I suggest: 1. that we collaborate in coming up with some of the best designs of cook stoves for particular forms of biomass; 2. that we look for countries uniquely positioned to fabricate at the most competitive prices; 3. that we use the highest quality materials in our fabrication; 4. that we employ some of the most advanced mass production techniques; 5. that we buy in large quantities to further reduce price; 6. that we sell at cost, or perhaps below cost, to the poor; 7. that we operate with total transparency in making known our fabrication costs; 8. that we ask the rich to voluntarily pay more to subsidize the sale to the poor.
The effort to provide good cook stoves does not have to be a money-making endeavor. It could easily become a world-wide collaborative effort involving many people on this stove list. Thanks. Paul Olivier On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 3:13 AM, Dean Still <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Phil, > > I think that if we factor in the ill health and climate change caused by > incomplete combustion of biomass, society as a whole saves money by > subsidizing the 50% fuel reduction and 90% emission reduction cooking > stove. However, as Bryan Wilson points out in his presentations, the bottom > of the pyramid consumer is not motivated to pay for these improvements. > > My hope is that someone will be smart enough and stubborn enough to > manufacture a market driven stove that meets the 50% and 90% level of > performance. And, the necessary push to accomplish this difficult task > would be very much assisted by a firm order for 1 million stoves from some > motivated funder who also locates and secures the distribution network. > > Making the 50% and 90% stove is the relatively easy part. I would guess > that the commercial distribution side is 10 times harder. I can imagine > distributing 100 million stoves by selling at the market price to cooks who > then use the stoves and the funder makes the money back on the carbon > credits. > > I hear that Envirofit is doing something along these lines? > > All Best, > > Dean > > On Sun, Nov 20, 2011 at 9:58 AM, Phil Hughes <[email protected]> wrote: > >> The $2/day number can clearly mean very different things in different >> places. I live in rural Nicaragua and can offer some data that at least >> fits here. And here is a place where fuel-efficient stoves really are >> needed. >> >> For those with work, $2/day is the going wage. There are lots of people >> who seldom work so $2/day/family in this area as far as cash income is >> pretty high. That said, most people have enough land to grow much of what >> they eat and few have any debts. >> >> The cash gets spent on batteries for radios, cooking oil, salt, sugar, >> rice and minimally on clothing. That's really about it. But, having no >> savings and living day-to-day on what they have is typical. That is, if >> they had a good week they might buy batteries for the radio but, if not, >> just not listen to it. >> >> Health care and education are free so they are non-issues (for pretty low >> quality for each). That pretty well defines rural life here. >> >> Telling someone they can reduce fuel consumption by 50%, get rid of smoke >> in the house and such is not going to compute if an investment is needed. >> They will walk farther to cut wood for cooking and pretend the smoke is a >> non-issue. Thus, these people are unlikely to get excited about "something >> better" if an investment is needed. >> >> What will work is if they can go to a workshop showing them how to make a >> stove using mud and something that is available as scrap or given to them. >> Beyond that, good luck. >> >> -- >> Phil Hughes >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Stoves mailing list >> >> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address >> [email protected] >> >> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page >> >> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org >> >> for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site: >> http://www.bioenergylists.org/ >> >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Stoves mailing list > > to Send a Message to the list, use the email address > [email protected] > > to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page > > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org > > for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site: > http://www.bioenergylists.org/ > > > -- Paul A. Olivier PhD 27C Pham Hong Thai Street Dalat Vietnam Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam) Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam) Skype address: Xpolivier http://www.esrla.com/
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