Concerned with rising gas prices and dwindling fuel supplies? Over 10,000 people from throughout Northern California and around the world will descend on the Mendocino County hamlet of Hopland on August 18 and 19 for SolFest. For two days, Hopland will be transformed from a wine-country village into the bustling solar capital of the world. The Solar Living Institute is hosting the 12th Annual SolFest celebration at its 12-acre solar-powered oasis. Leading experts in all things sustainable, green and organic will be on hand speaking and teaching, over 150 exhibitors will be showcasing the latest in energy and fuel-saving technology and products, and world- class entertainment, food and drink will ensure that visitors are entertained as well as inspired and informed.

Headlining the show will be legendary songwriter and guitar wizard Bruce Cockburn. In a career spanning four decades, Bruce has recorded and produced some of the most poignant and meaningful songs in the world. There will also be performances by folk icon Dar Williams, and many other talented musicians and artists. On Saturday night, the Moondance will feature the smoking hot music and dancers of the Afro- Funk Experience, a Haute Trash fashion show, the Gaiatronic sounds of DJ Dragonfly, and much more. Moondance is free with every paid Saturday and Weekend SolFest admission.

For those who want to learn how to reduce energy bills, or wean themselves from their gasoline vehicles, there will be many opportunities to learn. Presenters in six workshop areas will cover topics from renewable energy and post-petroleum preparation to yoga and health. Over 60 workshops are free with the price of admission. There is truly something for everyone at SolFest.

Perhaps most exciting is the incredible lineup of panels and speakers on our main stage. You can hear the latest news in alternative fuels, with experts discussing pros and cons of biodiesel, hydrogen, ethanol and electric vehicles. Experts will update you on the latest breakthroughs in solar and renewable energy technologies and policies. Keynoting on the main stage will be Pulitzer-prize winning author and activist Alice Walker.

Be sure to see this year's complete SolFest XII stage and workshop schedule (760K, PDF).

Tickets for this year's SolFest are now available on our website via InTicketing and at several retail outlets in northern California. For each SolFest ticket you purchase online through InTicketing, they will plant one tree. Get your tickets now for SolFest XII which promises to be the best SolFest yet!

• Price for a two-day pass is $45.
• A Saturday-only pass is $30 and includes the evening's Moondance.
• A Sunday-only pass is $25.
• There is a $5 discount for each of these passes listed above for Students (ages 14-18), Seniors (ages 65 and up), and Mendocino County residents. (Please bring ID to the gate for discounted tickets.)

BUY YOUR TICKET HERE:
1 tree planted for every ticket purchased online at InTicketing.com.

Tickets are on sale ONLINE through Tues., Aug. 14, 2007. AFTER TUES., AUG. 14 AT 4 PM CALIFORNIA TIME, TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED AT THE SOLFEST GATE THE DAY OF THE EVENT OR AT ONE OF OUR RETAIL TICKET LOCATIONS LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE'S TICKET PAGE.

For more information or tickets call 707-744-2017, or go to www.solfest.org.

Please note:
(1) Biodiesel will not be sold the Friday before SolFest or during the event weekend.
(2) No animals are allowed on site during SolFest weekend.

Volunteer at this year's SolFest -- Aug. 18-19, 2007.

WE NEED YOU TO JOIN OUR CREW
CALL NOW -- 707-263-1510

Step right up and let us count on you to help make SolFest the incredible event that it is. You'll receive FREE ADMISSION. Volunteers may also be able to camp on site at the Solar Living Center, and get a SolFest Staff T-shirt.

Without the energy of our volunteers, SolFest would not be possible. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you again this year.

SolFest XII, in its efforts to remain the premier educational event, is featuring an especially exciting and informed series of panel discussions on our main stage.

Want to get or provide a ride to SolFest this year?

Find someone with whom to share a ride to SolFest through the special SolFest SpaceShare page. If you are willing to provide a ride, please be sure to list that through our SolFest SpaceShare page also.

Register now for the workshop of your choice before it sells out. Response to our workshop program this year has been overwhelming. We've already surpassed our total sales for all of 2006! Demand for our workshops is hot! Almost all workshops offered to date have sold out. So register early!

With over 200 workshop days offered in 2007, our program has grown substantially. We are offering a variety of workshops in Southern California in both Los Angeles and San Diego, and we have started to expand to the East Coast where new incentives are making solar an attractive investment. We are now offering workshops in Tlaxcala, Mexico, and continue to offer workshops in San Francisco, San Jose, Hopland here at the Solar Living Center, and other locations.

Select a topic below for a listing of workshops in an area of interest to you:

• Basic Building Skills
• Biofuels & Alternative Transportation
• Green & Natural Building
• Green Careers & Business
• Local Sustainability
• Permaculture & Organic Food
• Solar & Renewable Energy
• Sustainability for Educators
• Water Security
• Women's Learning Series

Partners, who support us through annual dues and our growing continuous-giving program, are essential to funding the Solar Living Institute. The financial support of folks like you, which can range from as little as $35 a year to $2,500 or $10,000 a year, helps us continue to grow and thrive.

The Solar Living Institute is growing rapidly. Your contributions are critical to help us to continue to grow since our work is far from over! If you have never been an Institute partner, or if your partnership has lapsed, won't you please join us in inspiring and educating people about sustainable living? Even the smallest contribution can help.

Find out more about our partnerships, and some of the many thank-you gifts you can receive for your support.

If you've been thinking about finding your niche in the emerging green economy, you won't want to miss the Solar Living Institute's second annual Green Career Conference taking place in San Francisco on November 17.

As the global issues of climate change and peak oil become increasingly urgent, we must rethink the way we occupy the planet and satisfy our basic needs, including food, shelter, transportation and energy. Redesigning these basic needs will create a plethora of new jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, and exciting opportunities.

Join the Solar Living Institute and its cadre of sustainable living professionals for an interactive day of practical information that will help you find a rewarding career, and make a living while making a difference!

Last year's conference sold out early. People are already signing up for this event. Seating is limited. Sign up now to ensure your space at this special event.

Register by September 1 and save $50 with our early bird price!

Join the Solar Living Institute favorite Andy Black as he brings Payback: The Financial Case for Solar and Breakthrough Solar Sales and Marketing to the East Coast this August 23 and 24! New Jersey is leading the way on impressive rebates and incentives for solar electric, and the market is taking off. If you are a sales person, a PV career-seeker, or a business owner, you won't want to miss this unique opportunity to gain inside knowledge from the country's leading expert on PV financial analysis and sales.

Sign up on our website at www.solarliving.org or call 707-744-2017 for more information.

A "very preliminary" study from the California Department of Public Health suggests that higher rates of autism can be seen in children whose mothers were exposed to two organochlorine pesticides still in use in the US, endosulfan and dicofol. Organochlorine pesticides, which take a long time to break down in the environment, affect the human nervous system; dicofol is a possible human carcinogen. Researchers examined the records of about 270,000 kids born to women living in agricultural regions of California between 1996 and 1998. Of those, 465 kids developed autism, and the mothers who lived in close proximity to fields that used the two pesticides were found to be some six times more likely than those who did not to give birth to children who developed autism. The study authors stress that the study wasn't large enough to warrant cause-and-effect-type pronouncements. They concluded that "the possibility of a connection between gestational exposure to organochlorine pesticides and autism spectrum disorders requires further study."

For more information:

• "Pesticide link to autism suspected," Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2007
• "Possible tie between pesticides, autism seen," The Fresno Bee, July 31, 2007
• "Organochlorines are causing a cacophony of environmental problems," Grist, Aug. 24, 2000

Now you can give money to the Institute without paying out any money!

We would like to introduce you to a new online search tool that raises money for the Solar Living Institute at no cost to you. It's called GoodSearch, and it is an online search engine that will donate one cent to the charity of your choice (such as the Solar Living Institute) for every search you perform.

GoodSearch is partnered with Yahoo, so your searches are as good as any other. Using GoodSearch is simple - just go to this page and you will automatically be contributing to the Solar Living Institute. Make it your homepage, one of your home tabs, add it to your Favorites, or download it for your toolbar, and it will be even easier to support our programs.

If everyone who reads our newsletter used GoodSearch for their online search needs, it could generate over $100,000 for our programs here at the Solar Living Institute. Thanks for your support!

A new study has linked rising hurricane and tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean to climate change. Noting that the average number of hurricanes and tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean has more than doubled in the last century from an average of six a year between 1905 and 1930 to an average of 15 between 1995 and 2005, the study ties the increase to warming sea surface temperatures since the early 20th century.

Critics of the new study, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, say natural variability in storm frequency as well as much more sophisticated technology to detect storms can account for the observed increase, but the study authors disagree. They say natural variability has contributed less than 50% of the actual increase in storm frequency. "Approximately 60%, and possibly even 70% of what we are seeing in the last decade can be attributed directly to greenhouse warming," said study coauthor Greg Holland from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO.

For more information:

• "Study links more hurricanes, climate change,"USA Today, July 30, 2007
• "Hurricane boost 'due to warm sea',"BBC News, July 30, 2007
• "Global warming blamed for increase in hurricanes,"The Independent, July 30, 2007

People everywhere are actively looking for ways to do their part to address the environmental impacts that are affecting our planet. EVO.com takes the work out of being an eco-conscious consumer by providing a huge selection of green products, services, and information all in one place. From hybrid vehicles to home furnishings, EVO.com helps you make greener choices every day.

In our bookstore we have an area that lists the latest titles that we have added.

We provide FREE shipping on book and DVD orders totaling $100 or more.

Be sure to check out our books in the following categories:

• Biofuels
• Climate Change
• Ecological Design and Planning
• Ecovillages
• Environment and Economy
• Food and Permaculture
• Fossil Fuel Depletion
• Natural and Green Building
• Progressive Leadership
• Renewable Energy
• Sustainable Living
• Waste Composting
• Water, Water Collection, Greywater Systems, and Ponds

Shop with the Solar Living Institute, and help support our valuable work!

We know many of you are interested in green careers from the feedback we receive from you. Put our 2007 Green Career Conference in San Francisco on Nov. 17 on your calendar now.

For energy and environmental positions throughout the world, the following are some good websites for your review:

• Green Dream Jobs
• Environmental Jobs & Careers
• Environmental Career Opportunities (EcoJobs)
• EcoEmploy.com
• Idealist.org
• Orion Grassroots Network
• EnvironmentalCareer.com
• Green Energy Jobs