BP, the US Congress, and the White House don’t know this yet, but we think the Macondo gusher in the Gulf of Mexico is going to help put better cookstoves, fuels, and policies in the pots of the world’s 3 billion energy-poor households.
June 2010
Charcoal Production Wreaks Environmental Havoc in Somalia
By Amanda Wheat Although Somalis are no strangers to devastating droughts, uncertainty about weather patterns are rising with the temperature. As the climate changes and crops dwindle, many Somalis are forced to find alternate means of income. The result is an increase in charcoal production, which further compounds the degradation of Somalia’s forests and livelihoods. Read more. Continue reading
A Great Stove with A Killer App
If only we could figure out a way to combine the allure of sexy technology with the utilitarian nature of energy-efficient cookstoves. (And did I also mention reducing emissions and fuel consumption?)
Well, guess what, folks, this may have finally happened!
To achieve cookstove scale we need standards
What’s more important: reducing fuel consumption or reducing emissions of black carbon and other toxic gases?
The answer is, of course, both, but designing a stove that meets the highest current ratings in emissions reduction and energy consumption at a reasonable cost has so far proven elusive.
Coming up with the right standards will be critical to getting cookstove projects to scale, especially since carbon-credit financing will be vital for some projects to make financial sense, says Dean Still of the Aprovecho Research Center.
North-South divide grows over use of biomass to generate electricity
As Climate Change negotiations get underway in Bonn, a coalition of green groups has released a report sharply criticizing the United States for its projected use of biomass for electricity generation.