[Stoves] Improved Stoves without chimneys being used indoors ornot?

Thu Apr 7 01:53:15 CDT 2011

Actually, I think there might be something much more important than
millipedes.  Chagas is a very serious, and potentially deadly disease
propagated by an insect (the kissing bug) that lives in thatched roofs or
adobe homes.  It had never occurred to me until I read this that the reason
people came to cook inside in tropical climates might have something to do
with the kissing bug. When I lived in Nicaragua (2007 to 2008), Chagas was
alive and well there.

So . . . .eliminate thatched roorw, although it also lives and thrives in
adobe or other kinds of buildings in tropical climates if they are not well
maintained, in the open cracks.  So, if people cook inside consciously or
unconsciously because of the threat of chagas, eliminate chagas and perhaps
they will move their stoves outside!

Katherine P. Ransel

kransel at gmail.com

Seattle, WA 

(206)783-4875

“I have just three things to teach: 

simplicity, patience, compassion. 

These three are your greatest treasures.” 

Lao Tzu

  _____  

From: stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Marc Pare
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 11:21 PM
To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Improved Stoves without chimneys being used indoors
ornot?

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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