Click Image To Enlarge
|
Transportation. Transportation accounts for the biggest segment of US oil consumption as shown in the following pie chart. Even as gas prices near $5 a gallon, we continue to drive our cars because we depend on them to get to work and the grocery store. A local transportation strategy must simultaneously increase public transit availability and reduce the need for transport by rethinking land-use planning. By working closer to home, creating walkable communities, and regionalizing goods and services, we can drastically cut our dependence on cars. Carpooling, car-sharing cooperatives, riding the bus, and cycling are all immediate solutions. Check out the new Kaua`i Bus schedule, and see how you can keep some money in your pocket by riding it to work one or two days each week.
Energy. Currently, $6500 leaves Hawai`i’s economy every minute to pay for imported energy. At the Kaua`i Renewable Energy Conference in September one thing was clear--urgency. We must proceed wisely, choosing to utilize technologies that are truly sustainable and renewable. Re-localization means not simply replacing a dependence on Chevron-supplied oil with Chevron-supplied solar. It means local, decentralized control and ownership of energy resources that keep money in our economy and create green job opportunities.
Other elements of Relocalization:
|
