The Garden Island, known for it’s ample rainfall and verdant tropical landscape, is home to the wettest spot on earth. Why then, would we possibly ask our community to focus on our water supply when there are so many other critical energy issues to be addressed? Volatile electricity costs, a crippled economy, health care, food security, the list goes on. Simply put; in most Island homes, our water supply is completely oil dependent. Without petroleum to generate electricity, we simply cannot deliver water to a majority of Island residents on Kauai. And although our State leaders have recognized and begun acting on the real potential for oil supply disruptions and continued price volatility, as well as the general economic liability of severe dependence on tourism, few have asked; What about our water?
In response to this, Apollo Kauai, in conjunction with Malama Kauai and several other community organizations, is initiating a campaign to bring focus to the vulnerability of Kauai’s water supply to energy supply problems. What happens to our water supply if there is a sudden and prolonged petroleum shortage on Island? What happens to the cost of our water if oil (and with it, electricity) again shoots to new high prices on the global market? Such events are certainly possible, if not likely, and moreover, are clearly beyond our control. Should we simply do nothing and hope for the best?
There is a meeting on Feb. 19th at the Lihue Neighborhood Center to discuss this and more. For full information Read this article by Ben Sullivan of Apollo Kauai
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