HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

126

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THE "SUSTAINABLE SAUNDERS" PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII – MANOA THAT SEEKS TO DEVELOP SAUNDERS HALL AS A MODEL FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

 

 

 


WHEREAS, renewable energy, energy conservation, and recycling are words to live by as we embark into the 21st century; and

 

WHEREAS, Chancellor Denise Eby Conan’s tenure as the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus has been marked by her interest and passion for sustainability and renewable energy sources, and will be her legacy; and

 

WHEREAS, Saunders Hall, home to a dozen social science departments of the College Social Sciences, classrooms and staff offices is a 7 story, aging, energy-inefficient building; and

 

WHEREAS, students, individual faculty from many disciplines, leaders in the School of Social Science, and the Office of the Chancellor, envision Saunders Hall as an opportunity to demonstrate how to improve the energy usage and resource efficiency of an old building and to convert it into a model of a modern, technologically-smart green building; and

 

WHEREAS, 2006-2007 Legislators in Residence, Sen. Suzanne Chun-Oakland and Rep. Barbara Marumoto, have encouraged and supported the development of this conversion model for sustainability; and

 

WHEREAS, the most enthusiastic participants are the students who call themselves "HUB" (Help US Bridge) and who are already helping to measure, reduce and reuse the waste stream, conducting recycling campaigns, encouraging Saunders occupants to conserve energy and water and initiating a communication and educational campaign to make this project a reality; and

 

WHEREAS, "HUB" is organizing events for Earth Day, April 20, that will feature expert speakers, demonstrations of renewable and alternate energy, and an interactive forum to discuss exciting ways to save the planet – all that may be accessed on the website, http://sustainablesaunders.pbwiki.com

 

WHEREAS, the faculty/student group and the Legislators In Residence are requesting legislative funding totaling $1.7 million for energy conserving upgrades to the air conditioning and electrical systems, a green roof and a solar energy platform that would significantly reduce electricity use as well as water efficient bathroom upgrades; and

 

WHEREAS, the cost of this energy efficiency will be offset by savings in future years; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature, Regular Session of 2007, that the Chair of the Manoa Sustainability Council, the student leaders of Help Us Bridge, the Dean of the School of Social Science, and the Social Science Public Policy Center, be recognized and supported for their vision to convert Saunders Hall into an energy-efficient, sustainable, green building that will serve as a model for similar buildings on campus and in the State; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the President of the University of Hawaii, Chancellor Denise Eby Conan, the Dean of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Help US Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

"Sustainable Saunders Hall" project; recognize and support