If you think charcoal is only used by the poor in developing countries, or that its use for cooking will decrease over time, or that charcoal production causes deforestation, or the charcoal sector is economically irrelevant, or that improved cookstoves mitigate deforestation and GHG emissions… think again.
Charcoal
NEWS: Ghana: As LPG Price Soars, So Does Charcoal Consumption
The surged in the LPG price has compelled many Ghanaians to revert to the use of charcoal and firewood for energy source. Also, subsidies on the price of LPG and other petroleum products in the country were withdrawn last year.
NEWS: Illegal charcoal trade from Somalia on UN’s crosshair
FINANCIAL TIMES: “The UN estimates that (Somalia’s) al-Shabaab pocketed more than $25m from charcoal in 2011, fueling its operations and undermining efforts to promote stability in a fragile country suffering from terrorism, piracy and more than 20 years of clan warfare.”
What Barack Obama, The Oscars, And Charcoal Have In Common
“Rather than ignoring reality, a far more pragmatic approach is needed to reduce the impact of charcoal on our forests and our climate. This means taking a holistic look at both the supply and demand side of the equation,” explains Anne Wheldon of Ashden.
NEWS: Bamboo charcoal technology introduced in Ghana
The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), is promoting bamboo charcoal technologies in Ghana, which have the potential to jump-start the country’s bio-energy sector and generate and sustain the charcoal business.