As Maui moves more towards an mindset that includes renewable energy, we find that there seem to be many people interested in achieving energy independence and yet with the economy and real estate market such as it is, it is hard to find moneys to move in that direction. I have taken a number of classes on Maui, spent literally thousands of dollars to attend meetings on the mainland to try and get a grasp on what the future holds for the energy section only and all I can tell you is that all though it has been done successfully elsewhere, it seems like on Maui and in Hawaii, we seem to be trying to reinvent the wheel.

Businesses are closing almost weekly, cost of living is going down, furloughs and lay-offs are a way of life and ultimately the one that will pay for it all is the few that are working and paying ever increasing taxes. Where is the money going to come from to pay for the people that are unemployed because the State of Hawaii can;t aford to keep them working. Not some magical fund!

It will all come from the pockets of those that are working pay check to pay check and contributing to the tax system that provides for those without income.

So what is the answer? I don't have it but I know it will take each and every one of us to help make it work. If you need to barter for food, labor, shelter. If you have skills and are lucky enough to have the time, maybe helping a non-profit one day a week would help them. You know they are taking the crunch hard.

I happen to like the Boy Scouts because if anyone needs to get on the right track, the boys of Maui do. My late sister in-law gave 25 years to the organization and camp Maluhia could use some qualified help to get it up to par. I went there as a kid and my they can always use the help to bring it up to become the best camp on Maui.

Camp Imua uses it and surprisingly the bo scout are probably using it the least. the rates to rent it are reasonable and if they could get some help to improve the many camp sites and facilities already there, it could be used for far more.

So while we move to become a sustainable commnity, let's remember that the children are ultimately what will sustain our communities and so if anyone can help the children become resposible adults willing to accept their own responsibility by seeing it in the adults, we can ultimately get Maui to where it needs tobe.

This was suppossd to be a page about wind energy based on a recent class I took, but it morphed, sorry. I will try to create a page dedicated more to what is available to use. The 2009 tax credits are attractive and systems need to be in by Deceber of 2009, so it wouldn't hurt to shop around and I will try to get a page up on some of the people fell are pretty credible in our County for alternate energy. 

Remember that conserving and creating that mindset will say you much more in the begining than waiting to see the pay back of adding energy.

"EmpowerPower the People"

Mahalo,

JimHall