Empowering minds with green ideas
By Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Movie buffs, foodies, green thumbs, keiki and business owners — there's something green for everyone at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Sustain Your Brain events this summer.
The Sustain Your Brain program, sponsored by the UH Outreach College, includes lectures, presentations, workshops and a film festival, all of which focus on energy, sustainability and the environment.
"We want people to be inspired," said Ann Brandman, one of the coordinators of the program. "You can financially benefit from (going green) and you save the planet at the same time. So why wouldn't you?"
Organizers are drawing from the resources of the university community, as well as from the public and private sectors, to present the various events.
The centerpiece of Sustain Your Brain is Hawai'i Clean Energy Day, June 6 at UH's Kennedy Theatre and Imin International Conference Center.
The event includes national and local speakers, panel discussions and exhibits focused on the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, which would dramatically increase use of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies to meet 70 percent of Hawai'i's energy demands by 2030.
Keynote speaker Christine Ervin, a spokeswoman on market-based strategies for green buildings, clean energy and climate change, will discuss why she thinks clean energy will play a major role in reinventing the economic system.
"We are all living during one of the most important periods in human history," Ervin said by phone from Portland, Ore. "It sounds a little dramatic, but I think it is dramatic."
Ervin said there is a convergence of many trends that are going in the "wrong direction," with climate change leading a list of dozens.
"But as we've seen in the past, crisis often breeds opportunity," Ervin said. "So what's really, really exciting is that we are seeing this unprecedented level of interest in so many different green markets."
The Sustain Your Brain offerings — from Hawai'i Clean Energy Day to the EarthDance film festival — are meant to encourage a greener lifestyle, Brandman said.
"As individuals, schools, businesses and organizations, we can all take first steps," Brandman said.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF SUSTAIN YOUR BRAIN
Find out how the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between the state and the U.S. Department of Energy, positions Hawai'i as a leader in energy efficiency.
Learn how everyday citizens, businesses, organizations and schools can play a part in the state's movement toward energy independence.
The event includes a keynote address by Christine Ervin and panels of specialists who promote and incorporate green practices in their business or organization.
There also will also be free exhibits for the public (noon to 4:30 p.m.) by businesses and community groups, and of eco-friendly vehicles.
An annual summer series, this year looking at Hawai'i's progress in development of clean and renewable energy.
The June 17 lecture, "The Poseidon Adventure: A Down-Side-Up Story of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion," features Hans Krock.
In the June 24 lecture, "Native Hawaiian Perspectives on Renewable Energy Development," leaders in the Hawaiian community, cultural scholars and state policymakers discuss policies and actions to ensure a sustainable energy future for Hawai'i.
The lectures include "Local, Sustainable, Delectable Food" at 6:30 p.m. June 9 with "Chef Sean" Priester, Paepae o He'eia and Laurie Carlson; "Sustainable Burial" at 10 a.m. June 27 with Sarah Robinson; and "Energy-Saving Architecture"; at 7 p.m. July 8 with Stephen Meder. Details: www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/sustain/freeLectures.asp.
Family films at 3 p.m. July 26; films for grown-ups at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 in the UH Art Auditorium. Free. Details: www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/sustain/earthDance.asp.
For information on dates, locations and fees, visit www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/sustain/greenWorkshops.asp.
