Posted on: Friday, June 7, 2002

5 in Hawai'i win honors for environment work

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer

The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday presented environmental awards to four individuals and one Big Island resort for efforts to preserve the environment in 2001.

EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri made the presentations at the agency's fourth annual Environmental Awards Ceremony in San Francisco. The five Hawai'i winners were among 35 individuals and groups selected from more than 100 nominees in the Western states.

Ken Goldstein for more than 10 years has overseen the Hawai'i Computers for Kids program, recycling computers for kids in kindergarten though high school. More than 11,000 computers have passed through the program during that time, with the help of the Army, Navy and Air Force, and the firms Microsoft and CompUSA.

Buck Joiner of Maui organized volunteers to convert a neglected piece of property at Kihei's Kama'ole Point into a county park. They cleaned up piles of trash, removed weeds and put in native vegetation.

Gail Suzuki-Jones of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism helped create Aloha Shares, a statewide nonprofit organization that collects and distributes recycled and reusable materials to help build and repair homes for the needy. Much of the material comes from the construction industry. Aloha Shares also distributes used military furniture.

Emma Yuen ran the Junior Greenpeace group at Hilo High School, where she was a student, leading tree plantings and beach cleanups. She is webmaster and a columnist for the monthly "Environment Hawai'i" newsletter.

The Orchid at Mauna Lani, a Big Island luxury resort, received recognition for its installation of an environmentally friendly power- and heat-generating system in June 2001. The liquid petroleum gas system conserves power.