The rocket stove is a new innovation in stove technology. It uses a smart and efficient design to be more suitable than the traditional open fire stove. The rocket stove  in the Kul-Kul Farm  intrigued me. It was originally designed to be used in less developed countries, where the effluent from open fire cooking and heating can be a very big problem. It features a relatively easy construction, isefficiently designed, flexibe, and is made with easily procured materials which allows it to be more useful than traditional stoves in developing countries. Its adaptability can allow it to cost nothing and be solely for cooking or to be used to heat a room in your house.

The main reason that the rocket stove is so suitable for the environment of a less developed nation is due to the fact that it has a low building cost and a low usage cost. It also reduces effluent particles and gasses as well as fuel use. Its high efficiency allows the user to forego a large part of the time-consuming act of gathering firewood which, in certain countries, can be very dangerous. A Somalian refugee named Hibo Mohammed Ibrahim, interviewed by the UN program Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves, said:

“I had to collect firewood with my daughters, walking more than six hours, at least three days a week, facing the dangers of assault, rape, and animal attacks. It caused unending stress and pain to expose myself and children to the risk. Listening to the horrible incidents that happened to my friends and neighbors while collecting firewood was torture. Sometimes, I was too scared and exchanged part of my food ration for firewood and charcoal. The food rations we receive have never been enough but as a mother I had to make the difficult decision”

The introduction of rocket stoves has also added a whole new market for these poorer countries. An organization named Project Gaia, which is partnered with the Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves, has helped raise awareness of the health and environmental issues associated with firewood or charcoal. They encourage the introduction of ethanol through community projects, sharing knowledge with community leaders, and by encouraging ethanol production with local energy business.

Written by William Vovers

Sources:

   “Refugee Puts Safety and Health at Risk to Collect Firewood.” Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. United Nations, n.d. Web.                          

                           “Project Gaia – Clean Cookstoves For The Evolving World.” Project Gaia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2016.