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2007 Fair
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The 2007 fair is over, but you can join us for the Seventh Annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair on August 9th and 10th, 2008!

Local Sustainability

The sixth annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair was held on Saturday, August 11th and Sunday, August 12th at the Ogle County Fairgrounds, in Oregon, IL. The Fair featured over 100 booths and exhibits, 60 workshops, food, entertainment, childrens' activities and tours. Over 3,500 fair visitors attended the event.

We also hosted a special business workshop session on Friday afternoon. The workshops focused on renewable energy and investment opportunities.

PV Dedication

Booths & exhibits

Workshops

Music was provided by: The Giving Tree Band & Prairie Wolf

2007 Keynote Speakers

Sustainable Communities (Sat 2:30 - 3:30) Torbjörn Lahti, Sweden: Torbjörnspoke on developing and building sustainable communities. Torbjörn Lahti is a community planner, adjunct teacher at Umeå University, founder and co-owner of the environmental consulting firm Esam AB (The Human Ecology Company) based in Umeå, Sweden. Torbjörn is the initiator and former coordinator of the Eco-municipality movement in Sweden and has been working professionally with sustainable development during the last twenty four years. He has been active in developing 60 eco-communities and has received worldwide international acknowledgment. He is the co-author of the book The Natural Steps for Communities – How Cities and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practice (New Society Publishers,).

* Lahti video presentation to be posted.

Environmental Challenges in the 21st Century & Potential Solutions (Sat 12:00 - 1:00) William M. Stigliani, PhD., U. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA: Solutions to problems created by global environmental changes and resource depletion will require the emergence of new paradigms for development. Discussion focused on energy systems to replace current primitive applications, green technologies that minimize raw material inputs and pollution, preservation of ecosystem services, and new models for sustainable development. William co-authored a study,Year 2000 Iowa Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, he developed research reports at the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. and he was a senior research scholar in the Environment Program at the International Institute for Applied System Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria. Climate change was a major component of his studies.

* Stigliani video presentation to be posted.

The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating (Sun 2:30 - 3:30) Alisa Smith, Vancouver, B.C.: When oil is running low and global warming is a serious concern, why ship a vegetable 1,500 miles from farm to plate? To challenge this industrial system, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon ate foods grown within 100 miles of home forone year. They discovered community, old-fashioned skills and the best tasting food of their lives. She is the co-author of PLENTY: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally (Harmony Books US)/THE 100-MILE DIET: A Year of Local Eating (Random House Canada).
View her presentation on Google Video.

Dedication of the First Illinois Fairground PV:

The Ogle County Fairgrounds may be the first fairground in Illinois to have a permanent solar electric system providing some of its power. Thanks to the direction of Dave and Jared Merrill and dedicated volunteers Tony Gerace, Bob Piros, Mark Thoele and Bob Vogl (with some help from Dave Englebrecht) a one kilowatt system was installed. Used Siemens panels were donated by The National Environmental Organization (Glen Kizer). Half of the cost of the system was a 1800 watt DC to AC Solectia inverter (provided at a discount) which was paid for by the Illinois Renewable Energy Association with a donation from the Ogle County Fair Board. Dedication Saturday 9:15

2007 Workshops

Exhibitors/Booths

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Information on camping, B & Bs, and hotels in the the area.

Directions & ride share information.

We greatly appreciate the support of our members and sponsors.

Their contributions have helped make the Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair possible.

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2007 Sponsors:

Gold

ComEd, an Exelon Company

The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
Illinois

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

The Rock River Times

Silver

Byron Forest Preserve

Huntley Horticulture

Oregon Park District

Solar Service, Inc.

Blue

Conscious Choice

Countryside Magazine

Davis Caves

Radish Magazine

Green

Citizens' Utility Board (CUB)

Inovateus

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (M.O.S.E.S.)

Ogle County Solid Waste Management

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Join us for the Seventh
Annual Fair
on August 9th and 10th, 2008.