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P A G E 4
V O L . 3 , N O . 1
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
Over two billion of the world’s population burns biomass to cook each day, predominantly
using inefficient open fires and traditional stoves. In addition to wasting energy due to
inefficient design, traditional stoves and
open fires detrimentally affect human health
and contribute to climate change. More
than 1.5 million people die prematurely each
year due to smoke exposure and other air
pollutants (which contain carbon monoxide
and particulate matter) from burning solid
fuels such as wood, charcoal, animal dung,
and crop residues. Chronic respiratory
disease, difficulty in breathing, and stinging
eyes affect millions of people (women and
children are disproportionately so), and are
a direct result of such traditional cooking
apparatus (Jetter and Kariher, 2009; World
Health Organization, 2006). Some of the
major greenhouse gases are also heavily
emitted including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in addition to the particulate
matter; all of which have been implicated in global warming (MacCarty et al., 2008).
In Madagascar, approximately 80% of the population cooks with charcoal or firewood and
92% of the nation's energy comes from burning these natural resources which are
increasingly in short supply and harvested
within protected areas (WWF, 2012). A
number of fuel-efficient cook stoves have
been designed which require much less
wood (or charcoal) than open fires and
traditional stoves. The "rocket stove" is one
of the most effective and popular fuel
efficient stove designs, using approximately
50% less fuel than standard stoves. Rocket
stoves burn small amounts of fuel within a
high temperature combustion chamber
connected to a vertical chimney and a
secondary airflow source which results in
good air draft into the fire and ensures
almost complete combustion before the flames reach the cooking surface.
There is already some awareness among local residents in Madagascar about the costs
and benefits of various stove designs. A number of stoves which are more fuel efficient than
traditional open fires are already available in Sambava markets (see picture above). We
ADES Fuel-Efficient Rocket Stoves Introduced at Marojejy National Park
Locally made stoves in Sambava.
Photo by Lanto Andrianandrasana
By Dr. Erik Patel
Traditional, inefficient three-stone fire.
Photo courtesy of ADES