Struggling Soot Stoves

Usually when it comes to mitigation, stopping deforestation and desertification is the greatest need for Africa and Climate Change. But that doesn't mean that appropriate technology couldn't play a helping hand in the fighting against climate change - or so several scientists who've been pushing for low-soot stoves in Africa have been claiming. the problem with the uptake of the simple technology is no small barrier: the local people don't like them and they are pricey.

Black carbon is considered the second biggest contributer to climate change next to CO2. Recently created reduced-soot stoves reduce the soot by an incredible 90%. But people still can't afford them - if you live on less than $2/day, the $20 stoves are definitely out of your price range.

In the past, NGOs and various funds have tried to push people to use them, even giving similar devices away for free. Solar stoves, electric stoves, slow-cooking stoves; many different kinds have been piloted. Some have been used. Most have not. There is a long-standing resistance for taking up these fancy technologies from foreign countries, for diverse reasons (including, at times, impracticality).

And I have to wonder- yes, black carbon is a big issue. And the biggest producers of black carbon are not poor African farmer. Let's try the coal manufacturers in the UK. Why don't we put our energies there instead? Perhaps there remains a reluctance to upset those powerful companies - even if that is not where the future of our planet- including business - needs to be going.