A substantial problem in many developing countries is figuring out how to cook food in a healthy and cost-effective way.
In Haiti, for example, many people cook food over an open fire. Unfortunately, cooking with firewood has greatly contributed to the near complete deforestation of Haiti, which in turn has caused substantial soil erosion. As a consequence, firewood is very scarce in Haiti. Further, cooking over an open fire also has significant health implications, as it can be equivalent to smoking several packs of cigarettes per day. In 2012, Changing Latitudes transported a prototype of a solar cooker to Haiti, which was designed and built by Duncan Burt of Explus, Inc., located in Dulles, Virginia. The prototype solar cooker was a huge success. Within a few minutes, we were able to heat water to a temperature that was hot enough to kill parasites that cause cholera – another significant problem in Haiti. Our plan is to further refine our solar cooker design and try to determine a way to have them manufactured and distributed in Haiti, creating jobs as well as improving health conditions. |
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