Category Archives: Environment

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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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Greenpeace Canada: Biomass energy is a real “Biomess”

Posted on: November 8, 2011

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Climate Change, Environment, Greenhouse gases, Greenpeace, Policy, Studies, Uncategorized, Valuing Biomass


Greenpeace Canada just released a report that questions the country’s current wood energy industry, its practices, and its impact on the environment and climate change. The report suggests that “burning woody biomass on an industrial scale could severely harm Canada’s public forests and further contribute to the global climate crisis.” 

Read the report and tell us what YOU think!

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VIDEO: The charcoal problem in Tanzania compellingly explained

Posted on: August 24, 2011

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Africa, Charcoal, Charcoal market, East Africa, Energy Poverty, Environment, Policy, Stats, Studies, Tanzania, Uncategorized, World Bank

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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.

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VIDEO: How the woodfuel shortage is affecting East African schools & community

Posted on: August 17, 2011

Written by: Jean Kim Chaix

Categories: Briquettes, East Africa, Energy Efficiency, Energy Poverty, Environment, Support, The Charcoal Project, Uganda, Woodfuel

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This short YouTube video is based on an interview I did in June with Henry Twinemasiko, the director of the REF schools in Rubaare, Uganda, (visit our project page) who appealed to us six months ago for help in bringing energy efficiency and renewable fuels to his school district. Henry is a tremendously inspiring and committed man and together we have a plan to cut the schools woodfuel consumption (and the associated costs), and generate revenue for the schools by converting the region’s agricultural waste into fuel briquettes for the school and the community. We have also began with our … Continue reading →

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