The early “Hawaiians” didn’t need to be told to live in a sustainable fashion. Logic ruled. It was rampant. It still is in many rural, off-the-grid communities on Hawai`i Island.
Common sense was ordinary hundreds of years ago and ahupua`a wasn’t a grassroots movement or a government mandate. It was a way of life for many more people than currently inhabit Hawai`i Island.
We may be able to sideline ahupua`a through creative technologies but just as we thought coal and oil were the way, these sustainable technologies too will have a certain shelf-life. At least until there’s moving parts that grow themselves. But that’s another discussion.
Today I wanted to champion the fact that you’ve come a long way towards being self-sustainable. You’ve done this on your farms, homes and small businesses. You’ve done things only your family or neighbors know about. Whether you’ve changed a few light bulbs or harnessed power from a stream of water, It’s called, “common sense”. It’s part of the beauty of becoming or living sustainably for yourself. It feels good and there’s a certain freedom you get from cutting your energy bill or eating food you grow. It feels free and it feels good inside. Many of you have left somewhere to be here, just for these reasons. Simplicity, common sense and aloha.
The media would have us think that tax incentives, rebates or programs will bring us into 70% energy sustainability by 2030. The fact is that these same programs have been around for ten years or more. You are the one that will become sustainable and you’ll do it when it makes sense to you. Meanwhile, back on the farm, you are growing your own food and we hear about it.
When the prices of energy go up we find cheaper power. When the price of our food goes up, we learn to farm. When the price of water goes up, we catch it from the heavens. These are the stories that need to be shared.
Common sense, logic and ahupua`a isn’t dead. But in the future it won’t be the smartest, fastest or strongest that survive, it will be the most adaptable. At least that’s what I heard.
Malama i ke aina
Malama i ke kai
Green Collar Technologies will be sharing these stories and hope to provide an online technology platform for you to stand upon and declare your adaptations, your manao and your aloha of freedom.
Let’s hear it. Comments will not be moderated for the next two hours, then you’ll have to register and login to comment.
More Resources
East Maui Watershed Partnership - a ahupua`definition
Hawai`i History.org - a ahupua`definition
Would someone please go and rewrite the definition for ahupua`a definition at Wikipedia?
