Green Options

There’s an electric car revolution underway in sleepy Browntown, Wisconsin, population 252.

More than six Sebring-Vanguard CitiCars, many zipping down the country roads in southwestern Wisconsin, are registered to owners in this small town – most to Phil Welty and one to myself.  They come in red, yellow and several other colors and look like a wedge of cheese, but they’re all completely powered by electric motors.  It’s estimated that as few as 600 CitiCars are still on the road in the U.S. with less than 3,000 manufactured by Sebring-Vanguard between 1974 and 1976 during the last energy crisis.

“When I first saw the CitiCars back in the 1970s, it was the only all-electric car on the market,” recalls Phil Welty,  “The same problem exists today as in the 1970s, like high fuel prices and our marriage to foreign oil.  I’ve always wanted to bring one back from the junkyard and restore it to fully operable condition.”  Not content with just one, he has two CitiCars on the road, using his other cars for parts.

Get out your calendars right now and reserve the weekend of the 20th and 21st of September!

Plan to be in Fort Collins for the premier green festival of northern Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair.

The Sustainable Living Fair is a solution based, hands-on, family oriented event designed to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about Sustainable Living Practices, Renewable Energy, Environmental & Social Responsibility, Natural Health, Green Building, Alternative Vehicles, Organic Agriculture, Local Economies and more.

This event draws thousands of people every year for a weekend of green education, community building, and inspiring speakers. For five bucks you can take your pick from over 50 workshops and learn about local food, sustainable agriculture and green living from hundreds of exhibitors.

Fort Collins, Colorado is home to CSU, New Belgium, and Anheuser Busch. HP and Avago and AMD are here. OtterBox calls it home. The Tour de Fat and the Brew Fest are two popular events, as is the Sustainable Living Fair.

There’s a strong localization movement, and many different groups are working towards a healthy living economy. Here’s and overview of some of the groups: