As the world grows and technology advances forward, basic human needs remain. One is the need for cooking.

According to a sustainable development charity, Forum for the Future, more than two million people worldwide depend on wood as fuel for cooking, most of these have little or no alternative sources of fuel.

Apart from the impact environment from burning wood on a large scale under some humanitarian problems associated with the collection and use of fuel wood:

• Firewood burning produces carbon black soot. This is not healthy to breathe. International development agencies estimate that more than 1.5 million people die each year young people avoid respiratory diseases associated with the kitchen.
• Collection of firewood can take a significant amount of time, in many Where this work is performed by children, whose time could be better spent in school to get an education.
• There are security problems in young women who leave their villages in search of firewood, said in an excerpt from an article taken from Forced Migration
• In hundreds of refugees … configuration of the entire world, women and girls are more vulnerable to sexual violence due to the almost daily need to leave the camps to find firewood. It can and should do to reduce that risk.
• Women and girls trek for hours a day in hopes of finding a few branches or roots to burn. To avoid the midday sun, many people in the dark. To reduce competition, traveling alone or in small groups. To find more and more fuel scarce material, which may have to walk several miles away from the camps. In doing so, become the main objectives of the Janjaweed militia local government or police forces and other men working in a climate of almost total impunity.

Source: http://www.fmreview.org

The impacts are not limited to humans. Dead standing and fallen timber, provides a critical habitat for many species of animals and birds. She opined that removal of this wood for firewood is contributing to a significant loss of wildlife.

Dead wood plays an essential role in maintaining forest and woodland nutrient cycles. Scientists believe that the dead wood is at least as important as the daily life of trees, fallen leaves and soil for the maintenance of ecological processes on biodiversity. (Source: Driscoll, DA, Milkovits, G. & Freudenberger, D. (2000) Impact and use of firewood in Australia. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems report Environment Australia.)

Since the populations of Africa and Asia rise (as they are widely expected to do) is likely that the use of firewood as fuel source will be difficult to sustain.

Alternatives must be developed, produced and applied in everyday life of the billions now using firewood as fuel.The FT Climate Change Challenge a competition to find the best innovations to combat climate change, announced today that its award of $ 75,000 1 goes to the Kyoto box, a cheap cardboard kitchen, powered by solar energy.

According to the designer of Kyoto Energy Ltd., Kenya, simple design can be done on existing paperboard mills, unmounted and easy to distribute. You could halve the use of firewood, thus saving trees and the prevention of carbon emissions.

Each box costs about 5 euros to make, and, theoretically, you can boil 10 liters of water in two hours. It is a simple design consisting of two cardboard boxes and acrylic lid.

Read more about the table http://www.forumforthefuture.org/blog/solar-cooker-wins-climate-change-challenge.

Having lived in the Caribbean for over two years, I have come to realize the potential of the sun in power generation, and how little use that potential. My house has solar panels that produce all my hot water, is however limited this system.

There is certainly scope for technological improvements in efficiency of collecting sunlight and heat storage / energy generated.

About the Author:

Roy Jones – Travel | Writing | Photography

Roy Jones, a 28 year old British entrepreneur, founder and author of http://www.roylloydjones.com, an established travel website, is currently planning his next adventure – a 20,000 mile bicycle journey, scheduled to begin from Istanbul in January 2010.

During the tour, roylloydjones.com will provide its readers with a daily narrative complete with real-time updates from the road. Also included will be informative information regarding destinations, trip planning, equipment reviews and overall costs, a regular video diary and occasional newsletters.

His other blog, Itinerant Lifestyle focuses on modern itinerants, lifestyle design, and helping you make the transition from wage slave to boss of your own empire.

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Environmental Effects of using Firewood for Cooking & How to Cook Using Solar Power

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