Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Earth Day; 22 April 2026. I was 29-years-old in 1970 and the first pioneer Earth Day celebration in San Francisco. I was teaching Biology at the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland in Lesotho, Africa. I remember some mention of the Day, but not much else. I was half way around the globe and the idea took time to spread. One of my projects with the biology students Was to cooperate with other departments in building Solar cookers of many sizes and types for student use. We even took models into the Capitol in Maseru, And demonstrated them on the city streets. Everyone there knew what we were attempting to show, Which was a solution to the desperate need to find an alternative, Renewable energy source, in this case, for cooking. The traditional fuels used were cutting down The few remaining trees, And dried cow and horse dung, collected in the fields. The dung should have been used as agricultural fertilizer. Despite the logic presented, many onlookers Were skeptical and wary of this use of the sun. I am sure that things may have changed by now, But presenting this 'magical' idea to them was a challenge then. Today, I was somewhat startled to see on the web, Several models of small solar cookers For use on boats or camping; A small curved solar reflector with a long tube Fixed along its heat focal point. With variations, it was exactly like the ones I had built In Africa fifty years ago--all designed out of my head! The world has come a long way since then, But as we found with the reluctance in Africa, My modern Western world does not dare to take the total plunge, And rely on renewables unhesitatingly in this Climate Crisis, Even though the evidence is melting before our very eyes. In spite of everything, I wish you all a challenging Earth Day. (By the way, it is International Turtle and Tortoise Week-- Which includes about 360 living species.) Frank Maurer 22 April 2026 1630 Hours.