For Peter Morehead, cooking a meal does not require the use of natural gas. Sunlight is good enough.
Morehead, who first came to Taiwan in 1990 from Wisconsin as an exchange student, has been teaching Taiwanese how to cook with what he calls a “solar cooker.”
The solar cooker can be as simple as a small paper box covered in aluminum foil. One can put a black pot in the middle of the box and the sunlight’s reflection off the aluminum foil will create enough heat to cook the food in the pot.
“People should make good use of energy,” he told the Central News Agency during a recent interview. “Never waste energy.”
On cloudy days, Morehead uses what he calls his “rocket broiler” instead. Made of iron cans, the broiler relies on the burning of small branches and twigs that can generate high heat in a short time, and the contraption does not release smoke if handled properly.
In addition to providing tips on how to use energy efficiently, Morehead has also been promoting the concept of urban farming.
On Earth Day in 2008, he taught people how to grow corn or pumpkins in the square outside the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei.
Growing edible plants can both beautify the environment and reduce pollution caused by the transportation of food, the environmentalist said.
Morehead, a space-planning expert, believes that vegetable gardens can be set up between city buildings or on rooftops in Taiwan’s densely populated urban areas.
“There must be space that can be used,” he said in Mandarin.
Morehead began raising public awareness on conserving energy in 2000. Five years ago, he and his wife established a studio to educate the public about leading an environmentally friendly life.
They named the studio “Earth Passengers” to convey the idea that Earth is like a spacecraft circling the sun, with humans along for the ride.
“Humans are not the controllers of the Earth. Instead, they should live in harmony with other living creatures,” Morehead said.
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