Alan Wong, Community, Food Security, Sustainability

Foodland, Farming & Future

March 9, 2011 Richard Ha

We went to a great luncheon recently, on O‘ahu at the Hawaii Prince Hotel, which was sponsored by Foodland and the Hawaii Society of Business Professionals. It was titled “The Next Steps in Farm to Table.”

Foodland is a great friend of local agriculture.

From the Foodland blog:

Why Eat Local?

by Veronica the Visionary on February 21, 2011 / 11:48 AM

Did you know that if Hawaii were hit by a natural disaster, we would only have only two to three weeks supply of food – and that’s not considering that people would begin hoarding the minute that fear of the disaster hit! In the aftermath of a frenzy of people buying all they could, Hawaii’s food supply could last only a few days! I was shocked to hear that on Thursday at a luncheon our company sponsored called “The Next Steps in Farm to Table.” Hosted by the Hawaii Society of Business Professionals, the lunch featured a panel of restaurateur Alan Wong, local farmer Richard Ha, and master sommelier Chuck Furuya. We were excited to be asked to sponsor the event because we are passionate about the importance of buying local and have great respect for the three speakers and all they have done to promote local producers.

The event was entertaining and educational. Alan shared that if our community just increased its purchases from local farmers by 10%, this would result in an incremental $94 million for our farmers and an additional $188 million in sales for our economy. Without question, supporting local farmers is good for our ENTIRE community. As Richard put it, “Food security has to do with farmers farming. If farmers make money, they farm.” In other words, if we buy more local produce, farmers can afford to farm more and we will be less dependent on outside sources of food – and contribute to a healthy economy in our state. Read the rest

Here’s June sampling some of Chef Keoni Chang’s creations, which he made with Hamakua Springs tomatoes. Keoni is Foodland’s Chef-in-Residence.

“Hamakua Springs Salsa,” which is found in all Foodland supermarkets, is Chef Keoni’s creation. It’s my favorite tomato salsa by far.

Geothermal

New HELCO/PGV Contract For Geothermal

March 7, 2011 Richard Ha

Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) and the Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO) have come to an agreement for PGV to provide an additional 8 MW of power to HELCO’s grid. I hope the PUC approves this expeditiously. Read about the agreement here.

PGV has two previous contracts:

One for 25 MW. This is an existing, “avoided cost” contract. In February, that avoided cost was approximately 16.75 cents/KW at Peak time.

Another for between 25 and 30 MW, which was also an existing, avoided cost contract. PGV agreed to change this to a fixed cost contract at the lower rate of 11.8 cents/kWh.

Both have a 1.5 percent escalator per year.

The new 8 MW addition is at 9 cents/kWh for the first 30,000 MWH/year, then 6 cents per MWH per year for anything greater than 30,000 MW.

Although the addition is 8 MW, PGV renegotiated one of its existing avoided cost contracts to a fixed cost contract. This results in a significant lowering of the 5 MW avoided cost contract from approximately 16.75 cents avoided cost in February to 11.8 cents fixed.

This new contract is significant because it is more than just a base power contract. Sixteen (16) MW of the geothermal-generated electricity is dispatchable from HELCO’s base station in Hilo. When this has been in operation awhile and proves to be dependable, it can replace petroleum-fired units with the same characteristics.

Geothermal is the only non-liquid-fueled power generation facility that can provide dispatchable power. This means we will have the ability to get off oil and biofuels.

Geothermal, Peak Oil

It’s Not Just About Getting Off Oil; We Need To Think Bigger

March 4, 2011 Richard Ha 1 Comment

Two years ago, oil hit $100 per barrel and I wrote the blog post The Kahuna Not Going Save Us. I was the only person from Hawai‘i who had attended the Peak Oil conference in Houston a couple months before.

Fast forward: Aloha Airlines is gone. Hilo’s O’Keefe Bakery is gone. The Middle East is in turmoil. Our county, state and national governments are saddled with enormous debt.

Our fundamental problem is that for more than 30 years now, the world has been using twice as much oil as it has found.

In Hawai‘i, though, we have a solution that can take us all the way to prosperity, relative to the rest of the world.

We have the gift of geothermal, and we need to use it. We only need a small amount of the energy being used to create our islands, a process that has been going on for millions of years, almost from the time humans started to walk upright.

We need to determine our desired outcome. It is not just getting off oil. We need to think bigger.

How about we think about moving to a place where the aloha spirit thrives? How about arming our future generations with the tools they’ll need by using our brains now? How about giving people the ability to get off the streets and to a place where they can support their families in their own homes?

The folks on Kino‘ole Street understand this very clearly. They are ready to go.

We need to close our oil-fired electricity generating plants and start making these changes now. We need low-cost, stable electricity relative to the rest of the world. Capital loves stability. If we do this, capital will be clamoring to come here. The folks on Bishop Street understand this clearly.

How about stepping forward now!

In a world filled with instability, we will have the attention of Wall Street.

The kahuna not going save us. Tutu Pele can, though.

Biofuel

Pyrolysis Oil From Biofuels Has Known Carcinogens As Compounds

March 2, 2011 Richard Ha

The biofuel process they are doing in Ka‘u results in pyrolysis oil. There are safety and other concerns associated with this oil.

It surprises me that HECO was willing to rush this process, after having ignored geothermal for years.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, published a technical report on pyrolysis oil:

Large-Scale Pyrolysis Oil Production: A Technology Assessment and Economic Analysis

M. Ringer, V. Putsche, and J. Scahill

Pyrolysis is one of a number of possible paths for converting biomass to higher value products. As such, this technology can play a role in a biorefinery model to expand the suite of product options available from biomass. The intent of this report is to provide the reader with a broad perspective of pyrolysis technology as it relates to converting biomass substrates to a liquid “biooil” product, and a detailed technical and economic assessment of a fast pyrolysis plant producing 16 tonne/day of bio-oil. Read more

Here is some information from that report. (The bold and underlining is my emphasis.)

3. Properties of Bio-oil

The properties of bio-oil can encompass a broad range of parameters because of the complex nature of this material. Even if one is able to perfectly reproduce all of the processing conditions necessary to produce bio-oil, the biomass feed, itself, can influence the nature of the final product. Not only are there differences between types of biomass species but also where a particular species is grown can affect things such as the composition of mineral matter present. Given this non-uniformity in the starting material and the high temperature reactive environment to which the prompt biomass vapor fragments are exposed during pyrolysis, it is not unusual to see variations in many of the physio-chemical properties of bio-oil. For some applications, the small variations will be of little consequence, but in situations where it is desirable to use bio-oil in devices that have been designed to operate on hydrocarbon fuels, some of these properties will make operation difficult or simply not feasible.

3.4 Environmental / Health

Given the large number of compounds in bio-oil, it obviously raises concerns about the human health and environmental effects of this material. As reported earlier in this document, more than 300 specific compounds have been identified in biomass pyrolysis oil and some of those compounds are known carcinogens such as benzene and phenanthrene. In addition there are many compounds in bio-oil that have not been identified and their toxicity or health effects are not known by the research community developing biomass fast pyrolysis technologies.

Click to watch a video with background of the microfuel “biomass to fuel” technology.

Current Affairs

Gail Tverberg on Egypt & Middle East

February 28, 2011 Richard Ha

I find Gail Tverberg to be the most levelheaded commentator about our world energy situation.

This blog post of hers includes an audio clip about the factors at play in Egypt and the Middle East right now.

Egypt’s Problems – Robert Knight interviews Gail Tverberg

A few days, ago, Robert Knight of WBIA public radio in New York City interviewed me about the problems in Egypt. The interview touched a little on Libya’s problems as well. I am not certain of when the interview actually aired. He asked me about a number of issues, including peak oil.

I thought a few readers might be interested. This is a link to the MP3 recording. It is about a half-hour in length. Read the rest

Biofuel

The Story Behind Biofuels

February 25, 2011 Richard Ha

The non-performance of cellulosic biofuels has cost us taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The EPA has drastically lowered its estimate of 2011 cellulosic biofuels production from 250 million gallons to just 6.5 million gallons. It’s an enormous difference.

Robert Rapier’s recent blog post is called The Media Served as a Vehicle to Promote Hype. It refers to biofuels.

The Media Served as a Vehicle to Promote Hype

…In fact, not only were the claims not challenged, the media played a big role in helping establish the Range Fuels hype. Khosla was given a platform in many outlets to promote his companies. There were high profile (and uncritical) pieces on Range Fuels in The New York Times and in Forbes. Discover Magazine published a story on Range called Anything Into Ethanol. Given their previous gushing story on Changing World Technologies called Anything Into Oil — followed by CWT’s bankruptcy, perhaps Discover should stop trying to tell readers about the next big renewable fuel breakthrough. They don’t appear to have reporters assigned to these stories who know how to differentiate hype from reality.

Why should the media have sensed earlier that something was amiss? If they had simply applied the “it seems too good to be true” rule, perhaps some challenging questions would have been asked. I believed something was amiss because their claims ran strongly counter to what I knew about gasification and subsequent conversion into liquid fuels. They ran strongly counter to what I knew about the cost and length of time to build a plant. So I started to raise questions — but I also asked “why the mainstream media has completely missed this story.” Read the rest

It’s worth a read.

Government

Rebuilding The Agricultural Inspection System in Hawaii

February 23, 2011 Richard Ha

I got a note from Laurie Au at Governor Abercrombie’s office today:

Aloha Richard,

I hope you’re doing well. Today, Governor Abercrombie presented his administration’s budget to the state Legislature. You may have read some news stories about the budget, but I wanted to point out a proposal to you that might interest you.

In his budget, the Governor restores many critical government functions in order to best serve the most basic public needs. One of those proposals includes:

Rebuilding the agricultural inspection system to prevent the introduction of invasive species that damage our environment and agricultural industry.

The Governor is trying to restore a functioning government and make the best use of limited resources in order to secure Hawaii’s future, but we need your help. While the governor will be making more of a concerted effort to speak to legislators, community groups, and the public on his initiatives, we need more people to speak out as well.

Would you be willing to:

Set up meeting with legislators
Write letters to legislators
Media campaign – write letters to the editors, opinion pieces, talk to reporters, use social media.
Reach out to your networks letting them know about this specific proposal and asking them to help as well.

I’m willing to provide whatever background you may need on this proposal and to help write any material you may need. Thanks so much for your help and consideration, and if there is anyone else you think would be interested in helping, please let me know. We’re doing our best to reach out to as many people as possible.

Mahalo,
Laurie

Laurie Au
Deputy Communications Director
Office of the Governor

I let Laurie know that I’ll support this effort any way I can:

The agricultural inspection system is very important. It keeps invasive species out, lowering costs of control for farmers as well as protecting our environment. Also, catching contaminated produce when it arrives, and charging the cost to the proper entity, sends the proper price signal to farmers.

Food security involves farmers farming — and we know that if the farmer makes money, the farmer will farm. This initiative will help farmers make money/save money.

I’ll start spreading the word and asking for people’s help. Send me any supplemental information that you may have. I’ll be in touch.

Aloha
Richard

Eating Locally, Food Security

Next Steps In Farm To Table

February 21, 2011 Richard Ha 3 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Honolulu magazine wrote about a panel discussion called “The Next Steps in Farm to Table,” which I was part of last week:

Friday, February 18, 2011

Eat Local: Alan Wong, Chuck Furuya and Richard Ha

JOHN HECKATHORN

At its latest lunch meeting, the Hawaii Society of Business Professionals had three speakers with one message: It matters what you eat.

The speakers (pictured right to left, below) were chef Alan Wong, Hamakua Spring Country Farms’ Richard Ha and master sommelier Chuck Furuya, all of whom made the plea that small personal choices could add up to a major revolution in Hawaii.

Wong pointed out that since Hawaii imports 80 percent of its food, the state has only a two- to three-week food supply if a disaster closes the ports. “The boat no come, you lose plenty weight,” said Ha.

According to state Department of Agriculture figures, if Hawaii replaced just 10 percent of foods we import with locally grown and manufactured foods, that would generate $94 million for farmers, an economy-wide impact of $188 million in sales, $47 million in earnings and $6 million in state taxes. Not to mention 2,300 jobs. Read the rest

Foodland’s President Jenai Walls spoke about how, many years ago, her Irish dad and Chinese grandma worked together at a small store that eventually came to be Foodland Supermarket, the only statewide, locally owned supermarket. She said that Foodland sells more locally grown produce than any other market.

The discussion was sponsored by the Hawaii Society of Business Professionals (HSBP) and the Hawaii Restaurant Association, and held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.

The HSBP is a very influential group. Here is the group’s board.

From the event description:

The joy of eating wonderful local food in great surroundings forms the essence of the “farm-to-table” movement in Hawaii. At the forefront of this “locovore” movement that marries the importance of saving Hawaii’s agricultural lands, growing the best crops, buying fresh local produce and enjoying local foods at the finest restaurants in Hawaii are Alan Wong and Richard Ha. Alan Wong is the most famous of all of Hawaii’s chefs. Richard Ha and his farm, Hamakua Springs, continue his family tradition of farming on the Big Island. The moderator, Chuck Furuya, was the first sommelier in the State and understands the “locovore” concept pairing fresh local foods with great wines.

Sustainability

Green Technologies

February 18, 2011 Richard Ha

This important and common sense article, from the Stanford Social Innovation Review, was sent to me by Ramsay Taum.

What works, works!

Picking Green Tech’s Winners and Losers

Unless clean tech follows well-established rules of innovation and commercialization, the industry’s promise to provide sustainable sources of energy will fail.

Spring 2011

On April 22, 2009, four months after he took office, President Barack Obama proclaimed that green technologies would be the linchpin of economic advancement. “We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors,” he said at a wind energy manufacturing plant in Newton, Iowa, “or we can confront what countries in Europe and Asia have already recognized as both a challenge and an opportunity: The nation that leads the world in creating new energy sources will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy.” Read the rest

History, Maku‘u Stories

Maku’u Stories, Part 4: Tutu Meleana & The Puhi

February 16, 2011 Richard Ha

I just received a really interesting email about my Tutu Meleana. It was from my cousin Danny Labasan, and I’m copying it here with his permission:

I am the last son of Elizabeth Kamahele. I’m not sure if we met but we could have. I was so young way back then, I can’t remember who all of my cousins are. But I do remember once we went over to the chicken farm. I don’t know if Kimana or Kuuna was your dad. They were in Makuu all the time.

But how this writing came about is that I am doing some Kamahele family tree background. And while doing some Internet checks I ran across your articles via Hamakua Springs.

I just want to say that the stories you write, especially about Tutu, Uncle Sonny, the Maku‘u land, are so so so soo great. It’s like I am still there.

I wrote back that I know of him, though I don’t remember if we met either. His mom was Aunty Elizabeth, and I told Danny I have fond memories of her. I told him my dad was Kimana, which was a Hawaiianization of Kee Mun Ha, the name my dad’s Korean dad gave him.

Danny told me this great story about Tutu Meleana, who lived there at Maku‘u. Though Danny and I are near in age, Tutu was Danny’s grandmother and my great-grandmother.

The pond that you spoke of (Waikulani) where Tutu took you, and us as well, to fish as little kids – I have a story to tell about it. I will never forget it because it’s why I hate puhi (eel).

On one particular day, Tutu and my mom Elizabeth went to this pond. We swam and fished. Aunty Elizabeth caught lots of ‘opihi and Tutu caught some haukeuke. Then Tutu showed us how to clean the fish, the ‘opihi and haukeuke. We were on the rocks just feet from the ocean water. I was probably 6 years old. This will be hard to believe but a puhi came flying out of the water and grabbed hold of Tutu’s bicep. I will never forget seeing this snake-like creature attached to Tutu’s arm. I screamed until I hyperventilated.

But Tutu was so calm. She grabbed hold of the puhi’s head, pushed it against her arm and the mouth of the puhi opened up, and Tutu was able to remove the puhi from her arm. She cut the head off. Patched up her arm and we walked back to the house. An experience I will never forget. I still hate puhi.

My brother Allen, he was called Eloy during those days, would take us fishing in Kukuihaele where we lived and he would show us how Uncle Sonny and cousin Kalapo would catch puhi. Unreal.

Waikulani

What a story. Waikulani Pond is not exactly a pond. It was a place where the large waves outside would break on a protective ring of pahoehoe, and small swells would roll gently across what looks like a pond. One would have to jump from rock to rock to get to Waikulani. The bigger kids could do this, no problem.

The small kids would all go poke around in this tiny, protected cove, looking at ocean animals, and would sometimes see the dreaded puhi.

Great story, Danny. Thanks again.

Next:
Part 5: What Uncle Sonny Taught Me About Successful Businesses