Folks, We received from Amy Smith (MIT/D-Lab) in today’s post a link to a ten minute YouTube video that is essentially a how-to-make-your-own-briquettes video. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqI63IEg3MM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1] What is astonishing is how simple the process can be. From converting the vegetable material into charcoal in a regular 55-gallon oil drum, to mixing it with a binding agent (cassava paste, in this case), and then using the most elegantly simple tools to churn out perfect little briquettes. It’s like witnessing the invention of the wheel! The entire process is very straightforward, although a few steps could use some clarification. For example, we were Continue reading
Charcoal
Can briquettes save Africa's mountain gorillas?
Virunga National Park in the DR Congo is home to the largest population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas. In a recent visit to New York, the park’s Chief Warden, Emmanuel De Merode, told us that the greatest threat to the survival of the gorillas was the persistent destruction of habitat at the hands of the charcoal producers that ring the park. Every year thousands of acres of forest are cut to produce the wood charcoal the local population depends on for cooking and heating. In his most recent dispatch on the subject, Emmanuel writes: Replacing Charcoal with Briquettes – Continue reading
Got charcoal briquettes? Got fuel efficient stoves?
We need content to populate the site! We’re looking for all sorts of material to post: links, case studies, comments, photos, videos, powerpoints or other similar stuff. We can work with just about any format. English is preferred but we will accept submissions in any language. The goal is to make this a resource that everyone can use. And we can’t do it without you! And, thanks! J. Kim Chaix Continue reading
Hello charcoal world!
Charcoal. You may not think much about it. But if you care about public health, poverty alleviation, and the environment, then it’s a big deal. Why? Because more than two billion people use wood, charcoal, dung or agricultural resides as primary fuel for their cooking and heating needs, leading to significant health, economic and environmental consequences. Consider these stats presented by MIT’s Amy Smith: Almost 2 million deaths each year are caused by breathing smoke from indoor cooking fires [1] Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death of young children worldwide.[2] An estimated 50 billion hours are spent collecting Continue reading