<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">Dear Roger<div><br></div><div>Thank you for your email.</div><div><br></div><div>First of all, I completely agree that electric cooking is promissory. Considering a gradual transition of electricity systems towards 100% renewable energy, electric cooking would address the health issues while avoiding GHG emissions. The experience of Ecuador in the transition from LPG to electricity (with induction stoves) is particularly interesting. And in cases where peak demand is an issue (e.g. in off-grid systems), electric stoves with<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.6667px"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.6667px">heat retention devices are likely to be part of the solution.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Now, with regards to the issue of fossil fuel subsidies, let me first explain the origin of this paper: I have been working on the issue of adoption for some time. At the beginning I thought that the cultural barriers were more important than the economic barriers in the transition to LPG. Then I started hearing many women in different parts of Latin America saying that they would prefer to use LPG. For me the case of Ecuador (and also, to some extent, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, and El Salvador) shows that price reduction leads to fuel substitution, and I find this interesting.</div><div><br></div><div>I am not judging the subsidy policies. The paper is only studying the connection between fuel subsidies and fuel transition. I agree with you that subsidies, especially if they are regressive and long-lasting, have perverse economic impacts. And there are challenges in the design and implementation of targeted, time-bound subsidies. </div><div><br></div><div>Finally, let me say that, with the exception of Haiti, Latin-America is very different from Africa or Asia. In LA, the use of solid fuels is much lower, and the use of LPG and electricity is much higher. Therefore, the analysis that we carried out in LA would likely yield very different results in other continents.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope this answers your questions.</div><div><br></div><div>Best regards</div><div><br></div><div>Karin</div><div><br></div><div><div>---original message---</div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9.5pt">Date: Fri, 26 May 2017 20:56:00 +0000 (UTC)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">
<span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">From: Roger Samson <</span></span><a href="mailto:rogerenroute@yahoo.ca" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">rogerenroute@yahoo.ca</span></a><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">></span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
<span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Message-ID: <</span></span><a href="mailto:1569360030.717423.1495832160610@mail.yahoo.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">1569360030.717423.14958321606<wbr>10@mail.yahoo.com</span></a><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">></span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
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<span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Hi Karin<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Many of us on this list come from a renewable energy and
development background and find large scale subsidization of fossil fuels
problematic. I have worked 20 years in developing countries on poverty issues.
Most poor people will buy advanced cooking<span class="m_5612923243302828780m_-6464732196745879589gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="m_5612923243302828780m_-6464732196745879589gmail-il">stoves</span><span class="m_5612923243302828780m_-6464732196745879589gmail-apple-converted-space"> </span>and fuels on
their own if they perceive they need it as they find the money.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">I can see perhaps in the very worst of situations of large
urban air quality situations it might make sense but when its such a low
priority need ranking of the poor and cultivates dependency.... it's a fools
game subsidizing the extractive energy industry. The poor could use that same
donor cash for more urgent needs like food security and health care or even
livelihood projects that could make them more financially independent.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Why don't you do a more comprehensive study that compares
human well being changes where the poor get to choose between fossil fuel
cooking subsidies vs their other priority needs and monitor health and well
being impacts over a longer period.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">With how fast solar power prices are coming down about 20%/yr
it seems to me that the lifecycle cooking costs of electric cooking with well
insulated pots will become increasingly attractive fo urban areas in the next
3-5 years. Why not spend the money on piloting electric cooking strategies with
integrated heat retention devices to minimize energy demands.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">I think we can make progress on urban air quality issues but
that subsidizing fossil fuel cooking systems is a low sustainability strategy
to address the problem.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">best regards<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span> </span></span></p>
<span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Roger Samson</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
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