Cardboard cooker wins climate prize

A cheap, solar-powered cardboard cooker, estimated to prevent 2 t of carbon dioxide emissions per family per year, has won a US$75,000 (€53,000) climate change prize. The Kyoto Box, which costs just US$5 (€3.50) to make, uses the greenhouse effect to boil and bake. It consists of two cardboard boxes, one inside the other, with an acrylic cover that lets the sun's power in and stops it escaping. A layer of straw or newspaper between the boxes provides insulation, while black paint on the interior and the foil on the exterior concentrate the heat still further.

The design has already gone into production in a factory in Nairobi, Kenya. A more durable model is being made from recycled plastic. The fuel-less stove aims to address health problems in rural villages as well as avoiding carbon dioxide emissions: it provides a source of clean boiled water, cuts down on indoor smoke inhalation and reduces the need to gather firewood.

"This is the simplest idea I could find", said Jon Bøhmer, inventor of the Kyoto Box and winner of the Financial Times Climate Change Challenge. His hope is that the cooker will be eligible for carbon credits - hence the name Kyoto Box. The €20-30 yearly profit per stove would be passed on to the users, meaning the device pays for itself. "It's all about scaling it up," said Bøhmer. "There's no point in creating something that can only help a few million people. The needs are universal - everybody needs to cook."

Source: CTA / Spore
Original link: Spore
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