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The Trend Toward Cooperative Community

The Hawaii Sustainable Community Alliance is working towards amending current laws to allow more sustainable, eco-friendly practices, communities and buildings. We have worked through the political system in our effort to achieve legislative change.

UPDATE 

 Sustainable Living Research Bill (HB111)

 THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED SO FAR

Bill HB 111 has very successfully passed  through three HOUSE committees and now is before the SENATE with only two Committees to Pass !!!! The Senate Committee on Water and Land has scheduled HB111, HD2 for a hearing on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 1:30pm.

THIS IS OUR CALL TO ACTION #5 

Please send new testimony by noon on Wednesday, March 20th if possible, otherwise by March 21st is ok.

Over 200 of you wrote in to support past hearings, we need to do it all again and even bigger to ensure this one goes “all the way”. It helps to resend testimony to each committee as the Bill progresses. The good news is we only have one more after this committee.

If you save your testimony in a word doc. , you can easily modify it and resend it with a click to the next committee chairperson.

We have listed some specific focus points below.

It is helpful to modify your testimony to reflect the focus of each committee as it makes it easier and more relevant for them to read and understand.

And you do not have to be a Resident of Hawaii nor even a citizen of the US to submit testimony. Our politicians need to also hear from the visitors to Hawaii who wish to enjoy a more sustainable and ecofriendly holiday in paradise!

How to submit your Testimony

  1. Go to ——————   http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx
  2. You will see a field “Enter a measure to retrieve the corresponding hearing notice.”
  3. Enter HB111 and press Submit.   This will take you to a form where you can submit testimony for this bill.
  4. It is a quick and simple process.     You will receive a confirmation on your email.

Testimony Tips

Keep it positive & Keep it relatively short

 Sample Letter  (you can prepare a Word doc and paste it in)

Your name  (with position/title and organization, if applicable)

Senate Committee on Water and Land

March 21st at 1:30 pm.

RE:  HB 111

Aloha Chair Senator Malama Soloman sensolomon@capitol.hawaii.gov Vice Chair  Senator Maile Shimabukuro, and members of the committee,

 I support this bill for these reasons

        Bullet point

         Bullet point

         Bullet point

Mahalo for your support of this bill,

(Signed)

 Focus Points -take your pick or use all

The HSCA, our organization of more than 600 members statewide supports  HB111 for these reasons:

  1. Over the past five years, sustainable development has found favor with an increasing number of national and international organizations,
  2. State Legislature adopted the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan in 2008.  We now need more tools to implement and to experiment in sustainability.
  3. Benefits from sustainable living research will include: an increase in real ‘affordable’ and sustainable green housing, Increases in employment in small business sustainable enterprises, the growth of small locally owned farms that educate and employ a new breed of young farmers, additional protection for consumers from the disruptions in transport of supplies to Hawaii islands, reduced dependence on imports of food and energy by promoting locally sustainable alternatives, an improvement in the island’s landfill problems by increasing ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
  4. it will promote the development of think tanks focusing on sustainable research and development.
  5. Now is the time to bring current zoning and land use codes into compliance with local community values.
  6. Improve our State disaster preparedness by researching and developing practices to alleviate impacts due to a state of emergency.

Summary of HB111

This Bill provides for legislation to establish “Sustainable Living Research Sites” on parcels less than 15 acres that are designated “agricultural”.  It would allow applicants to request exemptions from State and County Codes for approved sustainable living research activities. This would enable innovators and sustainable pioneers to practice and test ways of living that are ecological and sustainable but outside of existing codes.  Research will include new ways to: live in ecovillage-type communities, build affordably and sustainably, provide alternative energy, conserve and harvest fresh water, conserve and improve topsoil without expensive or toxic inputs, increase local food production and quality, provide onsite waste treatment and recycling, and many other developing techniques for sustainable living.

Please forward this e-mail to your friends and add it to your Facebook page and any other social networks you belong to.

There will be another call to action when we are notified of the next committee hearing. For the latest update on our State Bill, with current “friendly” amendments go to

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/CommReports/HB111_HD1_HSCR4_.HTM

 

Hawaii Sustainable Community Alliance (HSCA) Overview

Vision, Goals and Methods

  • Our vision is to create a healthy, ecological, peaceful and economically stable world.
  • We work toward that world on a local level by taking action to promote, support and advocate for land based sustainable community living in Hawaii.
  • We facilitate networking, communication, information sharing and education among those interested in our vision and goals.
  • Our methodology is to work closely and cooperatively with each other and with local, state and federal government to resolve issues, and to advocate for new and/or amended laws and codes.

Making Hawaii Sustainable

We specifically support and encourage the State of Hawaii’s goal of self-reliance and sustainability. This lifestyle of working together, pooling resources and thereby consuming less is essential to the success of our state becoming more self-reliant on all levels.

A Solution to Global Challenges Now

We see this way of living as being vital to solving life-threatening conditions facing the globe right now. We are faced with resource degradation, the breakdown of Earth’s ecological systems, the possibility of climate changes, and social issues such as crime, health and economic crises. Recent scientific and media reports regarding current economic, environmental and social conditions in Hawaii and worldwide show an immediate need to take clear and decisive action on these issues. We believe that time is of the essence, and that this lifestyle is one part of the solution.

Current Focus of the Alliance

Right now our focus is on zoning laws, building and infrastructure issues, ease of preparing special use permits, and on building a statewide network of our members.

We Invite Your Participation!

If you would like to get involved, we would welcome your help!
  • Sign up more members to HSCA. Tell your friends about this site and the work we are doing. The more support we can show, the better. When time comes to send in testimony and speak with Council members we will let you know more details.
  • Please view our Channel on Youtube. 
  • Please sign up for our Newsletter and subscribe to our posts, or just check back here for more resources and updates.
  • You can help us out by signing up as a member, (see sidebar) so we can show that many people support ideas such as sustainable building techniques, building your own home from recycled and local materials, composting toilets and living in community on land.
  • Donations of any size are also very helpful!  Just click on the Donate button to use Paypal.
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