[Stoves] ETHOS topics and Crispin's 5 issues

[Paul S. Anderson]

Dear All,

Crispin has presented 5 main issues.  How many of them will we vigorously
discuss in the programmed sessions of ETHOS 2008?

Answer based on prior meetings:  None, Zero, Nada.

Unless we make our meeting format conducive to discussions and debates.  And
that means short presentations so that we have time special sessions at prime
times for interaction on topics like these.    We should include at least 3 of
these topics into the program for face to face discussions.

After all, MOST of the standard presentations are PowerPoint items that can be
delivered ahead of time (or after the meeting), with as much detail as the
presenter wants to include.  [[ remember I  said that some 
presentations should
be given the 15 minutes,  but the organizers need some reason to grant that
amount of time.)

It is not productive to watch 15 minute PowerPoints while seated 
SILENTLY in the
same room with promenent people who could be discussing the 5 topics, 
and other
key topics.  And lunch and dinner conversations are certainly not 
"plenary" for
many people to hear the discussions.

Crispin's five are on the technical side, but important for all.  And they are
true issues, not just some re-statement of the status quo:

Issue 1.	The fuel is not representative of field conditions.
Issue 2.	The use of lids on pots for stove tests.
Issue 3.	Fuel heat rating.
Issue 4.	Thermal efficiency calculation method.
Issue 5.	Variable and incompetent operation of stoves being tested.

   (snipped from this message, as per AJH's appropriate suggestion.  
But go read
them if you have any doubts.)

Do we have such issues concerning marketing and products and IAP?  Perhaps:

Issue 6.  Heavy subsidies (incl. corporate support) can give unrealistic
impressions of success rates in the short term of the initial years.

Issue 7.  Much actual use of fuels is NOT for WBT-sized food cooking, 
but is for
quick heating of small quantities and/or for bathwater heating with no concern
about high power vs. low power.  What is the impact of this on the design of
ADDITIONAL stoves to serve those important niches, incl. solar and LPG and
alcohol and micro-gasifiers?

Issue 8.  many other things.

I spent my professional life as a university professor attending 100's of
conferences.  That is part of the academic world.  But now I (actually 
we) deal
with life and death of real people, environmental destruction, global warming,
etc.  If that is not the focus of ETHOS, it must become the focus and the
reality of our meetings.

Two readers responded directly to me about my suggestion to make MOST of the
presentations much shorter.  Both were in basic agreement.  That make 3 
of us. Please speak up pro or con.  Can I interpret silence as 
AGREEMENT WITH ME?

Paul
-- 
Paul S. Anderson, Ph.D., Geography professor - Emeritus
Telephone:  USA-309-452-7072 (residence and office)
Internet site:  www.ilstu.edu/~psanders
For my gasifier stoves info, go to:
http://bioenergylists.org/contributors#Paul_Anderson



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