[Stoves] $1.50 Charcoal Stove

[cornelio torrijos]

Dear Mr. Andrew Parker,

Overharvesting of trees and magroves is indeed not a sustainable way of
using nature's bounty.

You wrote,

"I do hope that Cornelio's efforts are successful.  Efficient stoves and
sustainable sources of charcoal will take pressure off of the remaining
trees and woodlands, in or near the great tropical urban centers."

I really am just one of the latest and certainly the least technically
knowledgeable among many distinguished developers of biomass combustion
devices. And I do not plan to continue my amateur efforts in this activity.

Also, I have written to a few professors in our most prestigious State
University urging them to involve their students in the design and
production of prototypes of improved wood, charcoal, and other solid and
liquid biomass stoves.

In the initial planning stage is a competition among engineering students of
the "best" improved charcoal and wood stoves. Let the younger generation be
more involved now and hopefully they will be wise enough to want sustainable
use of resources.

I think that a better way (more immediately beneficial) is for our
government to require more efficient ways of charcoal production. It seems
that some relatively low cost batch charcoal systems can increase useful
output approximately 50%.

Re rice husks, Alexis Belonio has developed a good enough rice husk gasifier
as to merit a glowing preface to his book from Dr. Paul Anderson.

By the way, the sugar centrals here already use bagasse in their sugar
refining processes.

Thanks for your comments and encouraging message.

All the best,

Cornelio


On 5/3/07, acparker at xmission.com <acparker at xmission.com> wrote:
>
> I feel compelled to chime in on this charcoal discussion.  I do not mind
> using biomass for energy in the proper context, however, the use of wood
> and charcoal in an urban setting can be catastrophic, to the health of
> the users, their neighbors, and to any tree within a days' journey of
> the city.
>
> When visiting my in-laws, I observe the charcoal burners in Guayaquil
> behaving like a plague of locusts.  They will cut down the trees in the
> medians and parks.  They cut down much of the dry rainforest around the
> city years ago and have been working on the mangroves lately.
>
> Propane for household use is subsidized, but there are frequent
> shortages as tanks are illegally used to run taxis and buses, smuggled
> across the border to Peru and Colombia in caravans for resale, or sold
> around the corner at whatever price the market will bear.
>
> I do not know if any program has been attempted to use rice husks,
> bagasse or other byproducts for charcoal production, but if they could
> undercut the prices of the traditional charcoal burners, it could stop,
> or at least slow, the destruction.
>
> Actually, there is a constant haze over the city because weeds are
> always being burned.  Whenever I go to visit, I always get a respiratory
> infection from smoke irritation.  Perhaps they should carbonize the
> weeds in an efficient retort?
>
> I do hope that Cornelio's efforts are successful.  Efficient stoves and
> sustainable sources of charcoal will take pressure off of the remaining
> trees and woodlands, in or near the great tropical urban centers.
>
>
> Andrew Parker
>
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