Reducing Emissions: It’s Not Just About Climate Change
by Danielle Nierenberg
Thursday April 30, 2009 at 12:49pm, EST
Last week, the New York Times published a story on “black carbon.” Black carbon is the soot created when charcoal, coal, dung, wood and other biomass fuels are burned. This soot coats villages and slums all over China, India, Thailand, and Africa. Black carbon, the article points out, is also potentially a growing cause of climate change— recent studies claim it contributes about 18 percent to the planet’s warming. Removing black soot is quite simple, according to the NYT article — install more fuel efficient stoves that eliminate soot. Problem solved.
However, solar stoves aren’t just a solution for climate change. They are also help ensure that families, especially women, are healthier and empower them to work and earn a living wage.
