UH Hilo Captures Microsoft Academic National Championship

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Damon

A student team from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo recently won the prestigious 2013 U.S. Microsoft Imagine Cup Championship held in San Jose, California. The team now heads to St. Petersburg, Russia for the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals in July.

Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s premier student technology competition that honors technology innovations addressing the world’s toughest problems as student innovators from around the world use Microsoft resources to take their one-of- a-kind, ground breaking application ideas from concept to the marketplace. The national finals featured the top 10 U.S. teams pitching their ideas and solutions to investors, entrepreneurs, and technology professionals for a chance to win cash prizes and support for their businesses.

Team Poliahu - Featured from left to right: Ryder Donahue, Kayton Summers, Wallace Hamada, Professor Edwards and Mike Purvis.

Team Poliahu – Featured from left to right: Ryder Donahue, Kayton Summers, Wallace Hamada, Professor Edwards and Mike Purvis.

UH Hilo’s Team Poliahu, comprised of seniors Mike Purvis, Kayton Summers, Wallace Hamada and junior Ryder Donahue from the UH Hilo Computer Science Department, topped the field of competition with their application entitled “Help Me Help,” which focused on community help for disaster relief efforts. The program aids the community and emergency response personnel in disaster situations by allowing users to upload images of nearby hazards through the use of smart phones.

Team Captain Purvis said the idea grew out of a senior project to design software that could track native and invasive plant species.

“We realized tracking that kind of information could be applied to a larger scale with more impact,” said Purvis. “So we decided to rewrite our entire idea for disaster response.”

Team Adviser Dr. Keith Edwards, associate professor, computer science, said the student’s achievement is evidence of what hard work and creative thinking can accomplish.

“As a professor, I am always the most pleased when students are able to transcend the material taught in the classroom to develop knowledge and capabilities beyond what is presently known,” Edwards said. “The success achieved by these students is a perfect representation of how the tremendous creative possibilities at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo can have a worldwide impact.”

 

Filed under: Announcements, Education, National Affairs, Technology, UH Hilo | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hawaii Biochar Products Signs Historical Memorandum of Understanding

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Damon

Nobel Laureate Nguyen Huu Ninh, Ph.D., CERED,  Larta Institute, Ecology Farming Corporation and Josiah Hunt, Hawaii Biochar Products agree to sign a memorandum of understanding to help strengthen biochar related proposals in Vietnam.

Josiah Hunt

Josiah Hunt

On May 8th, Hawaii Biochar Products, the Center for Environment Research Education and Development (CERED), Ecology Farming Corporation (Ecofarm) and Larta Institute – Asia Pacific will sign important memorandum of understanding.

Hawaii Biochar Products, a Puna, Hawaii based company will participate in a Vietnam Biochar industry testbed and training program. The program will further their mission to provide solutions for sustainable agriculture using organic materials and environmentally friendly processes.

Together, they will support project proposals that create and strengthen a Vietnam biochar industry and related energy, policy, and training infrastructure matching CERED’s leadership in climate change and sustainable agricultural practices and policy; Larta Institute Asia Pacific’s network of expertise and contacts, project management and subject matter expertise; Hawaii Biochar’s experience and technology utilization and network of technology sources; and EcoFarm’s working knowledge of sustainable agricultural programs in Vietnam, and mission.

CERED has identified the development of a Biochar Industry in Vietnam as a priority with the Vietnam National Government and leading regional institutions.

CERED will provide the leadership on proposal development and submission for resources to enable these proposals with input from the Proponents as needed.

The signing between these organizations will occur on Wednesday May 8th at 1pm in the University of Hawaii Innovation Center at Hilo in downtown Hilo, Hawaii.

About Hawaii Biochar Products – http://hawaiibiochar.com

Mission: To provide sustainable agricultural expertise and solutions for the state of Hawaii  and provide locally produced, cost-effective, agricultural products using organic materials and environmentally friendly processes. Josiah Hunt’s TEDx video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWbomZJn83U

About Dr. Nguyen Huu Ninh, Ph.D.

Chairman of the Center for Environment Research, Education and Development (CERED), Professor, Doctor (Hon.) of University of Pécs (Hungary), Doctor of Science (Hon.) of University of East Anglia (U.K.), Lead Author Member of the Fourth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Climate Change 2007, which was awarded by Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

About CERED

The objective of the Center for Environment Research Education and Development (CERED) is to carry out its strategy for environment and development research in Vietnam in cooperation with other domestic and international organizations.

About the Larta Institute

Larta helps regions around the world maximize the commercial potential of publicly funded R&D by supporting entrepreneurs in their commercialization efforts and nurturing the innovation ecosystem.

About Ecology Farming Corporation (EcoFarm)

Committed to effectively change cultivation towards sustainable agriculture production, increasing climate change adaptability, and improving farmer income.

 

Filed under: Agriculture, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Something New?, Technology, Transportation | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Governor Abercrombie Recognizes State’s Inaugural Transformation Internship Program Participants

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Damon

Upon the completion of the state’s first Transformation Internship Program (TIP) session, Gov. Neil Abercrombie recognized the spring 2013 participants in a special ceremony held today in Executive Chambers. The innovative internship program provides Hawaii undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to work alongside innovators within state government and gain hands-on experience in a wide range of areas.

Transforming

“TIP represents an investment in those who have likewise invested in themselves through higher learning,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “This public-private partnership offers a unique opportunity for college and university students to gain training and experience while taking part in our ongoing transformation of state government. The students emerge ready and empowered to take an active and leading role in shaping Hawaii’s future, particularly as they begin their respective careers in an increasingly technological global marketplace.”

At the ceremony, the Governor presented certificates of appreciation to more than 20 students able to attend with friends and family (A total of 45 students participated in the spring session). He also recognized state Chief Information Officer (CIO) Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia, Deputy CIO of Business Transformation Randy Baldemor, Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) Deputy Director Leila Kagawa, and Enterprise Honolulu President and CEO Pono Shim for their part in the session’s success.

In December 2012, the state Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT), led by Bhagowalia, first announced the internship program in partnership with DHRD and Enterprise Honolulu, which provided featured speakers to enhance the program.

In addition to OIMT and DHRD, participating state agencies included the Departments of Agriculture, Public Safety and Taxation, with students participating from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kapiolani Community College, Brigham Young University – Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, and University of Phoenix.

Through the program, students had the opportunity to:

  • earn academic credit while gaining “real-world” experiences;
  • participate in meaningful work assignments relevant to academic area of study;
  • apply business, communications, public administration, information technology, and engineering classroom concepts to work assignments;
  • be exposed to public service careers; and
  • develop a network of professional contacts for future opportunities.

For example, students interning at OIMT were supervised by Baldemor and worked with program teams to evaluate challenges and assist in the implementation of the State of Hawaii’s IT Transformation Plan improvements throughout the state’s various departments. They interacted with, met and interviewed state employees, as well as summarize research results and present findings through presentations, reports, white papers, dashboards, and scorecards.

TIP is open to students in a wide range of majors including business administration, management information systems, computer science, social sciences (research focus), political science, public administration, human resource development, communications, engineering and other related fields.

The TIP Summer 2013 Session starts in June, with applications being accepted through June 8. Applicants must be currently enrolled as a graduate student or undergraduate student with junior or senior status, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher, and have the ability to work well in a team with a broad range of stakeholders (e.g. state employees, outside consultants and private organizations) and communicate effectively at multiple levels. Applications can be submitted online at: http://www.dhrd.hawaii.gov

Filed under: Abercrombie, Announcements, Education, Kids, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hawaii Attorney General Subpoenas Twitter to Get User Information

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Damon

The Hawaii Attorney General has subpoenaed Twitter to get a user’s information:

Twitter Terroistic Threatening

I’m not real sure about the case myself but snipped this for folks to see more about it:

Click twice to enlarge

Click twice to enlarge

Here is the note that the Twitter user got:

From: Twitter Legal
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:25:17 -0700
Subject: Twitter Receipt of Legal Process
To: lzr9@interpol.it

Dear Twitter User:

We are writing to inform you that Twitter has received the attached legal process, dated April 23, 2013, regarding your Twitter account, @lzr9. This legal process obligates Twitter to produce information related to your account. One of our core values is to defend and respect the user’s voice. Accordingly, it is our policy to notify users of requests for their account information prior to disclosure unless we’re prohibited from doing so by law. We are notifying you of this legal process in order to allow you to decide whether or not you will oppose the production of the requested information, either by filing a motion with the court where the legal process was issued or contacting the requesting party directly.

Please be advised that Twitter is required to respond to this request by May 1, 2013. If we do not receive notice from you that a motion to quash the legal process will or has been filed, or that this matter has been otherwise resolved, we may produce some or all of the requested information. Please let us know as soon as possible if you intend to file a motion with the court, and send us a copy of what has been filed. If you have resolved the matter with the requesting party, please have them send us confirmation that the legal process is withdrawn. We cannot give you any legal advice, but suggest that you may wish to seek your own legal counsel in this matter. If you need assistance seeking counsel in the United States, you may consider contacting the Electronic Frontier Foundation

You can read a bit more into what’s going on here:   http://cryptome.org/2013/04/lzr9/twitter-lzr9.htm

Related articles

Filed under: Announcements, Hawaii, Legal, Rumors, Security, Technology | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hawaii State Website Gets New Design

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Damon

The new Hawaii.gov portal just might be the coolest government website you have ever seen.

Ehawaii

The touch-first design, Hawaiian themes, dynamic data and enhanced search represent a huge evolutionary step forward in government web sites.

The New Hawaii.gov Website from ehawaii.gov on Vimeo.

Hawaii.gov is designed for mobile with a touch-first Responsive web design. Built for touch, speech, and with accessibility for all users, the new design showcases the very best in Web design thinking. Highlighting Hawaii’s diversity, native culture, and the uniqueness of each island, Hawaii.gov also provides a Web experience that truly reflects the Aloha State.

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Hawaii, Something New?, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Supreme Court of Hawaii Seeking Comments on Ammending Rules to Allow Use of Electronic Devices in Courtrooms

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Damon

The Supreme Court of Hawaii seeks public comment regarding a proposal to amend Rule 5.1 and adopt Rule 5.3 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii. The proposal will allow the use of electronic devices in public court proceedings, subject to certain limits.

Comments about the proposed rules should be submitted, in writing, no later than Monday, June 3, 2013, to the Judiciary Communications & Community Relations Office by mail to 417 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, by facsimile to 539-4801, or via the Judiciary’s website.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Filed under: Announcements, Hawaii, Legal, National Affairs, Security, Something New?, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

High Tech Cameras Reveal The Secret Lives Of Kauai’s Endangered Seabirds

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Damon

High tech cameras placed at remote breeding sites are providing insight into the secret lives of Kauai’s endangered seabirds. As part of the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP), which is a state and federally funded project under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, the 14 cameras were placed on Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel burrows during the breeding season last year to collect data on everything from the arrival of adults to the fledging of chicks.

Photo of two Newell’s Shearwaters at their burrow taken with an infra-red camera. Photo by Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project.

Photo of two Newell’s Shearwaters at their burrow taken with an infra-red camera. Photo by Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project.

“These cameras have provided us with a window into a side of the birds that we simply never see,” explained Dr. André Raine, KESRP coordinator. “Watching the birds returning to their burrows after a winter out at sea, preening each other at the burrow entrance or interacting with their chicks at night is really pretty special, but the cameras are also providing critical data to help save the birds from extinction.”

The cameras are set on a trigger mechanism to take photos when something passes in front of the burrow entrance. Once the cameras are triggered, they take a rapid series of photos and only stop when the movement has ceased. This means that the cameras record birds entering or leaving their nest sites, or chicks exercising in front of the burrows throughout the breeding season. As the birds only come into their colonies at night, cameras are fitted with infrared flashes so that the birds are not disturbed.

“We’ve recorded birds from the moment they arrive on Kauai in March to the time their chicks depart in October to December,” Dr. Raine continued. “The cameras are a great way to collect data on a whole range of behaviors, such as when the chicks fledge and how often adults come to the burrows to feed their offspring. In this way we are increasing our understanding of exactly what these birds are up to while they are on our island.”

The cameras have also highlighted the threat of invasive species to these endangered seabirds, a problem that is facing Hawaii’s endemic wildlife throughout the archipelago. Cameras have filmed burrows being visited by both feral cats and rats throughout the study period, and have even captured the gruesome moment when a chick was eaten alive by a large rat.

“One of the achievements of this work has been to highlight how vulnerable these birds are to introduced predators,” Dr. Raine said. “It doesn’t matter how remote the sites are, feral cats and rats are always present and these can have a dramatic impact on breeding colonies. The cameras showed that several of the burrows even had rat nests right at the burrow entrance and feral cats actively investigated burrows on multiple occasions.”

The collection of this type of data using the latest technology is important because Kaua’i holds 90 percent of the world’s population of the Newell’s Shearwater, making it vital for the global conservation of this species. The island also holds internationally important populations of the Hawaiian Petrel.  The data from these cameras is therefore invaluable in terms of guiding on-going introduced predator control efforts in remote montane colonies.

To see a selection of videos taken from these cameras, visit the newly launched Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project website at http://kauaiseabirdproject.org/

Related articles

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Education, Environment, Hawaii, Kauai, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Green Award Recognition Given to Hawaii Federal Agencies

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Damon

USPS, HUD find innovative avenues to reduce energy consumption, increase recycling

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces today it has selected the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as award winners, and the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park with an honorable mention in the EPA’s Federal Green Challenge Program.

Click for more information

Click for more information

“EPA is pleased to recognize the U.S. Postal Service, Housing and Urban Development, and the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park for their outstanding leadership to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “By taking the initiative to reduce waste and conserve water and energy, these agencies will not only help motivate other federal agencies and organizations to follow suit, but save the government money as well.”

Leadership Category
Winner: USPS Honolulu Processing and Distribution Center: USPS Honolulu achieved a 70.7% recycling rate, increasing significantly by 400 tons in the last year. One of the keys to their success was the creation of a Green Team of finance managers, maintenance managers, operations specialists, and vehicle maintenance staff. The Green Team set a standard for recycling at the Honolulu plant and communicated that to the more than 160 Postmasters in Hawai’i. There were significant cost reductions of $65k as a result of decrease trash disposal.

Innovation Category
Winner: HUD Honolulu: HUD Honolulu created a tracking tool to analyze the transportation methods of the staff. The tool not only allowed HUD to establish detailed transportation metrics, but also encouraged more sustainable transportation choices on a person-by-person basis. They took many factors into account including staff point of origin, total miles to work, mode of transportation, and frequency of work-related travel. As a result, they exceeded their goal of decreasing commuting via car by 5%.

Education and Outreach Category
Honorable Mention: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park: In conjunction with the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, they developed an employee survey to ascertain energy knowledge, views, and habits. The students from the university analyzed the survey results and developed recommendations for educating the national park employees about energy conservation methods. As a result, informational signs and stickers were put up and energy meters were added to some equipment. Additionally, supervisors monitored employee activity and the energy manager tracked quantitative results through energy bills.

In total, Federal Green Award participants regionally:

· reduced over 57.5 million kWh of electricity and 342 million cubic feet of natural gas (equivalent to the energy used in a year by almost 2200 households);
· prevented over 40,000 tons of waste from reaching landfills, through composting and recycling, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 107,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (the equivalent of taking over 22,000 cars off the road for a year);
· reduced water usage by over 357 billion gallons; and
· saved over $16.6 million by reducing waste, water and energy use.

The Federal Green Challenge is a national effort to challenge EPA and other federal agencies to reduce the federal government’s environmental impact. Offices or facilities start their participation by selecting a minimum two of the six target areas—waste, electronics, purchasing, energy, water, or transportation—and commit to improve by at least 5% per year in their selected target areas.

For more information on the Federal Green Challenge winners, visit: www.epa.gov/region9/federalgreenchallenge/awards/pacificswawards/

 

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Health, National Affairs, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Student Rates Announced for the 2013 Hawaii Conservation Conference

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Damon

The Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance in partnership with Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation proudly announces the 2013 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference Student Rate Program.

2013 Conservation Conference

Under this program, Hawaiʻi high school students, college students, and emerging professionals may be qualified to attend this yearʻs Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference at a special rate of $50.

Muralist Wyland and others at the 2012 Conservation Conference

Muralist Wyland and others at the 2012 Conservation Conference

Our neighboring island recipients will also receive at $200 travel stipend.

Hawaii Conservation Conference 2012

Please visit the following link for more details, eligibility requirements and applications (printable & fillable pdfs). Applications are due by May 30th, 2013.

http://hawaiiconservation.org/activities/hawaii_conservation_conference/conferences/2013/student_rate

 

 

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Education, Environment, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Health, State Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Mars Mission on the Big Island Delayed 24 Hours – What Would You Cook on Mars?

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Damon

The Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) project was scheduled to begin today on the Big Island.

More Photos available through the HI-SEAS website.

More Photos available through the HI-SEAS website.

It will begin tomorrow following a small delay.

The HI-SEAS crew spent the morning at the Ka'ohe Restoration Area helping with reforestation efforts on Mauna Kea. This is part of the crews week long pre-mission cultural experience.

The HI-SEAS crew spent the last week at the Ka’ohe Restoration Area helping with reforestation efforts on Mauna Kea. This was part of the crews week long pre-mission cultural experience.

The HI-SEAS Project is a project that NASA has developed to figure out how to cook food on the Planet Mars, in a Mars like environment here on the Big Island.

The site is set up at an undisclosed location on Mauna Kea.

The site is set up at an undisclosed location on Mauna Kea.

Today they stated that the project’s initial start was pushed back 24 hours:

Hi-seas Project

One of the crew members posted the following on Facebook today:

Hi-Seas Begins

You can follow them on Twitter at #HISEAS or follow their website: Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation.

Hi-Seas Soil

Filed under: Agriculture, aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Community, Education, Environment, Food & Drink, Hawaii, Health, National Affairs, Something New?, Sustainable Living, Technology, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Top 10 U.S. Electric Utilities For Solar Power Usage

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Damon

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has released a new list of the 10 U.S. electric utilities that have added the most new solar power to their systems and the most solar on a watts-per-customer basis in 2012.

Solar

This annual ranking, which identifies the companies that are integrating solar into the nation’s power grid, is part of SEPA’s sixth annual Utility Solar Rankings report. The full report, which will be released next month, identifies industry trends, such as total installed capacity, market share and industry growth rates.

Utilities ranking in this year’s top 10 (by solar megawatts) accounted for 73% of all capacity integrated in 2012, a slight increase from 2011. Among the top three in the rankings are some of the nation’s largest utilities – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), Southern California Edison and Public Service Electric & Gas Co. – which often rank highly in this category due to their expansive customer solar programs and utility purchasing programs.

Rounding out the list are Arizona Public Service, NV Energy, Jersey Central Power & Light, Tucson Electric Power Co., Progress Energy Carolinas, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Hawaiian Electric Co. All were previously ranked in 2011, with the exception of Progress Energy Carolinas, which is in its first year on the list.

This is the fifth year that PG&E has topped the list, SEPA notes.

Separately, the rankings of the top 10 utilities by solar watts per customer take into account the number of customers each utility serves relative to their solar megawatts installed, giving small utilities a more competitive opportunity to measure their solar energy capacity.

Leading these rankings are many municipal utilities, including the City of St. Mary’s, Ohio; Kauai Island Utility Co-op in Hawaii; and Bryan Municipal Utilities in Ohio. Both Ohio utilities were not previously ranked, and Kauai moved up from No. 12 in the 2011 rankings.

The remaining top 10 providers include Hawaiian Electric Co., Chickasaw (Tenn.) Electric Co-op; Maui (Hawaii) Electric Co.; Imperial Irrigation District in California; Tucson (Ariz.) Electric Power Co.; City of Napoleon, Ohio; and Vineland Municipal Electric Utility in N.J.

Complete rankings can be found here.

Related articles

 

Filed under: Announcements, Economy, Environment, Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, National Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Senator Russell Ruderman: Reversal of Fate – “… I Support Safe Geothermal Development”

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Damon

Aloha Constituents and Concerned Citizens,

I want to thank everyone who supported my position in objecting to the process used to create and pass House Bill 252. Please know that all the emails and calls that each senator received were crucial to the approval of the important amendment I proposed this morning.  Without your public comments, this may not have happened. I remain concerned that due process, including public comment, was by-passed, yet as the process was going forward regardless, including a major improvement was the best course of action to take.

Rudderman and Geothermal

I object strongly to the process that introduced geothermal permitting procedures into an unrelated bill, HB252, without public notice of the changes or opportunity to testify. While the bill has some desirable provisions, the lack of transparency is difficult to support. The procedures used to by-pass public input are potentially unconstitutional, as is the fact that HB252 now contains two unrelated subjects. It is unfortunate this kind of politics persists in our State legislature.

Earlier in the session we had two bills on this issue, HB106 and HB932.  HB106, which restored County oversight and contested case hearings, was supported by Hawaii County Council, OHA, Puna community groups, and 90% of testifiers.  HB106, which had the support of the majority of the subject matter committees, was deferred, probably in hopes of passing HB932 instead, yet HB932 did not have support in committee. HB932does restore county oversight, but replaced contested case hearings with forced mediation and made changes to the definition of geothermal.  It was opposed by all community groups and individuals, yet supported by Hawaii County Mayor and DLNR.

The last minute language inserted in HB252 is similar to HB932. Inserting this language, from the bill with the least support, thwarts the desires of the impacted community, the Hawaii County Council, and OHA. The voice of the community was ignored by this objectionable procedure. This continues a long-standing trend that has resulted in the problems and controversy we now have over poorly planned geothermal development.

Instead of voting “no,” in what appeared to be a losing battle to kill the bill, I submitted an amendment to improve HB252. My amendment removes the requirement for mediation from this bill. As senator of the only district with geothermal development, I am aware of some of the problems that result from poorly regulated planning. Required mediation processes proved profoundly unsuccessful in 1990. The agreements reached in mediation were violated, and the enforced mediation process is widely reviled by the community. The affected communities deserve the right to contested case hearings, as is the common remedial action in most planning disputes. By removing references to mediation, citizens’ rights are protected, and one of the most objectionable portions of HB252 is corrected.

My community and I support safe geothermal development. We simply desire fair treatment and due process to ensure a safe community. Given that the amendment was approved; I can now support this bill instead of opposing it, since it does provide for the reinstatement of county oversight that was taken away in Act 97.

Again, I want to thank everyone who submitted comments and will continue to remain vigilant when similar tactics are applied to legislation that could negatively affect my district and the State. You provided a voice that was heard loud & clear! No new testimony is needed at this time.

Thank you for your support and involvement!

Mahalo,

Senator Russell E Ruderman

Hawaii State Senate

Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, Environment, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Health, Legal, Legislature, Politics, Puna, Rumors, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Biennial Condominium Association Registration Starts with New Look

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Damon

The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) is kicking off the 2013-2015 Condominium Association registration period with the introduction of a redesigned website and enhanced access.

Registration is available through May 31, 2013 via the upgraded website at https://aouo.ehawaii.gov.

More than 1,650 condominium associations are registered with the DCCA’s Real Estate Branch. Those associations cover more than 157,000 condominium units and their owners in Hawaii.  “We’re pleased to provide upgraded services for Hawaii’s condominium associations and managing companies,” DCCA Director Kealii S. Lopez said. “The new design is clean and user friendly, making the registration process quick and easy, even from a mobile device.”

The website upgrade is part of the Abercrombie administration’s Information Technology (IT) Transformation Initiative, as set forth by the state Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT).

Click for more information

Click for more information

The design elements of this online service follows the new State of Hawaii website template, optimized for touch screen technology and smart phone interfaces by providing larger text, buttons designed for touch response and custom layouts for smaller screens.  They were developed through the eHawaii.gov program, a largely self-funded public-private partnership between the State of Hawaii and Hawaii Information Consortium LLC (HIC), a Hawaii corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC Inc. (NASDAQ: EGOV).

Filed under: Abercrombie, aloha, Announcements, Economy, Hawaii, Legal, Something New?, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Big Island Water Resources Meeting Addresses Freshwater, Coastal Water Resources

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Damon

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo recently hosted over 40 researchers from universities, local and federal agencies, as well as natural resource managers and community planners to share information about their past, current, or future projects regarding freshwater and coastal water resources on the Big Island at the 2nd Big Island Water Resource Meeting held March 25th on the UH Hilo campus.

EPSCOR

Effects of climate change, invasive species, development, and pollution on Big Island water resources, as well as cultural and traditional Hawaiian management use and practices were discussed by presenters, specifically ecohydrology, hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemistry of freshwater and coastal resources.

“This meeting was a great opportunity for the water resource community to share information about their ongoing projects and brainstorm on collaborations that will allow us to more effectively manage and protect our island’s water resources,” said Dr. Tracy Wiegner, associate professor of marine science and event chair. “We hope to make this meeting an annual event.”

UH Hilo, Hawaiʻi EPSCoR, and Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) funded and provided logistical support for the meeting.

Highlights of the presentations can be found at: http://www.epscor.hawaii.edu/content/big-island-water-resources-conference-ii.

Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Education, Environment, Hawaii, National Affairs, Rumors, State Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

State of Hawaii Invests in Innovative Zero Waste Biofuel Program – Governor Presents $200,000 to Hilo-Based Project

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Damon

Governor Presents $200,000 to Hilo-Based Project, Recognizes Local Researcher Dennis Gonsalves, Ph.D.

abercrombieheader

At a special open house event at the USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC), Gov. Neil Abercrombie today presented a $200,000 check from the state Department of Agriculture that will go toward the Hilo center’s zero waste biofuel and high protein feed program.

PBARC along with Florida-based BioTork Hawaii LLC have invested more than $1 million to successfully develop an economically sustainable zero waste conversion project producing biofuel and high protein animal feed from unmarketable papaya. The conversion process takes 14 days to cycle in a heterotrophic environment, meaning no sunlight is needed using organically optimized algae/fungi developed and patented by BioTork.

From Gov. Abercrombie's Facebook page.

From Gov. Abercrombie’s Facebook page.

The state’s $200,000 investment will assist PBARC in moving the project to pilot scale as a prelude to commercial production. The State of Hawaii’s Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) will become a venture partner to globally export the rapid conversion technology in association with PBARC and BioTork Hawaii LLC.

“This patented evolutionary technology is unique to the marketplace and places Hawaii in a leading position in the area of biofuel and feed research,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “With this technology, farmers can turn agricultural waste into an additional revenue stream, and local production of biofuel can lower dependence on Hawaii’s import of fossil fuels.

“Aside from the benefit of producing biofuel, this technology has the ability to create another revenue stream for papaya and other tropical agriculture farmers. Local high protein feed production – another by-product of this process – can greatly benefit cattle, hog, chicken and aquaculture farms through competitive market pricing.”

The state also hopes to develop a long-term revenue generator as a partner exporting this technology. At full scale, more than 1,000 jobs are projected.

While papaya was chosen as the initial feedstock, this technology can be applied to any plant material as a carbon source. In Hawaii, other identifiable feedstock are unmarketable sweet potato, sugar cane, mango, albizia and glycerol. Invasive trees like albizia could be used as feedstock in this zero waste program.

“This Hawaii-based technological development is a major breakthrough that focuses on key components hampering the sustainability efforts of other microorganism based biofuel projects,” said James Nakatani, ADC executive director. “These obstacles include the high cost of feedstock. Approximately 70 percent of the cost for production is consumed in this area. Using unmarketable plant and other waste materials drastically reduces this cost driver.

“While past lab projects have not translated into robust performances when scaled-up, BioTork’s solution promotes rapid and dynamic evolution of microorganisms that are robust even in ‘suboptimal’ conditions.”

Research and development funds will be used for customizing feedstock formulations to create Hawaii’s zero waste conversion technological library. The library will be available for export and sale to other states and countries. The United States alone produces up to 20 million metric tons of culled produce from which as much as 1.7 billion gallons of renewable lipids could be made.

Dr. Dennis Gonsalves Day
Also at the event, the Governor honored Kohala-born Dennis Gonsalves, Ph.D. by proclaiming April 6 “Dr. Dennis Gonsalves Day,” recognizing his research efforts at PBARC to improve and develop sustainable agriculture crops and programs in Hawaii and around the world.

Dr. Gonsalves served for 10 years as PBARC’s director and recently retired. He is most noted for his efforts that saved Hawaii’s papaya industry from the ringspot virus. The transgenic “Rainbow Papaya” that he and his team developed and released to growers in 1998 helped to bring the industry back after ringspot virus had reduced Hawaii’s papaya production by 50 percent.

Filed under: Abercrombie, Agriculture, Announcements, Big Island, Education, Environment, Food & Drink, Hawaii, Hilo, Something New?, State Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology, Transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hilo Viking Robotics Partners with Hawaii TechWorks

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Damon

East Hawaii (EHCDC) is pleased to support Hilo High School’s Robotics Club

The East Hawaii Community Development Corporation is pleased to announce that Hilo Viking Robotics (HVR) and Hawaii TechWorks have partnered to support the technical and career education of students and community members in the areas of robotics, science, technology, entrepreneurship, and related activities.

Hilo Vikings Robotics

Both HVR and Hawaii TechWorks recognize the profound need to strengthen these areas within our community and foresee powerful alignments given the similarity of vision between our organizations. To further our community development-focused goals, Matthew Pearring, President of HVR, has joined our Senior Advisory Board, which may be viewed here: http://easthawaii.org/who-we-are/.

About East Hawaii (EHCDC)

The East Hawaii Community Development Corporation (http://easthawaii.org), 501(c)(3), established by organization Chair and President Ernest Matsumura and headed by Executive Director Anthony Marzi, is a non-governmental, social enterprise organization working in East Hawaii and surrounding communities. The goals of East Hawaii (EHCDC) are to: coordinate with, as well as develop and expand upon, existing economic development activities through strategic project planning and outreach to build a vibrant community with quality economic activity; provide training and mentoring, as well as an expanded professional community, so a next generation of leaders can emerge; and, facilitate the development of strong community ties through informal networking and relationship-building, new job opportunities for local residents, and spurred community economic development. Hawaii TechWorks and Hawaii Food Hub are EHCDC programs that serve these goals.

About Hawaii TechWorks

Hawaii TechWorks is an open-access community workspace for enabling invention and innovation by providing the learning communities, the general public, and business communities of Hawaii Island access to computer design software, high-technology industrial design and fabrication equipment, mentoring and training services, and the business infrastructure needed to support entrepreneurial development in the community.

Hilo Viking Robotics 2

About Hilo Viking Robotics

Hilo Viking Robotics (http://www.hilovikingrobotics.com/) is a club at Hilo High School dedicated to providing students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the fields of science, engineering, and business. With those goals in mind, HVR competes in various robotics competitions throughout the year, including the VEX Robotics Competition and the FIRST Robotics Competition. HVR is a fully student-driven club that allows the students to take full control of the club’s actions and its future. Students immerse themselves in the fields of engineering, computer-science, and business when building their robots, working on documentation, or soliciting to businesses. HVR strives to promote robotics within their community by attending outreach events and organizing annual robotics youth camps called Camp Eureka.

In the past two years, HVR has continued to grow, as well as garnered several awards at various robotics events. In 2012, HVR was awarded the Judges Award at the Hawaii Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. HVR competed at the 2012 Maui VEX Tournament and won the Excellence Award. At the TMT Big Island VEX Tournament, HVR won Tournament Champion and Finalist. At the 2012 Big Island VEX League, HVR won the Best Programming Skills Award, Best Driver Skills Award, Tournament Finalists, and the Excellence Award. At the prestigious 2012 Pan Pacific VEX Championship, HVR was named Tournament Champion.

 

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Education, Hawaii, Hilo, Kids, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Hawaii Turning Derelict Fishing Nets Into Electricity

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Damon

A recent CNN news report has highlighted how fishermen in Hawaii are collecting discarded fishing nets and other waste items found in the Pacific as part of the Nets-to-Energy program on Hawaii.

Whale Snag

The nets recovered under the program are taken to Covanta’s waste to energy facility in Honolulu, which processes up to 3000 tons (2700 tonnes) per day on the island of Oahu, generating some 90MW – around 10% of the island’s total requirement.

In 2012 Covanta completed a 900 ton-per-day expansion of existing waste to energy facility, which included the addition of a third combustor unit, turbine/generator and associated air pollution control equipment.

According to the report up to 300,000 marine mammals are killed each year by rogue fishing nets swirling in the ocean.

The full report is below:

Hawaii turns derelict fishing nets into electricity. CNN’s Kyung Lah explains:

Filed under: Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Opala in Paradise, State Affairs, Technology | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Google Glasses Winners Announced – List of Winners

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Damon

Well I feel very fortunate to be one of 8,000 Google users to be selected to try out the new Google Glasses.

Here is the tweet that I tweeted that landed me this privilege:

Winning Tweet

Click twice to read

You can view the full list of winners here:  Google Glass First Wave Recipients.

This is what I said in my winning tweet:
#ifihadglass I would show the world what Hawaii is like as a resident and not just as a tourist.

Related articles

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Education, Hawaii, National Affairs, Rumors, Smuck Awards, Technology, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

I’ve Been Selected to Try Out the New Google Glasses!!!!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Damon

Oh my god!  I just got selected to be one of the BETA users of the new GOOGLE Glasses!!!

Google GlassOf course I will have to fly to the mainland and sign off on a bunch of things before I become one of Googles Testers!!!!

I hope this isn’t a joke and will keep folks updated!

Mahalo Google and Project Glass!

http://www.google.com/glass/start/

Many folks on the internet are considering this the same thing as winning the “Golden Ticket to the Willie Wonka Chocolate Factory”.

I’m totally stoked and will learn more about what I need to do to get these glasses.

From my current understanding… I will need to pay my own way to the mainland to get them… but it’s so worth it!!!!

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, National Affairs, Rumors, Something New?, Technology, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

Department of Education Schools Lead Strong Hawaii Showing at National Student Television Awards

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Damon

Led by five awards from Waianae High School, public schools captured 16 of 17 awards won by Hawaii schools this month at the 10th Annual Student Television Network (STN) Convention in Los Angeles, Calif.

DOE Release

Nearly 2,500 students from 153 middle and high schools across the country attended this year’s convention, March 7-10. Hawaii was well represented with the third-largest contingent with 15 public and private schools. During the four-day convention, students and teachers were able to select from more than 90 breakout sessions taught by industry professionals covering all areas of broadcast journalism, video production, filmmaking and media.

Also as part of the convention, STN held onsite contests for video production in 27 categories, during which public schools dominated Hawaii’s cadre of awards. Kamehameha Schools Maui took home a second-place award in the “Tell the Story” category. Here is how island public schools placed in the competition:

Waianae High School:
1st Place – Convention Recap
1st Place – STN Excellence Award for Monthly Broadcast
2nd Place – Laptop Journalist
3rd Place – Short Story
Honorable Mention – Broadcast News Writing

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School (Kauai):
1st Place – Spot Feature
2nd Place – Middle School Movie Trailer
3rd Pace – Middle School Public Service Announcement
Honorable Mention – Middle School Anchoring

Waianae Intermediate School:
2nd Place – Middle School Music Video
2nd Place – Sweet 16 Broadcast Journalism

Moanalua High School:
Honorable Mention – Laptop Journalist
Honorable Mention – Music Video

Waiakea Intermediate School (Hawaii Island):
3rd Place – Middle School Anchoring

Waiakea High School (Hawaii Island):
Honorable Mention – High School Anchoring

Maui Waena Intermediate School (Maui):
Honorable Mention – Middle School Public Service Announcement

“There is an extraordinary wealth of talent among our public schools,” said Candy Suiso, a Waianae High teacher considered one of the pioneers of student video production in Hawaii. “Waianae High continues to set the standard among Hawaii’s schools, but what is rewarding is to see how many other schools have invested in this medium as part of their curriculum over the past decade.”

Waianae High School’s videos are available for viewing at http://vimeo.com/spwhs, while Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School’s winning videos can be found at http://vimeo.com/cktvmediaproductions.

STN is a nonprofit organization started in 1999 by a group of dedicated teachers who volunteered their time, energy, and vision. With hundreds of affiliate public and private schools, STN embraces the educational components of broadcast journalism, video production, filmmaking and media by networking students and teachers with professionals in the industry. A list of competition winners can be found at http://www.studenttelevision.com/convention.htm.

 

 

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Education, Entertainment, Hawaii, Kids, Movies and Film, National Affairs, Technology, Television | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 645 other followers