Stoves, people and the environment

Around 3 billion people cook on inefficient and smoky fires, with devastating results on women and children’s health – as well as the local and global environment. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.6 million people die each year from smoke. That’s one woman or child every 20 seconds.

Introducing simple technologies, like rocket stoves, really can make a difference by reducing smoke pollution in homes and slashing wood consumption. Efficient stoves save lives, family’s time and money, local forest resources, and even reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Improved cooking stoves have the following benefits:

• reduce smoke pollution in homes, and therefore the health risks
• save time for families who collect fuel – sometimes hours each day
• save money for families who purchase wood
• various secondary impacts, like improved nutrition, and even access to education for girls who need spend less time collecting wood
• reduce pressure on forests. Fuel collection is known to place significant pressure on forests in many parts of the world
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Improved stoves generally reduce CO2 equivavalent emissions by around 2 tonnes per year of use. This is equivalent to the emissions from one individual on a return flight from London to Delhi.

Wild Stoves was set up to bring some of the best technologies designed to improve lives in developing countries to the UK and Europe’s passionate outdoor cooks. This Foundation provides a way for Wild Stoves and its customers to give something back.

Don’t take our word for it. Many organisations are working hard to address these problems and tell the world. cleancookstoves.org is a great starting place.