[Stoves] [biochar-policy] Re: Stoves

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Jock

 

I have often pointed out that if you teach a hungry man to fish, you have a hungry man who knows how to fish. J

 

The ‘locally appropriate solutions’ approach for locally made (esp each one makes one) approach has been tried many times, funded many times and has succeeded now and then. The problem is that developing a reasonably efficient and clean stove from locally available materials is quite difficult technically. If the product is within 10% of the correct dimensions and ration, it might have no meaningful fuel saving at all and have higher emissions. When it is within 2% there is a dramatic improvement. It is difficult to work out what the position is without some equipment (combustion analyser) to locate the sweet spot.

 

However I empathize with the gist of your post. The same applies to watches – why should people buy something as simple as a wristwatch from China when there are so many ways to tell the time? There are even solar time pieces that have worked reasonably well (within 30 minutes of true time) for centuries. But people still happily pay and proudly display a store-bought watch.

 

The same is true for stoves except they are larger and have a bigger impact on the family’s disposable income. It is just as possible to make your own bread but people buy it. 

 

When they want really good bread or a watch that keeps good time or a stove that saves a lot of fuel and doesn’t smoke much, hundreds of millions of people are willing to pay something for it. And the fuel too if it is convenient.

 

So we might find that after stove maker training we have a lot of food cooking over open fires tended by people who know how to make a stove. Experience shows it does not necessarily lead to our intended outcome.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

+++++++++

 

All,

If I remember correctly, the parable of the fish recommends that people be taught how to fish, not that they be given fish.  No where is it suggested that they be sold a fish.

I suggest the same applies to stoves.  Let's teach people the basics and let them develop locally appropriate solutions for themselves.  I find the idea that stoves must only be sold, and that all stoves must include a profit rent, to be a true perversion.

Regards,

Jock

Jock Gill

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