Deforestation accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, on top of which there are the emissions from plant waste that is burnt in the open air or left to rot.
By avoiding cutting down trees and replacing them with renewable plant waste, green charcoal represents an extremely effective solution. Formed into briquettes, it can be used as a fuel just like wood charcoal. Green charcoal therefore provides a source of clean, renewable energy that forms part of the natural carbon cycle.
Green charcoal is a type of bio-fuel that can be made locally and inexpensively. Green charcoal also has several positive health, environmental and economic benefits:
-It burns cleanly, reducing exposure to the smoke that causes respiratory infections -It uses agricultural waste materials, and therefore does not contribute to deforestation -Charcoal from agricultural waste can also be paired with complementary technologies like fuel-efficient stoves to further reduce fuel consumption.
To make the charcoal, agricultural waste materials appropriate to the season and the region are carbonized in a kiln made from a 55-gallon oil drum. The carbonized material is then crushed and formed into briquettes using a small press and a binder made from a source of starch such as cassava, a common root vegetable also known as yucca and manioc. The process takes a few hours and requires only simple devices which can be made from local materials.
We are intending to come up with the project to encourage more tree planting.If local people know that they will prune their trees and get affordable green charcoal at the comfort of their homes,they will plant and protect trees.With the climate change menace,we need sustainable eco-friendly solutions that ensure communities get clean energy while protecting the environment.
More to come…