Hawaii has a stated goal of achieving a 100% clean energy renewable portfolio by 2045. Ambitious, yes — but achievable. If we get it right and don’t fall for misrepresentations by the fossil fuel industry that has already demonstrated its willingness to put profits before people.
A recent commentary by Hawaii Gas executives (“Boost local green energy production,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, July 14) focused, not surprisingly, on renewable natural gas (RNG). Despite its reassuring name, Hawaii would do well to examine just how green RNG is. According to the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) of New England, RNG is a highly processed gas that still contains at least 90% methane — a greenhouse gas that damages the climate more than carbon dioxide.
When burned, CLF tells us that RNG “releases nitrous oxide, a pollutant that creates smog and lowers air quality. These toxins can cause respiratory illnesses, like asthma. And for those already living with respiratory issues, such pollution worsens those conditions.”
We can all agree on the urgent need to address the environmental challenges of our time and put our planet on a path to healing after decades of over-consumption and reckless disregard for nature. We owe it to our children.
Tutu Pele has been generous with us on Hawaii island. We would do well to harness her powerful energy to provide relief to the long-suffering residents of this island who have endured some of the highest energy costs for domestic and business use. There is a way to tap into geothermal that will lower costs for electricity for home use and support the development of small businesses.
I know this because I have had the honor of advising the Maori tribes in New Zealand at the request of their late queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
We approached the development of geothermal energy using a native- to-native model that prioritizes long term benefits to the community over limited short-term payouts. Too often outside developers have been free to exploit the indigenous owners of geothermal resources.
The Hawaiian and Maori people have many shared cultural values. The Native Hawaiian-owned IDG Group got involved with several projects from the planning and consultation stages right through to development. Each project reflected our native-to-native approach: shared profits; low environmental impact; cultural protections; and long-term benefits to the host communities.
We have tested and learned both the science and economics of geothermal. We have kept abreast of the latest developments. We believe that it is possible to bring the same business acumen, legal expertise and cultural sensitivity to the table to deliver for the people of Hawaii.
Waika Consulting, under the umbrella of the IDG Group, has already identified leading global experts in the field of geothermal energy. The IDG Group is dedicated to developing community-based partnerships and delivering projects that are socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, culturally appropriate and economically feasible.
We have identified potential collaborators with stellar credentials from countries like Iceland that have a demonstrated commitment to developing geothermal energy in ways that match our mission. Over several years we have seen the technology evolve and get better and more sophisticated in how it taps the energy while preserving the safety of those who live in the surrounding area.
Hawaii can be an example of real leadership in embracing renewable energy. Tutu Pele has blessed us abundantly. We must honor her by harnessing geothermal for the good of the people in a way that is pono. Let us move forward with faith and a genuine effort to ensure a better life for future generations that goes beyond greenwashing and nice- sounding rhetoric.
Mililani Trask is a Native Hawaiian attorney who served as the indigenous expert to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in its inaugural term.
