To see all speakers, panels, entertainment and other attractions at Solfest, Download the 2-Day Schedule.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Visionary Environmental Business
Leader and Advocate
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine's “Heroes for the Planet” for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group's achievement helped spawn more than 160 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe.
to top ^
 Arianna Huffington
Co-Founder &
Editor-in-Chief
Huffington Post
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of twelve books. She is also co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” public radio’s popular political roundtable program.
In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
to top ^
VIRTUAL SPEAKER
 Bill McKibben
Environmentalist & Writer
Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global warming and alternative energy and advocates for more localized economies. In 2010 the Boston Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist" and Time magazine described him as "the world's best green journalist.
In 2009 he led the organization of 350.org , which coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called "the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind," with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries. The magazine named him to its inaugural list of the 100 most important global thinkers, and MSN named him one of the dozen most influential men of 2009.
to top ^
SPEAKERS
(See event schedule for speaking times)
 Mike Thompson
Member, U.S. House of Representatives
1st Congressional District, CA
Mike Thompson was first elected to represent California's 1st Congressional District in 1998. The district includes all of Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties as well as portions of Yolo and Sonoma Counties. He is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence.
Thompson is the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wine Caucus, which consists of over 215 U.S. Senators and House members. He is also a member and former co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. He is also a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, which is composed of moderate Democrats committed to bipartisan problem solving.
to top ^
 A. G. Kawamura
Secretary, California
Department of
Food & Agriculture
Governor Schwarzenegger appointed A.G. Kawamura as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture in November 2003. Since then, Secretary Kawamura has represented California agriculture on numerous national committees. He chairs the Specialty Crop Task Force of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and he is a member of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. Secretary Kawamura is an active steering committee member for both the national 25x25 renewable energy initiative and the Native Pollinator Initiative. He is the immediate past president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture. In that capacity, he was also a member of the board for NASDA.
to top ^
 Rhone Resch
President and CEO
Solar Energy Industries Association
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the solar energy industry. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy.
The 501 c (6) trade group is composed of four main departments: Government Affairs, Policy & Market Analysis, Communications and Meetings. Primary activities are to effectuate federal policy that reduces barriers and improves market conditions for the U.S. solar energy market. SEIA is responsible for creating the federal 30% tax credits
for residential and commercial system and for including
19 separate provisions in the Recovery Act to support the expansion of solar in the U.S. A affiliated 501 c(3) called
The Solar Foundation oversees policy-driven research and develops education outreach programs to promote positive policy and further deployment of solar energy in the U.S. SEIA also manages a Political Action Committee (PAC) for political fundraising. SEIA coordinates with several state and regional chapters and other groups including the American Solar Energy Society, Solar Alliance, Solar Electric Power Association, Solar Nation and Vote Solar along with numerous renewable energy, business and environmental groups.
to top ^
 Ed Begley, Jr.
Actor and environmental activist
Turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. has been considered an environmental leader in the Hollywood community for many years. He has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He still serves on those boards, as well as the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications
Office, Tree People and Friends of the Earth, among many others.
His work in the environmental community has earned him a number of awards from some of the most prestigious environmental groups in the nation, including the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and others. His visit to this year's SolFest is made possible by Santerra Green. Begley currently lives near Los Angeles in a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy.
to top ^
Penny Livingston-Stark
Environmental designer
 Penny Livingston-Stark is an internationally recognized permaculture teacher, designer and speaker. Penny and her husband James Stark co-manage the Commonweal Garden, a 17-acre certified organic and certified salmon-safe farm in Bolinas, California.
Penny has been teaching internationally and working professionally in the land management, regenerative design and permaculture development field for 25 years and has extensive experience in all phases of ecologically sound design and construction as well as the use of natural non-toxic building materials. She specializes in site planning and the design of resource-rich landscapes integrating, rainwater collection, edible and medicinal planting, spring development, pond and water systems, habitat development and watershed restoration for homes, co-housing communities, businesses and diverse yield perennial farms.
to top ^
 Paul Dolan
Biodynamic winemaker
Paul Dolan believes that business leaders can help make a better world, and he sees Mendocino County as fertile ground to grow this vision. During his 27 years at Fetzer Vineyards, 12 as president, he led a transformation that put the company at the forefront of organic viticulture and sustainable business.
Paul’s goal is to create a model for the wine business.In turn, he is determined to develop the wine industry as a model for all agriculture worldwide. “We are seeing a shift, an awakening, where people are taking a strong stand on the food and wine they consume and its impact on the environment." Paul knows that sustainability is an economic asset and a competitive advantage, as well as an imperative for healthy life on this planet. He is spreading the word – for the good of business, the community and the environment.
to top ^
 John Schaeffer
Founder, Board President
Solar Living Institute
John Schaeffer has been exploring renewable energy and sustainable living since graduating from UC Berkeley in 1971. Over the last 32 years, he founded and grew Real Goods Trading Company as its President from a garage start-up to the foremost global source for tools and information on renewable energy and sustainable living. In 1995 he created the Solar Living Center in Hopland, California, a 12-acre educational demonstration site. He founded and remains Board Chair of the educational non-profit Solar Living Institute dedicated to promoting renewable energy through inspirational environmental education.
He continues as President of Real Goods Solar, Inc., now a public company (NASDAQ: RSOL), that has installed more solar than any other company in the U.S. with over 6,000 homes solarized. John has received numerous awards including Small Business Person of the year, Most Environmental Catalog from the Direct Marketing Association three years running, and has been twice nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year. John lives with his wife Nancy remotely in Mendocino County, California in a natural home built mostly from recycled materials in the middle of a permaculture off-grid oasis powered by solar and hydro-electric, where John and Nancy also raise grapes, olives, fruit trees, and an abundant vegetable garden organically and biodynamically.
to top ^
 Ezra Auerbach
Executive Director NABCEP
Ezra Auerbach has been actively involved in the renewable energy industry since 1986 when he co-founded Energy Alternatives – a cross Canada renewable energy business. Since selling the company in 1996 he has held a variety of positions in the Renewable Energy industry including sales, marketing, product management, and engineering. He has held the position of Executive Director for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) since June of 2009
His connection to renewable energy is far more than professional, having lived and worked off-grid for over thirty-five years. He has a long record of involvement in Renewable Energy industry organizations; over the past twenty years he has served on the boards of NABCEP, CanSIA and SESCI (Solar Energy Society of Canada). He was the Chairperson of NABCEP for many years before stepping down to become its Executive Director.
to top ^
 Eric Corey Freed
Principal of organicARCHITECT, an architecture and consulting firm in California, with nearly 20 years of experience in green building.
Eric co-developed the Sustainable Design programs at the Academy of Art University and University of California Berkeley Extension. He is on the boards of Architects, Designers & Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), Green Home Guide and West Coast Green, as well as the advisory boards of nearly a dozen other organizations.
He was the founding Chair of Architecture for The San Francisco Design Museum and one of the founders of ecoTECTURE: The Online Journal of Ecological Design. He is a regular contributor for GreenerBuildings.com, Luxe, Natural Home, Metropolitan Home and dozens of other publications. Eric lectures around the country at 40+ conferences a year, and his work has been featured in Dwell, Metropolis, Town & Country, Natural Home and Newsweek. He has been seen on television on Fox News, HGTV, The Sundance Channel and PBS.
Eric is considered a leader in the field; named by San Francisco Magazine "Best Green Architect" in 2005 and "Best Visionary" in 2007; and "Green Visionary" by 7x7 Magazine in 2008.
to top ^
 David Blume
Permaculture teacher and author
David Blume is a permaculture teacher and entrepreneur. He has been an especially prolific public speaker, and is a vocal advocate for production of ethanol fuel, especially at local, small and medium scales.
Blume is the author of Alcohol Can Be A Gas!, a review of the history of alcohol used as a fuel, together with an extensive investigation of how to produce alcohol fuel from different crops, using a variety of tools and techniques, and with an explanation of relevant laws and industry practices. The focus of the book is on how to set up and run crops and facilities for local ethanol use, as opposed to large-scale industrial or commercial use.
to top ^
PANELISTS
 Jeanne Trombly
Plug In America
Jeanne is currently managing director at Plug In America, an electric vehicle advocacy group. She has over 12 years experience working in the nonprofit sector in a variety of positions. She served as Regional Fundraising Director for American Farmland Trust; acting Interim Director for Investors' Circle and she launched her own organization Fiber Futures where she helped catalyze consumer demand for "tree-free" papers and advised the paper industry. She is a former board member for Urban Ecology and Amazon Watch. Other background experience includes science writing and managing a group of angel investors. Ms. Trombly has a B.A. in International Affairs/Communications from George Washington University.
to top ^
 David Arkin
Architect
David Arkin, AIA, has taught and lectured on the subject of sustainable design for over fifteen years. He and his wife Anni Tilt are the principals of Arkin Tilt Architects, a firm specializing in energy and resource efficient design. David and Anni are founding members of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA). He is past-President of Architects, Designers, and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR). A licensed architect, he spent four years as project architect and planner with Van der Ryn Architects—most notably on the Real Goods Solar Living Center—and apprenticed with Obie Bowman at Sea Ranch. David and Anni live with their two children in a 100 year old solar and wind-powered home in Albany, CA, where he currently serves as a planning and zoning commissioner.
to top ^
 Kent Haliburton
VP Sales,
Real Goods Solar
Kent Halliburton is Vice President of Sales at Real Goods Solar. He has been working in the solar industry since 2005, after realizing the impact the twin global crises of Global Warming and Peak Oil would have on the planet. The solution seemed simple: change our energy consumption from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Kent knew he could leverage his technical background to translate the benefits of solar energy generation to the marketplace.
Kent’s active lifestyle, which includes surfing, traveling, sailing, running, and hiking, ensure he’s making the most of our planet as he works to shift energy consumption in a renewable direction. Kent also serves on the board of GRID Alternatives, a non-profit working to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment, and training. Kent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, where he graduated summa cum laude.
to top ^
Jenean Smith
Founder
Power to the People
Jenean Smith is the founder of Power to the People, a non-profit organization that brings solar energy to schools and healthcare centers in Nicaragua. After living in Central America for four year and earning a MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, Jenean decided to combine her passion for renewable energy with her international development experience to bring solar to people who really need it. A panel of volunteers from the solar industry, including Ryan LeBlanc from Natural Energy Works, Jay Ruzicka from Occidental Power, and Colin Bright from Grid Alternatives, will join Jenean in talking about the challenges of installing off-grid solar in the developing world.
to top ^
Gillian Webster
Solar Living Institute
2010 Intern
Gillian Webster completed her permaculture design certification and ecovillage design education at Kibbutz Lotan in Israel. She is currently turning theory into practice at the Solar Living Institute (SLI) in Hopland, CA, where she coordinates Sustainable Living workshops at the Institute’s 12-acre permaculture demonstration site. Prior to joining the SLI, Gillian honed her permaculture skills by volunteering on permaculture development projects and intentional communities in Israel, Scotland, India, and Thailand. Gillian hopes to continue improving and inspiring permaculture development strategies around the world.
to top ^
Tickets available at the gate
KIDS 12 and under FREE!
Easy, convenient parking and camping available.
Camping is limited so get there early.
Click here for ticket info
to top ^
|
