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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dear all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">We all recognize that there is room to improve, and that is already the starting motivation for ongoing work by many people. There are protocol improvements
that are in progress and in discussion, which will be published as soon as they are complete. Many RTKCs also participated in a recent round robin testing exercise, with the results supporting how we improve testing methodology and how testing centers establish
quality assurance plans. Thanks to the dozens of people who have been contributing their time and expertise over the last few years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">We will continue to work with RTKCs to improve methods, testing, and data sharing. For those people who have not been as active in this global collaboration,
we continue to invite people to contribute to the ISO discussions, to contribute data to the Round Robin Testing effort, and to contribute data to the Clean Cooking Catalog so that we can continue our analyses on the strengths and areas for improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Ranyee<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Xavier Brandao [mailto:xvr.brandao@gmail.com]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 18, 2017 5:08 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Advocacy action: ask the GACC to stop promoting the WBT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Dear friends,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">There is one thing in particular that appalled me. I read the study by Riva et al.:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">"Fuzzy interval propagation of uncertainties in experimental analysis for improved and traditional three–stone fire cookstoves"</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;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-family:"Arial",sans-serif">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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Crispin mentioned that the procurement guidelines were based upon the WBT.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">What we fail to measure are the damages.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">How many not-at-all-improved stoves were built, promoted, and disseminated?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">How many stove projects or companies failed because of a test that was problematic in the first place?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">How many efforts, how much money was lost because of poor testing?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">We cannot say we didn't know.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I discussed with Crispin, Adam, and a few others. I am starting an advocacy action with this email actually.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">It is very simple.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">We would ask the GACC:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">· to publicly acknowledge that the WBT has major shortcomings</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">· to remove the protocol from its website, so cookstoves sector stakeholders are not using it</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">· to actively promote development and use of other, valid, protocols</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Here it is, on top of the page:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span class="gmail-msohyperlink"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="http://cleancookstoves.org/technology-and-fuels/testing/protocols.html">http://cleancookstoves.org/technology-and-fuels/testing/protocols.html</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><a href="mailto:xvr.brandao@gmail.com"><span class="gmail-msohyperlink"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">xvr.brandao@gmail.com</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The outcomes of this discussion will be brought to the GACC, and we will continue discussing it with them.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Please join, please tell people around you about this initiative.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">2017 is just starting, let's start it on the right foot.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Xavier</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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