HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0138.001 2022-2024 P /Council
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From: Christopher Cogswell 2023 ��� _� � 9:
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2023 8:33 AM
23
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Written Testimony in support of Resolution 73-23
To whom it may concern,
My name is Christopher Cogswell, and I have a PhD in Chemical Engineering. I have worked in the sustainability and
carbon mitigation space for 11 years, developing technologies for the capture and use of carbon dioxide, with a specific
focus on modular systems to improve economic viability. I am also a proud member of the Yummet team, leading our
Research and Development efforts. I am writing in support of the proposed resolution 73-23 on the use of waste
diversion and utilization methods to achieve Hawai'i County's goals in the sustainability space.
I am a firm believer that to solve a problem you must first be able to define it. Greenhouse gases are, by definition,
waste products produced in a variety of industries important to human civilization.They are released into the
environment because it is the cheapest option available to industry, despite the environmental issues these releases
cause.This is similar to other waste streams,which for most of human history was simply released into the
environment. It has only really been since the 1960s that we saw the tremendous environmental toll these releases
could have, and even more recently for the effects of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to be fully recognized by
society. In light of these environmental concerns,the problem we are faced with today is how to make waste
mitigation economically viable.This includes landfill wastes, construction and demolition wastes, and industrial wastes
such as greenhouse gases.
For most of our history it was considered too costly to utilize wastes in any capacity, and even more costly to recover
waste when released into the environment. However, recent technological advancements in the utilization of waste
streams allow us for the first time to utilize traditional wastes to produce a series of valuable commodities.These
technologies include the production of green Hydrogen, cement and concrete building materials, biochars, and other
carbon nanostructures. It is no longer a choice between economic viability and environmental responsibility.We can
instead make use of these methods to produce zero waste,and in some cases even achieve removal of wastes already
released into the environment.The most compelling of these is the capture and resilient storage of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases, but other wastes such as brines, plastics;steels, and municipal waste can all be utilized in these
processes.
The diversion of waste to produce carbon negative materials and technologies is a necessary step towards making our
communities sustainable,while also lowering our carbon footprint. Hawai'i is already a leader in many of these areas,
with strong local community support and a network of wonderful volunteer organizations pursuing sustainable
initiatives. By adopting this resolution,you can ensure that Hawai'i County builds off these successes and takes a
leading role in developing the sustainable communities of the decades to come.
Thank you for your time,
Christopher Cogswell, PhD
Comm. No. I
Ref. To: P(CounC4
1 Ref. Date MAR a 2U23