[Stoves] MUST CHARCOAL BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

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Sun Oct 17 06:06:36 CDT 2010


On Friday 15 October 2010 19:15:47 frank wrote:
> Dear Crispin and all,
>
> Was going to pass by this (and probably should : )) but there was a
> point that bothered me.

I know the feeling Frank but in this case I too feel a comment coming on.
>
> Smoke is a bad thing anyway you look at it.

Yup, Smoke is a health hazard and a waste of fuel even though it gives a 
warning of combustion which its carbon monoxide doesn't. It's been known 
for a long time that products of poor combustion  preserve things but 
later we found out that whilst we could tolerate a certain amount of them 
in our food other organs, notably the testicles and lungs, weren't so 
tolerant as our guts. Similarly when cooking meant bits of charred meat 
were consumed it wasn't much of a problem when we had a chiefly vegetable 
diet but high meat diets change that. So it's likely the same compounds 
which deter bugs and insects have a long term health effect on humans.
>
> If the mosquito problem, or  rodents in the thatch roof  problem is
> solved using our smoke they will never move forward to a safer
> lifestyle - because problem solved.  These problems are not ours. Our
> problem is providing a smoke free environment, using less fuel, faster
> cooking etc.

Here I take Crispin's point also, there's little point in providing a 
healthy environment to promote longevity when the current problem is a 
deadly and debilitating parasite that means a large part of the 
population cannot reach old age. What I wonder is why the fumigation has 
to take place during occupancy of the accommodation in the case of 
malaria bearing mosquitoes. 

Rachael Carson Exposed the problems of indiscriminate use of DDT to the 
general environment and that led to a ban on its production (IIRC but I 
also get the impression this was a dictat from the western world that 
didn't suffer from malaria) but its use for a targeted approach (like 
treatment of bedrooms, nets and screens) was a minor problem and a bit of 
accumulation in human body fat doesn't seem a path to wider environmental 
problems, especially if we are properly cremated.

> These mosquito and rodent problems are for someone else. 
> Window screens, screened doors, different roofs - whatever they come up
> with. If people still want to use smoke let them (we can't stop them)
> but our goal is to provide a safe, smoke free environment with our
> stoves.

Yes again I agree, the malarial parasite problem needs to be addressed, 
smoky fires are a poor way of doing this but needs must...

AJH




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