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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Dear friends,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">There have been a lot of fierce discussions on the stove discussion list
lately. I think most of us are unhappy with a certain number of sector-wide
issues.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">There is one thing in particular that appalled me. I read the study by
Riva et al.:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">"Fuzzy interval propagation of uncertainties in experimental
analysis for improved and traditional three–stone fire cookstoves"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308900170_2016_Riva_Fuzzy_interval_propagation_of_uncertainties_in_experimental_analysis_for_improved_and_traditional_three_-_Stone_fire_cookstoves"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308900170_2016_Riva_Fuzzy_interval_propagation_of_uncertainties_in_experimental_analysis_for_improved_and_traditional_three_-_Stone_fire_cookstoves</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">I am appalled that we are in 2017, and again another study shows how
much the Water Boiling Test is flawed, and is leading us in the wrong
direction(s).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">I am appalled when I think that Crispin has been telling us about it all
these years (10 years now?), and his warnings have too often fallen on deaf
ears.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Radha Muthiah, the CEO of the GACC, said in her introduction of the GACC
2016 annual report: "The Alliance worked with UNHCR to develop procurement
guidelines that include evaluation of stove and fuel performance,
affordability, usability, safety, and durability. This is an example of how
organizations can adapt international standards to support their priorities and
decision-making."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Crispin mentioned that the procurement guidelines were based upon the
WBT.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We are in 2017, and important decisions for thousand of stoves to
refugees are still based on the WBT, a test which does not allow us to really
know how a stove will perform. This is scary.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">At the end of last year, Prakti was commissionned by the World Bank to
review the testing ecosystem in India. I had the chance to talk with many
stakeholders, especially from the U.S., and to have enlightening discussions.
Things have barely started to move it seems. A few people have started to see
the shortcomings of the WBT. But this is all too slow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">What we fail to measure are the damages.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">How many tests results are probably meaningless, and so useless? How
ignorant were we about the real performance of so many stoves? Many of us could
see how different performance in the field was, compared to performance in the
lab.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">How many not-at-all-improved stoves were built, promoted, and
disseminated?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">How many stove projects or companies failed because of a test that was
problematic in the first place?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">How many efforts, how much money was lost because of poor testing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Crispin is right, I could not agree more with him on that: before being
able to do the R&D that we need so much, we need valid metrics. There is no
way around that. This should be our first priority.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We need to act now; but, to act and get results, we must focus on
what is important, on what is central, on what is foundational. Now, we need
good testing; it is as simple as that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">The goal is not to point fingers, nor put the blame on anyone. What is
done is done, the only thing that matters now is: what do we do from here? We
need to work together constructively.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We cannot say we didn't know.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">I discussed with Crispin, Adam, and a few others. I am starting an
advocacy action with this email actually.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">It is very simple.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">I think we need to address the GACC. Despite all the criticism, the GACC
did a lot of work for the stove sector, and, like it or not, is still regarded
as our main representative to policy makers and those with the capital to fund
meaningful change at scale. We need to be working with them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We would ask the GACC:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">· to publicly acknowledge that the
WBT has major shortcomings</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">· to remove the protocol from its
website, so cookstoves sector stakeholders are not using it</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">· to actively promote development
and use of other, valid, protocols</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">There were a lot of heated discussions around the WBT in the
past. Because of that, other protocols were included in the TC 285
process. This is not good enough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We don't want invalid protocols to be promoted alongside valid ones. I
believe the WBT is still the most used protocol, and anyone can download
it on the web, and (mis)use it. That does a lot of harm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Here it is, on top of the page:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"><span><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://cleancookstoves.org/technology-and-fuels/testing/protocols.html">http://cleancookstoves.org/technology-and-fuels/testing/protocols.html</a><br></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Good and valid protocols do exist. They work very well, give more and
better data than the WBT. We do not have, at all, to use the WBT. Why
would we keep using it at all?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Recent articles have shown that we are losing credibility as a
sector. We cannot regain it if we keep using invalid testing. I think this
sector is comprised of good people who want to do good science and build
healthy foundations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">If you think you are one of these people, please contact me at my email
address to show your support for this initiative:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><a href="mailto:xvr.brandao@gmail.com"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"><span><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink">xvr.brandao@gmail.com</span></span></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">If you have an opinion on the matter, let's please discuss it here on
the stovelist. If you dont agree, if you think there are good scientific
grounds for the WBT as a valid protocol, or think for this or another
reason that it should still be used, please let's discuss it, in scientific
terms, on this list.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">The outcomes of this discussion will be brought to the GACC, and we will
continue discussing it with them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">We have all dedicated a significant portion of
our lives to this work; let us not let bad science, or past wrong decisions
undermine all that we have accomplished, or all that we might. Can we stand
together, whatever our differences of opinion on the best stoves, or fuels, or
development practices and agree that in testing our assumptions, pseudo-science
and demonstrably flawed methods have no place in this sector?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Please join, please tell people around you
about this initiative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">2017 is just starting, let's start it on the right foot.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Thanks,</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial;color:black">Xavier</span></p>
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