Category: Food

Transition Oahu brings solar cooking to Geek Meet 2015

7/12/2015

Light rain from a post-tropical depression gave way to sunny skies at Geek Meet 2015 on Sunday, July 12 -- and the solar cookers at the Transition Oahu booth started cooking. Here is Transition Oahu board president Donna Lay taking out a batch of cookies from her Sun Oven.

woman takes out a batch of ginger snaps from a Sun Oven while a young boy looks on

We served up a few dozen ginger cookies to Geek Meet participants while we shared information about solar cooking and Transition Oahu in general. The cardboard and foil cooker at right in the photo was made by TO board member David Atcheson and cooked a pot of seasoned root vegetables. Donna's Sun Oven reached a maximum temperature of 350° and Dave's (based on plans by Joe Radabaugh) got up to 320°.

Transition Oahu wasn't the only tent featuring some solar cooking. Next door to us was Green Path Technologies, whose booth included a photovoltaic solar array laid out on the grass. The solar array charged a portable power source (a suitcase-sized battery system), which in turn was powering a rice cooker.

Hats off to Geek Meet organizer Ryan Ozawa and the other volunteers who made this event possible. Geek Meet was billed as an "outdoor gathering of tech enthusiasts, scientists and science fiction fans, hackers, makers, creators, educators, and all-around creative and curious people. It's a family friendly affair in the fresh air to share your favorite tools and toys, learn new things, meet new people, and just relax and talk story with interesting people." It was all that and more. For more photos, check out the event on Facebook or search for #higeek on Twitter.

We encourage you to try out solar cooking as a fun and carbon-free method that doesn't heat up your home. For inspiration, check out the Solar Cookers International wiki site. If you get into it, hope to see you with your cooker at Geek Meet 2016!

Four Transition Oahu board members at Geek Meet 2015 (Devon James, David Atcheson, Donna Lay, and Ron Robinson)

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July 2015 e-newsletter: solar cooking, HNL Soup, film screening, permaculture, potluck, and more

7/8/2015

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Our July 2015 e-newsletter is out. It includes a rundown of upcoming events that we think you'll find of interest, including:

July 11 – Sandy Beach Clean-up
July 12 – Hawaii Geek Meet July 12
July 23 – Hawaii Food Policy Council SOUP event
July 28 – PlantPure Nation FREE screening
August 1 – Xeriscape Garden "Unthirsty Plant Sale"
August 3 – 2-Week Intensive Permaculture Design Course begins
August 6 – Transition Oahu / Oahu TimeBank Potluck in Aina Haina

You'll also find these items in our calendar.

Hope to see you soon!

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Public Hearings on Hoʻopili - City Council Zoning & Planning Committee

2/28/2015

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** Update 3/3/2015 ** The Bill 3 hearing continuation in Honolulu on Thursday, March 5 is confirmed on the Zoning & Planning Committee agenda.

The Honolulu City Council Zoning & Planning Committee will hold a special hearing at 5 p.m. on March 2 in Kapolei to hear from the public on Bill 3, which would rezone certain West Oahu farmlands at the site of the proposed Hoʻopili housing development.

The development will not proceed if the city maintains the current zoning of Restricted Agricultural.

The meeting will be held at:
Kapolei Hale, 1000 Uluohia St, Kapolei, HI 96707. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. On-site registration for speaking is from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. See the complete meeting agenda.

You can submit testimony online by March 1 at http://www.honolulu.gov/ccl-testimony-form.html. On the same form, you can sign up to speak at the hearing as an alternative to on-site registration.

THE AGENDA SPECIFIES THAT ORAL TESTIMONY WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE PER SPEAKER.

Committee Chair Ikaika Anderson has said that the meeting will continue on March 5, 9 a.m. at Honolulu Hale, with more testimony allowed followed by a vote on whether to advance the bill. (See the image of the Star-Advertiser news item below.) Anderson has said one may testify at either the Kapolei meeting or the Honolulu meeting, but not both.

Please note: As of 2/28, this meeting continuation does not appear on the City Council calendar and Bill 3 does not appear on the regular March 5, 10 a.m. Zoning & Planning Committee agenda. To be sure your voice is heard, please submit your testimony by March 1 especially if you will not be attending a hearing to testify.

See Also

Civil Beat article, Disappearing Farmland: Hoopili Continues the Trend
More information about Hoopili and video of past testimony before the state Land Use Commission is available at http://www.stophoopili.com/

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Big Island farmer talks Transition in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2/27/2015

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Richard Ha, President, Hamakua Springs Country Farms DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Richard Ha is the president of Hamakua Springs Country Farms on the Big Island and part of Hawaii Island Energy Cooperative. With a proposal to sell Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) to the Florida utility NextEra Energy Inc. on the table, the cooperative wants to be ready if doors open up to implement a different model along the lines of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser ran an interview with Ha in the February 27, 2015 edition. While not specifically referring to Transition with a capital T, Ha addresses many Transition issues: peak oil, local control, alternative energy, local agriculture, and challenges faced by young farmers.

We have excerpted several passages. The full article is available to subscribers by logging in.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser
February 27, 2015
Richard Ha
The Hawaii island farmer is an outspoken advocate for sustainable energy
by Vicki Viotti

excerpts:

"Back around 2005, 2006, 2007, we started noticing our input costs were going up. It didn't take us long to figure out that it's all related to oil. That's why I went to the first Association for the Study of Peak Oil conference [in 2007].
…
"...if you look at it on your financial statement, and just look for utilities cost, or fuel, that's not all the effect of oil price. Petroleum prices affect the price of everything, because it's plastics and everything.
…
"I've been to five of these oil conferences ... and as I started to get into it I realized it's a lot more complicated than I thought. It involved oil, and next it involved natural gas. And the characteristic of natural gas is that the natural gas wells deplete in five years.
…
"The big oil boom we had, the shale oil boom we had from 2008 to now, is made up of a whole bunch of small wells to produce the amount that we do. But it depletes so quickly that we gotta replace 40 percent of it, just to stay even.
…
"But the problem after that is, how much oil and gas do we actually have? And some credible studies say we don't really have that much. We think we do, and we're the Saudi America. And I worry, because we are so vulnerable here in Hawaii. So we've got to hedge our bets.
…
"...Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. They came over and gave a briefing.
And the people decided, wow, that's kind of interesting, because Kauai had been actually able to get their electricity rates to go down over the 12-year period. Everyone else went up. On top of it ... it's a co-op, so the people own the utility. And if the utility makes money, the people get the rebate. ... So people thought, "Why don't we just look at that option?"
…
"The issue is, if we did not look into it and prepare, so that if the opportunity arose we could make an offer, we would never be in the game. We could never exercise the option.
…
"I was the only person to have gone to five peak-oil conferences for all of Hawaii. So, I felt an obligation to kind of say what I had heard, and warn people. So I kind of was stuck with the kuleana, they say, eh? Responsibility. I didn't really want to do this. I was just minding my own business before this happened.

"You know what happens when you go to five? Over a period of time you get to see who said what, and you get to see who's credible and not. And if you're an observer and trying to figure out motivation, pretty soon a pattern starts to evolve. And then you can feel more confident that what you think is happening is actually happening.
…
"I think ag and energy are inextricably entwined. I see so many young folks want to get into agriculture. I mean, everybody's talking about school-to-farm programs, and all kinds of stuff.

"But then when you look at how many young folks are going into farming -- and I kind of know how hard it is to be successful in farming -- I see they're having a hard time making money.

"My basic idea is that, if we are looking for food sustainability, it's about farmers farming. And I would say if the farmers make money, the farmers will farm.
…
"What has happened, in my mind, is that oil prices quadrupled in the last 10 years, and we have not seen the consequences of that."

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Join us for a Thanksgiving Day potluck

11/19/2014

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November 27 (Thursday), 2 - 5 p.m.
ProtoHUB, 458 Keawe St, Honolulu

Still thinking about your Thanksgiving Day plans? If so, consider coming to the the Transition Oahu potluck. This year we'll be at ProtoHUB, the new co-working / innovation space in Kakaako.

Arrive between 2-2:30 and listen to music and mingle while dishes are arranged for serving. We'll do a welcome & intro about 2:45 and start the potluck at 3.

Transition Mapping: In addition to sharing food and conversation, we'll introduce a new project to literally put Transition and sharing-related resources on the map -- for example, CSA farms, eat-local restaurants, co-working locations, community kitchens, DIY educators, etc. Can you picture an app for that? We'd love your input and energies as we get the project rolling.

Tune into HPR-2's Bytemarks Cafe on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. (KIPO – 89.3 FM). David Atcheson of Transition Oahu will be on to discuss the project.

What should I bring?

Please bring your own own re-usable eating and serving ware to minimize waste. We'll have access to the kitchen at ProtoHUB for prepping/washing up.

We are encouraging plant-based dishes and offerings. Transition Oahu and Positive Media Hawaii recently hosted a screening ofCowspiracy. This highly recommended film makes a persuasive case for the myriad of benefits that would result from moving to a plant-based diet, including greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, food sustainability, and better health for people, land, and water. Our potluck can be an event that, in its own small way, encourages our society in that direction.

If you'd like some ideas for dishes, we've pulled together a few resources:

Do whatever works for you and we'll look forward to seeing you! The event is free but donations to help pay for the space will be gratefully accepted.

On Facebook? You can RSVP here. Or contact usthrough our website (RSVP is optional but appreciated).

Event web page »

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ShareFest Honolulu is Saturday, Sept. 20 at UH Manoa!

9/5/2014

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Join us in a fun and inspirational day of sharing at the UH Manoa Sustainability Courtyard. Exchange books and seeds, enjoy the community potluck, learn a new skill, write a poem, bring your bike by the repair station, upcycle a t-shirt, learn about sharing initiatives around town, and more!

Children welcome -- Madame Butterfly will be there from 1:30-4 p.m.! Bring a book, toy, and/or game to swap!

For complete info, including what to bring, visit: ShareFest Honolulu »

On Facebook? RSVP at our ShareFest event on Facebook and get late-breaking updates.

Please help us spread the word by forwarding this email, posting the link to social media, and telling your friends and family. Thanks!

click image for larger version

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Don't miss "In Transition 2.0" film at the Capitol - Tues, April 8

3/24/2014

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We are pleased to screen In Transition 2.0, a film highlighting inspiring stories from Transition initiatives around the world.

Please join us at the Hawai‘i State Capitol Auditorium
(415 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI - take elevator down one floor) on Tuesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. We'll start with pupus, show the film at 6 (it's just over an hour), and finish with a panel Q&A highlighting local projects.

Hear brief remarks from Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair, Energy & Environment Committee; Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, State Sustainability Director; Matt Lynch, Asia Pacific Center of Regenerative Design & Permablitz; Dave Atcheson, Transition Oahu; Sarah Marie Leone, Oahu Timebank; and Mindy Jaffe, Waikiki Worm Company.

For complete details -- including info on inviting your legislators:
see the event web page »

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Regenerative Ag Workshop on Friday, January 24

1/16/2014

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Darren Doherty with workshop participants and tractor with Yeomans Plow Co. plow.

Photo credit: Many Rivers Permaculture - We Are What We Eat

[Thanks to Matthew Lynch for sharing info about this opportunity!]

Spend an afternoon learning from Darren J. Doherty!*

Students will participate in a real-life Regrarian** consultancy to develop a recently acquired 19-acre parcel in Lualualei Valley (West Oahu, Waianae area) into a viable agricultural enterprise which regenerates soils, restores biodiversity, and ethically stewards its natural resources.

$50/person (rare opportunity; a fraction of the typical cost for similar workshops).
Max 30 people, must RSVP to attend.

Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/regenerative-agriculture-workshop-w-darren-doherty-tickets-10200362559

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/392280607584858/

*Darren Doherty is a 5th generation farmer, developer, author & trainer and has been involved in the design & development of over 1600, mostly broadacre projects across 5 continents in more than 45 countries, ranging from 1 million hectare cattle stations in Australia’s Kimberly region to 110,000 acre Estancia’s in Patagonia, EcoVillage developments in Tasmania to Public:Private R&D Agroforestry & Education Projects in Viet Nam, Novel AG Machinery development + Family Farms across the globe with a range of private, corporate, government & non-profit clients.

** 'Regrarian', a portmanteau of ‘Regenerative Agrarian’, is a term first coined by Darren in 2013 to describe those who are actively undertaking the serious & timely process of regenerating, restoring, rehabilitating, rehabitating, rekindling & rebooting production landscapes, be they urban or rural, across the world.

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Inspiration from the Nov. 7 Food Waste Networking event

11/11/2013

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Last Thursday, waste reduction enthusiasts gathered at one of Hawaii Pacific University's new rooms at Aloha Tower for a Food Waste Networking event. The event was put on by Kupu's RISE program (Rewarding Internships for Sustainable Employment) and featured a screening of the film Dive!

Among the many inspirational projects we learned about was a comprehensive organic waste collection and processing program at Pearl City High School managed by Waikiki Worm Company. We've put together a thorough write-up of the program together with assorted other links related to the networking event. See:

Waikiki Worm Co. Teams with Pearl City High School in Ambitious Waste Reduction Program >>

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Volunteer Day at Honolulu Farms: Saturday, Sept 21

9/16/2013

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Stuart Scott, one of the founders of Transition Oahu, is back in town for a few weeks following some international travels and speaking. His place way up Palolo Valley, site of many previous classes and workshops through Transition Oahu and Transition University, is well worth a visit, first time or return. A good chance is this Saturday, September 21 for a volunteer day on the eve of the fall equinox. Info from Stuart:

Meeting time: 10 a.m.
Meeting point: La-'I Road & 10th Avenue (carpool from there)
Event info:
To make it both a fun and rewarding time, we'll do it as a potluck late lunch Equinox Party in the afternoon. We'll have an open grill for those who want to bring something for that kind of preparation, and a cooler with ice for your preferred beverages.
Please bring a set of cup, plate and fork/knife/spoon to help us cut down on the endless waste of paper and plastic goods.

RSVP to Stuart Scott by email to stuart.h.scott@gmail.com or phone to 808-392-5188 and to get directions and logistics if you have not been here yet.

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<<Previous

Transition Oahu brings solar cooking to Geek Meet 2015

July 2015 e-newsletter: solar cooking, HNL Soup, film screening, permaculture, potluck, and more

Public Hearings on Hoʻopili - City Council Zoning & Planning Committee

Big Island farmer talks Transition in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Join us for a Thanksgiving Day potluck

ShareFest Honolulu is Saturday, Sept. 20 at UH Manoa!

Don't miss "In Transition 2.0" film at the Capitol - Tues, April 8

Regenerative Ag Workshop on Friday, January 24

Inspiration from the Nov. 7 Food Waste Networking event

Volunteer Day at Honolulu Farms: Saturday, Sept 21

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