The Maui Earth Day Festival will be held on Sunday, April 19, from 10 am until sunset.

The event is held right on the sand at Baldwin Beach and is free to all. There will be an amazing, powerful and diverse assortment of live music and dancing all day, delicious veg food, fun for the kids, and exciting array of environmental and social awareness presentations.

The Earth Day Festival is a community celebration to raise awareness and promote environmental sustainability, on the planet and here on Maui. The festival showcases organizations and businesses that are actively engaged in creating a better world for all.

http://www.mauiearthday.org

The energy agreement, part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, puts Hawaii on a path to supply 40 percent of electricity needs and 70 percent of overall energy needs (including transportation) using clean sources by 2030, a far-reaching change for a state now over 90 percent dependent on imported fossil fuels.

As a state, we have strong motivation to achieve the goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.  Our dependence on imported fossil fuel has adverse security and economic impacts.  Much of the oil we import comes from foreign countries not friendly to the United States. Most experts predict oil prices will rise as the world economy picks up and the cost of controlling carbon emissions is added through a tax or cap-and-trade system. Hawaii exports between $6 billion and $7 billion annually to buy fuel for the Hawaiian Islands, a huge figure for a string of remote islands with a population of only about 1.2 million (plus over six million visitors a year.)

To these concerns, we now add our new understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. It is now clear the energy system that powered Hawaii well for decades when oil was plentiful and cheap cannot be sustained.

Hawaii’s total production of greenhouse gas may be small, even on a per capita basis, but as an island state in a tropical hurricane path, we are among the most vulnerable places on earth to rising sea levels, more intense storms and even drought.

The energy agreement was negotiated amongst the Hawaiian Electric Companies, the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Energy Division of the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the State Consumer Advocate and the U.S. Department of Energy.

We can not afford inaction and, we believe, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative puts Hawaii on the right path.

Source: HECO

Currently, over 85 percent of U.S. energy needs are being supplied by fossil fuels – oil, coal, and natural gas. However, the world’s supply of fossil fuels is limited, and burning them produces dangerous by-products and pollutants. In addition to helping the environment, homeowners who utilize solar power help their bank accounts as well. With lower utility bills from month to month, homeowners who invest in solar equipment can expect a pay-off in 5 to 15 years. Numerous solar loans and financial incentives also exist to reward energy efficiency in the home.

Solar technology has also come a long way since 1954, when the first solar panel was invented. For instance, solar shingles and tiles blend seamlessly into the roof’s natural shape, eliminating bulk and complicated installation. Even more encouraging is the fact that solar technology continues to advance at an astonishing pace to offer homeowners more accessible, convenient, and, potentially, more affordable options over time. Check out our blog to learn about new solar technology.

The state already offers a tax credit on solar water heater installation. but with oil prices climbing, lawmakers could be providing an even larger incentive to homeowners who make the switch.

For Cully Judd of Inter-Island Solar Supply, solar power just makes sense.

“Something I always believed in. I grew up in a house with solar water heaters,” Judd said.

These days solar water systems fly out of Judd’s Mapunapuna warehouse. Each system will save a homeowner an estimated 30 to 50 percent on their electric bills.

“We’re selling more and more systems everyday, people are aware of their electric bill,” Judd said. “It gets back to what they’re paying.”

State lawmakers are considering raising the existing the tax credit on solar water installation up to $2250. That’s an increase of $500.

Lawmakers are also considering tax credits for installation of solar panels powering other electric systems such as lights and appliances. Supporters say the state remains too dependant on imported oil.

“There’s much more perception that we’re in trouble over energy and of course the electric bills are going through the roof,” Judd said.