New Biomass Cookstoves Significantly Reduce Fuel Requirements, Indoor Air Pollution
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.14.08
photo by Matthew Logelin
The problems: 1) Indoor air pollution in the developing world caused by cooking fires and sooty illumination results in an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year, 2) Deforestation resulting from over use of wood as an energy source causes serious ecosystem degradation in many parts of the developing world.
A solution, as Envirofit sees it: New cookstoves, which while still burning biomass (wood, crop waste, dried animal dung) reduce indoor air pollution by 80%, reduce fuel usage by 50% and decrease cooking times by 40%.
Updating Tradtional Rural Cookstoves
Envirofit is selling four new cookstove models which have been designed to meet the “unique cooking habits” of women in semi-urban and rural India. The stoves are all portable, require no ventilation piping, and are usable with traditional pots, pans and cooking methods. They are currently available in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. (Two states in southern India for those who slept through geography class.) By the end of this year, Envirofit hopes to have the stoves available in 600 stores by the end of this year. The stoves ranging in price from Rs500-2000 (US$11-47).
Touting the appeal and affordability of their stoves, Envirofit says:
Although cooking habits in semi-urban and rural India are steeped in tradition and perpetuated by myths, the response to our stoves has been very strong as each has been developed based on extensive market research and local customer insights. We are in discussion with financing institutions for low financing options to provide additional options for families to buy the stoves.
Although there more quickly renewable sources of biomass for cooking than wood, a 50% reduction in fuel usage compared with other tradtional stoves is something to take seriously. As I've said before, sometimes the best solution to a problem is improving efficiency of older technology (or even returning to it) rather than developing a new high tech solution.
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Smoke-less Chulhas (stoves) made of bricks and mud have long been promoted by the Indian government. They cost $2-$4 and provide local employment.
isn't this just an overpriced jet stove . . . .
Most of us interested in this will recognize these as prettier versions of the rockets stoves that are so easy to build. People who are inclined to do so are still able and there are programs out there putting the design info out to the people who need it. Still there are some who can't/won't build one and these modestly priced versions might fill that need. I would seem to think that $11 isn't too much (maybe $47 is but who knows which model is pictured).
wyldbll,
overpriced -- maybe
Jet stove? Did you mean rocket stove?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove
One definite point in their favor is that they are looking into a purchase-donate program for individuals/groups.
example -- I convince a treehugging business that they can purchase 40 of the base model stoves for donation to a village that one of their owners visited while trekking through India.
Approximate cost to business --
$11.00 X 400 == $4400.00
They receive not only the nice feeling of helping others but as Envirofit is a registered charity they also get a tax break.
This is some sort of huppie designed joke. It's a rocket stove. Which can be built for practicly nothing out of scrap. We must remember that those who actually need this sort of technology can't afford to spend much on it. This is like a designer slap in the face to a real problem out there in the real world (not the suburban rec room).
ahem , " rocket " stove . . . .
why not teach local craftsmen to make these stoves with available materials . . . .
$11 , what's the rate of exchange , I think $11 is a lot of money for the people these are being offered to . . . .
" Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day . Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime . "
Chinese Proverb