Saturday, July 04, 2009

A Breath of Fresh Air


For those living in the developed world, a power outage is usually nothing more than a brief inconvenience. For the people living in many poor countries, however, electricity is something they must do without every day. They resort to using wood or dung for fuel to heat their homes or cook their food. As a result, their tiny kitchens are filled with dangerous smoke that, with prolonged exposure, can eventually destroy their lungs and take their life. To combat this issue, Practical Action has created a simple smoke hood that is cost-effective and efficient. The communities that have installed these vents in their homes have seen a significant change in people's health and comfort.