Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Do you have any cites? Here's what the World Health Organisation say (Sept 2011):

(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/)

> Around 3 billion people still cook and heat their homes using solid fuels in open fires and leaky stoves. About 2.7 billion burn biomass (wood, animal dung, crop waste) and a further 0.4 billion use coal. Most are poor, and live in developing countries.

> Nearly half of deaths among children under five years old from acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) are due to particulate matter inhaled from indoor air pollution from household solid fuels (WHO, 2009).

etc etc

This isn't to say that the device is any good.



Heating and cooking != lighting. LEDs obviously can't replace stoves, but then, neither can this.


That link mentions use of kerosene for lighting. Do you have any cites for the number of people using kerosene for lighting?

(http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/9/08-057505/en/)

> Paraffin, also known as kerosene, is among the most frequently used fuels for cooking, lighting and heating among people living in low-income communities lacking electricity in low- and middle-income countries.

> The homes themselves were modest. Almost none had running water and most were constructed of some combination of tin and wood. They averaged 2.0 rooms and 1.4 beds. Although more than 80% of participants had electricity in their home – often through illegal tapping of community electricity sources – they also reported paraffin as their primary fuel for cooking (36.6%), lighting (27.4%) and heating (95.6%). Most (92.8%) participants reported daily paraffin use, and all but one reported at least occasional paraffin use.

Kerosene is still used by very many people for lighting, (even among people who have some access to electricity). The use of kerosene for lighting causes harm.


That link is a survey of two towns, conducted in 2007. LEDs are a recent enough invention that 5 years is a very long time ago. And it asked "what is your primary fuel for lighting?", not "do you use fuel for lighting?"


I agree that my sources might be poor. But they are the best I have.

I'd like to read any sources that you have.

Do you have any sources?




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: