From IPS news came this item in the context of Copenhagen. The thesis is that REDD — Reduced Emissions through avoided Deforestation and Degradation, the proposed mechanism by which developing nations will be compensated for protecting and restoring their forests under a global greenhouse gas reduction agreement — would encourage countries to cordon off their […]
REDD as a Human Rights Disaster: Fact or fiction? Read More »
“With any reforestation campaign, you have to find first a solution for energy.” — Antonio Perera, Program Manager, UNEP, Haiti The satellite image compares forest cover along the Haiti-Dominican Republic Border. A recent New York Times article explains what happens when a country’s energy-poor population exhausts its last remaining fuelwood resources. The country is Haiti
On Environmental Brink, Haiti Scrambles for a Lifeline Read More »
Financial Times FT.com COMMENT Letters http://bit.ly/8crnzA Go for the quick energy-efficient fixes Published: November 20 2009 02:00 | Last updated: November 20 2009 02:00 From Mr Jean Kim Chaix. Sir, The suggestion that climate change negotiators shift their focus from emissions reduction to enhancing global access to energy-related services for the world’s poor is well-intentioned
An undated study by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization that sought to discover the real cost of woodfuel concluded that, ultimately, it’s impossible to know. And rightly so. How do you factor in time spent collecting the wood? The loss of the resource? Decline in value of ecosystem services? Cost of future replacement of
What does woodfuel really cost? Read More »
A report by Uganda’s Ministry of Water and the Environment says the country will need to import firewood in 2020 if current rates of deforestation and fuelwood consumption are not abated. Quoting the report, Uganda’s Monitor newspaper says that”with 91 per cent of the total energy used being derived from biomass, which includes firewood and
Uganda will need to import firewood in 2020 Read More »
The Charcoal Project is thrilled to join the global Partnership for Clean Indoor Air (PCIA)! The organization’s 330 partners contribute their resources and expertise to reduce smoke exposure from cooking and heating practices in households around the world. The partnership works on four priority areas: Meeting the needs of local communities for clean, efficient, affordable
Charcoal Project joins Partnership for Clean Indoor Air! Read More »
In reading up on the IEA’s World Energy Outlook released today, I stumbled upon the most compelling and sobering picture of what it means to be energy poor in this world today. The excerpt comes from a the acceptance speech given by WOE director, Dr. Fatih Birol, in 2006. Read the whole speech here. Energy
But what does it really mean to be energy poor? Read More »
This fascinating little map (see explanation at the bottom) came up in an update from the International Energy Agency through its World Energy Outlook bulletin, which bills itself as “the authoritative source of energy analysis and projection.” What’s interesting about this (uninspiringly titled) document, Implication of energy poverty on health & environment, is the roles
Stacking up to each other: fuelwood vs charcoal Read More »
There’s little doubt that Copenhagen will allow for some form of compensation to countries that substantially protect their forests. This is the essence of REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Already a handful of developing countries have joined the World Bank in establishing the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a framework for the day when
Today’s NYT article titled Ecosystem in Peru Is Losing a Key Ally tells the familiar story of how poverty and cultural tastes are rapidly sealing the fate of the arid-dwelling huarango, a unique species of trees that can live more than one thousand years. According to the article, haurango rivals teak in hardness and its
Peru: A millenary tree’s last stand Read More »
Sorry for the radio silence, folks. Family-related issues kept me away for a few days. But we’re back! The Charcoal Project recently applied for partnership status with PCIA, the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air and stumbled in their archives on the proceedings of their most recent conference back in March in Uganda. There is a
Fuel Efficient Stoves and Carbon credits Read More »
Folks, We received from Amy Smith (MIT/D-Lab) in today’s post a link to a ten minute YouTube video that is essentially a how-to-make-your-own-briquettes video. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqI63IEg3MM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1] What is astonishing is how simple the process can be. From converting the vegetable material into charcoal in a regular 55-gallon oil drum, to mixing it with a binding agent
Amy Smith demonstrates how to make briquettes Read More »
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