By David Lakota
Special to the Turnagain Times
The purpose of this article is to explore the many similarities and differences between Alaska and Hawaii for the purpose of adventure travel and sustainable living. There is a unique connection between both the land and the people of these two world-renowned paradise destinations. Many people dream of living in or visiting both places, yet relatively few have been able to do so. One reason is because of the real or illusionary disconnection with Nature.
It is fascinating to discover that Humpback Whales travel back and forth every year. They swim thousands of miles in the late fall-early winter to Hawaii and return to Alaska in the Spring. I started doing something similar in 1999 and have found it very challenging to sustain myself in either place.
Much like Alaska the basics for survival and sustainable living in Hawaii include water, food, and shelter along with some form of activity, communication and transportation. There are many regions of Hawaii that also require some form of energy for heat, fuel for cooking, staying warm, drying clothes, etc. Even in the semi-arid regions I have frequently been cold and wet, either from the ocean or rain and suffered from the chills and musty-smelling dwellings, clothes and bedding.
The solution involves having some form of heat source and airflow that is able to take the chill and dampness out of the air, warm the body and dry the clothes. There are very few places I have seen that have any kind of wood stove or heater. Instead the homes and buildings are either air-conditioned or they are designed in such a way that allows natural air to flow through while being sufficiently protected from the rain. If not, even the nicest homes can be chilly and smell of mold during the rainy season.
Currently, Hawaii imports more than 90% of what they need from the mainland. This creates excessive waste that is then dumped into landfills that were otherwise pristine valleys. Many of these are reaching near capacity or over-flowing.
For those of us who know and love the Islands, it is our ability and therefore our responsibility to reduce, re-use or recycle the excess that is polluting paradise. This is true for Alaska as well, but it is much more of a problem in Hawaii where there is more finite land available for storing the waste.
One solution is being more self-sufficient and learning to live cooperatively. There is a raw piece of land I am moving onto in a few days where this will be put to the test. Initially I will need some form of shelter like a tent and some means of transportation. Walking, hitchhiking and the bus will do, so will a moped or motorcycle. Next comes a water-catchment system, a fire-pit and a garden. After that I want to build a bamboo hut with a grass roof and install a small wood-stove and solar-power system.
Forthcoming articles are intended to research and implement the best wisdom and technology available to accomplish these tasks and other aspects of travel and sustainability between Alaska and Hawaii.