How Recovery From COVID-19 and Climate Policies Might Affect the Use of “Clean” Cooking Fuels
Replacing polluting cooking fuels with clean-burning ones can save lives and reduce our impact on the environment. A group of IIASA researchers shows how recovery from the pandemic and climate mitigation policies might affect access to clean fuels.
Cooking is a fundamental part of life. Yet nearly three billion people still cook by burning wood or coal on open fires and in smoky stoves. These polluting fuels cause respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and even death. The World Health Organization estimates that indoor air pollution causes more than four million premature deaths every year – 50% of pneumonia deaths are among children under the age of five.
In addition, residential solid fuel burning accounts for about half of global black carbon emissions and a gigaton of carbon dioxide per year – about 2% of global emissions.
The answer is “clean” cooking fuels such as liquid petroleum gas, electricity, and piped gas, which when used in modern stoves result in little to no household pollution.
Photo courtesy of DIVatUSAID.
Source: News Wise (link opens in a new window)
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