Eat Local, Buy Local, Be Local

Hi everyone! Jamilia here checking in with a quick little announcement!

The other day while I was at the University of Hawaii, Hilo's Mookini Library I saw a flyer about Plaza Market Mondays on campus. It's being put on by the University Student Activities Council and the College on Agriculture. I thought this could be relevant to "buying local" and if you're a student at UHH and already on campus you might as well take a quick stroll through campus center.

Check out the flier below, that I got from UHH Campus Dining's Facebook fan page.

The next Plaza Market Monday is on November 7th, from 10am-2pm.
I'll be there to check it out & take pictures, reporting on the wonders of buying local on campus. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that as well as more information on Gardening, Solar energy and Plastic usage reduction!

Until next time I encourage you to Eat Local, Buy Local, Be Local.

Harness energy from the sun!

Hey everyone, this is David from Team Hi5. My focus will be on solar energy. As this is my first blog, I figure what better place to start than with the basics. I don't claim to be an expert on solar energy, but I hope to share what I have gathered from working in the industry as well as things I have read on my own. Like I said, I have worked installing solar panels for a small local business on O'ahu. The two main forms for panels that we installed at people's houses were water heating panels and photovoltaic (PV) panels.

Water heating panels are a great, simple way to start harnessing energy from the sun and saving money at the same time. Homes that don't have water heating panels heat their water with electricity. This, obviously, costs money, whereas once a heating unit is in place, your water gets heated for free. People also use this technology to heat their pools. In places of the world where there are dramatic changes in seasons, solar water heaters had a slight downfall. But here in Hawai'i, this is not a problem! Our year-round great weather makes a perfect application for solar energy.

The other type of solar panel I mentioned is photovoltaic panels. These are panels that reduce our electricity bill from other sources, such as lights, AC/heat, electronics, etc. Each panel only produces a limited amount of power so people usually instal a bunch at a time. I have never installed less than 15 on a single family's roof. How much a home needs is determined by how much electricity they use. For example, it's pretty safe to say a home with just a husband and wife will need less PV panels than one that lives a family of five.

I know you're all probably thinking, "Well, how much does it cost?" While solar panels can be fairly pricey, there are government rebates that homeowners get for purchasing solar panels which greatly reduces the cost. Also, the whole theory behind solar panels is that besides being eco-friendly, they will pay themselves off over time with the money saved on utilities.

This is just a brief introduction to get you thinking about solar energy and it's potential impact for you. I'll provide more information next time, so until then keep reading our blog, keep spreading the word, and keep living green!

Also, check out this short video (2min) for a little more information!

Eat Local, Buy Local, Be Local

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the "Eat local, Buy local, Be local" section of Hi5 for Sustainability! I'm excited to be introducing some ideas (old and new alike) about eating and buying local! If you have any ideas for a future post, questions about this one or comments feel free to comment or email us at COM344.Hi5@gmail.com

What does it mean to buy local?

This term gets thrown around a lot but through these blog sections I really want to tackle the question of what it really means to buy and live locally. You would think that living on an island it would be simple to “live locally” but when it comes to food buying local isn’t always the simplest. I hope in this section of the blog to help ease any confusion about what it means to buy local and help everyone to live a more local life when it comes to purchasing products.

Buying local can be defined as so many different things but the basic idea is keeping what you are buying close to home. Buying local can start with keeping what you are buying like produce and other products in your community, slowly making the ring of area (as far as distance) you are purchasing from smaller.

It’s important to pay attention to where your products are coming from and whether or not they are something you can buy closer to home.

Buying local supports a more sustainable food system because true sustainability goes beyond the method used in food production to include every step that brings the food from the farm to your plate.

Why should WE buy local?

If the taste of fresh products or the idea of making a change in the environment isn’t enough to get you wanting to look into the buying of local products then maybe you should think about the possibility of improved health and supporting your neighbors, the people who know and understand the needs of your community first hand.

Buying local is the best way to keep food miles (which are the miles in which your food travels from its source to your table) to a minimum.

What can WE all be doing right now?

Challenging yourself to buy local products is something that you can start doing right now. Make a conscious effort to pay attention where your food is coming from. Check out the Farmers Markets and Flea Markets on the Big Island to find local products in your neighborhood!

Here is another website that can help make you aware of other local resources! It's called the Eat Well Guide: Saving the world one bite at a time. Search your local zip code for information.

Below is a Kyle Theirmann video. I really feel the connection between buying local and realizing the global effect of what you are doing where you are now. Kyle Theirmann's website Surfing For Change is something that we may come back to refer to. I encourage you to go through his site. It's amazing the impact that one person (maybe YOU or I)can make in the world!



Until next time I encourage you to Eat Local, Buy local, Be local! Aloha~

DIY Gardening

Aloha, this is Todd from Team Hi5 and this is my first of many video blogs of do it yourself gardening. About 4 years ago, my family and I decided to start growing some of our own vegetables. Growing your own vegetables at home has many benefits. First, because you choose to garden at home and raise your own vegetables, there is an absence of genetically modified organisms or GMOs in the final product. Second, you save money not only by growing your own vegetables, but you save money by not paying for the cost of importing fruits and vegetables that the supermarkets include. Third, if you plant the right things, you can save time, the environment as well as more money by not wasting/using gas driving to the store to buy fruits and vegetables. Lastly, I personally enjoy gardening and it definitely gives you a sense of accomplishment knowing that you are doing your part to be self-sustainable.

Enjoy the video and feel free to give any feedback!



Song used: "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac