Cookfirelesswithcontainedheatandenthalpy,notwithfuel.Themostefficientmethodtodepletedeforestationanddesertification.Thenumberonemethodtocomplementsolarcookers.ByFaustineOdaba,founderandCEOofNAREWAMANaturalResourcesandWasteManagementAllianceP.O.Box60358-00200Nairobi,[email protected]:March2015.Priorcomingtothedescriptionoftheproblemsandthesolution,someexamplestatisticsmustbemadeawaretorecognizethebrisanceofthistendersubject:
• 300millionmetrictonnesoftrees(300bnkgs)arecutdowninAfricaannually.• 7000treesarecutdowneverysingledaytofeedthecityofNairobi.• CountrieslikeHaïtiorMadagascararecompletelydevastated,justtoproduce
charcoalfromwood.• InAfrica,theaveragecarbonizationratiois6.6to1(6.6kgsofwoodarecharred
toobtainjust1kgofcharcoal).
Morethan100yearsago,theAmericansuccess-authorMargaretMitchell(GonewiththeWind)wrotethe“FirelessCookBook”1.DuringWorldWarIandIIandtheyearsafterthewars,firelesscookerswerewidelyinusethroughoutEuropeduetotheinterruptedenergysupplyinfrastructures.Amealwasbroughttoboilinthemorningbyanykindoftraditionalenergy,forinstanceafire.Thepotwasinsertedintoaninsulatedcontainersuchasahayboxorabasketandhasbeenwrappedwithseverallayersofblanketsorothertextiles.Theobtainedheatofthefood(enthalpy)waspreventedfromescapethankstotheinsulation.Themealscontinuedtocook.Whenthefamilycamehomeafterschoolorafterwork,thefoodwasreadycookedandstillhot.Firelesscookerstakeovertheso-calledsimmeringphaseofthecookingprocess
entirely.
Amultitudeofheatretainingitemshavebeeninventedsince.Mostarenotapplicableinthedevelopingcountriesfor2essentialreasons,whichrestrainthedissemination:
1. Theyaretooexpensive(thermosflasks,electriccooling/warmingboxeswithpeltierelements,etc.).
2. Alackofenergy(electricity,gas,etc.).
Fortheseandsomeotherreasons,thefirelesscookerstechnologyhadtobeimprovedtomatchtheneedsinthedevelopingcountries.
1Mitchell,M.,TheFirelessCookBook,1909,Doubleday,Page&Co.,NewYork
Afirelesscookerforapplicationindevelopingcountriesmustbe
1. Cheapandeasytomake.2. Easytounderstand.3. Easytohandleandapply.4. Safe.5. Nicelooking.6. Capableformulti-purposesapplications.7. Matchwiththelocalpotstandards.
NAREWAMA,togetherwithmanyNGOsthroughoutEasternAfrica,worksforseveralyearsonthedevelopmentoffirelesscookersandestablishedbysurveysandconstantmonitoringactivitiesincooperationwithlocalwomengroups,astandardwhichiswidelyaccepted:
• Thecoverisabasket.• Crudecottonorshreddedragsserveas
insulationmaterial.• Theothertextilesarecottoncloths.
Thefirelesscookerswereintroducedtowomenthroughoutthecountry,inruralandurbanlocations,byseminars.Theseminarstookabout4to6hourseach,dependingonthecookingmethodtoheatthemealsuptoboilingtemperature,likesolarcookers,gasifiersorotherenergysources.
Itturnedoutclearlythattheparticipantsunderstoodtheprocessrightaway.Monitoringtheusersoverseveralyearsshowedthattheycontinuedtheapplicationoffirelesscookers.
It’sacooker,it’sawarmer,it’sacooler.Afirelesscookercontinuestocookwiththeenthalpyofthefooduntilthetemperaturedecreasestobelow80°C(176°F).Thistakesbetween3and4hours,dependingontheinsulationfactorandtheaccuracyoffabrication.Everywater-basedmealcanbepreparedinfirelesscookers(e.g.rice,potatoes,stews,etc.)duringthistime.Largebeansmustbesoakedinwaterforsomehours,though.Bakingandfryingisnotpossible,becausetheoperatingtemperatureoffirelesscookersislimitedto100°C(212°F).Afirelesscookerkeepsfoodwarm.Thefoodcanbepreparedintheafternoonandbeservedlateintheevening.Also,waterforpersonalhygienepurposescanbekeptwarmallnightlong.Thepasteurizationstatusisheldfor6ormorehours.
Afirelesscookercankeepanyfoodcool,duetoitsinsulationcapabilities.Yoghurtcanbeprocessedinaperfectmanner.Thesemulti-purposeabilities,incombinationwithaverylowpriceandtheeasy-to-understandoperationmakeafirelesscookertheperfectitemforeveryhouseholdinthedevelopingcountries.Afirelesscookercantake50percentofthedailycookingtasks–orevenmore.
ProductionoffirelesscookersbyalocalwomeninitiativeinKisumu,Kenya,Sep.3013.Photo:BernhardS.Müller.
FaustineOdabaexplainsfirelesscookerstoRadhaMuthiah,secretarygeneraloftheGlobalAllianceforCleanCookStoves–GACC(left)andthewifeofKenya’svice-president,Ms.Ruto,duringaconferenceinNairobi,Nov.2013.Photo:AllanZulu.Thesemi-governmentalGermandevelopmentaidorganizationgtz(now:GIZ)ranapilotprogram“SolarCookerFieldTestinSouthAfrica”inco-operationwiththeSouthAfricanDepartmentofMineralsandEnergyforseveralyears.Intheirconclusionpaper“FinalWorkshop,4.Nov.2003inGTZ”,Dr.RolfPosorskiofGTZstated:“Fieldtestshaveproventhatwherepeoplehavesolarcookers,theyusethematleastonceaday38percentofthetime.Theseresultsandextensivemarketstudiesconfirmasubstantiallatentmarketdemandforsolarcookers.”Thisexcursiontothetopic“solarcookers”hasbeeninsertedintentionally.With50percentofallcookingtaskssolvedbyafirelesscookerand38percentbyasolarcooker,just12percentremainforaconventionalcookingmethod.Thiscanbeagasifier,alow-carbonmonoxideemittingcharcoalstoveoraLPGoven.Inmorearidareas,solarcookerscanachieveevenhigherconsiderationsthan38percent.AlthoughthepromotionofLPGgathersincreasingpace–theGACCissupportedbytheShellFoundation–liquefiedpetroleumgascandefinitelynotbeconsideredasasustainablesolutionofenergyscarcityindevelopingcountries.Also,transportationofLPGcanturnouttobecomeaproblem,especiallyinremoteareas.Justtocompletethearguments:LPGemitsCO2.Itshouldalsobeconsidered,thattheso-called“clean”cookstovesarenotclean.Itisadazzlingword,whichratherdescribescleanersolutions.Clean,inthehonestmeaningoftheword,aresolarcookersandfirelesscookersonly.
Just12percentoftraditionalcookingfuelisnecessaryforcookingpurposes,iffirelesscookersandsolarcookersareused,wheneverpossible.Source:„Whatifthesundoesnotshine?“,aPowerPoint™ presentationbyFaustineOdabaandBernhardMüller.2Firelesscookerscomplementallknowncookingmethods,exceptbakingandfrying.Consideringthebeginningofthispaper,thisleadstotheresults,thatthecutdowntreesinAfricacanbereducedfrom300,000,000tonnesperyearto36,000,000tonnes.7,000cutdowntreesjustforNairobiperdaycouldbe840only.AlreadydevastatedcountrieslikeMadagascarorHaitiwillhavetimetoreinstateforestsandhealthysoils.Also,thewidelyspreadchildlaborcouldbereduceddrasticallyby88percent.Householdairpollutioncanbereducedbyexactlythesameratio.Despitethefact,thatfirelesscookersareanacceptedtechnologyinthedevelopingcountries,leadingorganizationsintheindustrialcountriescontinuetoignorethem.Forthisreason,thedisseminationoccurswithacertainviscosity.TheNGOsinEasternAfricaaredesperatelysearchingforfundsandotheraidstoacceleratetheirefforts.Duetothecircumstancesthatruralpeoplespeakjusttheirlocaldialectandthatapartareevenanalphabets,thepublicationofseminarsandtransportationtotheplacesoftheeventscannotbepaidbytheNGOsentirely.Also,speciallytrainedpersonnelwithknowledgeofthelocaltraditions,languagesandhabitsneedstobehired.AllofthatistoocostlyfortheNGOs.Toreducedeforestation,desertification,CO-andCO2-emissions,childlabor,indoorairpollution,fueltransportandothernegativeimpactsby88percent,thereisasolution:FirelessCookers.Therateofaccelerationofthedisseminationisuptoyou.
2PowerPointisaregisteredTradeMarkoftheMicrosoftCorporation.
