Hawaii is a much-loved land; both by its own people and the tourists that visit there and understandably so. What’s not to love – miles of sugar sand beaches, delightful waters that beckon you to come and play, and so much to see and do. The list is endless indeed. Nevertheless, the more visitors that Hawaii sees, the more potential for pollution.
You would think with all the greenery Hawaii already has, green energy would not be necessary. Hawaii is thinking a different shade of green though these days – energy related green and not just palm tree and rain forest green.
Little Critters Make a Big Difference
We all know how little critters can make our lives uncomfortable from mosquitos to those large cane spiders in Hawaii. Nevertheless, Hawaii has other critters that are important in the work that they do – honey bees.
Several years ago, the Adopt-a-Beehive with Alan Wong Program was developed in the hopes of raising awareness about honey bees and their current situation. At the UH Hilo Farm Laboratory in Pana’ewa, you can adopt a beehive. Once you sponsor your beehive, you will get news about how well your beehive is doing. This program promotes the importance of the honey-bee and offers education to the public, as well as filling the need for honey bees to thrive and continue to be the contribution that they are.
With the opportunity to promote research on how important the honey bee is to a sustainable environment in Hawaii, this program makes honey a little bit sweeter.
Going Greener with Greenery
When it comes to keeping the green in Hawaii, TREE (Tropical Reforestation & Ecosystems Education) is a perfect example of such an endeavor. TREE has a commitment to the preservation and restoration of Hawaii’s natural green beauty. There are a variety of programs TREE creates in order to maintain and sustain the rare and native species of Hawaii.
By connecting both youth and adults alike to the maintenance and preservation of native Hawaiian ecosystems, TREE promotes an environment that thrives for both nature and human-kind.
Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative
The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative takes action in keeping Hawaii green by planting trees in an area that was once claimed by King Kamehameha. While a few koa trees remain on this land, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative continues to take efforts to recreate this area.
You can sponsor a tree, track your tree and if you don’t have any plans to visit Hawaii any time soon, you can check in on your tree using your coordinates online. What a fun and rewarding way to be a contribution to the green movement located on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
Plastic, Plastic Everywhere
There once was a quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge about “Water, Water, Everywhere.” There seems to be a new, unfortunate, way of being where we find plastic everywhere we go – from our homes to the vehicles we drive and even our workplace.
It is more important than ever for visitors to take exceptional care with plastics in Hawaii. With so many beaches and hiking opportunities, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that those improperly discarded water bottles can wind up in the oceans of Hawaii. Not only does that pollute the ocean water, but the sea life that lives within it. The ecosystem of that sea life is necessary and vital.
The Surfrider Foundation Chapter rises above the task by creating programs such as Rise above Plastics. Local action that makes a difference on a large scale is what this program is all about by educating and reminding people of the dangers of overuse of plastic and the pollution it causes. Rise above Plastics reminds people to recycle, reuse and make some change.
Solar Energy in Hawaii
Utilizing all that energy from the sun just makes sense in Hawaii. Just about everywhere you go in Hawaii, there is an abundance of sunshine. Tapping into all that energy, the government as well as the utilities are creating incentives for homeowners to go solar. Hawaii is a leader in the solar energy movement throughout the nation and understandably so.
So, while Hawaii may seem effortlessly and naturally green, it’s not without the efforts of those behind movements such as these.
