Fuels for Cooking and Heating 363
Fuels for Cooking and Heating
Wood, crop wastes, coal, dung, and charcoal are the most widely used cooking
fuels. But when they burn, they can all cause pollution and breathing problems.
And in many places, wood and charcoal are scarce resources.
Many people are turning to other cooking fuels such as sunlight,
processed plant wastes (rice husks and other crop wastes made into pellets or
briquettes), and biogas (a gas produced by rotting plant matter and human
and animal waste).
Crop wastes (residues)
Dried crop wastes, such as rice and
maize husks and coconut shells are
used as fuel in many places. When
these materials are used without
processing, they cause smoke that
can lead to health problems. Chopping
the material and pressing it into blocks
(fuel briquettes) can make it burn
longer and cleaner.
Mixing chopped crop wastes with
water, and pressing and drying them,
makes a cleaner burning fuel.
Making fuel briquettes requires some
machinery and an energy source, both of
which can be costly. Some people do not like
the taste of food cooked with briquettes. But
in areas where there is a shortage of fuel, or
where people want to limit the use of coal and
charcoal, briquettes may be a good choice.
Stacking wood in the house helps it
dry and burn with less smoke.
Firewood
Wood is one of the best sources of fuel, but it
is scarce in many places. To conserve valuable
forest resources and reduce smoke, use dry
wood, cut into small pieces.
Biogas
Biogas, a natural gas that is mostly methane, is a valuable source of energy.
By turning the organic matter in human, animal, and plant waste into energy,
biogas turns waste products into a resource less harmful to the environment
and community health than other fuels. (To learn more about biogas, see
page 540, and Resources.)
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012