Cook fireless with contained heat and enthalpy, not with fuel. The most efficient method to deplete deforestation and desertification. The number one method to complement solar cookers. By Faustine Odaba, founder and CEO of NAREWAMA Natural Resources and Waste Management Alliance P. O. Box 60358-00200 Nairobi, Kenya [email protected] Date of issue: March 2015. Prior coming to the description of the problems and the solution, some example statistics must be made aware to recognize the brisance of this tender subject: • 300 million metric tonnes of trees (300bn kgs) are cut down in Africa annually. • 7000 trees are cut down every single day to feed the city of Nairobi. • Countries like Haïti or Madagascar are completely devastated, just to produce charcoal from wood. • In Africa, the average carbonization ratio is 6.6 to 1 (6.6 kgs of wood are charred to obtain just 1 kg of charcoal). More than 100 years ago, the American success-author Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) wrote the “Fireless Cook Book” 1 . During World War I and II and the years after the wars, fireless cookers were widely in use throughout Europe due to the interrupted energy supply infrastructures. A meal was brought to boil in the morning by any kind of traditional energy, for instance a fire. The pot was inserted into an insulated container such as a hay box or a basket and has been wrapped with several layers of blankets or other textiles. The obtained heat of the food (enthalpy) was prevented from escape thanks to the insulation. The meals continued to cook. When the family came home after school or after work, the food was ready cooked and still hot. Fireless cookers take over the so-called simmering phase of the cooking process entirely. A multitude of heat retaining items have been invented since. Most are not applicable in the developing countries for 2 essential reasons, which restrain the dissemination: 1. They are too expensive (thermos flasks, electric cooling/warming boxes with peltier elements, etc.). 2. A lack of energy (electricity, gas, etc.). For these and some other reasons, the fireless cookers technology had to be improved to match the needs in the developing countries. 1 Mitchell, M., The Fireless Cook Book, 1909, Doubleday, Page & Co., New York
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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.
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