With improved cook stoves (ICS) increasingly distributed to households for a range of air pollution interventions and carbon-credit programs, it has become necessary to accurately monitor the duration of cooking and the amount of fuel consumed.
Nearly half of the world’s population cooks domestically with traditional biomass-fuelled stoves. The ability to measure cooking dynamics accurately over a wide range of cooking styles is useful for a range of interventions and social programs.
Sustainable developers believe that systemic change – a real transformation of the global economic system – is required if we are to achieve the scale of change that will limit global warming and prevent catastrophic climate change.
Currently climate change is a hot topic, especially with the rising energy demands that are competing for a limited supply of fuels. Energy security and a clean energy revolution have never been more important. Focus on the importance of clean cook stoves is growing a result.
Early this month we had a site visit verifying two of our VCS projects; Mathira in Central Kenya and Kaptagat in the Rift Valley. We were impressed to have the field one on one conversations with stove beneficiaries who were very delighted with our improved cook stoves. It was interesting to learn directly from stove users that the CZK stoves have been of great importance to their lives.
Many narrated how their lives have changed over time in terms of health, economic savings on wood, time they have now to engage in other economic activities etc etc since they acquired the CZK ICS. The local authorities i.e. village elders and chiefs narrated how their villages have changed for the better with less trees being cut due to reduced wood usage. This captivated us so much that we wish we could do more to keep transforming rural lives and the world at large. The impacts of the projects remain clear among the community members with important lessons that can be taken.
Walking through the tough terrains in the rural villages is never an easy task, it calls for passion. But with our belief that the humble CZK improved cooking stove could be the next big idea to save millions of lives in poor countries keeps us going.
With the great lessons for the site visit at Carbon Zero we believe that as the discussion on the role of ICS in climate change continues to gain international attention, development programs and research institutions alike will keep striving to capitalize on the development, adaptation and mitigation opportunities it presents for a better world.