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Call it the 'Al Gore Factor' or the 'George Bush Effect', but there are several reasons behind the renewed interest in the energy-efficient, low-impact buildings -- ranging from dramatic footage of melting icecaps to rising oil and gas prices, to the United States' dependency on energy sources from unstable regions of the world. There is now little disagreement that the U.S. needs to curb its appetite for fossil fuels in the years to come.

Energy experts tout Solara as being the largest energy efficient -- and affordable -- housing project in southern California, if not the United States. The apartment complex represents the merger of two building trends: the desire to design eco-friendly homes, and states creating financial incentives for energy conservation.

Heather Weightman and Jaime Reed recently set up shop in the hippie neighbourhood of Ocean Beach, San Diego. The community serves as a test laboratory for progressive culture in California. And the latest concept to emerge is a take-out restaurant specialising in vegetarian meals made from fresh, locally grown produce.