SolFest 2007-gate

Madison Avenue advertisers and Silicon Valley venture capitalists may be pushing all things green into the mainstream these days, yet the countercultural roots of the sustainable-living movement are alive and thriving.

More than 10,000 people flocked to the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, Calif., August 18 and 19 for the 12th annual SolFest, a showcase of alternative energy and "green" products.

The nonprofit educational center is located in Mendocino County, a hub for hippie communes during the 1960s and 1970s. The 12-acre compound is open year-round and features a mini-farm, bike-powered energy generators, electric car charging stations, an earthen greenhouse and copious solar panels.

Sponsors of SolFest included Toyota and Sharp, in addition to smaller enterprises such as the Colorado Yurt Company and General Hydroponics. Speakers included writer Alice Walker and independent media journalist Amy Goodman.