Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Jessica Rohr the owner of Forage Hawaii. We will chat more about locally sourced meats, her pathway into this unique market and some of the hot topics that come up with meat today!  

Jessica Rohr is the owner of Forage Hawaii, a local meat purveyor. A passionate foodie, she has an endless curiosity of all things food related and has spent the last 15+ years connecting to food sources. Jessica is also an avid fisher, water-woman, and new mother.

NOTE:  A small disclaimer for all those listening…this podcast and all our podcasts are purely intended to share information about how we can be more sustainable with the choices we have. Smart Living Hawaii strives to be a sustainable resource and everyone has the freedom to make their own sustainable choices. We love to share what others are doing to contribute to their sustainable initiatives and hope we can all respect one another regardless of our personal differences. If you choose a plant-based protein diet or a meat protein diet or a combination of both, this podcast will definitely be an interesting listen.

Forage Hawaii's Resource Links: http://www.foragehawaii.com/resources.html 

Locations to buy Forage Hawaii Meats: http://www.foragehawaii.com/locations.html

Jessica Rohr  |  808-594-2119  |  [email protected]  

Instagram: @foragehawaii  |  Facebook:  @foragehawaii   |  Website:  www.foragehawaii.com  

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: 

Website: www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

All purple highlights are clickable links.

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Brian Kealoha, the Executive Director of Hawaii Energy.  We will cover what Hawaii Energy does, how they relate to the Hawaiian Electric Company, the projects they are working on, their energy efficiency programs and rebates for local residents and businesses and lastly an insight into their 3 year plan that they just submitted.  We have many challenges and hurdles in the energy world and Hawaii Energy is making great strides to providing innovative solutions that work.   

Brian has been involved in the energy sector for over 20 years. Brian began his career developing and implementing energy programs with various utilities including Pacific Gas & Electric, Avista Utilities, and Maui Electric Company. When the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative was established in 2008, Brian launched and managed the Hawai‘i division of Chevron Energy Solutions. Under his leadership, Hawai‘i became the highest revenue producing region in the United States. In 2016 Brian left to become the Executive Director of Hawai‘i Energy and lead the program’s evolution to better serve Hawai‘i’s families and businesses in reducing energy use and carbon emissions. 

Multifamily/Rental Program:  https://hawaiienergy.com/files/for-homes/brochure_energy-smart-4-homes.pdf 

Brian Kealoha |   1132 Bishop Street, Suite 1800  Honolulu, HI 96813 |   Toll-Free: (877) 231-8222 |   Fax: (808) 441-6068 |  [email protected]  

Instagram:  @myhawaiienergy | Facebook: @hawaiienergy | Twitter:  @MyHawaiiEnergy  | YouTube

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at: 

website: www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

All purple highlights are clickable links.

Today's talk story is with Wendy Loh, a sustainable leader here in Hawaii, pioneering the Tower Garden and Aeroponics; solutions to local food production in our urban core.  We will also dabble into her career path, family and mission in life which touches on Hawaii's Blue Zone Project, healthy meals and traveling the world with a cause.  

After operating Kona Paradise Candies for the past 20 years, Wendy Loh is now retired into a business that allows her to travel to many parts of the world as she promotes stewarding your body the way God intended for us all going PLANT STRONG towards optimal health. While making Hawaii smile with her chocolates, Wendy represented 12 Board of Director positions serving in every way. As she is retired from chocolate making and her fund raising company, she has chosen to represent 4 of the 12 boards actively. She now is the first National Marketing Director for the state of Hawaii for the Juice Plus Company and leads over 300 distributors towards Prevention and Wellness. Extending into promoting and growing sustainable produce and vegetables, Wendy also represents the Tower Garden and encourages all of Hawaii to step up to growing chemical free vegetables for our future generations. She responsible for bringing over 1000 Tower Gardens to this state to promote residential and urban farming. “Every Lanai Should Have a Tower Garden!” Proud mother of two beautiful daughters, Cassandra and Angela, Wendy loves spending her time cooking healthy meals, surfing and traveling as she shares God’s light with everyone. Delivering bibles and wheelchairs with Joni Earecksen Tada and creating events to raise millions of dollars for those in need in Hawaii as well as building homes for the orphans of Uganda. I have been groomed to travel the world and to look after God’s children as well as the people of Hawaii. Hosting a show entitled “Taking Your Health Back” Wendy gets to promote “Health” in many ways. Not just nutritionally, but emotionally, spiritually and financially. Health is what you make it. Now let’s take it back and work towards wellness. 

 Wendy Loh | [email protected] | 808.429.8777 | www.wendyloh.towergarden.com  

Other businesses mentioned: Hawaii Blue Zone Project | Tower Garden

 Smart Living Hawaii at: www.SmartLivingHi.com

 Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii 

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with John Leong, the CEO of Pono Pacific, LLC and the non-profit, Kupu. These two businesses focus on preserving, protecting and restoring Hawaii’s precious ecosystems. We plan to tackle both businesses, how they work together, the different programs they have and the reach, collaboration and partnerships they have made over the past 15 plus years. 

John Leong’s passion for creating a more resilient Hawai‘i is the inspiration and foundation for his ground-breaking work and accomplishments. As an environmental entrepreneur, Leong has helped to develop Hawai‘i’s green jobs industry, increasing conservation awareness and creating career opportunities in natural resource management and sustainability. After graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2000, Leong founded Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC, a conservation and land management services company. Pono Pacific is the only comprehensive, private natural resource management company in Hawai‘i, which today impacts nearly 40,000 acres annually throughout the state. Striving to continually innovate the company and its services, Leong has bridged Pono Pacific’s long-term conservation management goals with revenue-generating sustainability projects in renewable energy, reforestation and food production. In 2007, Leong co-founded non-profit organization Kupu, to cultivate positive environmental impact by focusing on developing Hawai‘i’s next generation of environmental stewards and community leaders. Kupu’s youth conservation and sustainability programs provide environmental and cultural education and experiences, as well as personal and professional development opportunities. Over the past decade, Kupu has helped to engage nearly 3,500 program participants statewide, many who have since established successful education and career pathways in conservation and sustainability. Through its programs and partnerships, Kupu has generated a total of more than $80 million in economic impact for the state, with a 1 to 3.4 cost-to-benefit ratio. Leong serves on several boards such as the YMCA of Honolulu, Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA), Lambda Alpha International (LAI), and Trust For Public Land. 

[email protected] | (808) 628-7400 ‏ | www.PonoPacific.com | www.KupuHawaii.org | 677 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 1200, Honolulu, HI 96813

Instagram: @ponopacific and @kupuhawaii | Facebook: @PonoPacific and @Kupuhawaii

Other businesses mentioned in this podcast: www.DLNR.Hawaii.gov |   www.ksbe.edu |  www.turtlebayresort.com | www.timberskauai.com  |  https://www.cochawaii.org/ypprogram/

Smart Living Hawaii at: www.SmartLivingHi.com

 Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii 

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

Today we will continue our Sustainable Leaders series and have a Talk Story with Phil Acosta, the Executive Director at Alea Bridge as we zero in on the Homeless Epidemic here in Hawaii. We plan to understand the Homeless situation, learn about what’s working and how we can solve some of these homeless hurdles. Some may be wondering how this is related to sustainability, well for those of you who don’t know, one of Hawaii’s sustainable sectors is Housing, Affordable Housing at that. The Homeless struggles we face as a state is something we must address for Hawaii’s Future and its people.

Phil is currently the Executive Director of ALEA Bridge, an emerging Non-Profit agency providing homeless services on Oahu. Along with his sister and 2 brothers, they have built up the organization from 2 unpaid volunteers 3 years ago, now with an Operations staff of 13, a Leadership Team of 20, and a volunteer base of over 200 people. They are now looking to expand their Outreach services and Housing programs to reach more people, especially in rural areas that have historically been under-served for many years. One of their big initiatives is the Wahiawa HoM Program, a collaborative, community-based initiative with a focus on Central Oahu, North Shore, and portions of Koolauloa, and Leeward Oahu, to address the homeless, health, and housing issues that is impacting the residents of these communities.    

Phil was an IT Project Manager for several years prior to ALEA Bridge, working on various enterprise projects with the State Department of Human Services and the US Department of Defense. Prior to that, he spent 10 years with the Department of Education. He and his wife just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They have 15-year old twin girls. One will be an incoming Senior at Mid-Pacific Institute, and another who is gearing up for college!  Phil and his family work tirelessly, day-in and day-out to provide amazing services for those without a home. Their big hearts touch the lives of those who lose hope and with that love, Phil and his team are able to save people at their bottoms and bring them back to a place they can call home.

Phil Acosta:  [email protected] | 808-379-2532 | www.AleaBridge.org | 935 California Ave., Suite#: A7-37 Wahiawa, HI 96786 

LinkedIn: Click Here

Instagram: @the_aleabridge 

Additional links and contact info from the podcast:

Ulupono Initiative: http://ulupono.com/ 

GoFarm Hawaii: https://gofarmhawaii.org/ 

Kokua Kalihi Valley/Ho'oulu 'Aina | Kanoa O'Connor ([email protected]) | http://kkv.net/index.php/hooulu-aina 

HomeAid Hawaii | Nani Medeiros ([email protected]) | http://www.homeaidhawaii.org/ 

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at:

www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

All purple highlights are clickable links.

Today we will have a Talk Story with Matthew Lynch, the Director of Sustainability Initiatives at the University of Hawaii.  There are so many directions I could take this podcast because Matt is truly a wealth of knowledge and knows a lot about all the different sectors of sustainability due to his past experience and his current position at UH. So I decided to tackle: Matthew's entry into Sustainability, Schooling for the World of Sustainability, Hawaii Green Growth, Aloha+ Challenge, UN's Local2030Hub, Farming, Agriculture and Permaculture...all in an hour!

Matthew Kamakani Lynch has worked in a broad range of community-based sustainable development projects from Laos to Mongolia to Vanuatu, from building rural community resilience through farmer trainings, to sustainable economic development, to catalyzing institutional change through policy work and collaborative leadership.  Matt's talent for energizing communities and individuals has re-humanized urban and institutional systems in the developing and developed worlds, and works towards restoring & regenerating the ecological systems upon which these social systems depend.  Matthew currently serves as the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for the ten campuses of the University of Hawaii. He is also founder of of the Honolulu based nonprofit Asia-Pacific Center for Regenerative Design, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Kahumana Organic Farm and Hawaii Green Growth. 

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/matthewlynch808 

Email:  [email protected] 

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at:

www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

All purple highlights are clickable links.

Today we will Talk Story with Mike Fairall, a sustainable builder who truly lives out his mission within his work, family and community. We will tackle the life of Mike Fairall and dabble in: Sustainable Building, LEED Certifications, Farming, Permaculture and Affordable Housing.

Mike Fairall:  Having worked in the construction industry for over 15 years in nearly every aspect of residential building and commercial retro-fitting, Mr. Fairall has developed a keen sense for project efficiency; ensuring project goals are met on time, target and budget. Combining that with a streamlined approach to sustainable building and development, yields a successful project with increased energy efficiency, unparalleled understanding for environmental practices, improved indoor air quality and occupancy health, as well as the appropriate allocation of resources and most importantly consumer education. Education and awareness is critical to improving quality within the construction industry and helps to promote smarter greener building strategies on a more developed scale.  Founder of Mokulua High Performance Building; Mike continues to have a direct presence in the industry by driving the company’s vision and founding principle of promoting and creating affordable sustainable living one house at a time. As such, he was appointed the building industry expert and representative, to the Photovoltaic Working Group and Energy sub-committee for the State of Hawaii under Senator Mike Gabbard.   At both the State and National level he continues to push for more refined construction practices via legislation that promote energy efficiency and incenitves to build/develop more sustainably. As a member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Energy and Green Building Committee, he proudly represents Hawaii's residnetial construction industry, enhancing the growth and awareness of energy efficient green building. 

Mokulua High Performance Builders: http://www.mokuluahpb.com/

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at:

www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

Today's talk story highlights: Evolution Biology, Circular Economy, 5G Wireless, Is It Safe? and the 100 Resilient Cities Initiative.  In the past year, I have read about these, listened to podcasts, watched YouTube videos & Netflix shows to learn as much as I can to catch up with the Sustainable Movement locally and globally.  For those doing the same or just starting out, this podcast with Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris will be very educational.  My goal for this talk story was to address these topics so those "green" to green could grasp the complex thought, theories and advances people are making in the world of sustainability.  We will also dive deeper into the hurdles we are facing with our Sustainable Initiatives and address some potential solutions for our future.

Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris is an internationally known evolution biologist, futurist, author, business consultant and speaker. Citizen of the USA and Greece, she lives in Spain, where she works with Mallorca Goes Green toward sustainable local economy.  Fellow of the World Business Academy and member of the World Wisdom Council, her post-doctoral fellowship tenure was at the American Museum of Natural History in New York; she taught at MIT and the University of Massachusetts, was a UN Consultant on indigenous peoples, a science writer for the NOVA-HORIZON TV series, taught in a sustainable business MBA program and organized the Hokkaido Foundations of Science Symposium in 2008 and another in Kuala Lumpur in 2009. Her books include EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution, A Walk Through Time: from Stardust to Us and Biology Revisioned, w. Willis Harman.   Dr. Sahtouris ever updates her model for a living universe integrating physics, biology and spirituality. She sees solutions to our social and economic crises in the evolution of Earth's ecosystems and works passionately for the health and well-being of our global family.  Her venues have included top government agencies in Australia, New Zealand, Brasil and the Netherlands, The World Bank, UN, UNESCO, EPA, Digital Earth Society, Boeing, Siemens, Tokyo Dome Stadium, Sao Paulo's leading business schools, State of the World Forums (NY & San Francisco), First Rand Bank Group S.Africa, World Parliament of Religions, and many more.    Website:  www.sahtouris.com email: [email protected] 

Helpful links:

5G Explained here at two different websites: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/what-is-5g/  or https://youtu.be/GEx_d0SjvS0

Evolution Biology: https://youtu.be/qrfPRju8hxg 

You can reach Smart Living Hawaii at:

www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii 

Sustainability is the new buzz word lately but as we are all learning, it means something different to each person. Today's podcast is brought to you by GC Media Hawaii and a big mahalo to all the great work they are doing on our videos! Here in Hawaii, the Sustainable Initiative has officially been defined based off of the needs from our people and our land. We are here today with Kumu Ramsay Taum, a Cultural Sustainable Planner for Hawaii to discuss the importance of our culture from our past to our present. How we can learn from our past and blend it with our future, for our future. We will also cover Hawaii’s Sustainable Initiatives and the steps we are taking as a state and community.

Kumu Ramsay Taum is founder and President of the Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific and Cultural Sustainability Planner at PBR Hawaii & Associates. Mentored and trained by respected Hawaiian elders, he is a practitioner of several Native Hawaiian practices including ho’oponopono, lomi haha, and Kaihewalu Lua. Kumu Ramsay is a sought-after keynote speaker, cultural resource, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. He was awarded the 2013 Peace Day Hawai‘i Peace Maker of the Year in recognition of his lifetime career advocating the spirit of Aloha around the world, in fields of ecology, business, communications, economic development and Hawaiian culture. His work in promoting sustainable place based, and Hawaiian cultural stewardship principles and practices is acknowledged locally, nationally and internationally. Ramsay was awarded the 2008 East West Centers Leadership Certificate Program’s Transformational Leadership in Sustainability, and the Hawai’i Home + Remodeling, HONOLULU & Hawai’i Business magazines’ “Who’s Keeping Hawai’i Green” 2008 Individual Educator Honoree.

Visit Kumu Ramsay Taum at: 

www.RamsayTaum.com

Instagram: @ramsaytaum 

or find him on Facebook! 

For more information about our sponsor GC Media Hawaii:

Instagram: @GCmediahawaii or

www.GCMediahawaii.com

You can also reach Smart Living Hawaii at:

www.SmartLivingHi.com 

Instagram: @smart_living_hawaii

Facebook: @SmartLivingHawaii