Lava fields at Kilauea Iki in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the nearby Kau Desert were once used as training grounds for NASA astronauts preparing for lunar missions because of the similarities shared by Hawaii’s lava landscapes and the moon’s surface. This historical footnote helps to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing on Monday, July 20th. It's a footnote that led to the footprints of astronaut Neil Armstrong on the moon 40 years ago.
The Hawaii volcanic landscape today reminds us of new possibilities in the exploration of another new world: alternative energy. Hawaii Island's volcanic activity has produced geothermal power to generate electricity. Several miles away at Keahole Point, a company called Sopogy has been exploring new technology using curved solar reflectors to produce electricity, while another venture in East Hawaii is exploring biofuels. Over on Oahu, a company is tapping the power of ocean waves to produce electricity, and the island of Maui is home to a successful wind farm that draws energy from the islands' constant Trade Winds. Below left, Ocean Technologies, Inc.'s PowerBuoy generates electricity from ocean waves in Kaneohe, Bay on Oahu. Neil has helped secure funding for the project. Below right, Sopogy's curved reflectors can produce electricity.
Says Neil, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee: "We need to think about where we get our energy and how we use it in a whole new way because what we've done for more than a hundred years isn't going to work any longer. In Congress, I push for legislative solutions that promote energy conservation and the most efficient use of our resources, particularly fossil fuels, and that make needed investments in developing alternative and renewable sources of energy.
"The U.S. Government doesn’t explore for natural gas, refine gasoline, grow crops for biofuel and manufacture solar panels. But, federal funding and federal policy have a great deal to do with developing a stable, sustainable energy supply, and with it, opportunities for new businesses and jobs. Our economy — our whole way of life — depends on how well we do."
