The order of fuels on THE ENERGY LADDER corresponds to their efficiency (i.e., the fraction of energy
released from the carrier that is actually turned into an energy service by the end-use
device) and their "cleanliness". For example, the cook stove efficiencies of
firewood, kerosene, and gas are roughly 15%, 50%, and 65% respectively. Therefore, moving
up the energy ladder results in declining emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide,
and particulates.
The use of biomass has a negative impact on the health of household
members, especially when it is burned indoors without either a proper stove or a chimney
to draw the smoke outside.
'Poor woman’s fuel'
When firewood is scarce, studies show that rural people switch from using logs to little twigs and
branches, and when even those are not available they move to crop residues, cow dung and
even dry leaves! |
|
 |
|
One of the reasons biomass energy has received so
little attention in national energy planning is that it is a
'women's fuel'.
In other words, if men were the
primary collectors of firewood, would something have been done about it long ago?.
 Of the 3 million annual air pollution deaths, 2.8
million are from indoor air pollution, a major by product of the traditional use of
biomass.
Nearly one-half of the total energy consumed in the country comes from non-commercial sources such as cowdung
(gobar) and vegetable waste. |
