PIOS PRE-PLANNING DINNER

Blue Revolution Hawaii (from left, Patrick Takahashi, Fujio Matsuda, John Farias, Al Yee and Leighton Chong), the conceivers of the Pacific International Ocean Station, held a pre-planning dinner meeting with Al Yee, chair of our technical committee and founder of Yee Precast Design Group, at Kahala Nui, to develop the initial visuals for the program.  Here is Al, circa 1960 and more recently when he was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Hawaii Engineering Society:

These renderings will be utilized to set the stage for an international summit planned for the Fall of 2013.  Al's committee will meet every Wednesday in February at 5:30PM.  Inquiries welcomed.  Contact Leighton Chong at  lkmchong@aol.com.


(Note:  click on those terms in color to access additional information.)


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CHARTER BOARD MEETING OF BLUE REVOLUTION HAWAII

Our charter board meeting was held today at the Plaza Club.  The original members are Fujio Matsuda, John Farias, Guy Toyama, Leighton Chong and Patrick Takahashi (who is taking this photo):

After the meeting, I happened to see Reb Bellinger waiting for Mari, so I joined them for a long chat on the future of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Makai Ocean Engineering, of course, is the local link to Lockheed Martin on their OTEC project, and the Blue Revolution is contingent on the commercial success of this technology.

Posted by Patrick Takahashi.
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LAUNCHING OF BLUE REVOLUTION HAWAII

Blue Revolution Hawaii was launched last night at a dinner inviting key supporters at the Ocean House Restaurant.  Organized by Leighton Chong, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Blue Revolution Hawaii, with Guy Toyama as Headquarters Chief and yours truly serving as Lead Visionary, John Farias, Ken Sanders, Bill Spencer and Benny Ron joined us to discuss the future of the enterprise.  How's this for dedication:  both Benny and Guy ran the Honolulu Marathon today, and still looked good at this inaugural event.  Leighton provided the background and mission:

I might add that there is a fourth member of the original team, Sheridan Tatsuno, who is from California, pictured below with Leighton and me:

The four (Leighton, Sheridan, Guy and I) created the Blue Revolution Hawaii Manifesto (you need to scroll down to the second entry), while Leighton and I presented in November of this year a paper entitled, "The Blue Revolution:   Oceans as Ultimate Sustainable Resource," to the conferees at the Japan Eco Balance 2010 gathering in Tokyo.  In September I addressed the Japan Marine Technology Society with a talk on The Blue Revolution.

There is, of course, a long history associated with the Blue Revolution, a concept developed by a group of individuals, from U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga, who introduced the first OTEC bill in 1979, to U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, who articulated on the wisdom of the American Blue Revolution in 1992, to incoming Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie, all who have long supported what I think is most promising economic diversification pathway for the State of Hawaii.  It can't be only more tourism, nor outer space, nor traditional agriculture, nor fanciful high technology.   Certainly not more furloughs nor continued political bickering.   Hawaii is in the middle of the largest ocean, and the riches of the seas are our best hope for our future.

Step one for our Blue Revolution group will be an educational program to gain state-wide support for the ocean as a viable economic option for Hawaii, in harmony with the marine environment.  In time, there is a range of economic options leading to next generation fisheries, marine biomass plantations, green chemicals and biofuels, and, ultimately, sustainable ocean cities, with prospects for remediation of global warming and hopes for reducing the dangers of hurricanes. 

  

We are aware of the Shimizu Green Float plan, and are exploring opportunities for an international partnership, with Hawaii, hopefully, as an important site for early experimentation. Their ultimate ocean pod is designed to be 3000 meters (2 miles) in diameter.

David Nagaishi and his staff at Outrigger Reef's Ocean House Restaurant were accommodating and creative in making all the arrangements for our gathering.  Thank you David.

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