Ecological Stoves

By Constructing of Ecological Stoves in the farms of Colombia is reduced the deforestation of Watersheds. Ecological stoves allow a substantial saving of firewood, so it can contribute significantly to reducing deforestation. In addition to the elimination of smoke in homes improves air quality and helps maintain healthy peasant families.

The main objective of the saving stoves is to reduce the consumption of energy resources, improving consumption of firewood during the preparation of food. In general, the benefits to be gained with the ecological stove are:

• With the acceptance of ecological stoves in a community is reduced environmental maltreatment because it decreases local deforestation.

• Reduces the consumption of firewood in relation to a traditional stove because its construction is based on hallways leading heat and smoke harvesting sites and expulsion. And also retains heat longer.

• Reduce the emission of smoke into the kitchen because the smoke is channeled through a special tube that goes to the outside of the house.

• Significantly decreases respiratory problems, irritation of the eyes, coughing and general discomfort, mainly in women and children by smoke inhalation.

• Provides more comfort when cooking and also reduces the cooking time of food, allowing women to have more time for other tasks.

The basic principles of operation of the ecological stove are the mixture of mud and sand that constitutes the body of the stove is a thermal insulator that prevents excessive heat loss, and that once when the stove is off conserves heat.

By constructing wood saving stoves in the farms of Colombia can develop the capacity of community residents to make appropriate use of natural resources related to this can arouse interest in initiate reforestation or tree plantation.