“Ahh… Labor Day, time to celebrate us workers!” Justice beamed as he and Wanda slid into a booth at the Aslan Brewpub.  “Huh…what’s this ‘Certified B-Corp’ logo with something about the ‘3 Ps’ below it?  Reminds me of when my big sister used to tell me to ‘Mind your Ps and Qs’ when her boyfriend came over,” Justice chuckled.

        “I don’t know what that’s about. But yeah, this is great time to take a fresh look at improvements for workers and for the world too,” Wanda Cleanworld opined.

        “No kidding! These past few years have highlighted tons of social inequity and environmental issues that need work,” Justice Phorral mused.  “Seems like there must be some kind of system that would improve all these issues, something that builds prosperity at the same time,” Justice concluded as Barkeep Benny arrived with their second round of drinks.

        Benny had been catching snippets of their conversation as he tended to other patrons. “Here you go,” Benny Fitz-Forral smiled.  “I couldn’t help overhearing part of your conversation.  Boy, have you come to the right place!  Did you noticed the B-Corp logo as you came in?” he smiled.
 
        “Yeah, what’s with the 3-P stuff that was listed underneath it?” Justice asked. 

        Benny grinned and gave them the scoop.  He explained that Aslan was proud to be a certified Benefit Corp company.  B-Corp companies have “triple bottom lines” meaning that company gains are measured with equal importance in Profits, People and Planet.  They’re unlike most corporations whose sole purpose is to generate profits for their shareholders.  Instead, B-Corps (www.bcorporation.net) strive for: long-term value over short-term profits, a healthy future over immediate gains, good for all over good for a select few, justice over inequity, environmental regeneration instead of endless resource extraction – Profit, People and Planet.

        “And this isn’t just some pie-in-the-sky ideal.  There are already over 6,000 B-Corps in 80 countries and in over 150 industries worldwide benefiting hundreds of thousands of workers.  As you see, even a brewpub can become a B-Corp,” Benny beamed.

        “Corporations minding their 3 Ps; my big sister would love it!” Justice exclaimed.  Wanda agreed.  “What a great idea!  Good for people, good for the planet and good for shareholders.  And it’s already making a difference right here on the only home we’ll ever know where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

            “Ahh…that’s the last one,” Wanda Helpoutt exclaimed as she set the cook pot in the drainer.  “I get a kick out of these community dinners; don’t you?  It just feels good to be doing something for someone else.  I gotta say; that Lodestar Foundation motto is spot on:  ‘Helping someone else less fortunate is a path to a happier, healthier and more meaningful life.’” 

            Ken nodded in agreement as they flipped off the lights, locked up the church hall, and stepped out to the sultry summer evening.  “Whew!  Hasn’t cooled down much yet,” Ken remarked.  “Those poor folks in the south!  Coping with 100+ temperatures day after day!  And, you know, the lowest-income folks are the ones who have the hardest time escaping the heat.  Wouldn’t it be cool if we could offer them a weekly community dinner in our air-conditioned church hall? I’d be on it in a minute,”  Ken I. Dewmorre added.

            Later that evening, Wanda gave Ken a call. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, and there IS something we can do; but it’s not fixing food.  One way to help others (and us all!) is to help tackle the root cause of this heat - climate disruption.  That would help lower the temperature and reduce these kinds of extreme weather events.  And everyone can pitch in; it’s not that hard.

         “For example, the Interfaith Power and Light website** has a handy link where you can see how large your home’s carbon footprint is compared to the folks in your community.  Just click on the Household Calculator button.    

         “I know… If you’re like me, you’re probably reluctant to even take a look because you think you’ll feel guilty about what the calculation shows.  But this isn’t about guilt; it’s about finding out what you’re doing well and how you could do even better.  It might just give you an idea about changing a routine or habit.”

         Later – “Hey Wanda…it’s Ken.  I did the household calculation and found some relatively easy ways we can make a difference at our house.  We’re thinking about it as symbolically ‘fixing dinners’ for folks who need a lift.  Seems like that lodestar is guiding us toward a more meaningful life,” he smiled. “Because after all, this Earth is the only home any of us will ever know; it’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”  

*Guiding light  
** interfaithpowerandlight.org/coolcongregations

             Bette was following the reports about the devastating heatwave gripping much of the nation and the forest fire smoke that was forcing folks to cancel summer activities.  Along with all that gloomy news, however, she kept running across stories filled with interesting fractions, percentages and numbers.  So many in fact, that she decided to call up her old pal, Adam Uppe, to see if he could make sense of it all.

            “So great to have you stop by!” Bette smiled as Adam, with abacus, slide rule, pocket calculator, and sharpened #2 pencil, strode in.  He immediately spied the jumble of newspaper articles and clippings spread across Bette’s kitchen table.  And after a brief look exclaimed, “This is simply fractionating...er, I mean fascinating!”

            “Take a look at this for example.  About 8% of Wisconsin’s farmland is used for growing corn for ethanol.  But if just 1% of that farmland were converted into solar farms, it would generate enough electricity to cover 50% of Wisconsin’s needs.  Some kind of silly mis-match going on there!” he declared.

            “And this other report by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission says that 2/3 of the state’s electrical needs could be generated by rooftop solar on homes that are suitable for solar.”  “Wait a minute,” Bette interrupted, “doesn’t 50% and 2/3 add up to more than 100%?” Whipping out his trusty abacus, Adam made a quick calculation. “It sure does!” he blurted out.
“But we wouldn’t need even that much electricity according to this other report from the U.S. Dept. of Energy.  It says that the typical U.S. home could lower its energy use by 25% by utilizing wise energy efficiencies.  Granted, much of that is heating costs, but the electrical savings would still lower our over-all generation needs,” Adam added.

            “I’ve heard some nay-sayers remark that we’d all have to suffer in order to transition to a clean energy economy.  Huh!… these numbers don’t seem to show much suffering has to happen.  Looks to me, we just need to take the resources we have and put them to work,” Bette Urway reasoned.
 
           Then she glanced once more at the headlines about the heat wave and wildfires. “And there’s no time to lose.  After all, this precious, beautiful blue speck in the vast universe is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”

             “Ah… the celebrity himself!”  Parry beamed as he held open the door to the Clean Air Bandits clubhouse.  Smokey Fumes glided in past a display of recent newspaper clippings. “Lingering Effects of Wildfire Smoke” – “Canadian Wildfires have Broken Records” – “Wildfire Smoke Increases” and so on.

            The Clean Air Bandits is a mish-mash of reprehensible characters whose only goal is to maximize profits.  If that results in a smoggy, smoky atmosphere, the Bandits figure they’ve sort of “made off” with some clean air.  It’s treated like some backwards badge of honor.  This month, the Foul Friend award was going to Smokey Fumes.

            “Thank you, thank you,” Smokey began after accepting the award.  “I’m humbled to be here in the presence of past award winners such as Parry Tickulates.  But I wouldn’t have been able to disrupt so many summer travel and vacation plans had it not been for the decades-long efforts of giants such as Carl Bon-Dioxide, and May Thane.  Carl…May… Come on up!”  Amidst a thunderous round of applause May and Carl joined Smokey.

            “I’ll admit,” Smokey continued, “I’ve made a big splash recently.  But you two, along with your greenhouse gas (GHG) buddies, silently go about your work day after day, slowly raising the air temperature and making my work easier.”  With that, Smokey held up a newspaper headline he’d clipped – ‘Earth Reaches Hottest Day Ever Recorded 4 Days in a Row!’  “Folks got all upset because for several days they could actually see and smell me.  But I’ve got to hand it to you two!  Being invisible and tasteless you just keep multiplying mostly unnoticed.  Just image if folks could see and smell the increasing damage you do to their precious atmosphere every day.  They’d be jumping all over themselves to shut you down!” Smokey concluded.

            “Thank you, Smokey.  You’re right,” May agreed. “But I think humans are smarter than you’re giving them credit for.  I’ve been watching ordinary folks take steps to reduce their GHG emissions.  You know…all the usual stuff – raise the AC a couple degrees, limit or combine vehicle trips and so on.  And for summer travel they’re buying Solar Renewable Energy Credits (sRECs) from reliable sources like Legacy Solar Coop - legacysolarcoop.org/purchase-srecs/  to help offset their GHG emissions.
            “It’s really not that surprising,” May concluded, “because this is humankind’s only home.  It’s where they’re all forever…Earthbound.”

             “Did you see the latest figures? I can hardly believe they’re still letting us do this!” Polly exclaimed excitedly. “No kidding – 99%!” Sty replied. “We’ve really got them hooked.”

            Polly Ethylene and Sty Roephome were enjoying a cup of petrol(??) at the Fill’er-Up Gashouse.  “Sty, you old devil, I’m amazed that humans still allow you to create 80,000 tons* of waste every year.  Don’t they get it that over 99% of it never gets recycled?  Humans love your cups, packaging materials, carryout containers and egg cartons.  But you’re so light and breakable that you blow all over the place littering the countryside and clogging waterways. 

           “Must be that humans are fooled by the ‘out of sight out of mind’ adage when they bury you in a landfill.  I guess they don’t get that styrofoam is chemically stable and non-biodegradable.  When some archeologist digs you up 500 years from now, you’ll still be there smiling up at her.  Honestly, if I were the humans, I’d pull the plug on you, pal,” she winked.  “There are so many better alternatives.”

          “You may be right, but I’m still in the game,” Sty grinned back. “You’re a bit of a devil yourself.  These humans are trying every which way to lower their use of greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting fossil fuels.  Yet 99% of you is composed of those very fuels, and humans are making more and more of you every year.  At this rate, one estimate says by 2050 the making and disposing of you could generate the GHG emissions of over 600 coal plants each year.  

           “And you’re also good at tricking humans.  I understand that a lot of them think it’s just fine to use plastic because they say, ‘I’ll just recycle it.’  But only about 9% of your mess actually gets recycled.  Seems like humans should pull the plug on you too!” Sty teased.

         Finishing their drinks, Polly and Sty reminisced about the benefits they’ve provided for humankind. “Yeah, we’ve been very convenient to use.  But I gotta admit, it’s time to retire,” Polly added. “If I were a human, I’d definitely keep recycling.  But when given a choice concerning which products or packaging to use, I’d say, ‘No thanks to Polly and Sty!  I’m choosing Earth-friendly alternatives instead.’ Because this is their only home; it’s where they’re all forever…Earthbound.”

            Seating himself at the coffee shop counter, Will ordered his usual.  Then turning around, he immediately regretted his choice of location.  Alas, the “Complaint Dept.,” a clutch of weekday regulars, was sitting directly behind him.  The grumbling had already begun…
             “Nobody wants one of those huge wind things near them.  They say ya can’t even hear some of their subsonic noises, but they are there!” Yannitah Flickerless complained. “How about all those solar panels covering up perfectly good cropland – shameful!” Corrin Field added. “And they string ‘em together with ugly power lines crisscrossing all over creation,” Manny Bigpoles lamented “Well, them coal and gas plants ain’t any better.  Been dirtying our air for decades.  They’re just not so obvious about it ‘round these parts.” groused Les Sootiaire.”  
            Having heard enough, Will Saveatonn turned and scolded, “Quit yer belly-aching! Every one of us can do something about those towers, panels, wires and soot.  But just complaining won’t help!” Grabbing his coffee mug, Will sidled up to their table. “Betcha didn’t know that most of us could reduce our utility costs by about 25% according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. That’s a cool $2,200 or so a year.  If we all used less energy, we’d need fewer turbines, solar farms, and power lines.  So listen up!” Will advised.
            “Wow! Twenty-two hundred bucks!? I’m all ears!” Manny exclaimed.
           Will went on to explain that Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy (FOE) (focusonenergy.com) program is a highly rated, easy-to-use resource for lowering energy costs.  In 2021, FOE helped Wisconsin homeowners, businesses and non-profits save about $900 million over the lifetime of their efficiency improvements!  Not only is FOE chockfull of information, it has millions of dollars in direct cash incentives to disperse and tax credit advice concerning efficiency projects.  Improvements can range from relatively simple LED lighting upgrades to major heating/cooling overhauls or insulation expansion.
             “Now I get it!” Manny exclaimed. “Improving energy efficiency reduces the need for massive infrastructure projects, decreases damaging emissions AND saves us money too!  I’m through with being part of the Complaint Department and waiting for somebody else to act.”  Then he turned to his friends at the table. “Each one of us needs to step up and do what we can.  And there’s no time to dilly-dally because this is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”

              “But Mom,” Kyle O. Watt complained, “who wants to see a bunch of boring old batteries? Do we have to?”
“Oh Sweetie,” Meg A. Watt coaxed, “just come with me.  I think you’ll be surprised!”  So through the Energy Storage Expo doors they zipped.
            “Hey look!  It’s the ‘A’ triplets – they're so tiny!” Meg gushed. “But here’s the section I think you’ll really like,” she remarked pointing to the Hall of Energy Innovations. “These days there’s so much more to energy storage than lead-acid or even lithium batteries.  You know, energy storage is a key component to a clean energy future.” 
             Meg went on to explain why. “Energy storage can provide backup power during disruptions.  That makes the grid more flexible helping to ensure uninterrupted power.  And, large-scale energy storage saves money by stockpiling inexpensive clean energy so it can be used later when and where it’s needed.  That reduces the need for operating pollution-emitting peak-power plants.  Finally, energy storage can smooth out variable and intermittent power sources like wind and solar for a more reliable and resilient electrical grid,” she concluded.
            Walking in, Kyle expected to see complex arrays and strings of containers that looked more-or-less like a bunch of batteries joined together.  To be sure, there were some of these using advanced lithium-ion technology or zinc-air batteries.  He learned that zinc’s abundant supply, inherent stability, and low toxicity make this a promising new technology.
           But beyond batteries, the next display showed how flywheels and resources such as molten salts, and phase-changing materials store heat energy for use as needed.  Hydrogen storage technology is advancing quickly also.  It could be used as a clean fuel for cars or for portable power supplies for buildings.  Another storage innovation isn’t a “thing” at all; it’s a system.  Distributed storage systems, like electric vehicles (EVs) and microgrids, allow individual facilities to produce energy on-site and save it for personal use as needed.
          “Wow!” Kyle marveled, “someday I might be stored in one of these cool new ways!  I’ll be all juiced up with economical, clean energy for some deserving family.”  
          Meg smiled and added, “These humans have the huge challenge of transitioning to a clean energy economy as quickly as possible.  I know they’ll make it happen because this is the only home they’ll ever know.  It’s where they’re all forever…Earthbound.”

             Anne was savoring the sun’s slow rise over the pastoral countryside when Corrin Stalk shattered her quiet morning reverie. “How can you even call yourself a crop?” she scolded.  “Oh dear,” Anne Acre thought to herself, “don’t tell me they’re at it already.”
            “If you’re a crop,” Corrin sneered, “how come we can’t see what you produce? Anyway, I hear a lot of the neighbors are upset about the way you’ve changed the countryside.”
            “Well duh…” Sol R. Panell shot back.  “Of course you can’t see the electrons I make.  But they’re just as real as those silky ears you so haughtily wave around.  Just ask anyone who flips a switch and expects the lights to come on.”
            “Humph…so you produce some energy,” Corrin retorted.  “I can produce both food and ethanol energy.  You don’t belong here atop of my poor, dear old friend, Anne.  Don’t you agree, Anne?  What to do think?”  Corrin was sure Anne would feel the same way.  After all, Corrin’s ancestors had populated these fields for generations.  Cropland was supposed to be for crops you harvest with a baler or combine.
            “I think,” Anne began quietly, “that humans are finally realizing that my soil is a limited and precious resource.  They need to use me as wisely as possible.  Actually, I’ve been doing a bit of homework.  Get this!  Over a million acres (almost 8%) of Wisconsin farmland is used for growing corn for ethanol.  But acre for acre, solar can produce about 100 time the amount of energy that growing corn for ethanol can.  In fact, to reach Wisconsin’s goal of zero carbon emissions by using solar, it would require only about 1.5% of Wisconsin’s farmland, just a fraction of that ethanol-corn ground.  It seems like using a relatively small amount of farmland for solar is actually a fairly prudent trade-off,” she concluded.
            “Oh dear,” Corrin reflected.  “I did hear Farmer Brown grumbling about the high cost of fertilizer and fuel.  And then there’s often soil erosion and runoff polluting our waterways when growing me and my family.”
            Perched near-by, Rob Inn heard the heated debate. “Complicated issues – indeed!” he chirped.  “It’s not easy to change old habits and practices.  But those clever humans will work it out, and they must.  Because after all, this is our only home where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”

            Three high schools walk into a bar.  “About time you boys got here,”Minnie Rawl-Pointe called, her fingers impatiently shuffling cards at the back table.  “Better late than never,” Barney Veld shot back.  Having lost last week’s game, I.G. Panther went directly to the bar to order the first round while Don Jerr pulled up a chair alongside Minnie.
            The weekly poker game was a great opportunity to unwind and compare notes about the school year.  And like all good school rivalries, there was no shortage of boasting to go with it.
            “You should see what a couple of my students created all on their own initiative,” I. G.  began while passing around the drinks.  His students had submitted an entry in the “Penny-Smart & Earth-Wise Story” contest sponsored by Iowa County Clean, Local Energy Alliance – Now! (CLEA-N) and the Dodgeville Chronicle.  Minnie nodded. “Yea, one of my students showed how we could easily set up a composting system.  Another crunched some numbers to demonstrate how a solar installation on the school could pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.  Then it would save 100s of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the installation.  I wonder what it would feel like to be covered in solar panels?” she grinned.
            Barney and Don winked at each other across the table.  Both of them had science teachers who used this contest as an assignment, so they each had dozens of students competing.  Their projects represented an amazing array of energy cost-savings ideas.  For example, some showed the benefits of adding insulation or of using LED light bulbs.  Other students advocated for pilot projects like energy-producing floor tiles in high traffic areas, and rain barrels or green roofs on campus outbuildings.  
            Not wanting to be too boastful, Don quietly added, “Yup, Barney and I had students submit entries to the contest too.  I understand the winners will get their pictures in the Chronicle.”
            “You know,” Minnie considered, “we all use energy 24 / 7 - 365 days a year.  If we play our cards right, a little nudging from our students (and the community) will convince our school boards to consider these projects and take action to cut energy use.  It’s the Penny-Smart & Earth-Wise thing to do because this is our only home.  It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”

            Hugh Mankind paused for a moment at the mailbox - M. Nature.  He couldn’t help but smile.  The cottage ahead had weathered noticeably since his last visit.  “Not surprised,” he muttered to himself.  Soon, a delightful aroma wafted through the doorway beckoning him in.

          “It’s lovely to see you again,” he said a bit sheepishly. “I know I’ve given you a rough time.  Our ‘forever’ chemicals (PFAS) and micro-plastics are creeping into every corner of the planet.  That, and our dawdling to reduce the use of petroleum products are giving you a fever.  And somehow, we just can’t seem to stop ourselves from gobbling up every resource.  It’s like we’re in a crazy frenzy to produce and buy ‘stuff’ that’s supposed to make us happy.  When it doesn’t, we toss it into one of the great garbage patches oozing across the planet,” Hugh lamented,

         Ms. Nature had continued stirring a stew, adding bits of this and that as she took in everything Hugh had to say. “Hmm….,” she thought while eyeing the pantry shelves. “We’ll need a few special ingredients.”  Reaching up, she retrieved Courage-to-Change, Long-Range-Thinking and Hope then sprinkled in generous amounts of each before serving Hugh a steaming bowlful.

        “That’s all true enough,” Ms. Nature agreed. “Perhaps it’s because you’ve forgotten something.  It’s something your ancestors knew instinctively.  Today, humans act as if you’re with me only when in my cottage or some lovely outdoor setting.  But I am everywhere, and you are part of me as much as any plant or animal is.  You’re born; you grow, consume, procreate and make waste like any other living thing.  So any harm to me is harm to you too.  Try to remember this as you contemplate each next step.  Will we be harmed, or will we both thrive and prosper as a result?” 

           After a bracing bowlful of stew, Hugh went on his way.  Later, as he hung up his jacket an envelope dropped from its pocket.  It was labeled “Your Future”.  Inside was a blank sheet of stationary. “Oh, I get it! “ Hugh smiled.  “The future is not yet written.  We still CAN create a future that is in harmony with everything else on Earth.  Besides, what choice do we have?  This is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”