“Two new studies led by University of California, Berkeley, researchers spotlight the human health effects of exposure to smoke from open fires and dirty cookstoves, the primary source of cooking and heating for 43 percent, or some 3 billion members, of the world’s population. Women and young children in poverty are particularly vulnerable.“
The researchers go to say that the studies provide compelling evidence that reducing household woodsmoke exposure is a public health intervention that is likely on a par with vaccinations and nutrition supplements for reducing severe pneumonia, and is worth investing in.
Read more here.
Thanks CO.
This is a very serious problem – for human health, women’s welfare, and even the environment – that relatively few people in the developed world are even aware of. It is also a near-perfect candidate for a cause that anyone regardless of politics, ideology, special interests or background can and should throw their support behind. I have been doing some volunteer work relating to this issue recently, and there are some very promising initiatives unfolding. Check out the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to learn more:
http://cleancookstoves.org
This organization is just ramping up, and they are going to require the partnership, support and advice of institutions of learning, industry and government. (Does your employer fit the bill? Figure out a way to pass the word along!)