2 posts today to IAP Updates
Dan Campbell
Global Advanced Research Journal of Geography and Regional Planning Vol. 1(1) pp. 001-006, May, 2012
Indoor Air Quality in Areas of Different Exposure: An experimental study
Abha Lakshmi Singh*1 and Saleha Jamal 2
Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh (India)
The present study focuses on experimental study of indoor air quality regarding PM10, PM2.5, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, SO2 in selected differently used areas. Cooking places (kitchen) at different locations using different types of cooking fuel used and living room were selected for the purpose of the measurements. For the purpose of pollutant monitoring 20 households for each having different types of kitchen using biomass fuels and LPG were selected. The indoor air quality of the living room of those households was also assessed for the purpose of comparison.
The indoor environment was measured with handy portable samplers. Experimental results obtained shows that the indoor air quality of households cooking with biomass fuels is worse while the indoor air quality of the households using LPG was also found to be much above the prescribed guidelines especially in multipurpose room and in non-ventilated kitchen and on the other hand the indoor air quality of living room is little better but affected by kitchen emissions.
Distribution of improved cook stoves: analysis of field experiments using strategic niche management theory
MAY 14, 2012 · 0 COMMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE, 2012, DOI: 10.1007/s11625-012-0162-8
Distribution of improved cook stoves: analysis of field experiments using strategic niche management theory
I. H. Rehman, Abhishek Kar, Anupama Arora, Ramchandra Pal, Lokendra Singh, Jitendra Tiwari and Vivek Kumar Singh
Close to three billion people globally and over 800 million in India are dependent on direct combustion of unprocessed solid biomass fuels in inefficient traditional mud stoves. Current cooking practices, besides causing serious health problems, are also being linked to emissions of climate change and pollution agents such as black carbon and ozone precursors. In India several initiatives have been taken up to tackle the problem but the present trajectory of limited technical and social change in cooking energy use is nonetheless persistent in rural areas.
In order to develop and scale up alternative cooking technology options, we have analyzed, using the principles of strategic niche management, two projects implemented by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in nine villages in India. The assessment, while highlighting reasons for stability of the current cooking regime, also points to triggers that can destabilize the regime. The focus is also on assessing the influence of protection in the form of subsidies on the process of transition.
User preferences relating to social and technical aspects have been analyzed, pointing to forced draft cookstoves as the preferred option notwithstanding cost reductions to address affordability concerns. The assessment indicates that while it is critically important to understand and address the preferences of users and to improve the technology, scaling up will depend on stove cost reduction through further research. Creativity in effective financing schemes and support structures put in place by fostering public–private partnerships are also needed.