissions. Wind and solar are great as long as the breeze is blowing and the sun is out. Geothermal may or may not come back to Puna. Ocean thermal energy conversion has lots of promise, but still needs work to scale up.
There are other new technologies that we must watch on the horizon. But in the meantime, the quicker we can get off fossil fuels, the better. Projects like the biomass plant in Pepeekeo and the new solar farms with batteries marry the reliability and control of fossil fuel plants with a renewable fuel source.
The time for renewable energy is now, and it will take a whole bunch of projects to get us off fossil fuels.
From me and my family, on behalf of my kids and grandkids, mahalo to the companies building the new solar farms and the Hu Honua biomass plant.
Wendell Ka‘ehu‘ae‘a
Hilo
‘Political will’
I appreciate John Burnett’s report about the inaugural Hawaii Climate Conference in Honolulu (Tribune-Herald, Jan. 15).
Deputy chairman of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands William Aila Jr.’s remarks regarding the “lack of political will” are completely on target.
Coincidentally, on Monday evening a dozen or more individuals, concerned about the effects of climate change, gathered at the University of Hawaii at Hilo for the monthly meeting of the Hawaii Island Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. The focus was on journalists’ coverage of conflict issues, and on what Citizens’ Climate Lobby calls the five levers of political will: lobbying, media, grassroots, grasstops and chapter growth.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan, volunteer-based, international group that exists to create the political will for climate solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power. Members learn ways to make their political voices heard in the belief that politicians don’t create political will, people create political will.
For more information, please check out citizensclimatelobby.org, or visit our Citizens’ Climate Lobby table at the Hilo Women’s March on Saturday.
Ron Reilly
Volcano Village