What I’m Doing Here
Say hello to my latest Scheme to kill boredom…aka my contribution to society at large…hah. After a little introduction,
In all seriousness, as those who’ve read any of my posts know, I’ve been working on Biogas (which most people still wonder what the explicative it is) with BCDO. Basically, in a nutshell here’s the situation in good old ADT…
Andong Tuk, Botam Sakor District, in Kaoh Kong Province is situated in the heart of the Cardamom Mountain range and Botam Sakor National Forest. It hosts more than 100 mammal species, 450 species of birds, a bunch of deadly reptiles and..well, a lot of trees. It is the largest forested area in Southeast Asia and hosts the second cleanest air quality in the world (Amazon still has us beat). However, with any over forested area and a growing population facing extreme poverty, those trees have been chopped down, in droves. I’m sure there are tons of statistics that could show this on some big map or something, but internet is expensive and those pictures are boring to load. But I’m sure if you google “Cardamom Mountain Range Cambodia deforestation” you’ll find some good visual aids.
So in 2007 (around there) serious efforts were enacted by the Cambodian government (at the behest of Wild Aid, now Wildlife Alliance) to protect the Cardamom mountain range. With this came military police, kids with guns and restrictions on the locals. While conservation is a noble profession, it’s rarely met with true consideration for the indigenous population (usually because they’re the poor sods who are wrecking it in the first place). So in came the conservationists, the military police, the watch towers and the boats. Within the next few years, they were pretty hated, as almost everyone here knew at least one or more people who had been thrown into jail for upwards of 10 years for poaching, logging and other illegal acts.
Now, I’m not in favor of those acts, but let’s remember something: poverty means little options. If I could make $50 a month over $20, I’d do it. With mouths to feed and a house to take care of, many people continued the practices they had been taking part in for years. Just because the government and this new group of barangs came in say you can’t do it anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t do it anymore. People say a lot of things. However, after a few years, it became apparent that Wildlife Alliance and the government were serious about this. Things would have to change.
Chi Paht, a hub for logging and poaching within the Cardamom Mountain Range (perfectly situated in the forests along a central river system) was transformed into a Wildlife Alliance funded eco-tourism destination and environmentally sustainable town, incorporating jobs for reforestation and other practices. Transforming poachers into guides, loggers into reforesters, the area began to see real change. However, for the rest of the area, well….they’re pretty much SOL. Deal with the changes or move.
Andong Tuk is lucky enough to be along the main road (which, for reference wasn’t open until 2009, well around there) and is able to import and export some goods. So for things like firewood and charcoal (locally produced wood and firewood is kind of frowned upon…considering the whole protected forest area thing), outside sources were available. However, for many, price was still an issue.
Now we come to Biogas. Using excrement (dung, shit, poop, feces, etc), and containing it within a fermentation holder (pictures on older posts) we’re able to convert the waste into usable (and clean) methane gas, which has a lot of potential for cooking and lighting. However, the problem with this is the base model (pictured in older posts) is still around $89 to produce. While it saves money in the long run, convincing a family who’s monthly salary is around $60 that they should spend this money instead of doing what they’ve been doing (families here spend roughly $12-15 per month on firewood), isn’t easy….
So I’m sitting in my kitchen with the host family, explaining why the billowing gray smoke that’s currently enveloping the room is deadly and contains a seriously intense amount of deadly chemicals, I start thinking about ways to prevent what WHO and others refer to as “indoor air pollution.”
Indoor air pollution, according to the WHO and other studies, is attributed to nearly 2,000,000 deaths annually to children under 5. In Cambodia, nearly 95% of all people use open fires or Lao Stoves (which are a lot better, but still produce gas, especially if the wood isn’t top quality). Health effects from the smoke include Carbon Monoxide poisoning, Cataracts, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Asthma, stunted growth and a whole host of other nasties. I decided I didn’t want that annoying little shit sitting next to me who cries all the time (host brother, age 5) to not be able to cry for lack of breath by the time he’s 10. I want that fucker to cry loud and clear over something as minuscule as what he was crying about when we were in there that time (his mango was smaller than his older brother’s mango, yes…that’s what she said). I decided to educate my family on the harms of indoor air pollution and find a way to curtail it.
And that’s when I came upon….Briquettes.
These little guys (pictured at top) are made from natural materials, without needing to chop trees down to obtain them. Leaves from mango trees, papaya trees, sugar cane stalks, straw, rice, coconut husks, anything really…can be transformed with the use of a wooden handmade press into a usable source of biomass fuel. Let’s see:
1) It doesn’t require felling of trees
2) It uses materials here so plentiful that many people have no use for them and don’t know what to do with
3) It’s cheap
4) It’s REALLY cheap
5) It’s really freakin easy to make
6) Did I mention, it’s really cheap?
Not only that, but if made properly (trial and error), these guys produce almost no smoke. Well hot damn.
So as of now, I’m currently in cahoots with a few groups who are willing to train and send technical advice out here to BCDO and myself so we can start researching and producing the presses and the materials needed the briquettes. Once we’ve figured out a good mixture, we’re planning on hosting a large info session with locals interested in opening up their own business with this. If all goes to plan, we’re looking:
1) cutting cost of fuel per month by around 30% for a household
2) producing a new market in the local area
3) replacing the need for felling for some 23,000 people in the area
4) replacing an illicit market with a licit one
5) less smoke, better health
Plus, if you make ‘em well, they smell pretty freakin good too. I may have a part in making my town smell less like cow shit and garbage.
We’re still going to be offering the biogas as group housing areas may benefit from the large chambers which are made underground and can support nearly 25 people/per day. But as of now, briquettes can certainly address the larger population and allow them to keep their current cooking materials, just use a different fuel source.
Hoorah.