On the sunny side.It boggles my mind that someone paid for a study of the benefits of petroleum-based fuel in Africa ("Change of fuel could extend lives in Africa," SN: 5/7/05, p. 301) when a superior, lower-cost solution is already available. For the cost of the study, solar cookers Solar cookers are devices that heat food using only sunlight. Since they use no fuel and they cost nothing to run, humanitarian organizations are promoting their use worldwide to help slow deforestation and desertification, caused by the need for firewood used to cook. might have been provided to several thousand families, protecting the health of those families and saving them the time and expense of gathering fuel, not to mention protecting the environment from smoke. The world is currently experiencing a shortage of petroleum-based fuels. It is unlikely that most African families could afford the better fuels--nor can we afford to be encouraging more people to use them. ANNE BARSCHALL, TARRYTOWN Tarrytown (târ`ētoun), village (1990 pop. 10,739), Westchester co., SE N.Y., a residential suburb of New York City, on the E bank of the Hudson opposite Nyack; settled in the 17th cent. by the Dutch, inc. 1870. , N.Y. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion