Eastside's Sustainable Solutions: SolarFest 2012

"You are just a bunch of hippies - Why would you want to ban me - I am an easy going guy - I just like to float around in the ocean." These were some of the quotes that Bag Man was telling an amused audience at SolarFest 2012, Shoreline's Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Fair. He and Bag Lady were stealing the looks as they dramatically talked about their potential peril.

Bag Man, containing no less than 500 bags, the average amount a typical household goes through in one year.

Bag Man and Bag Lady

When the attention was not on them, the crowd was checking out the booths in this 9th annual event. In addition to the numerous solar panels that lined the rows, there were a large showing of electric and hybrid cars, electric-assist bikes, zero-waste info stations, cedar grove composting info, sustainable architecture designs and much, much more including a few of my favorites described below.

"Close the loop" with Cedar Grove Composting

Recycling Options at the Event

Looking for a project for your kids to do this summer? Ready for them to take care of their own lunch one day? All you need is a cardboard box, black paint, plexiglass or sheet of clear plastic, pot and a few cans of vegetables and soup. Line the flaps of the box with aluminum foil, paint the inside of the box black and place a piece of plexi-glass on top and voila, its a solar oven.

DIY Solar Cooker

Another DIY project, but perhaps a little more complicated was the pedal cars. There are directions on the internet somewhere because Father and Son duo, Barry and Geiger, figured it out using recycled bicycle parts and PVC pipes. Take a ride in one of those pedal cars and you won't want to return it anytime soon.

DIY Pedal Car using recycled parts

Out for a ride with Geiger at the wheel.

A home built from a reclaimed shipping container. It may be small, but contains all the comforts of home. The Cargo Cottage only costs $35,000. This would work great as an office, studio, guest space or Mother In-Law suite.

A home - built from reclaimed shipping containers

Inside shipping container home is a sink/toilet.

This is one of those gem events that enough people know about it to make it happen, but the crowds are not too big for all the attractions worth seeing. We had a table seat to eat our lunch while the Not-Its were playing on stage, the kids were able to check out all the kids attractions (solar match-box car give away, car tracks, bird seed feeder craft, bike rodeo showing safe riding and solar water fountains) and parking was a cinch. The SolarFest is produced by Shoreline Solar Project.

And of course, the SolarFEST 2012 would not have been complete without the addition of Bag Man and Bag Lady. To them: You were a wonderful addition! Hope to see you at many more events protesting the possibility of another city (state!) banning you.