It's a common story that many indigenous peoples have endured; a tale that starts with a ‘big idea’ in the name of development, then ends with a powerful multinational corporation driving traditional owners off their lands in order to exploit their natural resources.
The local hapü (Sub-tribe) a kawerau are no stranger to this narrative.…
Lessons from a turbulent past could help expand this renewable energy’s future
SHARA ENAY
When geothermal steam was first harnessed to generate electricity on the Big Island almost three decades ago, the project left many residents with a bitter taste. The technology was substandard, the community wasn’t consulted and environmental protestors became fixtures outside the…
Geothermal energy has received some deservedly bad press in Hawaii. We confess we may have had something to do with that. We were once among the activists who strongly opposed the development of geothermal energy on the Big Island, not because we are anti-business or anti-energy independence, but because we are pro-community. Past…
