Energy Discussion

Energy has so many complex facets. Those of us in urban environments enjoy massive amounts of energy. We drive cars, we take buses, we cook with gas and we might even have a refrigerator.

But for the rest of humanity, they are struggling to cook with a depleting supply of wood, their children are struggling to do their homework by the light of an open fire, and they need to walk for hours wherever they need to go because they don't have a car.

On the one hand this is a terrible travesty, on the other hand it is -- to use the example of wood fuel -- environmentally very challenging. There are also tremendous health concerns associated with burning biomass in an open fire.

As communities have to reach further afield to collect fuel wood in order to cook or stay warm, they may also be denuding the hillsides around their community which are providing their source of water. This could lead to seasonal flooding, and to drying up of their sources of groundwater: the community spring.

Who are we, who drive around in cars, and fly around in airplanes, to suggest that the rural poor should not cut down trees in order to cook to eat. But the reality is that we need to work very hard in order to help them find less expensive and more environmentally friendly ways to cook their food. We need to work very hard to help them find less expensive and environmentally friendly ways to provide light so that their children may study for school next day.

In this sector of activities we will be investigating more efficient and healthier methods of cooking – such as in improved cook stoves. We will be racing concepts such as solar charged lanterns against micro Hydro projects to see which ones have shown evidence of having worked in sustainably providing light.

One of the challenges in this section, is that there has been very little research done on what works. Plus, this is an area of tremendous innovation which may or may not be appropriate for the communities that we serve. For example, after we leave the community, will they be able to maintain a solar array, or a windmill or a micro-hydro project?

In the example of improved cook stoves, some designers focus on reduced wood use, but ignore indoor air pollution. Which is the best way to go?

We will be presenting the results of these are exciting findings in this sectoral list of activities.