He's been dubbed "Dr. Sustainability" because of his green habits and resourceful tendencies. Jeremai Cann, a solar-energy coordinator, not only shares his knowledge with others in the community through a series of workshops but also practices what he preaches.

From atop one of Honolulu's major valleys, Cann's home is easily overlooked among the trees and vegetation. That's because his one-story structure looks very much like a tree house and is completely off-grid from water and electrical utilities. Cann calls this "Sustainability Land."

He explained: "Like a tree house, there's life inside and outside ... and if it's 60 degrees outside, (then) it will be 60 degrees right here."

Water for drinking, showering and washing cars comes from the rain. A 2,500-gallon tank is stored under the house and serves as a water catchment, with an ultraviolet light to sterilize the rainwater.

Fruit trees and vegetables decorate the Cann family property. Plants feed off Cann's rich worm and recyclable-debris composts. But the real secret to a successful crop, he says, is human urine. But that's another conversation, and there's much more Cann has in store for his treelike house. He plans to create a dry-land garden where he will grow taro and set up several aquaponic systems.
For more, visit the Green Channel at www.science.pacificnetwork.tv/GreenPicks.
— Alyssa S. Navares, PacificNetwork.tv