“Whatever you can do or imagine, begin it; boldness has beauty, magic, and power in it.” – Goethe We were giddy with excitement and full of dreams when we launched The Charcoal Project in late 2009. But the truth is we had no idea what awaited us. Now, almost a year and half later — slightly out of breath from the steep learning curve — we’re happy to report The Charcoal Project is standing on solid ground and is ready to expand the scope of its work. That is why our next few posts will be dedicated to our projects Continue reading
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A perspective on Carbon Markets for Wood Energy Projects
Last month at the PCIA conference in Peru we had a chance to learn about the very interesting work GIZ (the German Development Agency) is doing on sustainable and renewable solid biomass initiatives in developing countries. The representatives we met (Marlis, Lisa, and Verena) were kind enough to share valuable information, like this paper on Carbon Markets for Wood Energy Projects. This one pager is of value for all those who are considering incorporating carbon-finance components into their wood-for-energy projects. Here are some of the highlights we picked out: * In most least developed countries wood is currently used on Continue reading
NPR: Engineers Hone Clean-Energy Stoves For The World
Clean cookstoves as covered by National Public Radio in the United States. NPR/February 9th, 2011 By Martin Kaste Almost half the world still cooks its food with solid fuels, such as wood and charcoal. The results are deforestation and black carbon, which contributes to global warming. And smoke-related disease kills an estimated 1.6 million people a year. In war zones, the daily hunt for firewood can present families with terrible dilemmas, says Veronique Barbelet of the World Food Programme. “You hear women in northern Uganda and places like that telling you, ‘My choice is between going out there and collecting Continue reading
NEWS: Wood, charcoal, viable energy sources – report
Combined sources based on the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) report: Bundles of energy: The case for renewable biomass energy New technologies can convert trees to liquid and gaseous fuel 30 per cent of global energy to come from this source by 2050 Developing nations have an untapped resource that would enable them to fight poverty, create jobs, gain energy independence and adapt to climate changes. A report published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) urges developing nations to take advantage of their dependence on biomass fuels — such as wood and charcoal — and Continue reading
East Africa, droughts, and the impact on biomass availability
Via Climate Change News, a online publication of EESI (Environmental & Energy Study Institute) New Research Predicts Less Precipitation for East Africa as Global Temperatures Rise On March 4, a study published in Climate Dynamics predicted that droughts common in eastern Africa are likely to continue if global temperatures rise further. Researchers studied temperature, windspeed, and precipitation data over a 20-30 year period to determine what drove climate variations in the tropical Indian and Pacific Ocean regions. They found that the Indian Ocean has warmed exceptionally fast, increasing rainfall over the ocean and the westward movement of air over Eastern Continue reading