Saving & Empowering Lives through Clean Cooking Innovation | Source: Radha Muthiah, USAID Impact blog, May 11th 2013 |
A major study published in December cited high blood pressure, alcohol, and tobacco as the top three health risks in the world. Could you guess the fourth? You probably did it last night.
Example of a pine needle powered cook stove. Photo credit: USAID
The seemingly simple act of cooking a meal is responsible for 4 million deaths each year.
That’s because nearly 3 billion people burn solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, coal, and other fuels to cook every day. When burned in open fires and basic stoves, solid fuels emit a harmful smoke that causes a range of cancers, heart and lung diseases, developmental and neurological impacts, cataracts, and more.
Inefficient and dangerous cooking practices are also a major cause of burns, and the acts of collecting and burning fuelwood lead to deforestation and the release of climate-changing gases, respectively.
Women and children have the primary responsibility for cooking and fuel collection in developing countries, and are therefore most at risk from the side effects: smoke inhalation, crippling burns, time lost for schooling or work, human or animal attacks during fuel collection, and myriad others.
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Intrauterine exposure to fine particulate matter as a risk factor for increased susceptibility to acute broncho-pulmonary infections in early childhood. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2013.
Over the last decades many epidemiologic studies considered the morbidity patterns for respiratory diseases and lung function of children in the context of ambient air pollution usually measured in the postnatal period. The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the recurrent broncho-pulmonary infections in early childhood.
In conclusion,the study suggests that prenatal exposure to PM2.5 increases susceptibility to respiratory infections and may program respiratory morbidity in early childhood. The study also provides evidence
that the target value of 20g/m3 for the 24-h mean level of PM2.5 protects unborn babies better than
earlier established EPA guidelines.
Environ Res. 2013 May 7. pii: S0013-9351(13)00067-4. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2013.03.007.
The state of scientific evidence on air pollution and human health in Nepal.
Gurung A, Bell ML. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
Abstract
Air pollution has been linked to acute and chronic health effects. However, the majority of evidence is based in North America and Europe, with a growing number of studies in Asia and Latin America. Nepal is one of the many South Asian countries where little such research has been conducted. We summarized the state of scientific evidence and identify research gaps based on the existing literature on air pollution and human health in Nepal. We performed a systematic literature search to identify relevant studies. Studies were categorized as those that estimate: (1) health impacts of indoor air pollution, (2) health impacts of outdoor air pollution, (3) health burdens from outdoor air pollution in Nepal based on existing concentration-response relationships from elsewhere, or (4) exposure and air quality but do not link to health.
We identified 89 studies, of which 23 linked air pollution to health impacts. The remainder focused on exposure and air quality, demonstrating high pollution levels. The few health studies focused mainly on indoor air (n=15), especially in rural areas and during cooking. Direct exposure measurements were for short time periods; most studies used indirect exposure methods (e.g., questionnaire). Most health studies had small sample sizes with almost all focusing on respiratory health. Although few studies have examined air pollution and health in Nepal, the existing studies indicate high pollution levels and suggest large health impacts. Nepal’s dearth of scientific research on air pollution and health is not unique and likely is similar to that of many other developing regions. Future research with larger studies and more health outcomes is needed. Key challenges include data availability.
Implications of Charcoal Briquette Produced by Local Communities on Livelihoods and Environment in Nairobi Kenya
Mary Njenga, et al.
Abstract
The residents of Nairobi, Kenya, use 700 tonnes of charcoal per day, producing about 88 tonnes of charcoal dust that is found in most of the charcoal retailing stalls that is disposed of in water drainage systems or in black garbage heaps. The high costs of cooking fuel results in poor households using unhealthy materials such as plastic waste. Further, poor households are opting to cook foods that take a short time to prepare irrespective of their nutritional value.
This article presents experiences with community self-help groups producing charcoal fuel briquettes from charcoal dust in poorer nieghbourhoods of Nairobi for home use and sale. Households that produced charcoal fuel briquettes for own use and those that bought them saved 70% and 30% of money spent on cooking energy respectively. The charcoal fuel briquettes have been found to be environmentally beneficial since they produce less smoke and increase total cooking energy by more than 15%, thereby saving an equivalent volume of trees that would be cut down for charcoal.
Charcoal briquette production is a viable opportunity for good quality and affordable cooking fuel. Bioenergy and waste management initiatives should promote recovery of organic by-products for charcoal briquette production.
Behaviour change for better health: nutrition, hygiene and sustainability. BMC Public Health 2013, 13(Suppl 1):S1
Rachel S Newson, et al.
As the global population grows there is a clear challenge to address the needs of consumers, without depleting natural resources and whilst helping to improve nutrition and hygiene to reduce the growth of noncommunicable diseases. For fast-moving consumer goods companies, like Unilever, this challenge provides a clear opportunity to reshape its business to a model that decouples growth from a negative impact on natural resources and health. However, this change in the business model also requires a change in consumer behaviour. In acknowledgement of this challenge Unilever organised a symposium entitled ‘Behaviour Change for Better Health: Nutrition, Hygiene and Sustainability’.
The intention was to discuss how consumers can be motivated to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestlye in today’s environment. This article summarises the main conclusions of the presentations given at the symposium. Three main topics were discussed. In the first session, key experts discussed how demographic changes – particularly in developing and emerging countries – imply the need for consumer behaviour change. The second session focused on the use of behaviour change theory to design, implement and evaluate interventions, and the potential role of (new or reformulated) products as agents of change.
In the final session, key issues were discussed regarding the use of collaborations to increase the impact and reach, and to decrease the costs, of interventions. The symposium highlighted a number of key scientific challenges for Unilever and other parties that have set nutrition, hygiene and sustainability as key priorities. The key challenges include: adapting behaviour change approaches to cultures in developing and emerging economies; designing evidence-based behaviour change interventions, in which products can play a key role as agents of change; and scaling up behaviour change activities in cost-effective ways, which requires a new mindset involving public–private partnerships.
Social marketing in India: Lessons learned from efforts to foster demand for cleaner cookstoves, 2013.
Shell Foundation
Since 2002, SF has been working to develop a market for more efficient, ‘improved cookstoves’ (ICS) that significantly reduce fuel use, emissions and cooking time for people who rely on biomass fuels. In 2007, we formed a long-term partnership with Envirofit International, a social enterprise based in the US, and together we
began to develop a business-based model to design, produce and sell a range of clean cookstoves that are affordable, durable and desirable.
Nigeria: Alliance to Deliver 10 Million Clean Cook Stoves to Nigerians By 2020 | Source: Daily Trust, May 2, 2013 |
The Nigerian Alliance for Clean CookStoves has promised to deliver 10 million stoves to Nigerian homes by 2020 as part of efforts to halt the rising mortality associated with the use of fire wood.
Mr Ewah Eleri, Coordinator, Nigerian Alliance for Clean CookStoves said that the need for the clean stove had become urgent as Nigeria account for 100,000 deaths annually out of the 2million death recorded globally.
“In Nigeria, available statistics shows that over 20 million people use fire wood and this account for 11 per cent of families food expenditure and result in the loss of 3 per cent of the nation’s forest reserve,” he said at a stakeholders meeting on the validation of the clean stove project.
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Jnl APHA, Feb 2013
Indoor Air Pollution in Developing Countries: Research and Implementation Needs for Improvements in Global Public Health
Elliott T. Gall, MSE, Ellison M. Carter, MSE, C. Matt Earnest, MSE, and Brent Stephens, PhD
Exposure to indoor air pollution (IAP) from the burning of solid fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting accounts for a significant portion of the global burden of death and disease, and disproportionately affects women and children in developing regions. Clean cookstove campaigns recently received more attention and investment, but their successes might hinge on greater integration of the public health community with a variety of other disciplines.
To help guide public health research in alleviating this important global environmental health burden, we synthesized previous research on IAP in developing countries, summarized successes and challenges of previous cookstove implementation programs, and provided key research and implementation needs from structured discussions at a recent symposium.
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Volume 2, June 2013, Pages 12–18
Fuelling sawdust stoves with jatropha fruit coats
Lars Kåre Grimsby, et al.
Jatropha fruit coats constitute a substantial byproduct in the jatropha harvest. Due to its texture the fruit coat is unsuitable as fuel in firewood stoves but could be applicable in sawdust stoves. Jatropha fruit coats were tested as fuel in a sawdust stove with a controlled water boiling test and among households that were involved in jatropha harvesting. Five kilograms jatropha seeds leave 4 kg fruit coats; enough to fill three sawdust stoves. The stove’s high firepower (3.1 kW) lasted less than an hour making it unsuitable for hard-boiled food. The stove did cook softer foods and was usable in combination with the three stone fire.
Emissions were 20 mg m−3 CO and 145 μm m−3 PM10 24-h mean. CO-levels were below WHO recommendations, PM10 levels above. Jatropha fruits are harvestable in large quantities only during seasons. This, together with a difficult market for jatropha seeds may limit availability of fruit coats. Although jatropha fruit coats in sawdust stove did not replace the three stone fire completely, the sawdust stove could complement other stoves in a multiple fuel use regime in areas where jatropha fruit coats are available in abundance and for free.
Dear Forum Participants,
With the Clean Cooking Forum 2013 behind us, we look forward to receiving your feedback. If you haven’t already, we ask that you take a few minutes to fill out an online survey so that we can continue to improve upon both content and logistics of future events. 
We are pleased to announce that all post-Forum materials are now available online to view and download on the Proceedings page at www.cleancooking2013.org, including:
- A Forum Progress Report (hard copy available upon request)
- Presentations and notes from plenary, breakout, and intensive learning sessions
- Posters displayed during the poster session
- Photos taken throughout the week
- An updated participant roster
Be sure to take a look at the Forum YouTube playlist later this week, where you will be able to watch complete coverage of select sessions we captured on video.
Don’t forget that you can stay connected and continue the conversations started at the Forum on the Alliance’s online community!
Best Regards,
Clean Cooking Forum 2013 Planning Team
