Students from the Leadership Campaign have been camping out every Sunday on Boston Common since October 24 and lobbying the State House on Monday for 100% Clean Electricity by 2020. Last Sunday, Dr James Hansen camped out with them. Next Sunday, Bill McKibben will be there. They plan to do this every Sunday until at least December 7.
They could build a solar encampment, a mock-up or even working model of a healing village, as advocated by Vinay Gupta, demonstrating that Solar IS Civil Defense with solar and hand crank power for the flashlight, radio or cell phone, and extra set of batteries we're all supposed to have on hand in case of emergencies, also, incidentally, what you might take camping.
A weekly solar encampment could use some of the techniques on display at http://www.builditsolar.com or Appropedia demonstrate simple techniques that can provide comfort from renewables out of ingenuity and found materials.
Solar cooker picnics on the Common?
Flash healing villages all around the world?
I've contacted one of the leaders of the students but haven't heard back. I was there last Sunday and saw a picture of a PV panel but none on the tents or the people.
The campers could start with solar lights. There are at least two programs that offer solar lighting adequate for camping which support the developing world at the same time:
Bogolight http://www.bogolight.com
ToughStuff http://www.toughstuffonline.org/
Bogolight makes solar lights and lanterns and have a buy one, give one program in which they will deliver one light to a family in the developing world for every light you buy. It's a good design and a powerful light that uses standard size rechargeable AA batteries. They are having a sale right now, $25.99 which is $13 below their regular price. I've used their lights for the last couple of years and it is a very well thought out design that works every time I've tried it.
ToughStuff makes flexible solar cells, LED lights, rechargeable battery packs, and radio and cell phone connectors for solar village entrepreneurs in the developing world. They also sell a solar panel and LED light combination for $30 here in the US as a "buy one, fund one" program where half the proceeds go to funding one of their solar entrepreneur kits: "We equip local Village Entrepreneurs with a set of ToughStuff products and the training and skills to rent and sell those products and create a business. The average ToughStuff village entrepreneur profits $597 - $744 in a year." I haven't used their solar lights, yet, but it sounds like a good idea and have ordered two kits.