Cookstoves for the Developing World; July 1995; Scientific American Magazine; by Kammen; 4 Page(s)

Half the world's population of nearly six billion people prepare their food and heat their homes with coal and the traditional biomass fuels of dung, crop residues, wood and charcoal. The procurement and consumption of these fuels define the character of everyday life in many developing countries.

In rural areas, women and children may spend several hours a day collecting wood for cooking or making charcoal, tasks that contribute to deforestation and soil erosion. Worse, the choking smoke from indoor wood fires causes respiratory disease--mainly pneumonia--which is the leading health hazard in developing nations and annually kills four to five million children worldwide.