At Honua Ola, the Facts Matter
In her letter to the editor (“RIP power plant,” Tribune-Herald, Your Views, July 31), Adrienne Dey praises Henry Curtis — who has opposed renewable energy projects all over the state — for jeopardizing Honua Ola.
As someone who grew up on the Hamakua Coast, I am proud to be an employee of Honua Ola. We can put up to 30 megawatts of renewable firm power on the grid 24/7. Curtis and Dey wrongly claim Honua Ola will clear cut entire forests, as if we are some tree-killing monster. The non-native eucalyptus trees we use were planted as crops for industrial use when sugar ended. They were meant to be used as fuel, lumber or even paper.
Eucalyptus, a fast-growing tree, reaches maturity in 10 years. Like any crop, when it’s ready, it’s harvested, and a new crop is planted for future harvest. Carefully managing this harvest cycle ensures we always have more than enough. We are growing more trees than those we harvest, doubling down on future harvest.
Also, Curtis and Dey do not understand the carbon cycle. As trees grow, they snatch carbon dioxide from the air. Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide into usable energy for the tree, and whatever isn’t used is stored. When the tree dies and decomposes, this stored carbon is eventually released back into the atmosphere as greenhouse gas.
Instead of letting the trees die and release these gasses, we combust them and use the thermal output to spin a generator. Because we are growing more trees than we harvest, new growth will take in more carbon dioxide. So, more carbon dioxide is taken in than released, making Honua Ola carbon-neutral or negative.
Unlike other renewable energy projects on the Big Island, Honua Ola delivers its energy with a process that takes the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and actively reduces this gas that causes global warming.
Derek Petrowski
Instrumentation, electrical and controls technician,
Honua Ola Bioenergy
Trump the dictator
I would like to thank Pam Wilson for her Aug. 9 letter (Tribune-Herald, Your Views), pointing out how we, as a free nation, are in trouble.
I agree. Look at what President Trump has done. He broke up peaceful protests in Washington, D.C., with the use of military. He sent troops to Portland under a false guise of protecting federal property but only to incite the protesters and make things more volatile. He is using the military for his agenda, and it’s just a start. He is letting us know he can and will do it for whatever is on his agenda and will not go through Congress, basically eliminating our voice.
He has made it clear that he intends to stay in office no matter what it takes, openly and admittedly defunding the postal service to cripple mail-in-voting in order to manipulate the election!
He has a team of lawyers working to challenge the outcome when he loses. He keeps everything in turmoil so we are divided (divide and conquer!). He has said in January that he thought he should stay in office past the eight-year limit.
Wake up, America! Write to anyone you know here or on the mainland, whatever party, and have them contact their Congress person in Washington to stop this guy this election. If we don’t, we will have a permanent president (dictator).
James Lehner
Keaau