Two Hawaiian adventures advance our understanding of the Big Island’s ecological alternatives. The first takes us from Kona’s sunny beaches to the opposite rainy coast.
We board a van touring the Waipio Valley. Descending a steep, pot-holed public road, we view the lofty basalt cliffs hemming in this lush green valley. “Those few utility poles you see reflect the fact that only five of Waipio’s 50 homes receive electrical and phone service,” our driver-guide Gregg smiles. “No worry! Neighbours share landline phones. Solar panels, wind turbines and gas generators provide their electricity….”
Numerous taro patches line a muddy serpentine river. “After backbreaking planting and harvesting, valley farmers serve taro leaves as greens and pounded purple roots as poi. Taro remains the nutritious heart of Hawaiian meals.” Gregg explains. “Trucking excess crops, taro is processed into chips, ingredients for baked goodies and poi.” Winding onward, Gregg points out indistinct acres of densely growing ferns. He mentions how tasty fiddleheads are also eaten and popularly marketed.
Little cottages sporadically appear. Fences enclose yards filled with banana plants, papaya, coconut, orange, avocado trees and vegetable gardens. “Everything thrives on our island’s rich volcanic soil,” Gregg says. “Folks here also hunt abundant feral pigs, adding pork to their diets.”
Bumping further into the verdant valley and fording two tributaries, we realize most of the Waipio Valley remains untamed. Suddenly wild ponies emerge from the rainforest. “There’re more horses around here than motorists!” Gregg quips, “I call these ponies the road gang.”
Small bays and pintos stick curious noses into van windows. Gregg feeds this sweet foursome their customary alfalfa biscuits. Once treated, they gradually drift back into the tumultuous greenery. We learn 60 wild horses live in the Waipio Valley.
Visitors can also glean roadside treasures. Gregg gathers perfumed gardenia flowers for the ladies and avocados for the gents. Before grinding back up the steep road, he pauses again pointing at a private road. “I sometimes drop passengers off here. They’ll walk down to Waipo’s beautiful black sand beach, where locals catch fish to enjoy with their poi.” Living simply, valley folks make small environmental footprints.
Our second day trip involves the futuristic structures just beyond Kona’s International Airport. A sign announces Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park. Two huge solar roof panels identify the reception centre. Inside, a docent checks off our names as participants. Being early, there’s time to peruse table displays and leaflets expounding innovative approaches to the future.
Several pamphlets report on Hawaii’s clean energy, now supplying 40 per cent of this island’s electricity. Two island wind farms churn over 30 megawatts. As one megawatt powers about 1,000 homes, these turbines produce electricity for 30,000 houses. Hilo’s Wailuku River facility generates another 11 megawatts. And until Mauna Kea’s 2018 eruption, Puna geothermal wells created steam for generators creating 38 megawatts.
Other brochures describe solar panels topping public buildings, businesses and resorts like ours. An amazing 16,000 homeowners have solar panels supplying their residential needs. To avoid costly imported gasoline, islanders increasingly drive electric cars; the county leads the way in using e-vehicles. Their popularity has resulted in 16 island charging stations. And by refining biomass of local eucalyptus and sorghum, biofuel is replacing diesel fuel.
We ask a volunteer about the reception area’s energy efficient design. “Our ecological efficiencies begin with the outside solar panels. And naturally our huge glass walls provide year-round lighting,” she smiles. “Under this floor, air is passing over coils filled with cold seawater. Meanwhile our roof chimney vents the hot air. This draws up the cooled air… and results in zero-cost air conditioning! As a bonus, condensation from the under-floor coils creates pure water. It’s then used for flushing toilets and irrigating surrounding gardens.”
Seated with others, Natural Energy Labs of Hawaiian Authority’s startling research is introduced. “Our facility was funded to create electricity by OTEC, ocean thermal energy conversion. You can understand its principle using this this small glass apparatus,” the presenter explains. “When you hold the bottom glass chamber of red ammonia liquid, you see your body temperature gradually boiling the liquid. Converted into gas, it rises and flows through its glass tube into the higher chamber. On a larger scale, such circulation could power turbines.”
Screening a picture of OTEC’s tower of colourful pipes, she continues, “One pipe circulates warm water to boil the liquid ammonia into gases. Another circulates the extremely cold deep water to condense the ammonia back into liquid.”
“To accomplish the most effective water temperature difference, OTEC’s experimental operations were located here.” A screened topographic map of Hawaii Island shows us how this particular Kona site provides maximum ocean drop off. This site allows a water pipe to plunge 900 metres vertically downward. Using capillary action, this pipe draws up the extremely deep cold water, while another draws shallow warm water to activate circulation.
“Although having limited economic success in power production, OTEC research experiments continue to be refined. Yet our work has produced a spectacular byproduct: untainted deep seawater. Our property now encloses over 22 industries immensely benefitting from this unique pristine water,” she smiles. “Desalinized, it’s sold to island breweries, a vodka distillery and bottled for Japanese consumers. The salt is successfully sold as deep-sea salt. The most profitable facet is how this seawater nurtures sea creatures’ rapid growth.”
Returning to our cars, we head to a parking lot near OTEC’s elevated piping. This proves a short walk to Kampachi Farms, our destination. A marine biologist introduces their enterprise.
“An aquaculture revolution has begun. In the last few decades, fish farmers have successfully raised trout in ponds, salmon and tilapia in pens,” he smiles. “Licensed to grow many fish varieties, we’ve discovered Kampachi, a type of yellowtail tuna, flourishes in these giant segregated tanks. Immersed in pure OTEC deep-water and nourished by healthy soya diets, they grow 33 per cent faster than kindred ocean dwelling tuna.”
A fellow scientist tells us about edible seaweed research and shows several thriving varieties in shallow troughs filled with deep seawater. She says three of them are ready for marketing.
At Big Island Abalone Corporation, a guide tours us among troughs of prized Ezo abalone and the seaweeds grown to feed them. At a shallow aquarium, he turns four of these unique seasnails upside down. Extending ventral feet, these critters smartly flip themselves over. After this entertainment, they become grilled delicacies for us to sample. Like other OTEC seafood, they ship millions of their abalone from the nearby airport, flying them fresh to worldwide markets.
Leaving the tour, we head to Kona Cold Lobsters. Under a corrugated tin roof, Atlantic lobsters scamper in clear pools. Other NELHA seafood is available here; we ask for two 10-pound lobsters. A fellow puts them in our pail. Paying, we say “Mahalo!” Gesturing a Shaka, he conveys no worry.
Two other NELHA’s research facilities may provide another year’s info-tainment. Kanaloa Octopus Farm helps visitors understand their brilliant eight-armed cephalopods. Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm educates folks about their colourful arrays of fascinating seahorses and sea dragons.
But for today, we’re content with achieving insights into a greener future. Practical in preserving paradise, Hawaiians prove far-sighted in their adaptations and continuing efforts to save a threatened world.
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NOTE: At the time of publication, restrictions around travel to the US were still in effect due to COVID-19. Check with your travel agent before booking a trip to Hawaii or any other US state.
IF YOU GO:
NOTE: At the time of publication, US borders were still closed to incoming Canadian tourists due to COVID-19. Check with your travel agent before booking a trip to Hawaii or any other US state.
- See www.gohawaii.com/islands/hawaii-big-island for information and inspiration.
- Learn about Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park at https://kcshi.org/ Book a weekday tour of its research and cutting-edge industries.
- Check out Waipio Valley tours at http://www.waipiovalleyshuttle.com/
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