The Charcoal Project » Africa http://www.charcoalproject.org Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:17:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 PAPER: Congo’s woodfuel use needs urgent policy attention http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/paper-congos-woodfuel-use-needs-urgent-policy-attention/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/paper-congos-woodfuel-use-needs-urgent-policy-attention/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:02:36 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4282 A recent paper calls for immediate policy intervention around the Congo's woodfuel demand.

Published in Cifor's brief, it says, "The Congolese government needs to immediately improve management of the sector, in collaboration with stakeholders. The national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme creates momentum for this."

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/paper-congos-woodfuel-use-needs-urgent-policy-attention/feed/ 0 NEWS: U$6M lost to illegal charcoal, wood export from Nigeria. http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/news-u6m-lost-to-illegal-charcoal-wood-export-from-nigeria/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/news-u6m-lost-to-illegal-charcoal-wood-export-from-nigeria/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:48:35 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4147 Nigeria has lost over N1 billion (USD 6,156,880) (Euro 4,629,360) to illegal export of charcoal and logs from states in the South West and North Central to the Middle East and Europe in the last four years.

An investigation by Daily Trust revealed that charcoal and wood export were the major factors responsible for the massive deforestation in the country.

The illegal export is booming despite the existence of federal laws that prohibits the export of logs from Nigeria.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/12/news-u6m-lost-to-illegal-charcoal-wood-export-from-nigeria/feed/ 0 Postcard from Rubaare: A man, a problem, a solution. http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/10/postcard-from-rubaare-a-man-a-problem-a-solution/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/10/postcard-from-rubaare-a-man-a-problem-a-solution/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:57:02 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4078 In researching the fuel briquette solutions, we discovered there were multiple options available and no decision tree on how to choose between them.  The Charcoal Project team spent the first six months researching and talking to developers, implementers, manufacturers and others with experience in the field.

Our research eventually led us to Isaac Owor, founder of EnviroCoal, a fuel-briquette manufacturer based in the capital, Kampala.

 

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/10/postcard-from-rubaare-a-man-a-problem-a-solution/feed/ 2 The black sheep in Africa’s renewable energy family http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/africas-black-sheep-in-the-renewable-energy-family/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/africas-black-sheep-in-the-renewable-energy-family/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:00:47 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4051 Absent in the majority of the speeches we heard at last week's summit of African Energy Ministers in Johannesburg were references to biomass, either as a renewable fuel with the potential to deliver significant energy for economic growth, or for its contribution to sub-Saharan Africa’s energy balance.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/africas-black-sheep-in-the-renewable-energy-family/feed/ 6 NEWS: Uganda flirting with charcoal energy crisis http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/news-uganda-flirting-with-charcoal-energy-crisis/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/news-uganda-flirting-with-charcoal-energy-crisis/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:08:46 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4041 We're in Johannesburg this week to present a vision of hope to Africa's Energy Minister, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa with populations that depend heavily on unsustainable charcoal production and consumption.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/news-uganda-flirting-with-charcoal-energy-crisis/feed/ 1 The Charcoal Project to unveil sustainable charcoal plan to Africa’s Energy Ministers http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/the-charcoal-project-to-unveil-sustainable-charcoal-plan-to-africas-energy-ministers/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/the-charcoal-project-to-unveil-sustainable-charcoal-plan-to-africas-energy-ministers/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:37:29 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=4037 The Charcoal Project will present a roadmap for sustainable charcoal production and consumption in Africa at a summit of the continent's Energy Ministers next week in Johannesburg.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/09/the-charcoal-project-to-unveil-sustainable-charcoal-plan-to-africas-energy-ministers/feed/ 0 Study: Charcoal and patterns of forest degradation in Tanzania http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/study-charcoal-and-patterns-of-forest-degradation-in-tanzania/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/study-charcoal-and-patterns-of-forest-degradation-in-tanzania/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:23:49 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=3975 A study presented at the June symposium on charcoal organized in Arusha, Tanzania, finds that,

1. At current rates, no high value timber will be left in Tanzania's coastal forest in 37 years.

2. The Tanzanian government lost $53 million USD in 2005. This is due to the fact that 96% of the timber harvest was undeclared.

3. China imports 10 times more timber from Tanzania that total declared imports.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/study-charcoal-and-patterns-of-forest-degradation-in-tanzania/feed/ 0 VIDEO: The charcoal problem in Tanzania compellingly explained http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/video-the-charcoal-problem-in-tanzania-compellingly-explained/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/video-the-charcoal-problem-in-tanzania-compellingly-explained/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:20:53 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=3970 Dar es Salaam consumes the equivalent of 16 olympic pools in charcoal every day. This figure is increasing daily as rural populations migrate to urban centers. At $350 million per year, charcoal is big business, too.

This great video produced by the World Bank last year (2010) lays out the issue in a way that is well-documented and visually compelling.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/video-the-charcoal-problem-in-tanzania-compellingly-explained/feed/ 2 Sustainable charcoal production in Africa can protect ecosystems, provide jobs. http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/sustainable-charcoal-production-in-africa-can-protect-ecosystems-provide-jobs/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/sustainable-charcoal-production-in-africa-can-protect-ecosystems-provide-jobs/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:32:28 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=3922 The charcoal industry has great potential to contribute to rural development because production utilizes locally available and potentially renewable resources.

The charcoal industry can generate employment and local income in both rural and urban areas.

-- Dr. Emmanuel Chidumayo, Zambia.

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/sustainable-charcoal-production-in-africa-can-protect-ecosystems-provide-jobs/feed/ 1 Please help us build our first model project in Uganda! http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/please-help-us-build-our-first-model-project-in-uganda/ http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/please-help-us-build-our-first-model-project-in-uganda/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:49:56 +0000 Jean Kim Chaix http://www.charcoalproject.org/?p=3898 We're kicking off our first crowdfunding effort ever!

Please consider helping us build in rural Uganda a solid biomass energy efficiency and renewable fuels program for school community with 1,600 schoolchildren!

Continue reading →]]> http://www.charcoalproject.org/2011/08/please-help-us-build-our-first-model-project-in-uganda/feed/ 5