General

No Tsunami Debris Spotted Yet

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Bulletin January 2012 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 9 and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) continue to collaborate with Federal and State partners as well as external stakeholders to assess and monitor the movement of the Japan tsunami marine debris.  Because computer models predicted that debris may begin impacting Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge now (January/February 2012), our recent efforts have focused on monitoring strategies in the vicinity of … Read more

Blue Earth Biodiesel Plant

From Haleakala Times by Karen Chun One of the largest biodiesel plants in the U.S. is proposed for Maui. BlueEarth Biofuels will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company to build a 120 million-gallon-per-year plant in three stages. First stage is 40 million gallons earmarked for the Maui Electric Company electrical generators.  Any excess biodiesel will go to other HECO facilities. The plant will enable MECO to switch from diesel to cleaner-burning biodiesel. MECO already uses biodiesel … Read more

The Rob Report (From Maui Time)

We have met the enemy, and he is us. -Walt Kelly’s Pogo The 1960’s were a time when Cold War politics dictated that Americans live in fear of the Soviets dropping “the big one,” a nuclear bomb. Thousands of families constructed and stocked backyard fallout shelters. Elementary school children drilled “drop and cover” maneuvers beneath their desks. Fortunately, that bomb never dropped. But, late in the decade there was another explosion of sorts. In 1968, … Read more

Biodiesel & Ethanol Net Energy

Read Rob Parsons Article to which DuByne is responding Read Rob Parsons Response to the DuByne letter   Letter to Maui Time by David DuByne April 5, 2007 (Headings and empahasis added by webmaster) Oilwell Production is Down To follow up on the article “Potential Energy” by Rob Parsons in your Feb. 15, 2007 edition, we first need to understand why the switch to ethanol is happening. It’s called oil depletion or peak oil. Inside … Read more

jatropha

From www.scienceinafrica.co.za which is conducting water usage studies on Jatropha in Africa. The Jatropha curcas tree, originates from Mexico. It’s oil-producing seeds (30%-35% oil) and entire plant are inedible (toxic) to humans, and most animals and birds. It produces for 50 years. A small tree or shrub with a maximum height of 5 m, Jatropha curcas reportedly grows readily in areas of low rainfall (from 250 mm a year) and in poor soils, however, yield … Read more

Nat’l Biodiesel Board’s Life Cycle Paper

In May of 1998, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the results of the Biodiesel Lifecycle Inventory Study. It compared findings for a comprehensive “cradle to grave” inventory of materials used; energy resources consumed; and air, water and solid waste emissions generated by petroleum diesel fuels and biodiesel in order to compare the total “lifecycle” costs and benefits of each of the fuels. This 3.5-year study followed US … Read more

Maui Group Salutes Environmental Heroes At Silver Anniversary Awards Ceremony

The Maui Sierra Club Executive Committee extends a hearty “mahalo” to all those volunteers, community members and local businesses who made our 25th Anniversary Silver Moon Gala a resounding success. See complete list below. Maui Group Salutes Environmental Heroes At Silver Anniversary Awards Ceremony The Maui Group’s quarter century of accomplishments have been made possible through the dedicated efforts of numerous Group members and allies. During its November 3, 2006 Silver Anniversary Gala, the Group  presented … Read more