FOCUS students, Mayte Aldrett, Rowan Ford and Clarissa Smith, as well as FOCUS Director Deborah Gross, traveled to Ethiopia over the summer to work with Environmental Studies Professor Tsegaye Nega. Their visit there was related to a Carleton ENTS class about Climate Change and Human Health. In Ethiopia they were investigating food preparation practices and how to reduce total CO2 emissions as well as reduce cooks’ exposure to harmful byproducts from using charcoal stoves. Apparently, only 2% of Ethiopia has “clean” cooking devices. This means that the majority of the population uses charcoal or other “dirty” sources of fuel which release harmful gases to the atmosphere and also expose people near the stove to smoke which can make them sick.
The Carleton group was there to experiment with an alternative cookstove which burned biomass pellets instead of charcoal. The group introduced these new cookstoves, which cooked faster while producing fewer airborne pollutants than the traditional stove, to Ethiopian families to use to cook their normal meals with. Overwhelmingly, these family enjoyed the cookstoves and the benefits that they provided. Of course, there are still many issues that the cookstove must overcome like cost, maintenance, and sources of pellets, but overall, they seem like a boon for both personal health and sustainability.
Mayte, Clarissa, and Rowan, along with the other three students they traveled with, presented their research in Ethiopia this term during 10th week. Not only was their experience filled with insight into sustainability practices and scientific inquiry, but it also included descriptions of significant friendships, delicious food and engagement with a new and memorable cultural practice. Here is a short photo album from their visit, provided by Deborah Gross:
Mayte playing pattycake with kids in a Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Addis Ababa:
From Right to Left: Mayte, Rowan, Clarissa, and the three other students who came on the trip, Austin Heuer, Clausell Stokes, and Jack Schill:
Rowan and Clarissa with one of the children of a family they worked with in Addis Ababa:
Mayte, Clarissa, and Rowan exploring the geology at Wolkite University:
The students enjoy a quick break with a cute dog:
Clarissa assisting Professor Tsegaye Nega (Carleton ENTS) with a stove demonstration at an orphanage where two stoves were donated during the trip: