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Original 1998 Tour Journal
June: 7|8|9|10|13|20|21|23|27|
July: 3|10|15|17|18|20|25|31|
Aug: 3|4|8|
Sept: 26|
June 7th
Preparations
....Stayed up all night and all day for the past three days or so. The vehicles were transported to California on a truck that broke down in Bakersfield. We have been working around the clock on the computers to get things ready for the tour and for the displays. E-mails and faxes have been pouring in with maps, dates, schedules and information. It seems like we could easily have prepared for another month or even three.
We ran out the door to our former apartment shoving computers in suit cases and grabbing wires and power strips along the way. A mad dash to the airport gave us enough time to put on shoes and find important papers. Somehow we crammed about a mile of computer cables, our laser printer, and three computers into our luggage before boarding the plane. Flight security apparently is used to large amounts of electronic equipment because we breezed through baggage check on the way to the terminal. The guards managed to manhandle the man behind us after his bag activated about twenty alarms. As it turns out, small thermonuclear devices are still prohibited in airports.
Up here on the plane squished between other uncomfortable people it all seems so remote and simple. I'm sure that the broken down transport truck will somehow fix itself, the unfinished computer programs and web pages will come together and somehow we'll pull off another tour.
As it stands now, we're already two weeks behind schedule. That means we'll be putting a lot of things together on the road.
June 8th
Day 1
Got off the plane in a daze. The four hours of sleep we got was the first we've had in a while. We rushed to a phone to call our friend Steve in Ukiah. Good news. The Veggie Van and the Eco Vette had made the journey. Steve assured us that everything was fine and that he was testing the Vette's engine to make sure it was OK. He also told us that our 110 gallons of denatured alcohol has arrived at the Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland. That makes us the only people in Northern California to have access to enough alcohol to launch a car into orbit.
 After some wondering around and confusion with the baggage we found our bags and met the new member of the Veggie Van Tour Team. Kaia meets Brandon for the first time at the airportBrandon is a relaxed fellow who seems confident and easy going about the tour. In fact, he is just confident and easy going about everything. That's good because we need a chilled out person to balance us out when things get really exciting.
Cruising across the San Francisco Bay in Green Mountain's Natural Gas van I began to feel at home and relaxed. What lies behind us are the impossible tasks of preparing a tour in less time than it takes most people to recover from a cold. What lies ahead of us is a fantastic summer in Northern California. We drove onward and the sunshine glistened on the bay water creating a million dancing images.
We stopped in Port Richmond to pick up some biodiesel from our friend Randall at Cytoculture. He usually uses the biodiesel in a mixture with special cultures to clean up oil spills. Noble work. And it is ironic that he's using such a revolutionary fuel to clean up after the oil companies. He's also very committed to only using biodiesel made from used oil. We were hoping to see Randall and continue our discussion about setting up a used oil to biodiesel facility in the Bay Area. Alas, Randall was off doing consulting work for Exxon or something. So we picked up our biodiesel and hit the road.
From the Bay Area we headed north on the 101. Traffic was sparse and the sun continued to shower us with its incredible brilliance. As the city slipped away in the rear view mirror, we began to see a new side of California. Although the land north of the Bay is not lush and green, it shows sings of growth and life which it lacked last year. El Nino has done well to bring this area so much water. In time it will dry out again. The cattle which currently graze on the few green strands of grass will have to be moved. But that will all come whether I think about it or not. For now, it is a lovely shadow of a fertile, breezy and healthy land.
After much delay in the town of Santa Rosa, we picked up our new 20 foot long car trailer and found some fast food. On the road again we watched as the countryside opened up into fields of vineyards, orchards, and grass. Wine country. Settled and farmed many years ago for its temperate climate and fertile soils, this area is still breath taking in parts. The van powered easily up the hills while towing the trailer. Although we took little notice, the gas gauge was falling rapidly.
The Real Goods Solar Living Center has grown and become even more lush since last year. Clover lawns and flowing streams make it seem like an oasis in a desert. As we pulled into the parking lot, I could see the dust-covered Veggie Van and Eco Vette. At that moment, I knew the tour would happen and it would be great. As we dropped off the trailer, Steve explained that the Vette is A-OK. He said he only took it up to 110 mph and it stuck to the road like velcro. It's always nice to hear your friends tell you how they drive your car.
We left the Solar Living Center (SLC) in convoy. Steve and Kaia headed the group in the Eco-Vette, Brandon kept the middle in the Natural Gas van, and I took up the rear in the Veggie Van. We rolled north through the Napa Valley past small farms, family wineries and through fields of grain. The vehicles twisted and turned through the grid-like farm roads. Steve played tricks with the Vette, stopping it in the middle of the road and then zooming up to 70 in the space of a few cars.
The rays of the setting sun set the fields of grapes ablaze in orange light. I smelled the perfumes of Northern California and biodiesel mixing together as we rode into the sun set. So many things had fallen into place to make this day happen so smoothly. And yet there are still so many miracles that have to happen before our real work can begin....
Stayed up all night and all day for the past three days or so. The vehicles were transported to California on a truck that broke down in Bakersfield. We have been working around the clock on the computers to get things ready for the tour and for the displays. E-mails and faxes have been pouring in with maps, dates, schedules and information. It seems like we could easily have prepared for another month or even three.
We ran out the door to our former apartment shoving computers in suit cases and grabbing wires and power strips along the way. A mad dash to the airport gave us enough time to put on shoes and find important papers. Somehow we crammed about a mile of computer cables, our laser printer, and three computers into our luggage before boarding the plane. Flight security apparently is used to large amounts of electronic equipment because we breezed through baggage check on the way to the terminal. The guards managed to manhandle the man behind us after his bag activated about twenty alarms. As it turns out, small thermonuclear devices are still prohibited in airports.
Up here on the plane squished between other uncomfortable people it all seems so remote and simple. I'm sure that the broken down transport truck will somehow fix itself, the unfinished computer programs and web pages will come together and somehow we'll pull off another tour.
As it stands now, we're already two weeks behind schedule. That means we'll be putting a lot of things together on the road.
June 9th
Day 2
 Josh and Brandon work on the displaysWe spent the better part of the day and night in Steve's driveway assembling the displays and preparing miscellaneous gear. In one day we managed to wire the demonstration solar system, prepare the computers, and pack both vans.
By the time we left Ukiah for Sacramento it was well past midnight. The two vans traveled into the darkness over hills and through the windy valleys of California. Although we had taken little note of the level of fuel in the natural gas van, the needle was quickly approaching the empty mark. The closer we got to Santa Rosa, the lower the fuel gauge became. As we neared the fuel station everyone became a little uneasy.
We had no cellular phone and at 2 o'clock in the morning it can be difficult to get a tow truck. None of us had any idea of how much reserve the van has or what would happen if it ran out of natural gas. So we crossed our fingers and kept driving.
As we rounded the turn into the frontage road where the only natural gas fueling station north of San Francisco is, I heard Brandon's voice come over the radio. "Um, guys, that was it. She just choked. Why don't you go ahead and see how far it is until we get to the fueling station?"
Ugh. Running out of fuel is a horrible feeling and it's even worse at two in the morning. We drove ahead of the still rolling natural gas wonder mobile and clocked three miles until we were at the Pacific Gas and Electric natural gas station. We drove part of the way back to the natural gas van and parked the Veggie Van. Slowly the disabled Ford rolled toward us. After about a mile and a half it finally stopped. So for the next mile and a half Kaia steered the van while Brandon and I pushed.
One of the problems which exists with any alternative fuel is its lack of availability. Inthe case of many of the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, the lack of fuel stations greatly limits their practical driving range. Owning and operating a new CNG vehicle is like having an umbilical cord attached to your vehicle. As long as you don't want to go far from the mother fuel station, it's great. Otherwise, it's totally useless. Of course, it takes only a few more dollars to make a vehicle capable of burning gasoline or CNG. But the idea of a dual fuel vehicle apparently escaped the engineers at Ford who factory outfitted the van with a CNG only fuel system. This idea also must have escaped the consultant who was hired to find a good alternative fueled vehicle for a California tour.
So we stood there covered in sweat at two in the morning pumping an unknown amount of natural gas into a van which we had powered on natural human power for the last mile and a half. I vowed to find someone who could install an extra gas tank in the van. We all wondered if the van would start once it was full.
The gas pump whined and vibrated loudly indicating that it was finished filling the van with gaseous fuel. We shut off the appropriate valves, replaced the hose and turned the van's ignition key. The V-8 roared to life and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
Cruising through the darkness I began to feel exhaustion overtaking my body. By 5 o'clock, Brandon and I were both getting blurry eye-ed. We pulled off the highway and parked behind an old Mexican restaurant. Kaia and I curled up in the back seats of the Veggie Van, too tired to make the bed, and fell into a deep, haunting sleep.
June 10th
Day 3
I woke to the sound of three alarms and trucks on the highway. One hour of sleep on top of a hard day gave me little energy to jump out of my slumber and greet the day with open arms. We wearily drove the last stretch of asphalt to Sacramento. Upon arrival to the state capital we were greeted with bitter, pelting winds and the occasional shower of chilled water. This day was made so that people could stay in bed. But the only beds I could see were filled with flowers who were trying desperately to hold onto their roots as the wind bellowed down the narrow city streets.
We parked the vans near the capital building and unloaded the displays. Three hours later, the rest of the Green Mountain Crew had arrived and we were putting on the finishing touches to what was no doubt the best looking display at Clean Power Day.
The event was a cross between a public awareness day and a suit and tie show-off-your-booth conference (a.k.a. trade show). There were a few electric cars, a couple of CNG vehicles, some other power companies, a few non-profits, and one huge solar concentrator. A blues band played tamely on the capital steps as groups of important-looking men in Kaia talks to people at Clean Power Daysuits shuffled around the booths while talking in hushed whispers.
 Kaia managed to land a live TV interview as well as a couple of newspaper and radio interviews. Not bad for less than an hour of sleep. Brandon spent much of his time informing the crowds of interested women about the benefits of clean power. I'm not sure if the women were interested in clean power, but they listened with wide eyes to every word he said. I passed the day talking to kids and parents about our solar displays.
For the first time, I realized how much Green Mountain adds to the Veggie Van and how much we have added to their presentation. Although I am thoroughly convinced that green power from renewable power generating facilities must be made available to the average person, I must admit that even I had difficulty imagining how we would tour with an alternative power company. But as the compliments about our displays rolled in, I began to feel much more at ease with our upcoming tour.
 Poor Brandon, always fending off the endless crowds of womenThere were other moments of illumination as well. Like when a man in his mid-forties approached me saying that he is an executive working for Pacific Gas and Electric. He quietly said "Well, I think you might have a chance of making this green power thing happen. I can tell you that PG&E is getting out of the power generating business. We're just going to handle the lines now. That really opens up the market. Good luck." He walked off with a Green Mountain "Earth Ball" in one hand and his daughter's hand in the other.
Toward the end of the day, another man in his late forties leaned over the solar-powered appliance table and said, "You guys have really figured this thing out. I mean this kind of display is what helps green power make sense to the public. I work for Enron and we were going to sell green power. But we just couldn't figure out how to package it to the public. Now that you've figured it out, maybe we'll get back in it! Anyway, congratulations." He quickly walked off toward a generic group of men in suits.
I took a break and went to visit the large solar collector which sat oddly on the capital steps adjacent to the slowing blues band. The collector stood fifteen feet tall and was about twenty five feet wide. It's large, concave mirrors reminded me of those in amusement parks. But this was no toy. I had only read about rectangular, concave solar collectors in books. The only picture I had ever seen was in the movie "Gattaca." After talking with the sales rep., I learned that there is a real facility in the Mojave desert where thousands of these plate glass collectors generate electricity daily at a cost well below nuclear or coal power.
Not only does the facility generate power, but the KJC Company power plant was used to film "Gattaca." It was there in the desert that Uma Therman and Ethan Hawke conceived their first child. What a powerful time and place to conceive a child!
After mindlessly packing up and eating at a Mexican restaurant, we drove back to Ukiah. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. And by the time my head hit the pillow, it really didn't matter.
June 13-14th
Day 6 and 7
 The EcoVette is a hit at Health and Harmony!The difference between Clean Power Day and the Health and Harmony Festival is like the difference between George Bush and Jimmy Hendrix. Like Jimmy, many of the folks attending Health and Harmony are a little on the free and radical side of life. It's a wild a wooly event with big crowds. Everyone from psychics to the massage tent to the rock climbing people had an interested and engaged group of people involved.
The Green Mountain booth was again a great hit. Hundreds of people signed up for green power. Even the vice president of the company came to the event and talked to people. Kaia shows off a Green Mountain brochure at Health and Harmony After one of his convincing stage stunts, there were so many people who wanted to sign up that we almost had to give out numbers.
 The EcoVette made its first appearance this weekend. It was a fabulous hit. I must have talked to over a hundred people while they sat in it or peered over its decked-out engine. Unfortunately, a gust of wind blew an easel into the car giving it a big scratch right down to the fiberglass. Argh! It's bound to be expected, though.
 At the end of the two day event, I think everyone from Green Mountain and everyone from the Veggie Van Team was in good spirits. Although we were a little sunburned, the event had been extremely successful. Vice Pres. Kevin Hartley shows off his Green Mountain colorsOur solar system managed to power the displays and one computer all by itself. The Van and the Vette worked well together and everyone seemed to have a good time. It all seemed like a psychedelic blur to me as I fell, already asleep, into bed.
June 20
SolFest
Ed Begely Jr. walked over to the Veggie Van to smell the exhaust. I thought about how amazing it is that actors and rock stars are people we see on television all the time. They're our heroes and our enemies. But in the real world, they're just people with real lives who do real things. Ed drove his natural gas-powered car up from Los Angeles for the Real Goods Solfest.
"It smells good," he said after bending down to the exhaust pipe to smell the donut-like emissions. Kaia opened the side door for him and he poked his head inside. "It's neat," he commented assertively. He really was a good sport. Sitting in the front seat of the Veggie Van, he was looking directly into the morning sunlight. "OK," he said, "Now I'm going to count to three and open my eyes. When I say three, take the picture because I can't look at the sun for very long."
After the traditional photos were taken and tid bits of information were given about the electric and natural gas cars that had assembled for the morning parade from Ukiah to Hopland, we got in the van and floored it all the way to Hopland. For the Veggie Van, that's not saying much. I spend most of my time driving with my foot all the way on the floor.
By the time we got to the Solfest in Hopland, the tiny town had become a mecca of alternative energy enthusiasts. Cars, busses, and motor homes were parked on all sides of the road. We turned into the Solar Living Center and parked, uneventfully, at our booth space.
Green Mountain certainly had the best display. The EcoVette, the Veggie Van, and two tents dominated the front parking lot. In the upper display section near the pond, Green Mountain had another booth with a computer.
The Solfest is one of the best events in California every year. People interested in renewable energy and those who make up the backbone of the industry show up for a couple of days of music, thought-provoking talks, and workshops on everything from straw-bale construction to worm composting toilets.
I spent the day talking to people in the EcoVette, standing in front of the Veggie Van, and answering questions about green electricity. People singed up like mad for Green Mountain electricity. By the end of the day, hundreds of people had singed up, and we had talked to hundreds more about the van and the vette.
Charlton Heston would be proud if he could have seen his Corvette cruising up to Ukiah from Hopland. I didn't dare floor the car as we effortlessly passed everything on the road on the way up to John Schaeffer's house for dinner.
A quiet crowd was gathered on the energy-efficiently lit porch. Nestled in amongst some redwoods, John's house offered a reclusive nest for some of the real die hard "enviros." After the usual chit-chat, we were introduced to Ben Cohen. Although I'm a big fan of Ben & Jerry's, I had never met Ben before. He's a jolly, happy guy with a big beard. We didn't talk much, but he reminded me of Santa Claus.
We spent the night under the many stars at the Solar Living Center.
June 21st
SolFest
On the second day at SolFest we talked with people from as far away as Utah and Phoenix, Arizona who had come to Hopland to speak with us and see the Veggie Van. Crowds gathered throughout the day around the Green Grease Machine and eager biodiesel enthusiasts asked us to sign copies of our book.
We had the opportunity to hear Julia Butterfly speak through a live cell phone connection from atop the tallest Redwood tree in Headwaters Forest. Julia has been perched in that tree for 6 months in protest of the logging of the Headwaters Forest in Northern CA. Her eloquent words brought tears to our eyes as she expressed the beauty that she can see from hundreds of feet above a forest. Of course, she also talked about the rampant destruction of the redwood forests of California. As she rightfully pointed out, the fight to save our precious and rare trees is a complex endeavor. It involves everyone from companies in Japan to poor logging families in small town America.
Ben Cohen brought the house down with his inspiring talk about socially responsible companies and consumers. The jolly man is an avid scholar, a dynamic speaker, and a true activist. The crux of his talk was twofold: First, he wanted us to understand how companies can account for socially responsible behavior. Not just how they can spend money on programs to help people in need, but how they can create beneficial situations that help themselves and their communities. The second part of his talk dealt with the social responsibility of our country to our youth. Ben posed the question as to why we have crumbling schools, homes, and neighborhoods when our country spends more on military activities than Russia, Iraq, and China combined. The bottom line according to Ben is that even though his company and many other companies are working hard for social progress, it's like shooting arrows against lighting bolts without the commitment of the US government to spend less on the military and more on social infrastructure.
People applauded for ten minutes after he was finished speaking.
SolFest ended with a Solstice Ceremony lead by John Schaeffer and a gourmet Thai dinner for the tired Green Mountain crew.
June 23-24
 Lilith Fair
We gathered at Shoreline 6 hours before this celebration of women's music was to begin. Already, the crowds waiting to get into the Fairgrounds circled the entire Amphitheater. We were unable to bring the Veggie Van into Shoreline, but we generated a lot of interest in the parking lot, as usual.
We set up a Green Mountain info. booth and prepared for the crowds. As soon as the gate opened, they rushed through in swarms. Thousands of women, and a few men, crowded around the Green Mountain booth for hours. We gave Blue Spruce saplings to those who promised to plant them, and signed up many new green electricity users. The Green Mountain Earth Balls and Pear T-Shirts which we give away at events are very popular, and at this event women were scampering all over the place to get a hold of a Earth Ball. They also thought the "Small Planet Pear" T-Shirts were way cool.
 The hot sun shone down on us as we talked to the crowds and Brandon took his shirt off to cool down. This only drew more crowds, and at one point poor Brandon had to run back into the tent for shelter "They're pawing me!", he yelled. The music was great and the vibe was too, we grooved to the Indigo Girls, Natalie Merchant, and Sarah Maclachlan as we helped an already very socially and environmentally conscious crowd learn more about green power.
June 27th
Battery Explosion, Real Goods, Tilden Park
For early morning exercise today we transferred 50 gallons of biodiesel into 5 gallon jugs using a hand pump. Although we have a 12 volt electric fuel pump for transferring fuel, it is arguably less messy to use a hand pump. With either pump, this laborious process takes about 3 hours and usually covers one or both of us in biodiesel. Since we store our biodiesel fuel in Port Richmond, we transfer it into smaller jugs which we carry in the Veggie Van for daily use.
After bio-fueling up, we headed to Tilden Park in Berkeley. Unfortunately, the biodiesel jugs we are using this year are not as sturdy as the ones we have used on previous expeditions. It is also unfortunate that most of the stop signs and stop lights in Berkeley are either covered by tree branches or placed in obscure, hard to see locations (like behind telephone poles!)
The Veggie Van was driving down Telegraph Avenue at an average Veggie Van speed (slow) when a stop light jumped out from behind an overhanging tree branch. I grabbed hold of the steering wheel and mashed the brake pedal to the floor. The high performance brake system in the 1986 Winnebago eventually engaged. The Van skidded two feet and stopped just as two lanes of crossing traffic passed in front of us. Papers went flying, cupboards opened spilling dishes and gear all over the van, and various water and fuel jugs fell over everywhere. Kaia screamed. But since we were in Berkeley, nobody blinked. You see, in Berkeley, huge vans covered with flowers often come skidding to a halt before colliding with unsuspecting drivers.
"Do you smell biodiesel, or something funny?," I asked Kaia as I eased the van away from the green light.
"Um, let me check," she said looking toward the back of the van. "Well, everything is a total disaster back there. There are fuel jugs on their sides and stuff everywhere."
I pulled the van over to a clear spot on the side of the street and Kaia climbed to the back. The strong scent of biodiesel now filled the van. Suddenly, Kaia began screaming and I could hear sparks, "Oh! Oh my god! It's sparking! Fire! Help! Help!..."
I jumped out of the driver's seat, ran around the van and opened the middle door. Kaia sprang out of the smoking van like a bottle rocket. Fuel jugs lay everywhere and biodiesel was covering the floor and drizzling out of the door onto the street. Sparks were coming from the battery compartment and something was burning. I grabbed the first few fuel jugs and threw them outside. Kaia was still screaming.
"Stop screaming!," I yelled, "..please!"
"OK!," she yelled back, "But the van's on fire! Do something!"
For all of its faults, some aspects of the Veggie Van were well designed. The fire extinguisher next to the door was one of those good ideas. I snatched the small red cylinder and fumbled with its painfully simple button until it began to spew a cloud of white dust. I aimed the stream of what looked like pressurized baking soda at the smoldering battery compartment. In less than three seconds, the fire extinguisher stopped. Disgusted with its uselessness, I threw it to the side.
 Now the van was covered with smoke, biodiesel, and backing soda. The batteries continued to smolder. I jumped inside the van, slipping on the oily Torn wires and dust covered the vanbiodiesel-covered floor. The white powdery smoke stung my eyes. My mouth filled with a terrible acrid taste. I found myself on the floor attempting to rescue the batteries from their still sparking condition. From what I could see, the battery compartment had taken a good bashing from several fuel jugs. This had, in turn, bashed the batteries sideways and wedged one of them into the seat frame. Its positive terminal was just touching the negatively grounded seat frame. This was extremely bad.
 Sparks continued to leap sideways out from under the seat as I attempted feebly to move the batteries back into their upright position. No matter how hard I pushed, they wouldn't budge. Smoke continued to fill the van and the stinging in Taking a minute to reflect on the events of the daymy eyes and mouth was increasing. In a moment of extreme panic I yanked the charge controller off the wall and yanked every wire I could see. Grabbing my Swiss Army knife, I managed to cut threw the few remaining wires. An attempt to unscrew the seat frame with my knife failed miserably. In another minute, I had my trusty cordless drill unscrewing the seat frame from the battery compartment.
It was all done as fast as it had begun. I sat on the sidewalk with a charge controller in my hand, covered in white dust and biodiesel. A trail of oily biodiesel led from somewhere on Telegraph Avenue to a big puddle next to the Veggie Van. The people walking by on the sidewalk did not bat an eye.
 Installing a new, more secure solar battery bank at Real GoodsSlowly, we packed the van. I turned the ignition key and the engine sputtered to life as if nothing had happened. We drove over to Real Goods in Berkeley. There we disassembled the battery compartment, installed new secure batteries, and rewired the system for safety. By the time we got to Tilden Park, it was late afternoon. We talked to some people, but they were more interested in roller blading and walking than in the Veggie Van. It had been a tough day and we were beat.
July 3-5th
 Pier 39
Pier 39 is one of those cheezy tourist areas in San Francisco where you go once when you first move there and then never go again. Most of the people walking on the Pier were not from America, let alone California. We talked with many people Badwaters plays soul and R&B on Pier 39 as people gather to listenfrom Mexico in Spanish about solar panels, and we posed for many tourists photographs. The tourists really liked the Green Mountain Earth balls and we almost had a riot once when a ball was thrown into an unsuspecting crowd.
At one point in time a 50 person choir gathered in front of our booth and sang a Latin hymn in 4 part harmony as we threw Earth balls to everyone in the choir. A homeless man named Badwaters really dug our solar powered keyboard and played some soul tunes from his Alabama home.
July 10-11th
 Marathon Expo
Some of San Francisco's fittest gathered here to prepare for Sunday's marathon spanning the city. Runners came from as far away as Germany, Hawaii, and Norway for this marathon. Fueled by free power bars and ginseng drinks, the crowds were highly energized as they talked with us about renewable energy, played with our interactive CD Rom and solar display table, and signed up for Green Mountain electricity.
July 15th
 Graham Middle School, Mountain View, CA
It never ceases to amaze me how children quickly learn concepts that take adults forever to learn. And after they learn just a little bit, kids will turn around and teach you something you weren't expecting. Today we taught six classes to People of all ages appriciate the solar appliance display tablepeople in grades 6-8 about renewable energy. These days, it doesn't matter who we are talking to, the workshop/lecture/or talk is basically the same. When we give it to kids instead of adults, they have a much higher level of comprehension and appreciation of the subject matter.
It didn't take any time at all for each class to understand that the energy we use in our homes and in our cars comes from fossils. The fossils, of course, got their energy from plants which got their energy from the sun. Each class already knew that dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago and that they weren't coming back. It didn't take them long from there to figure out that when we use the fossil energy two things happen: 1. It adds to this thing they all knew about called "global warming" and 2. We take away from an already limited supply of underground resources.
I think that everyone who participated in constructing our society should spend a day explaining energy to middle school-ers. They don't beat around the bush and they don't believe lies. If you don't believe me, try to tell a sixth grader that fossil fuel is good for the environment.
They'll ask "Why?"
You can say, "It helps us do a lot of good things for the earth."
They'll ask "Like what?"
You could say, "Like drive around and go places."
They'll say "I don't understand. Why is that good for the earth?"
Eventually, they'll corner you. They are more patient than adults and they want to learn. And they can tell if you're not being honest. The bottom line is kids don't believe it unless it's true.
How would the world be different if everyone in our society approached life with a child's enthusiastic quest for honesty, justice, and truth?
After we had given our talk to five classes, we regrouped the children for questions. The questions were:
"How come they don't just make a car that runs off solar panels?"
"When can my house get power from windmills?"
"Why don't they just put vegetable oil in the coal power plant?"
"How come they didn't see the hole in the ozone before now?"
"Why do we use nuclear power?"
 "Can I put your solar panels on my bike?"
Kaia draws the cycles of energy and nature"How come, if the people who made the cars and the power plants in the beginning knew that they were bad for the atmosphere and they were going to make pollution,... How come they made them that way anyway?"
How do you look into the bright eyes of a child and tell them that the planet they are inheriting has been jeopardized, violated, and pushed to its limits by greed, laziness, and carelessness? And that the only hope for planetary survival may lie in their ability to find new solutions to old problems. That it's up to them to answer their own questions and to learn from the mistakes of previous generations...
Because if you tell them anything different, they'll know you're lying.
July 17th
Drive to Tehachapi
Our average day starts with a two hour drive to an event. After we arrive, it's a two to three hour setup process. We talk to people for anywhere between two and six hours before it's time to break down and drive back to our rented room in San Francisco or on to another location. It's a lot of work, but we enjoy the challenge and there are many personal rewards.
Today was not an average day. I woke to see the face of Mark Tholke, Green Mountain sales person extraordinare. We had crashed at his house after the listener party. "Hey, man, it's 6 am," he said in a horse voice, "you guys let me know when you're ready, I only need 5 minutes." For a moment, I was convinced I was still dreaming. As I sat up and felt gravity take its toll on my body, I realized that indeed it was 6 AM.
By the time we had fueled the Veggie Van and organized our gear for the day it was 7:30. Looking at the map, trying to figure out where the natural gas stations were in relation to our destination, we realized that the natural gas van had little chance of making it over the hills to Tehachapi while towing the EcoVette. So we left the Vette and began our trek toward the desert.
Traffic trudged along in both directions as we made slow progress toward the edge of suburbia. After what seemed like an endless battle out of the city, the road opened up before us. With the wind in our hair and the city in our rear view mirrors, we cruised easily down highway 99 toward southern California.
As we drove deeper into California's semi-arid interior, the air turned into a heat wave. The thermometer on my watch read 105 degrees when we reached the top of the Altamont Pass.
 Two long ribbons of asphalt stretched back toward the city. On the asphalt, little cars moved in orderly rows like thousands of ants marching toward battle. But beyond the marching machines, a far more advanced technology was quietly at work.
Along the windblown ridges of the brown hills stood hundreds of wind turbines. Their white, elegant shapes were a pleasant contrast to the dead grasses and Altamont Passrumbling vehicles which surrounded them. Their slow, gracious movements reminded me of albatross birds. I stood there, on top of a small knoll overlooking the pass, and wondered when our society will wake up from its love affair with fossil technology.
What is it that drives us to burn fuel that was made 65 million years ago? Is it the primal, basic urge to use technology which harnesses the power of explosion and fire? Or is it the unwillingness to admit that all of our "advanced technology" is but a baby step forward from the first human-made fire?
Whatever the cause of our actions, we have progressed only in our own minds until we change the way we use energy. On the Altamont pass the wind turbines spin from the free wind energy created by the sun. Cars zoom by at 70 miles per hour consuming gasoline made from dinosaurs.
Assume that one thousand cars pass this windy ravine every hour. In a day, 24,000 gallons of fuel will be spent going over the hill. In a year, 10 million gallons of fuel will be consumed and 220 million pounds of carbon dioxide will be produced. Meanwhile, the wind turbines will turn constantly, quietly, slowly producing millions of kilowatts of power. They will not explode, pollute, or make a sound. In fact, they will provide electricity and something for the millions of drivers to look at.
And some of those drivers might realize that they are looking at the future.
In contrast, one in four of those who drive over the Altamont Pass will, in some way, be hired by the automobile industry. It's no wonder that with that kind of a human investment the cars drive easily over the hill, while many of the wind turbines stand derelict.
"Why do you think so many of them aren't spinning?," asked Mark when I finally came down from my perch on the hill. "I don't know," I admitted, "But that generally means they are broken. I think we'll find out more when we get to Tehachapi."
My watch was reading 120 degrees by the time we passed Fresno. It was hot. My shirt was soaked, I could barely grip the steering wheel, and the wind blowing off the desert was hotter than the still air. Everything smelled hot. The Veggie Van has no air conditioning. The temperature gauge for our small diesel engine was in the red. Although it had been there for two hours, I was too hot to worry about it.
 South of Fresno, we stopped at a truck stop to get cold drinks and ask about a local swimming spot. I was too hot to get out of the van.
Mark deciding whether or not the ditch is a good ideaMark came back with a cold bottle of water. "Well, we know where a ditch is," he said.
"A ditch?," I asked, "what kind of a ditch?"
"The woman I talked to said that she swims there and all of the locals swim there."
"What was she like?," I asked.
"Who?," asked Mark.
"The woman you talked to, what did she look like?"
"She looked like a woman. Look, if it's a good enough ditch for her, it's good enough for me. I say we try it."
"OK," I agreed grudgingly, "let's go."
It must have been a strange sight to people in the farm fields as the two multicolored vans rumbled down the narrow road. Grapes and citrus fruit trees lined the sides of the road. The occasional team of migrant farm workers looked up for a moment as we passed by. Even in this heat, they work endlessly in the fields.
 I slipped into the murky, green water. A thousand ice needles pierced me as the freezing water rushed over my body. It was like lying down in a bathtub full of ice cubes. I gasped for air as if I had been punched. Soon, my body became numb to the cold sensation. We were in the middle of nowhere and it was beautiful. In the distance, we could see the mountain peaks from where the water was flowing. Around us stood fields of food and wine. The sun shone like a golden eye and the world suddenly felt natural and cool.
The two vans at the ditch near FresnoThe Veggie Van never exceeded 30 miles per hour on the mountain climb to Tehachapi. We stopped three times to let the poor little engine cool down before we reached the top of the mountain. Although we had only climbed 4,000 feet, it felt like we were on top of the Earth. No sooner had we passed the welcome sign for Tehacahpi than we could see the slowly turning wind turbines on the far ridges of the small valley.
We set up tables and booths until we were bumping around in the night. Back at the hotel, Kaia made dinner for everyone as I uploaded the digital pictures from the day. I don't even remember falling asleep.
July 18th and 19th
Tehachapi Wind Fair
 There are three big employers in Tehachapi: the mental institute, the prison, and the wind industry. This makes for a very interesting mix of people in a very small town, 4,000 feet above nowhere and right next to the Mojave desert. If you can imagine all of that, you can imagine Tehachapi.
The Wind Fair is another interesting mix. Sponsored primarily by the energy companies and wind turbine manufacturers, the event feels like a small town country fair. But instead of The Green Mountain booth and Solar Appliance displayMartha's blueberry jam and Auntie Lilly's sponge cake, this event features blades from wind turbines as big as helicopters, turbine generators as big as mac trucks, and speakers from places like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Events at the fair included the solar car race, Cosmic Joe's Starwalk, music from Ireland, and tours to the "wind farms." The Veggie Van was a big attraction and since it had just been in the Tehachapi paper, it was already known to almost everyone at the fair.
 A lot of people at the Wind Fair singed up for Green Mountain's "Wind for the Future" program. This is one of the best programs offered by an electricity company because for every 3,000 people who sign on, Green Mountain Energy Resources builds a new wind turbine. These turbines cost $1 million dollars so it is a large investment for the company. The good news is that once they are built, they can deliver electricity for a little as 5 cents a kilowatt hour. That's cheaper than coal or nuclear power and it's clean, quiet, and reliable! I suppose the backdrop of slowly spinning wind turbines really helped to inspire people to sign on.
 "I found out why those generators in the Altamont Pass aren't spinning," said Mark during a slow moment.
"Tell me," I said.
"Well, back in the eighties there was a tax break for anyone who built a wind generator in the Altamont Pass. Apparently, there was no stipulation that they had to work for any given period of time. So all these companies came out of the Another happy person signs up for green electricitywoodwork and built wind turbines. They slapped them up and people got fat tax breaks. The whole thing was a disaster. When the tax breaks were finally cut, the wind turbine companies went bankrupt or just disappeared. Not surprisingly, the turbines had been poorly made. With the companies gone, there was no one to provide replacement parts or engineering. The turbines broke and just sat there. It's a sad story I'm afraid."
How ridiculous! The government should just give a federal tax break to all electricity and fuel produced from renewable energy. That way, there is a sustained interest and benefit from the energy providers to continue to provide clean energy. This is the system used in Germany. In order to create a level playing field for the energy companies, we must tax every BTU and kilowatt from the companies who produce dirty power and give those companies who produce clean power a tax break on every green drop of fuel and eco-electron they make. We hold her future in our hands...After all, who do you think has more money, Exxon or "Farmer Joe's Biofuels"? Pacific Gas and Electric or Green Mountain Energy Resources? This is one Robin Hood scenario which works in other countries and it will work here. Renewable energy is an idea whose time has come. Mark my words. Within my lifetime, we will end the dirty politics and dirty energy of the fossil energy brokers once and for all.
July 20th
Wind Farm and Mojave Solar Facility
 One of the nicest experiences of the Tehachapi Wind Fair was meeting the crew of people that put together the magazine, Home Power. Focused mainly on the nuts and bolts of getting off the grid and staying off the grid, Home Power's articles range from setting up photovoltaic systems to troubleshooting your Electric Vehicle. The tone of the magazine is down to earth and do-it-yourself. Of course, one would expect such an enlightened publication to be created by enlightened individuals. Richard and Karen Perez, creators of Home Power are two cool people who have dedicated their lives to getting the how-to information of safe, clean energy to the public.
The crew at the Tehachapi Wind FarmI'm sure that Richard can often be found fiddling with wires, fuses, and the like and Karen is probably very at home in their indoor greenhouse. But seeing them both at the base of a 150-foot tall wind turbine tower gave me a new appreciation of these die hard eco-activists. As I watched Richard get into a climbing harness, I remembered something he had said to me at dinner the night before.
 We had been discussing inverters, panels, and cool solar components when he leaned toward me and said with a sparkle in his eye, "It doesn't matter to me anymore why people get off the grid and go with renewable power. Some people do it for survival, some do it for the environment, and others do it because they are suspicious of the government. The bottom line is we can put an end to a lot of suffering and a lot of environmental destruction if we go with clean power. I'm past caring about why people do it – I just want them to do it!"
Richard Perez and Camera before climbing the towerHome Power types usually don't install a wind turbine capable of powering 500 homes in their back yard. They usually don't advocate the kind of power that is owned by a big corporation, or the kind of technology which takes a lot of energy to build. But we all know that not everyone can afford an off-the-grid system and not everyone, especially people who live in cities, has the immediate space and resources to power their dwelling. Under the current electricity structure, big wind turbines and solar facilities are a welcome alternative to coal and nuclear power plants. The bottom line is that clean power is better than dirty power.
The wind made more noise than the turbines as Richard was hooked on to the half-inch thick steel cable.
"If you slip, you won't fall more than a foot before it catches you," said the safety conductor.
Although the harnesses and wire are completely over-rated for the average person's weight, I still became light-headed thinking about the potential to slip even an inch.
Forty-five minutes later, I was being hooked on to the safety cable. The harness straps around my body were tight. Probably too tight, but that was the way I wanted them. I didn't want to be loosely hanging in a bunch of strapping if I slipped. If I slipped, I wanted to be caught and held tight.
I slipped the gloves on my hands to feel the sweat of the person who had climbed before me. Somehow, I had managed to stay relaxed up until this point. Now it was time for me to ascend to the top of the galvanized steel structure which held an elegant turbine. The turbine itself was turned off, its blades stopped in mid air. There was no chance of it chopping me as I climbed. In fact, there was nothing that could go wrong. Nothing logical to be afraid of. So I began the journey upward. "Don't climb with your arms or you'll feel like you've done pull-ups for 150 feet," I remembered the safety instructor saying. I used my legs for motion. Carefully placing each hand and foot on a steel peg, I gradually went up the side of the tower. The gear in the safety catch made a clicking sound like a well-made socket wrench. When I climbed, it climbed with me. "Cliiiiiiick, cliiiiiick, cliiiiick" went the latch as I moved upward.
 About a third of the way up I started to get hungry. I hadn't eaten breakfast. But that was because I have climbed things before. It's bad to be fifty feet in the air and hungry, but it's worse to be fifty feet above a bunch of people who are innocently watching you when you suddenly feel the urge to empty your stomach. It tends to put a damper on the experience for everyone.
The view down from half-way upHalf way up the tower I encountered the safety cable holder. It is a small rubber hook which holds the safety cable in its place next to the tower. It is necessary to push the cable out of the hook, slide the latch on the safety harness above the hook, and then re-hook the cable. The mechanism was self-explanatory, but that did not make it easy to operate.
Balancing myself on two staggered foot pegs, I attempted to push the cable in. It budged only slightly. The wind seemed to pick up and I could feel its force against my body. I pushed again, harder this time. Almost. One more push and the cable sprung out of its holder. It happened so fast, I almost lost my balance.
"Thump, thump, thump," went the sound of blood in my ears. My blood pressure had increased so that my whole body was pounding with each heartbeat. No breakfast, so my blood sugar was probably low. I swayed momentarily as the world seemed to turn on its axis. One look down at the small people and the ground looked as if it was coming straight up at me. I felt sea sick. My hands felt suddenly weak and I knew I could pass out.
"Focus!" I told myself as I reached my arm around the tower leg to support myself. As fast as it had come, the feeling of vertigo subsided. I grabbed the latch, pulled it upward, and used my whole body like a pair of pliers to squeeze the cable back toward the tower and into its hook. That done, I continued the climb.
 I kept looking down for the rest of the climb. I couldn't help it. It was like seeing a car wreck on the road – you don't want to look, but you do. I wondered if I would have to climb more towers to fix things like radio antennas and wind turbines. The prospect did not excite me, but I knew it was likely to happen again.
From the top, the world looked as still and peaceful as a panoramic National Geographic photograph. I could see the same things as when I was on the ground, but my perspective had changed. The turbines now moved at eye level, the grass was still, and there seemed to be no sound. The canceling effect of the winds made the air quieter than the desert at night. It was very quiet, peaceful, and distant. Turbines on the ridge at eye-levelEverything slowed down until motion was almost a memory. I turned my head to the side and it seemed to take minutes, even hours.
 When my eyes focused on their destination, I was instantaneously hypnotized. Like the slow beating of the albatross' wings, I watched the blades of the nearest wind turbine swing toward me. Their grace and precision entranced me. I felt as if I could reach out and grab hold of one and let it lift me up higher into the clouds.
 The whole time I was on top of the tower, I kept hearing the words of Julia Butterfly from a cellular phone connection atop the tallest Redwood tree in the Headwaters Forest. I stood captivated as the wind echoed and whispered her words, "When I stand on top of this tree and I reach my arms up to the sky, I feel the energy flowing from the Earth, through her roots, up her trunk, through my feet and my veins, and going right through my entire body and being into the sky. I feel the intimate beauty and connection between the Earth, the trees, and the Heavens. That is what I feel from here. And I see a forests of trees and life which has been here for much longer than us. And that life and these trees are being rapidly and systematically destroyed. It is so incredibly beautiful that I can't fully describe it. But I know that if every person on Planet Earth could stand on top of this tree, feel what I feel, and see what I see there would be an immediate and complete end to the destruction of our planet and our forests. People would put down their chainsaws and weapons and the destruction would just stop....."
 Her words trailed off somewhere in the wind. And when they did, I realized The wind turbine next to me looked so closethat I too was standing on a tree which receives its energy from the sun. It is a clumsy, feeble, human-made approximation of a real tree. But nevertheless, it uses the same basic structure to capture energy. The wind this tree uses comes from the heating of the atmosphere, which is caused by the sun. Instead of creating plant tissue with its energy, the wind turbine supplies energy for things like computers and lights.
"How did you get into wind turbines?," I asked the safety instructor who was with me on the platform. "To tell you the truth," he said, "I used to be in the oil business. I built towers for drilling platforms. Me and the safety instructor on top of the turbine towerWhen the bottom dropped out in the eighties, I came up here to work at the wind farm. Back then there were only 20 turbines up here. I built most of the towers you see now. It was great fun. They told us where to put them, gave us the parts, and said ‘go for it.' It was like a giant Erector-Set. Now my son works for them as well. He does the electrical stuff with wiring the turbines. I wanted him to go to college, but this is what he wanted to do. Anyway, he's happy and he makes good money. They're even sending him to school to get a degree in electronics," he finished his sentence with a smile. "I'm a grandad now," he continued, "And I'm sure glad for this job ‘cause this industry is supporting my whole family now. Don't know what we would have done without it."
 From behind the turbine, I could see its bladesOn the ride back to the Wind Turbine Manufacturing Factory, my head was full of thoughts and wonder. The 4 x 4 van bounced along the dirt road back to the main office and we all stared out the windows with a new appreciation for the large white generators.
"What about the big turbines killing birds?," asked Karen Perez. "A lot of people ask us about that." The driver responded honestly, "I'm not going to tell you we don't find the occasional dead bird or two. But it's very seldom. Especially considering how many wind turbines we have out here. Either the birds are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, or they generally don't hang around in such high-wind areas," he concluded.
 The assembly plant for the wind turbines is located at the bottom of the ridges. It is there that all of the custom wiring, circuit manufacturing, and assembly of the turbines themselves takes place. Wind turbines under assemblyThe most obvious difference between this and other plants was the number of women working there. Women were doing everyjob from tightening huge bolts to soldering complex computer boards to wiring entire generators. One table of women called Kaia over to ask her what tour group we were with.
"What are you taking pictures for?," one woman asked Kaia.
"We're taking pictures for Home Power magazine and pictures for the internet," said Kaia. "I really like your factory and we're very impressed with the wind turbines. In fact, my husband climbed one this morning."
"That's wonderful," said one of the women. "That's what our husbands do – they climb the towers and work on the turbines."Women at work in the turbine assembly facility
"Yeah, it's nice to work here," said another one of the women, "I work close to my husband all day. His father works here too," she added.
The assembly plant employs 150 people and the wind farm employs 250 people. That's 400 jobs all told. And those 400 people are able to support another 100 people who work in the town of Tehachapi. The turbines that are assembled here are shipped all over the United States.
 It is funny how the fossil energy companies always complain about the potential job losses associated with switching to cleaner energy sources.
Cosmic Joe, NASA atmospheric scientist and astronomer, joined us on our trek to the Mojave. We were too close to the world's biggest solar power facility to pass up an opportunity to visit. So back into the desert we drove.
Sunrise in the Mojave is a powerful experienceIn the middle of nowhere it shimmers like a beacon. More than 50,000 solar plates provide power for as many homes. This complex solar thermal facility is one of only three of its kind in operation. By focusing sunlight on tubes filled with a heat transfer liquid, this plant creates steam which turns a turbine. The facility is run like a tight ship with check in and check out points throughout. With 2 square miles worth of solar heat focusing panels capable of cooking someone at over 700 degrees Fahrenheit, you want to be a bit careful.
 The mirrored reflectors look so futuristic that this facility was used as the set of the now famous scene where Uma Thurman takes her now wedded Ethan Hawke for a walk to see the sunrise in the movie "Gattaca." Indeed, with an average Cosmic Joe stands before the futureelectrical generating efficiency of twice that of photovoltaics, solar facilities like this one may one day dot the future landscape of many countries.
 Before we left, we were allowed to climb to the roof of a two-story building to behold the awesome sight of thousands of mirrors reflecting the western sun. Delirious with inspiration and completely overheated, we drove for hours up 101 with Cosmic Joe telling us stories of the creation and destruction of our universe.
July 25th-26th
Freemont Art and Wine Festival
This event was very interesting considering that many of the people who walked by our display were intoxicated. Our interaction with folks varied from pleasant to downright unfriendly.
 Brandon explains clean power to some interested womenI talked with one fellow who insisted: "I don't want you Nazi environmentalists to get control of the country. Because I don't want you to clog up all the freeways with solar panels!" I insisted that I was not aware of any plan to clog up the freeways with solar panels and that if he was having a problem maneuvering around all of the solar panels on the highways he should perhaps lower his alcohol intake. He was not impressed.
Kaia had an equally interesting time. I heard her ask one man, "Hi, are you interested in clean electricity?" He responded, "No, but will you marry me?"
 Kaia explains renewable energy to a crowd of onlookersShe later explained to a person walking by that "...all of these appliances are powered by this solar panel and wind generator."
"Oh really?," the man said, "Well, I'm powered by beer."
 Despite the adverse social conditions of the weekend, we were able to talk to a lot of interested people about green power. As usual, our displays and booth were one of the most interesting things at the festival. Even though we could not get permission to bringThe little CityBee was a fun companion to our displays either of our vehicles, someone brought an electric car and parked it right next to our booth. The tiny "CityBee" as it is called, got a lot of attention and helped to bring people over to our displays. Of course, had we known it was coming, we could have arranged to charge the CityBee with our solar system.
July 31st - Aug 2
 Reggae on the River
Thousands gathered to spend three days on the Eel RiverThis event is a cross between a Rainbow Gathering, Burning Man, and Lollapalooza. Imagine: 20,000 "hippies" and reggae music lovers gathered in a hot, sweaty dust-bowl next to a wide, slow-moving river. These people didn't just bring blankets; they brought 35 ft. motor homes, 4 x 4 sport utility vehicles, VW busses, campers of all types, tents, generators, kerosene stoves, food, and lots and lots of drugs.
If you can imagine that, you can imagine what has become a pinnacle event for the dropouts, wanderers, and lost members of a generation that America forgot. Young, white, glassy-eyed stoners traveled from as far away as Arizona to come see reggae bands perform and talk about life in Jamaica, retribution, and racial equality.
 The theme-select of the "Spirit of Unity Tour" which is a series of concerts sponsored by the environmentally friendly company, Teva, is sustainability. Judging from Reggae on the River, Teva is doing a good job of green-washing and a poor job of hosting environmentally conscious concerts. The main stage was The Veggie Van provided a nice place to hang out and learn about clean power.powered by massive diesel generators which spewed forth an endless stream of fumes. In addition, the concert staff constantly patrolled the entire camp on about 50 four-wheeled motorbikes. Portable generators ran constantly, diesel forklifts toiled hourly to move huge blocks of ice, and kerosene stoves cooked hundreds of meals a day. Mixed with the dust, the fumes created a smog comparable to that of Los Angeles. But few of the concert participants noticed. Only a few solar panels and propane stoves were at work throughout the camp. There were no ZAP electric bikes and very few human-powered bikes. Even though recycling was encouraged, the event was an environmental catastrophe.
Environmental literacy is an obvious challenge to the hordes of young and old who gather to listen to the Jamaican prophets. We were asked questions such as "Is this that new hemp electricty?" and "Where do you pour the vegetable oil into that radio to make it work?" Unfortunately, the people asking those questions were completely serious. Our friend Neal, who is a laid-back environmentalist, summed things up when he said, "I don't like the vibe of these folks. They call themselves hippies. That means they care about the environment. They act like they're on my team, but in reality they're just slowin' me down. I don't think they're on my team, man. They're just posers."
After a couple of sleepless, fume-filled days, I was ready to go back to the Fremont Art and Wine Festival, or to a health-food store parking lot, or anywhere. We had talked to a lot of people about renewable energy, but I drove away from the event wondering what the future will hold for our all-too-apathetic generation.
August 3rd
Arcata, CA
Nestled along the northern coast of California amongst the ancient redwoods and the logging villages is the small town of Arcata. Just ten minutes north of Eureka, Arcata provides a sanctuary for students of Humboldt State University, anti-logging activists, alternative lifestyle enthusiasts, and regular folks who have found some solitude in living away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. Reviewed in America's Best Small Towns by Utne Reader, Arcata provides a refreshing mix of small-town living and alternative culture.
 Our day began with a radio interview at the local university station, KHSU. After that, we headed over to the Shatz Energy Lab where researchers are at work The new Kaia Fuel Cell powers the CCAT pedal-powered washing machine!on building cutting edge hydrogen fuel cells. Although I have daily conversations with well-educated and informed people who are convinced that hydrogen fuel cells will somehow save humanity from a transportation crisis, I had never before seen one of these mythical entities.
It sat there on the table looking like a cross between a kidney dialysis machine and a Van Der Graf Generator. Tubes, wires, gauges, sensors, and computers were attached to a rectangular device about the size of two large shoe boxes placed on top of one another. This fuel cell takes hydrogen gas and turns it into electricity and water. The electricity can be used to power an electric vehicle. The water is emitted from the tailpipe in the form of steam.
There's no doubt in my mind that this fuel cell is a fantastic device. My only question is how do we make hydrogen viable? Right now, we make hydrogen with electricity. So we put a lot of electricity into making hydrogen, which we store as a gas. We then put the hydrogen gas into an electric vehicle with a fuel cell and get a very small fraction of that electricity out of the fuel cell. Batteries, ethanol fuel, and biodiesel fuel are still more efficient "energy carries" than hydrogen. Nevertheless, the technology is promising and may some day become a standard means of fueling vehicles.
 After visiting the Shatz Energy Lab, we took a tour of CCAT, the Campus Center for Alternative Technology. This off-the-grid student house is situated at The abundant gardens and cool solar-powered house at CCATthe edge of campus on top of a small hill. Students live and work at CCAT while they involve themselves in sustainable living activities. CCAT features permaculture gardens, solar-heated showers, a rainwater catchment system, a complete photovoltaic (PV) system, and pedal powered washing machine, drill press, blender, and TV/VCR. While it lacks the million-dollar feel of the hydrogen research facility, CCAT is full of practical applications of earth-friendly, comfortable living. To top it all off, students at CCAT have even begun work on a vegetable oil-fueled bus for ferrying students around campus!
August 4-5th
 Arcata Co-op, SunFrost, and AEE
 Kaia being interviewed for local radio stationToday we were interviewed by the Eureka newspaper, two Eureka TV stations, and one radio station. We spent most of the day set up at the Arcata Co-op, a very cool health food store in the middle of town. The people of Arcata were very receptive to the idea of green electricity. We spent the night at the completely solar-powered house of Home Power magazine guru and local energy The Veggie Van visits the Arcata Co-opactivist Michael Welsh.
 On our way back to San Francisco the next day, we stopped in at the SunFrost refrigerator facility in Arcata. It's there that one of the most efficient refrigerators in the world is made. A SunFrost refrigerator consumes about 5 times less electricity than the average household icebox. Larry, SunFrost inventor, shows Kaia and Brandon how cool his fridge is! Due to their extremely high efficiency, these fridges are exported all over the world where they are powered by solar panels. SunFrosts are also found in RV's, remote medical stations, and off-the-grid homes. Since refrigeration is one of the most energy intensive activities in the modern home, super-efficient refrigerators like the SunFrost could drastically reduce the amount of electricity needed to power our society.
 Our last stop before San Francisco was at Alternative Energy Engineering. These folks are a great resource for anyone interested in alternative energy or energy efficiency. Their renewable energy catalog is an education in itself. We had a nice time chatting with the technicians about the solar industry and, of course, the Veggie Van. One of the technicians noticed that our SolarVent fan had taken a Kelly, AEE technician, shows Josh and Brandon the battery bankbashing. The SolarVent is a really cool little fan that is powered by its own PV panel. We have one on the side of our van where the batteries are located to keep the battery compartment well-ventilated. The little fan is so well-made, it operates even when the SolarVent is upside down on a cloudy day. Anyway, the folks at AEE donated a brand new, stainless steel SolarVent to the Veggie Van. Thanks guys!
August 8-9th
 San Jose Jazz Festival
Veggie Van jazzing it up in San Jose!If you like Jazz and you live in San Jose, this is the place to come for a relaxing weekend with some really groovy sounds. We set up the Veggie Van and another renewable energy display booth for two days at the Jazz Festival. Although the crowds at our location were a bit thin, people were very interested in green power.
 The only downside to the event was the large diesel generator which was used to power each stage. Unlike Reggae on the River, where everyone was too far gone to notice the fumes, almost everyone we talked to asked if there was Three reasons for a cleaner planetsomething we could do about the diesel exhaust from the generators. How ironic that we have traveled thousands of miles on vegetable oil fuel to come to these events and breathe cancerous diesel exhaust! (I think that it should be illegal to use diesel fuel in stationary engines within city boundaries. It's just unhealthy.) In any case, we talked to hundreds of people during the weekend and a lot of folks signed on for green electricity.
September 26th
 Pennsylvania is one of the few states that deregulated their electric industry this year. And boy, do they need it! 98% of Pennsylvania's electricity currently comes from aging coal and nuclear power plants. The air quality in Philadelphia is less than perfect. The amount of nuclear waste that is generated and stored within the state each year ranks in he nation's top 10. The industries are very old. From the freeway, smoke stacks poke up behind billboards, their dark ash billowing forth endlessly.
It was in this place that Green Mountain decided to hold a free environmental concert and festival. Not just an average concert, but one with eight rock bands, hundreds of activities, and at least fifty non-profit organizations. It was a festival with two stages, tons of food, a wealth of information, and plenty of entertainment.
 It was the first music festival to be powered by biodiesel fuel. Four huge diesel generators were carried in by Mac trucks. Their fuel tanks came empty. Into them we poured 1,000 gallons of amber fuel made from waste cooking oil. Forklifts, light generators, and utility equipment was also fueled with biodiesel up to the event. Before, during, and after the concert, the air had a light scent of donuts. Gone were the diesel fumes common to most large outdoor events.
The purpose of the festival was to teach people about the choices they have and to empower them to change their environment. The guiding philosophy of the event is that if you give people choices, a voice, and hope there is no limit to what an organized group of individuals can accomplish.
Our small group of organizers, planners, and workers toiled continuously for weeks to prepare for the day. Posters were put up around the city, radio ads could be heard night and day, tickets were given out at surprise locations, the stage was constructed, tents erected, solar displays built and with every day, excitement grew.
The morning of the concert, Kaia and the Vice President of Green Mountain Energy Resources went on NBC news live in front of the Veggie Van. They announced the concert and talked about the Veggie Van. The air was so full of anticipation it felt electric. People watching the morning news raced to the Mann Center to see if they could still get in.
 By the time that James Taylor, Kenny Loggins, and Shawn Colvin hit the stages, 50,000 people had gathered on the lawns of the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, lines of people stretched out of the gates around the barricades. Over 1,000 volunteers helped organize booths, activities, and operations. VH1 and other media patrolled the grounds getting quotes and shooting footage of people having a great time.
Hordes of dancing, happy people covered the lawns. People walking through the booths gathered armfuls of information. They played games which taught them about clean energy. They laughed and they learned.
 Ben and Jerry's was there en force. A 40-member crew scooped free ice cream and sorbet to thousands of salivating concert-goers all day. By the time the sun set, their scooping arms were completely exhausted. James Taylor played well after dark. His encore lasted one hour. It was captivating to listen to him, to think about what had been accomplished, and to know that his voice was being carried by biodiesel power. The festival was awesome.
As the tired throngs moved slowly out of the grounds toward their cars, people stopped to thank us. They told us that they enjoyed the music, the food, and the fun. They also told us that the concert had given them hope. Hope that they can make a difference. They had new organizations to call on or to volunteer with. They had learned important facts. They switched to green electricity by the thousands. They had become empowered.
We worked late into the night to break down and pack up tents, displays and equipment. The electric feeling that ushered in the day had changed to a feeling of power. People sleepily smiled at one another as they carried boxes under the biodiesel-powered halogen lights. Excitement had changed to focused, organized ideas. People had come to this concert expecting a free show. They left with information which will help them make priceless changes. Everyone felt it. Everyone knew it. The Know Your Power Festival had been a smashing success.
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