This being the UN-declared Year of Sustainable Energy for All, we hope policy-makers and all those pushing for clean fuels in the developing world will look into the eyes of this little girl and remember that solar and wind are not the only solutions. The world needs clean charcoal, too.
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.
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.
Revelations from Africa:
Climate change is likely to adversely affect the poorest people in the developing world. But solutions like REDD could end up hurting them as well.