MEDIA RELEASE

 

The Green Team, from left, Susan Gagorik (Planning), Linda Peters (Environmental Management), Charmaine Kamaka (Human Resources), Christian Kay (Planning), Julie Myhre (Water Supply), Chris Chin-Chance (EM), Rebekah Sluss (EM), and Craig Kawauchi (Mayor’s Office). Absent for the photo were Terin Gloor (EM), Angela Kang (EM) and Alex Frost (Research and Development).

Mayor Billy Kenoi today announced the formation of a Hawai‘i County “Green Team” to mark the 39th anniversary of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22.

 

The “Green Team” consists of county employees who will be looking for ways to save energy costs through sustainable initiatives throughout the County of Hawai‘i. The county has more than a million square feet of building and office space, 250 acres of parks, and more than 2,500 employees.

The team hopes to improve the quality of life for all people on the island by adopting sustainable practices that are suitable for the county. “We want to build upon the combined efforts of the council, administration, and staff to incorporate the principles of sustainability into their work,” said Linda Peters, Green Team leader. While a number of departments have already initiated their own energy sustainability programs, there’s a need to share that information throughout the county so that programs may be better coordinated, she said.

The volunteer team of 11 county employees will identify and collect existing research, fill in the gaps, and analyze the research to develop options and recommendations. Initially, the team will focus on energy, transportation, buildings and waste. It will also develop policies that support:

• A local, stable, diverse and equitable low-carbon economy
• Protection of the quality of air, water, land and other natural resources
• Conservation of native vegetation, fish, wildlife habitat and other ecosystems
• Minimization of the County’s impacts on local and worldwide ecosystems

The team also will seek to coordinate local programs with the availability of funding under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as stimulus funds.

“It’s a way for us to stretch the taxpayer’s dollar,” said Green Team member Charmaine Kamaka of the Department of Human Resources.

Some initiatives may not require funding, however. Simple measures such as efforts to turn off lights and unused electrical equipment, raising the thermostat for air conditioning, or switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, could generate significant savings throughout the county, said Green Team member and county planner Christian Kay.

The idea is to share information among the various county departments, provide training, and to seek funding opportunities for green initiatives that will reduce energy use and costs. “We want to be a leader in the county, a role model, for sustainability,” Kay said.

The Green Team consists of employees from several County departments, including the Mayor’s Office, Research and Development, Environmental Management, Water Supply, Planning and Human Resources.

County departments are also participating in several community events celebrating Earth Day 2009:

• The Fire Department and Department of Environmental Management are collecting old athletic shoes for the Nike ReUse A Shoe Program. The shoes are recycled into athletic equipment, including tracks and playgrounds.
• Various departments will be hosting activities at the Hawai‘i Community College’s 21st Annual Earth Fair at the UH Hilo Campus on Friday, April 24.
• County representatives also will be in Kona for the 8th Annual Coral Reef Awareness and Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 25, sponsored by The Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF) and for the 4th Annual Kuleana Green Business Conference on May 6 2009.

For more information about the Green Team and the county’s sustainability initiatives, call Linda Peters, 961-8942.