Category Archives: Energy Poverty

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NEWS: United States Creates New Climate Change Coalition

Posted on: February 20, 2012

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Black Carbon, Charcoal, Climate Change, EESI, Emissions, Energy Efficiency, Energy Poverty, Environment, Greenhouse gases, News, Policy


We anticipate that this news will have important implications for the clean cookstove and efficient charcoal production industry in the developing world. This item comes to us via EESI. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the formation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, a coalition of nations to curb climate change and reduce air pollution by reducing short-lived pollutants. In conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme, the United States, Bangladesh, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and Ghana are launching a global drive to curb black carbon (soot), methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). “We know that in … Continue reading →

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Forests must be on the Rio+20 agenda

Posted on: February 14, 2012

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Charcoal, Cifor, Energy Poverty, Environment, Events, International Development, Policy, Poverty, Rio+20, Woodfuel


According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in some parts of Africa woodfuels account for almost 90 per cent of primary energy consumption.

Scientists believe that deforestation across the Horn of Africa, particularly for firewood harvest, has been a major contributor to the pervasive drought in the region.

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VIDEO: The Business of Charcoal in Dar es Salaam, TZ.

Posted on: February 9, 2012

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Africa, Charcoal, Charcoal market, East Africa, Energy Poverty, International Development, Tanzania, World Bank

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This is the trailer to a short documentary on the charcoal sector in Africa portraying the specific example of the city of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. The film was published jointly by the World Bank and the Government of Tanzania in August 2009.

We featured the longer version of this film in a post back in August.

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NEWS: Uganda: Charcoal Boon is a Bust for Forests

Posted on: February 7, 2012

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Africa, Charcoal, Charcoal market, East Africa, Energy Efficiency, Energy Poverty, Environment, News, Uganda

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According to the Uganda National Environment Management Authority, pressure on land, water, forest and biological resources has dramatically increased to meet the needs of a growing population, leading to a loss of 76 percent of the country’s forest cover.

Geoffrey Oryema, the district leader of Nwoya, said poverty and lack of a meaningful livelihood source were the driving factors for environmental destruction.

“What do you expect somebody in the village without money to pay for his needs such as soap, salt, medicine and food to do?” Oryema said. “People are struggling to find alternatives to survive.”

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NEWS: World lacks enough food, fuel as population soars-UN

Posted on: January 31, 2012

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Energy Poverty, Environment, Events, Human development, International Development, News, Policy, Poverty, Studies


LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a U.N. report warned on Monday.

As the world’s population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

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