This year has proven once again that we cannot rely on our legislators and officials to produce progressive laws and policies for our Islands. There have been discouraging attempts to turn some of our state’s very best farmland into subdivisions.
From worms eating food waste at Hokulani Elementary to the Science Learning Center at Mililani High School to the aquaponics of Kalani High School, schools all over Hawaii are incorporating environmental education and practices into their curriculum. The collective impact can bring huge savings, as our schools are the state’s third largest energy consumer and produce heaps of waste.
Of course, this doesn’t mean literally painting your kid’s school green. But it does beg the question: What really is a green school?
RESOURCES Department of Environmental Services, Opala Learning Center Provides educational tools for school recycling projects and programs. Holds a Discover Recycling Event for teachers (next event is Saturday, Sept.
Kamehameha and Punahou Schools both sit mauka of the Honolulu plain, high in the Kapalama hills and in the lap of Manoa Valley, respectively. With the still-verdant Koolau watershed at their backs, and facing sea views spliced by skyscrapers, both campuses provide ideal platforms for contemplating what damage we have done to our island environment–and how we might still save it.
How can we tell if an island is sustainable or not? All islands are net importers, meaning residents depend on external resources to survive, so they tend to be less sustainable compared to a self-sufficient continent.
Going green doesn’t just mean you’ve met all the requirements on the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) State Energy Office’s checklist. In reality, it means these businesses have made a commitment to Hawaii, and to themselves, to make a difference–to stop polluting our ‘aina and over-exhausting our resources.
Even institutions of higher education are hard at work to secure our sustainable future, by offering curriculum and degrees in sustainability. The University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii Pacific Univeristy are no longer just preparing students to be proficient in one discipline, but rather teaching them to be environmentally responsible citizens who can make a difference in most any field he or she may choose.
Since arriving in the Islands five years ago, I’ve realized just how precious and irreplaceable the ‘aina truly is. And instead of sucking the life out of it, I decided to transform my habits to resonate with a more sustainable mantra–a process that has benefitted Hawaii and my pocketbook.
2012 Winners Gold Group Atlantis Adventures (Navatek I)–Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Trilogy Excursions–Maui Volcano Discovery–Hawaii Silver Group Hawaiian Paddle Sports (Maui) Hike Maui (Maui) Jack’s Diving Locker (Hawaii) Kayak Kauai–Kauai Kualao Ranch–Oahu Pacific Islands Institute–Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai Wild Side Specialty Tours–Oahu Bronze Group Annette’s Adventures–Oahu Bike Hawaii–Oahu Hawaii Forest & Trail–Hawaii A pilot project for eco-tourism in Hawaii, The Hawaii Ecotourism Association’s (HEA) green certification program recently awarded 14 tour companies their first-ever green certifications. Funding for the project came from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and Lt.
On Saturday, Feb. 26, the Weekly took part in the popular eco-adventure known as whale watching aboard the Navetek I.
While you’re renting that bike or hybrid car, making reservations at that eco-friendly B&B and ordering your gluten-free vegetarian in-flight meal, don’t neglect to prepare for your green vacation in another way: internally. You may have noticed: Otherwise genial adults become surly, impatient, me-me-me embodiments of ugliness when they travel.
No one knows aloha shirts like Dale Hope. Author, designer and manufacturer, Hope grew up in the clothing business under his parents and published the famous book The Aloha Shirt in 2000, exploring the history and stories behind the iconic fashion icon.
From traditional aloha shirts to contemporary LADs (Little Aloha Dresses), Hawai’i offers a diverse range of high-quality island wear. Here are a few proud stores for customers who value only the best of the best.
Driven, visionary, local. We caught up with some of Honolulu’s most expressive male talent as their designs continue to hit the pavement.
“Fashion is inescapable.” First job in fashion? An internship with Hawaii RED Magazine. I was a styling intern and owe most of my networking skills to Maile Moran.
“Fashion is an expression of who we are and what we are passionate about.” First job in fashion? In Amsterdam, actually.
Designer Florencia Arias Adds to Chinatown’s Diverse Culture Coming from a tropical climate herself, Argentinian Florencia Arias feels simpatico with Hawaii, but her easy-looking clothes hide a lot of hard work. Arias distinguishes her clothing with a sensuality that is prevalent in much of Latin American style–form-fitting but not skin-tight, with peek-a-boo detailing that still leaves much to the imagination.
La Muse Leads High Art and Design into Fashion It’s obvious that La Muse owner Julia Chu had a strong vision for her store. At the time this story was written, La Muse had only been open for three weeks.
Milk & Honey Carries Local and International Designs With new boutiques popping up in Chinatown on a seemingly regular basis, Milk & Honey still causes one to do a double-take while walking by. A peek inside reveals beautifully stained hardwood floors and an open space that appears larger than most Chinatown boutiques, with high, airy ceilings and a depth that allow plenty of roomy exploration of clothing and accessories.
Katrina Langford’s Designs Endure Over Time When your clothing company’s history evolves with the stages of your life, you know you’ve become a fashion industry veteran of sorts. Katrina Langford used be known in the business as Katrina Bodnyk before she got married in 2009.
When Jams World founder David Rochlen asked his wife to make him customized, colorful surf shorts PJ-style, they were so funky-cool that they made all his other surfing buddies jealous. And so, the Jams World clothing line was founded in 1964, offering a twist to traditional aloha wear that even Dale Hope, master Yoda expert and author of The Aloha Shirt, approves, “They do an excellent job!” The clothes are made in Kalihi, but sell wholesale all over the world due to popular demand.
When Hawaii Fashion Incubator (HiFi) opened in 2006 as a fashion community resource, owners Toby Portner and Melissa White envisioned having a studio someday that would offer more facilities to designers. On March 3, their dream becomes a reality as HiFi’s CO-OP officially opens in Ward Warehouse as a central resource for designers to work, learn, hold events and more.
So what do you do if you’re a band who made it big in the L.A. hardcore-punk scene with several critically acclaimed self-titled albums under your belt?
Last Thursday, Foster the People sent news through their publicist that they won’t be performing at Audio Invasion 2012 due to “unforeseen circumstances.” (They’ll return to Hawaii on March 18.) Rumors are their two Grammy noms for Best Alternative Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance led to their cancellation. What a let down.
With roots planted in the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and a presence that extends through the entire archipelago, the military’s influence in Hawaii is surpassed only by tourism. The military controls some 236,000 acres throughout the state, including 25 percent of the land mass of Oahu, and thousands of square miles of surrounding airspace and sea.
“I’m having a hard time not swearing right now,” Spike Kane says in his UK accent, all smiles after his first surf session at the second annual Hawaii “They Will Surf Again” event hosted by the Life Rolls On Foundation (LRO). “It just feels so good to be in the water again.” Kane beams.
Into Willie Sabel’s vast and detailed set enter a cast of rippled sweatshirts and oversized shoulder-pads, thanks to Dusty Behner’s sense of color and history, and Lisa Ponce de Leon’s especially-80s hairstyles. A few of the bunch even manage to hold-their-own against the largeness that is the setting of Dividing the Estate, the newest show to hit Manoa Valley Theatre.
Mayumi Oda, an artist often dubbed the “Matisse of Japan,” is a petite woman with boundless ambitions. In the book Merciful Sea: 45 Years of Serigraphs by Mayumi Oda, meetings with intensely raw and passionate artists, including Ginsberg, Rothko and De Kooning, triggered her to reflect, “I am small.
Everything’s coming up mangoes. And last week, we joined the crowd at Foster Botanical Garden to witness the first-ever Honolulu blossoming of Amorphophallus titanium, nicknamed the “Corpse Flower” for its malodorous, fly-catching bouquet.
Through the years there have been many mayors who’ve aspired to be governor, but for the first time in Honolulu ’s history, a former governor is running for mayor. At Honolulu Hale on Friday, May 18, as he signed the nomination paperwork making him an official candidate for the 2012 race, Cayetano told the room that, back in January, he made his decision quickly.
Important back stories are huddled behind last week’s Star-Advertiser headline, “Federal Judge Narrows Lawsuit on Rail.” Foremost is that the lawsuit will go forward unimpeded. The same substantive points of contention including the most important historic and cultural sites are still at issue.
In announcing his support of same-sex marriage two weeks ago, President Barack Obama reinvigorated a vexed debate. Locally, the wrangle has been deadlocked following the contentious legalization of civil unions and subsequent federal court challenge in January.
Thailand grows 75 percent of the flowers used in Hawaiian-made lei, but a flooding in the country last fall destroyed 80 percent of its orchid crops, according to Summer Campos, co-founder of the Hawaiian Lei Company. Together with the graduation season and the growing popularity of lei on the mainland, “All lei prices have inflated due to the orchid shortage,” Campos says.
Lynne Matusow’s letter [“Goodbye Bus, Hello Rail?” May 16] hit the nail right smack dab on the head. The rail may have its attributes but it seems the more we delve into it the bad seem to outweigh the good.
We have a problem with traffic congestion on the major highways leading into the city; we have the controversy over the issue of rail; and we have the concern over preserving prime agricultural lands. It would seem to me that all these issues point to one thing in one way or another and that is the development of a second city in Kapolei.
Though you didn’t discuss it in the most recent issue, there was a brief mention of how long it took for the Kinau off-ramp to be completed. Ambulances [had] ALWAYS been able to take the exit BEFORE Kinau, and turn left directly into the Emergency Room.
I enjoyed your issue on Mayoral Candidate Peter Carlisle. It would be great if you did a series on those running for the two congressional seats and the Senate race.
On [April 26] the Weekly [ran] a story damning Hoopili as you have been for quite some time. Then you are running a full-page promotional ad this week?
It’s important to understand the difference between editorial content and ads. At the Weekly, they are two completely separate departments.
We retract the letter “Questionable Ethics?” [May 9] and apologize to Herb Barboza for its inaccuracies. Mr.
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