1 April 2005 | EN Women collecting wood in eastern Kenya D. M.
Kammen [NAIROBI] Widespread use of wood as a household fuel in
sub-Saharan Africa will cause ten million premature deaths by
2030 and make a significant contribution to climate change, says
a study published in Science today (1 April). The study predicts
that unless African households adopt cleaner, more efficient
fuels, the equivalent of 6.7 billion tonnes of the greenhouse
gas carbon dioxide will be released into the atmosphere by 2050.
This represents 5.6 per cent of Africa's total expected
emissions. In 2000, nearly 470 million tonnes of wood were
consumed in sub-Saharan African homes in the form of firewood
and charcoal. Per capita, this is more than is used in any other
region in the world. For instance, China and India together used
nearly one-third less in the same year despite a combined
population that is more than three times that of sub-Saharan
Africa. Community in central Kenya inspecting and selecting one
of several improved (more ef