Basic 9 · Career Technology · Environmental Health
Clean Energy and Improved Cookstoves
In this topic you will explain what is meant by clean energy, improved cookstoves and fuels, and discuss the health, economic and environmental benefits of using them.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain the meaning of clean energy
- Describe improved cookstoves and clean fuels
- Discuss the benefits of improved cookstoves and fuels
What you already know
- Sources of energy
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Health & Safety
- Sub-strand
- Environmental Health
- Indicator
- B9.1.3.2.1 – Discuss what is meant by clean energy and improved cookstoves and fuels
Introduction
Cooking should not hurt the cook. Yet millions of people breathe harmful smoke every day from open fires.
1. What Is Clean Energy?
Clean energy: Energy that produces little or no pollution when used.
Clean energy includes solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity and fuels that burn with little smoke, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and biogas. In many Ghanaian homes, however, food is cooked with firewood or charcoal on three-stone fires or traditional coal pots. These open fires waste heat and produce smoke containing tiny particles and carbon monoxide. The World Health Organization treats household air pollution as a major global cause of illness and early death.
2. Traditional and Improved Stoves
| Option | Fuel | Features |
|---|---|---|
| three-stone fire | firewood | wastes heat, very smoky |
| traditional coal pot | charcoal | moderate waste |
| improved charcoal stove (such as Gyapa) | charcoal | insulated, uses less fuel |
| improved wood stove | firewood | enclosed fire, less smoke |
| LPG stove | gas | clean and quick |
| biogas stove | biogas | uses waste |
| solar cooker | sunlight | no fuel cost |
| electric cooker | electricity | clean at home |
3. How Improved Stoves Work
An improved stove keeps heat near the pot. A ceramic lining stops heat from escaping through the walls. A narrow opening focuses the flame on the pot. Air flow is controlled, so that fuel burns more fully and gives out less smoke. The Gyapa stove was developed in Ghana, and thousands of households use it. Local artisans make and sell such stoves, and so they also create jobs.
4. Improved Fuels
Fuels can be improved too. Briquettes are made by compressing sawdust, rice husks or other waste. They burn longer and with less smoke, and they make use of what would otherwise be waste. Dry firewood burns cleaner than wet wood. Clean fuels such as LPG produce little smoke at the point of use. The National LPG Promotion Programme aimed to encourage more homes to use gas in place of firewood and charcoal.
5. Barriers to Change
Many people continue to use traditional stoves for good reasons. Improved stoves cost more at first, and LPG needs a cylinder and refills, and these can be hard to buy in rural areas. Some think food tastes better over firewood. Some are concerned about gas safety. Good design, fair pricing, training and information can overcome these barriers. New products should fit local cooking habits, such as the way people pound fufu or use large pots.
New words
- clean energy
- Energy producing little pollution.
- improved cookstove
- A stove that burns fuel efficiently.
- LPG
- Liquefied petroleum gas.
- briquette
- A fuel block of compressed waste.
Summary
- Clean energy produces little or no pollution.
- Improved stoves keep heat near the pot and reduce smoke.
- Cost and habits make change difficult.
Class activity: Stove Survey
- Ask ten households how they cook.
- Record the fuels they use.
- Present your results in a table.
You need: Improved charcoal stove, Three-stone stove model, Charcoal pieces
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. LPG stands for…
- A. liquefied petroleum gas
- B. large pot gas
- C. low power generator
- D. light petrol grade
Show answer
Answer: liquefied petroleum gasFuel.2. An improved stove saves fuel by…
- A. keeping heat near the pot
- B. making more smoke
- C. using wet wood
- D. being open
Show answer
Answer: keeping heat near the potDesign.3. Smoke from cooking is harmful.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueHealth.4. A fuel block of compressed waste is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: briquetteFuel.5. Name three clean cooking options.
Show answer
Answer: LPG, biogas and a solar cooker.Any three.6. State two reasons why people keep using traditional stoves.
Show answer
Answer: Improved stoves cost more at first, and people like the taste of food cooked on firewood.Barriers.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Health & Safety
- Sub-strand
- Environmental Health
- Indicator
- B9.1.3.2.2 – Discuss the benefits of improved cookstoves and fuels
Introduction
A better stove is a small change in the kitchen, but its benefits reach the lungs, the purse and the forest.
1. Health Benefits
Smoke from open fires contains particles that damage the lungs. It can cause pneumonia in children, chronic lung disease, eye irritation and headaches. Women and children, who spend most time near cooking fires, are affected most. Improved stoves reduce the amount of smoke, while LPG and electric stoves almost eliminate it. Good ventilation helps too: cooking outside or near an open window reduces exposure. Safer stoves can also reduce burns.
2. Economic Benefits
Fuel savings
A family spends GH₵30 a week on charcoal. An improved stove reduces their fuel use by one third. How much do they save in a year (52 weeks)?
- Weekly saving: 30 ÷ 3 = GH₵10.
- Yearly saving: 10 × 52.
Answer: GH₵520
Money saved on fuel can go towards food and school fees. Improved stoves also create jobs for ceramic liner makers, metalworkers and sellers. Women who collect firewood can use the saved time to study or run a business.
3. Environmental Benefits
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| forests protected | Less wood and charcoal are needed. |
| fewer emissions | Less carbon dioxide and black carbon. |
| soil protected | Trees hold soil in place. |
| less waste | Briquettes use sawdust and husks. |
Charcoal production is one cause of tree loss in Ghana's transition zones and savannah, particularly in areas such as the Bono East and Savannah regions. Using less charcoal helps to keep trees standing. These trees shelter crops, provide shade and store carbon. Ghana's clean cooking efforts also form a part of its response to climate change.
4. Social Benefits
Better stoves save time, because food cooks more quickly and the pots are cleaner. Kitchens stay cleaner and more comfortable. Girls who no longer need to gather wood for hours have more time for study and play. Improved stoves can thus support girls' education and gender equality.
5. Using an Improved Stove
- Read the instructions.
- Use dry fuel of the right size.
- Keep the stove clean and in good repair.
- Use it in a ventilated space.
- Check gas cylinders and hoses for leaks.
- Turn off gas when you finish.
Safety: Never test for gas leaks with a flame. Use soapy water. If you smell gas, turn off the valve, open the windows and do not switch on any lights.
New words
- pneumonia
- A serious lung infection.
- emissions
- Gases released into the air.
- exposure
- Contact with something harmful.
- gender equality
- Fair treatment of men and women.
Summary
- Improved stoves reduce smoke and illness.
- They save money, time and forests.
- They support women, girls and jobs.
Class activity: Stove Benefits Poster
- Make a poster on the benefits of improved stoves.
- Include one calculation.
- Display it in the school.
You need: Improved charcoal stove, Three-stone stove model, Charcoal pieces
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Smoke from cooking fires harms the…
- A. lungs
- B. hair
- C. nails
- D. teeth only
Show answer
Answer: lungsHealth.2. Which group suffers most from kitchen smoke?
- A. women and children
- B. pilots
- C. sailors
- D. miners only
Show answer
Answer: women and childrenExposure.3. Improved stoves can help to save forests.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueLess wood.4. Gases released into the air are ______.
Show answer
Answer: emissionsPollution.5. State three benefits of improved stoves.
Show answer
Answer: Less smoke, less fuel and less cost.Any three.6. A family spends GH₵40 a week on fuel, and saves one quarter with a new stove. Find the weekly saving.
Show answer
Answer: GH₵1040 ÷ 4.
Homework
- Write a short speech that persuades a family to use an improved stove.