Puna Geothermal Venture
Hawaii

Sunday March 1, 2009

Kuleana Conference is a caldron of sustainable thinking

FOr the secondyear, Puna Geothermal Ventue sponsored the popular green business event—the Kuleana Business Conference and Trade Show in Kailua-Kona. A record crowd attended this year’s The vendors’ hall bursting with green and eco-groovey products—and dreams. There was a host of speakers as well.
Hawaii Island boasts its share of experts.

Kelly and Robert King of Pacific Biodiesel are groundbreakers nationally and globally. They co-found the first commercial biodiesel company in the U.S. Guy Toyama, H2 Technologies, moved to Kona eight years ago to manage the first deep seawater desalinization company at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA). PGV’s Michael Kaleikini manages the first and only commercial geothermal facility in Hawaii.

Michael Kane, founder of the national advocacy group Plug In America, said the Big Island was probably the only place in Hawaii where this might be an option. The next big leap—driving on sunshine.

Big Island resident Henk Rogers of Blue Planet Foundation shared his passion for expanding Hawaii’s stable of renewable resources. Citing ocean thermal and geothermal energy as the only two resources “available 24/7,” he asked, “Why are we tripping over our feet stopping ourselves from doing it? If New Zealand and Iceland can do it, why can’t we?”.

These and other speakers, one way or another, reminded us of our limited resources, our interconnectedness, and our island thinking and wisdom that can lead to sustainability.