[Stoves] Improved Stoves without chimneys being used indoors or not?

[Marc Pare]

I'm not sure what the context for this question is, but the
social/anthropological side seems to be missing from the response. Here are
some data points about why people cook indoors despite it being "obviously"
harmful:

* My little sister returned from Cameroon with the observation that
three-stone fires have very strong cultural ties. To divorce a woman you
throw one of the stones from inside the house outside. Not sure what it
would mean to convince these families to move their cooking outside...

* Similarly, she mentioned that most people don't think smoke from fires is
what causes their coughs or irritated eyes.

* Some people need smoky fires to keep bugs from growing in their thatched
roofs. Imagine trying to convince someone that they should risk having giant
millipedes fall from the roof on them while sleeping for some long-term
health benefit.

I'm sure there a thousand other little stories like this from people on this
list.

Marc Paré
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology | Université de Technologie de Compiègne

my cv, etc. | http://notwandering.com


On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 2:52 AM, Paul S. Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu> wrote:

> Stovers,
>
> I received a question and I share my response so that others can comment.
>
>>
>> Since Africa has a far
>> higher incidence of death from indoor air pollution than any other
>> continent.  Do you understand the reason for that to be that more people
>> cook inside their homes than in other continents?
>>
>
> In America we cook inside our houses.  But we have clean stoves.
>
> A greater percentage of people in Africa are using poor, smokey
> stoves/3-stone fires without ventilation of the cooking area.
>
>  If not, do you know what
>> the reason is?  Are you aware of any projects where people who have
>> traditionally cooked inside their homes have been persuaded over the long
>> term to cook outside in order to use a clean burning cookstove?
>>
>
> I do not know of efforts to convince people who cook indoors with bad
> stoves to move their stoves outside.  Comments, anyone?   But see next
> comment.
>
>  I see
>> pictures on the websites of various of stove makers of stoves being used
>> both indoors and out.  Is there a protocol for indoor versus outdoor use
>> among stovemakers?
>>
>>  The vast majority of stove makers do NOT recommend that their stoves be
> used inside unless there is a chimney.  Potential liability issues,
> probably.
>
> But my question is:  when people who have terrible smokey homes get an
> improved cookstove ICS that is much cleaner, but not super clean and no
> chimney, do they simply use it indoors?   Or do the new stove and stove
> providers alter the cooking habits so much that the households take the ICS
> outside or into a better ventilated room?
>
> Paul
> --
> Paul S. Anderson, PhD
> Known to some as:  Dr. TLUD    Doc    Professor
> Phone (USA): 309-452-7072   SKYPE: paultlud   Email: psanders at ilstu.edu
> www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/giz2011-en-micro-gasification.pdf   (Best ref.)
>
>
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