Extra Credit: Puna Sustainability Expo

A friend and I attended the Puna Sustainability Expo this past Saturday. Despite the down pour, strong winds and cold temperature, we enjoyed the vendors and their ideas on how to live a more sustainable life. As soon as we arrived, my friend and I had to help a vendor chase down one of his baby chickens that had escaped from its cage. I didn't imagine that the expo would have had so much excitement.

When my friend caught the chicken and returned it to the owner, he discussed the benefits of having chickens. First of all, you never have to purchase eggs from the supermarket. You can eat them when they are matured, and also use their manure as fertilizer for your garden. We also got information on composting (tables had brochures available), portable water filtration and purification, and a recycling guide made just for Hawa'i.

There were a few booths that promoted energy sustainability. One man had information on solar water heaters, another on the benefits of geothermal energy to simply changing your light bulbs in your home to LED lights. All of which use nature to provide energy and another just simply using less energy to operate.

One vendor in particular caught my attention. She was promoting sustainability through health (a section we had covered in one of our modules). She had a small sign that read "Unhealthy people cannot sustain themselves or their resources" which is very true! How can one possibly be conscious enough to live a sustainable life when they are leading a destructive, personal lifestyle to begin with? She had information on where to find AA groups, drug counseling, resources for quitting tobacco and how being healthy can lead to awareness and living a sustainable life.

The event was wonderful. It is important for our community to hold events such as this expo in particular. Through communication, people can meet and share their ideas and resources to show how the culture of sustainability is beneficial and possible. Relationships created at such functions promote community strength and networks for people to help guide one another through the challenges of becoming more socially responsible for living a sustainable life.