Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

For those who read this blog, they may ask what is wrong with using charcoal to cook your food? Actually in Haiti it has lead to devastating issues that compound. For one making charcoal requires the cutting down of trees. Once a lush forest is now a desert. Only 1-3% of the original forest cover still exists in Haiti. Cutting down trees, and not replacing them leads to soil erosion, weathering of the soil from the sun, wind, and rain, and even make an area arid. Haiti lacks food and water security, most of which traces back to the lack of good soil, which traces itself back to deforestation. Is deforestation the only cause of the lack of food and water security, no. It is a major problem that must be addressed and locals must adopt a different way of preparing meals and heating of water. Haiti, like many poor countries has access to kerosene. Kerosene was once widely used and lost favor over propane and electricity. Not only can kerosene power a refrigerator but also sto...

So a couple of blogs ago I talked about a campaign of purchasing Alcohol or Butane stoves and giving them to some families on La Gonave.  Well after more research, Butane is near, non-existent on the island.  So that leaves propane, however propane is expensive and it also is deadly in closed areas with no venting. So that leads me to kerosene.  This is a product Haiti has lots of, and it more affordable.  Also there are stoves that work on kerosene and work rather well. Kerosene can be burned indoors with poor venting.  So I will do more research on this product and will post more about it.  My family use to keep warm in the winder by a floor kerosene tower heater.  It kept us warm and was a great way to provide heat on the cheap.  Also kerosene doesn't explode like some liquids.  The stoves are maybe $20 more than the butane stoves and kerosene last much longer than the butane. So currently Alcohol stoves and Kerosene stoves appear t...