Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts

Solar cooking 101: Harnessing the sun for health, wealth and a clean environment

Cooking with the sun is not only eco-friendly, it also contributes to better tasting, more nutritious food. Preparing food in this way encourages energy independence for both developing countries and industrialized nations alike. In areas of the world where disease is on the rise and fuel is in short supply, economical sun cookers are a workable solution.

Poverty, disease and a simple solution

In many impoverished countries, simply cooking a daily meal can be a challenge. For rural communities, electricity and gas are prohibitively expensive, leaving charcoal and firewood as the only alternative. Many times, wood is the single affordable option because it is free. Unfortunately, it is also in short supply. Since burning wood releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, health issues arise for those exposed and global warming is aggravated. Often, people use indoor fires to cook and inhale the micro-particles found in smoke, leading to lung and heart disease. It is estimated that 1.5 million people die from this type of air pollution each year. Furthermore, due to scarcity, wood is used for cooking but not sterilizing water. As contaminated water is a problem for over 1 billion people around the world, pasteurizing water is crucial to prevent disease.