permaculture

["Charles de Matas" <cdematas@hotmail.com>]

Toby wrote:
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
They came back a year later and couldn't
find any of the cookers, and everyone still cooked with wood. Finally
one of the locals, who'd been reluctant to hurt their feelings, pointed
out the shiny jewelry and the bits of mirror embroidered into much of
the clothing. They'd found a more culturally appropriate use for the
reflectors.
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Yeah, I've heard stories like this.  One lady in our physics dept told us 
that in India after they tried to introduce solar cookers, the women in 
villages there found more appropriate uses for the boxes to store jewelry 
etc.
  I looked at the eco-kalan website. Seems like an appropriate device for 
them.  Of all the fuels they mention I think bamboo might be the most 
suitable.  Bamboo grows rapidly and the clumps regrow after cutting.  During 
the dry season bamboo clumps are a major fire risk, they burn with an 
intense heat. Better to use them as fuel for cooking. (A problem becomes a 
solution)
   To be used as fuel it may be better to split the bamboo so it will dry 
out and be more easily fed into  a stove/burner.  Maybe machines can be 
developed to do this.
   Coconut branches also seem like a good idea for a fuel, as I don't think 
there is a better use for them.  They use the fibrous coconut husks, also 
but it would be much better to shred the husks and use them as a soil 
conditioner.  I use coir (cocopeat) in my gardening to add to my clay soil 
when transplanting and think it's an excellent use for the husks.
    Animal dung should not be burnt either. Better to use it for biogas 
production, but it may not be possible in many situations in poor countries.

Charles
T&T

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