The global angle
Rising concerns today about global warming owing to the build-up of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane etc) in the atmosphere, has drawn the world's attention to global biomass combustion. Whatever little research has been undertaken on combustion generated by house-hold stoves in developing countries paints a distinctly grim picture.
Studies have estimated the overall contribution of biomass stoves to global warming as one to three per cent of all human generated global warming. Besides, these stoves probably account for about one-eighth of the net area deforested. Biomass combustion is believed to be responsible for one to five per cent of all methane emissions, six to 14 per cent of all carbon monoxide emissions and eight to 24 per cent of discharges of total non- methane organic compounds.
Ensuring high combustion efficiency, which will lower the rate of emission of products of incomplete combustion, could help reduce the phenomenon of global warming through biomass combustion; improved fuels as well as stoves are the need of the hour.
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