Greetings from the Harmony Institute, It has been quite a while since the last newsletter. That's certainly not because things stopped happening at The Harmony Institute. In fact, there's lots going on! The BIG news is that the Solar Bus project which I've been talking about in the last few newsletters has become a reality. This project has taken up most of our time and effort over the summer so that's mainly what we have to tell you about in this issue: 1) The Solar Bus project 2) A Call to Action 3) Website updates 1) The Solar Bus Project Before I wrote the book "The Message That Comes From Everywhere" I worked in the solar energy industry for almost a decade. I worked at a solar equipment retailer doing everything from designing systems for customers to explaining the technical aspects of solar energy in books and magazines that the company (Real Goods Inc.) published. It had been a good 5 years since I was working in that industry and I was itching to get back in. It had nothing to do with money or a job, it was just that I really believe that renewable energy technology has an important role to play in solving some of the problems of the world. Not only is the technology environmentally clean, it can also help us wean us from foreign oil. I've always believed that whenever possible, it's more effective to show people something than to talk about it. I could write in these newsletters, all the benefits of solar energy, and I could make web sites about it, and even write a book about it. But I thought that it would be more effective to create a project that demonstrates, and actually *shows* people that it works. And I considered that if you are trying to show people something, bigger is always better. Thus was born the idea of the Solar Bus. Over the winter last year I started conceiving and planning the purchase of a school bus, and converting it to be a solar energy demonstration project. It had to be big I thought, to grab people's attention. I did quite a bit of research into school buses, the different manufacturers, and the types of brakes, transmissions, and engines that they have. Finally I decided that I needed a Crown - considered the "cadillac school buses." Of course the only one I could find was 3,000 miles away, so a volunteer (thank you Mark!) and I flew out to California and drove it back to Vermont. The bus drove flawlessly and the project is now a reality. The Solar Bus has been painted, and the seats have been removed. It's now running on biodiesel fuel, an alternative to diesel, derived from vegetable oil, that pollutes much less and helps out domestic farmers. I've installed a demonstrational energy system on the bus, sort of a small version of a system that could power an entire house. The Solar Bus has been to two renewable energy festivals this summer - SolarFest near Rutland VT, and the Vermont Alternative Energy Festival near Royalton. We also took it to the Garden of Eden Music Festival in Plattsburgh NY. The response has been incredible. Along with the help of volnteers, I've been showing the bus, and explaining biodiesel and solar energy to many people everywhere we go. I've had a state senator on the bus who had never heard of biodiesel, and several school teachers that want me to come to their schools this fall to show their kids. I've even had an offer from a company that makes fuel additives and biodiesel fuel for me to drive up and down the East Coast representing their products. Perhaps you're wondering what the Solar Bus looks like, or what biodiesel fuel is exactly. If so I invite you to visit the brand new website for the Solar Bus. There you'll find free information about solar energy and biodiesel fuel, a chronology of the work we've done on the bus, a schedule of where the bus has been and will be, and lots of pictures. You can also sign up for the Solar Bus newsletter. Here's a link to the Solar Bus web site: http://solarbus.org There is also a link to Solar Bus on the Harmony Institute home page. Please note that the Solar Bus newsletter is separate from the Harmony Institute newsletter. I will send the first Solar Bus newsletter to everyone on this list, but after that I ask you to request the Solar Bus newsletter if you want it. I don't like to send things to people unless they request it. To subscribe to the Solar Bus newsletter, please send email to newsletter@solarbus.org. One of the best things about this project is that it's fun. Everywhere we go with the Solar Bus, people on the sidewalks smile and wave at us. People love to come on the bus and check it out and they are eager to learn about renewable energy. We've put a lot of hard work into the bus but it's truly been a labor of love. If you're on the East Coast, I invite you to keep an eye on the Solar Bus schedule and come to an event to check it out. As winter is knocking at the door, we don't have any events scheduled at this point, but the Solar Bus newsletter will let you know when something comes up. 2) A Call To Action Many of you know that I've been interviewed on several radio programs about my book. Often this is the result of a relentless effort to contact radio show producers and hosts. Other times someone I don't know reads my book and suggests to their favorite radio show host that they have me on as a guest. Currently I'm pushing hard to be a guest on Speaking of Faith, a program that is produced by Minnesota Public Radio and can be heard on many Public Radio stations across the nation. I'm doing what I can from here, but it's also very effective when listeners contact a program and ask to hear a guest. If you agree with what you've read in my book or on the Harmony Institute web site, and you'd like these topics to be discussed more in the public forum, I invite you to contact the host and/or producers of Speaking of Faith and request that I be a guest on the show. The email address is mail@speakingoffaith.org. The host's name is Krista Tippett and producers' names are Bill Buzenberg, Marge Ostroushko, and Brian Newhouse. If you do contact them, just use your own words to explain why you think I would be a good guest for the show. I believe that now is a particularly important time for this type of discussion on this type of radio program, because of what is going on in the world and the direction in which we seem to be headed. 3) Website updates The discussion forum on the Harmony Institute web site has been taken down due to technical problems. We hope to have it back up soon. The big addition is the new web site for the Solar Bus. See what the bus is up to, learn about solar energy, and lots more: http://solarbus.org We have added several links to our Links page, including: http://theharmonyinstitute.org/links.shtml We have added several new bumper stickers to our selection: http://theharmonyinstitute.org/peaceshoppe/stickers.shtml We now offer a Solar Bus t-shirt: http://theharmonyinstitute.org/peaceshoppe/shirt.shtml Peace to all and please stay in touch, Gary Beckwith To subscribe, unsubscribe, comment, or ask anything about the Harmony Institute Newsletter, send email to newsletter@theharmonyinstitute.org Your information is strictly confidential. The Harmony Institute will never sell, trade, or give away your email address for any reason whatsoever. ====================================== the Harmony Institute "exploring the common bonds between the world's religions" PO Box 12 Huntington, VT 05462 info@theharmonyinstitute.org http://theharmonyinstitute.org phone (802) 434-4939 fax (509) 479-0825