“Race you!” Don called as he tore off down the track. “Hey no fair!” Minnie shouted taking off a step behind.  Don Gerr and Minnie Pointer have been friends (and competitors!) for as long as anyone can remember.  They completed the lap within a half step of one another.  “Caught you!” Minnie smiled.

        Later – “Hey, did ya hear that our old buddy Mert is in town?  He texted me and said to meet him after school.  Wanna go?” Minnie asked.  The three old friends met that afternoon for a rowdy brag-fest.  Each one talking up their own school’s achievements.

        “Well oh yea, betcha neither of your schools is doing this!”  Mert Tonn crowed.  “You might think it’s kinda weird.  But the kids in our school, and the whole town really, think we’ve been pretty clever.”

        Mert told them how the community took a look at putting solar on their two school buildings.  Once they ran the numbers, it was clear that they’d be missing a huge money-saving opportunity if they didn’t add solar. 

        So the district received grants from the Focus on Energy and the Solar on Schools programs.  Even with that, a huge bill remained.  And that’s where the clever part comes in.  They took out a low-cost “green” loan and arranged for the monthly payment to equal the same amount saved each month on their electric bill.  That way the district’s monthly expenditures remained the same.  In the end, the district’s out-of-pocket cost was only about $20,000.  Once the loan is paid off in four more years, those same savings can be used for other district needs.  In the end, the projected energy cost savings comes to about $1.4 million over 30 years!

        Mert’s schools’ solar systems were installed in 2019.  Now in 2023, there’s even more support for nonprofits like schools.  The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will cover 1/3 of the total cost of adding solar.  The Focus on Energy and Solar on Schools grants are still available too.
         “Race you!” Minnie shouted.  “I bet we get solar on our school before you do!  Just think; we’ll save money, teach students about solar science and careers, and be good environmental stewards as well.  We really can’t pass up this opportunity because, after all, this is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

        Dewey Havaschott is a brooder, concerned about others and the world around him.  Lost in thought on a recent bicycle ride, Dewey found himself in a quaint, tiny village he’d never known existed.   He parked his bike to take a stroll through the village when, “Psst…Hey Bub.  Got a minute?”

        A decrepit, craggy figure beckoned him from a dank, gloomy alleyway.  “I know what you’re fretting about,” the old hag hissed.  “It’s no use you know.  Don’t be a chump wasting your time on hopeless causes,” Dee Spair cackled as she vanished back into the gloom.

        “What was that all about?” Dewey wondered.  He continued down the lane and  stopped in front of a small café.  The bell above the door tinkled and a sumptuous aroma greeted him as he walked in.  “Welcome!  We’ve been expecting you,” the matronly hostess smiled and gestured toward a cozy corner table where a young couple was already seated. 

        “But how…?” Dewey began. “Oh, we know who you are,” Stella Thyme smiled inviting him to sit.  “You’re not too different than millions of others overwhelmed by news of pollution, habitat loss, species extinctions and climate disruption.  I imagine that old hag, Dee Spair, tried to convince you it’s too late, that we’re all doomed.”  Dewey nodded in agreement as the matron served a most delightful-smelling bowlful of goodness.

        “There’s no deny it; we face a boatload of environmental challenges,” Nick Of-Thyme added. “We’re here to tell you it’s absolutely not too late to remedy them.  Our Mother Earth is a resilient old gal,” he said with a wink at the matron.  But we need to act NOW.  Our situation reminds me of the old joke about the guy who goes to the doctor with an ear ache.  He tells the doc that it only hurts when he sticks a pencil in his ear.  ‘Stop doing that!’ she practically screams.  Likewise, WE need to ‘Stop doing that!’  It’s time to STOP burning fossil fuels, spreading PFAS (forever chemicals), and the shortsighted use of natural resources.  Each of us, along with the government and businesses, needs to do our part.  Then Mother Earth can and will revive,” Nick concluded.

        As the door swung closed behind him, Dewey noticed the sign and smiled – Mom Earth’s Café.  “No wonder I felt so welcome,” he smiled, “this is where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”