Solar Village

Taos Solar Music Festival 07 Food Drive

The Conscious Alliance and Taos Solar Music Festival are proud to announce that we will be hosting a food drive at this year's Taos Solar Music Festival to benefit families of the Taos Pueblo community. All patrons that donate 10 non-perishable food items will receive a free limited-edition festival poster by artist, Rob Helmstetter of Table 2 Press.

Donation bins will be located in the vending area outside of the main entrance to the festival. Look for the Conscious Alliance "Art That Feeds" Gallery and Food Drive Donation Tent to drop off your non-perishable food items and receive your FREE poster!

The Conscious Alliance always encourages food donations to be low-sodium, health food oriented products. "Organic" food donations are always welcome. Donations of RAMEN NOODLES CANNOT be exchanged for Conscious Alliance posters.

Please visit us at:
www.ConsciousAlliance.org
www.Myspace.com/ConsciousAlliance

A Message From NMSEA

In many ways, New Mexico is both the birthplace and proving grounds of solar energy, from the ancient pueblo indian cliff dwellings that consciously used southern exposure to the winter sunshine, to the many architects who pioneered passive solar design here, to the space age scientific study of solar energy at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. Even the phrase `passive solar design' was coined in New Mexico. The New Mexico Solar Energy Association, perhaps the oldest continuously existing solar association in the US, preserves the memory of these events and the knowledge which was acquired. Its only fitting that a solar music festival, which explicitly combines an awareness of environmental responsibility with the emotional power and excitement of music, should find its genesis in Taos, New Mexico, as well.

We are only now witnessing the dawn of the solar age. Future generations will look back and see that this was the time when the human race really learned how to mimic and live in harmony with nature, instead of simply exploiting her. The Taos Solar Music Festival is one of the beacons emerging now to help bring this transition about quickly, before too much of our precious environmental legacy is lost. This innovative festival draws on the tremendous solar energy knowledge base in the area, represented by the now three decades old New Mexico Solar Energy Association, with its many solar enthusiasts, architects, and scientists, the Taos Earthship Community, one of the most self-sufficient and eco friendly communities in the world, KTAO, the world's most powerful solar powered radio station, and the many local green builders, permaculturalists, and other specialists who are dedicated to the creation of sustainable and eco friendly communities.

Ben Luce, NMSEA Chairman

Always a blast!

Kids get to check out remote control cars running on solar power - no batteries to buy - its like magic!

Or for the kid in us, jumping in front of a large PV module stopping the directly wired water fountain because of your shadow! See up close a working photovoltaic system with batteries and inverter. Heard a lot about fuel cells? What really is it? The village has a great Fuel cell display that works all day long from clean hydrogen fuel made on site from the sun!

Feel how hot that water can get from the sun with a full scale solar hot water setup. Learn about other hot water uses such as heating your radiant floor and more.

Learn about energy efficiency programs, buying green power from your utility, national forest, wilderness and waterway protection and creating land trusts to preserve open space via many different exhibits.

Visit with volunteers to learn how you too can help put a smile on people's faces by helping on a Habitat for Humanity home.

Gather information and visit with green builders as you plan your next home or renovation.

Catch that rainwater off of your roof for later use! See what cisterns are available and how these systems can benefit your garden or even provide household water.

Speaking of gardens the Village will also have an educational exhibit on organic soil improvements and organic farming.

And check out the latest in one of the latest technological breakthroughs in transportation at several electric bicycles and trikes displays. Or check out the Linear City concept - could be your next town!

This year's solar village is as big as ever with all of the above being generously offered to you by many volunteers and over 15 exhibitors!

Don't forget to enjoy a solar baked cookie or croissant! See you this weekend in Kit Carson Park - the Solar Village is free!!! So check us out before and during the Music every day!