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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga

Briquettes: Don’t let the silence fool you!

2 Jul 2008 Filed under (Alternative energy) by Robert @ 11:53 pm

My apologies for the long silence in this blog, but please don’t get the wrong impression. A great deal has been happening in the effort to end charcoal. Before I get to that, though, I would like to send out a sincere “Thanks!” to those of you that have continued to support our efforts.

Donations
Our heartfelt thanks go out to Judy J. for her monthly donation of $30, John J. $200, Carrie C. $100, Theresa T. $80, Alex A. $50, Carmen C. $40, and Robin R. $15.

Biomass Briquettes
In our last bog entry, I spoke of my trip to Portland to do a 3-day briquette training with the Legacy Foundation. Since then, Virginia and I have been working closely on the Bukavu briquette pilot, and as those of you who follow her blog know, she has been very successful. Not only are people constantly approaching her to bring a press operation to their village, she has even managed to start selling the briquettes. Our biggest fear, which was that people wouldn’t accept the biomass briquettes as an alternative to charcoal - or “makala” as it is know in the DRC — proved to be wrong. Quite to the contrary, people have said that briquettes burn just like charcoal. The evidence for this is that people are actually willing to buy the briquettes instead of charcoal.

The next phase of the briquette project is to take our operation closer to Virunga NP, the heart of the charcoal trade. Ephrem will be bringing three additional presses to Virunga NP next week. Our goal is to eventually attract the charcoal producers into the briquette market and make them realize that future profits will come from briquettes, not charcoal. The reality is, cutting down the forests of Virunga NP is a financial dead-end, whereas the materials for briquettes — grass and leaves — exist in abundance and can be regrown much more rapidly, all of which translates into sustainability. Let’s not kid ourselves, economic incentives are more powerful than an appeal to peoples’ sense of doing what is “right” for the mountain gorillas — especially when many of these people support their families on $1.00 per day.

The Briquette Project’s Unsung Heroes
I would really like to acknowledge all the help we have received from some key people behind the scenes:

Kizito Nandaka and William Guyot from SoDeRu: Thank you for providing housing, a car, bike, petrol, Internet connection, and security for Virginia — and for all of your encouragement. Also, thanks for putting up with my late night calls!

Sue and Sam: Thank you so much for paying for the first press operation.

Sister Helena Albarracin and the others at the Bukavu hospital: Thank you for being so willing to give this technology a try and for all the resources that you have made available.

Solange Ngobobo of IFRADE in Kadutu: Thank you for your help hosting the first press operation.

The Legacy Foundation: Thank you for all your help and expertise — and good humor.

You are the best!

Bosch-Siemens protos plant-oil stoves
As mentioned previously, Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH in Munich, Germany has graciously agreed to provide us with 100 protos plant-oil stoves and spare parts to carry out a 3-month feasibility study. These stoves can burn a variety of plant oils, all of which can be sustainably grown in the Congo. Our stoves left Nanjing, China two weeks ago and should arrive in Goma by early August. I will be going to Leyte University in the Philippines to train on the stoves, learn how to grow and press plant oil, as well as to learn about marketing the stoves. From there, I will go to the Congo to train the trainers and help Ephrem with kicking off the pilot, and assist with further developing the briquette program.

Fundraising
As you know, it all boils down to money eventually. I am busy writing grant proposals in hopes of securing the financial backing needed to make these projects successful. Emmanuel and I will be holding several fundraisers in the United States this fall. Several of you have come forward and offered to help us organize a fundraiser in your city — thank you. If you think you might be interested as well, please let us know. And, your donations to this blog continue to be a major help. With each biomass press we buy for $200, we can supply full-time employment for 8 people and get 100 families off of charcoal. Never underestimate the power of your contributions!

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6 Responses to “Briquettes: Don’t let the silence fool you!”

  1. sheryl, washington dc sheryl, washington dc Says: 3 Jul 2008

    Great news, Robert! I’ll be waiting to hear Ephrem’s reports from the park. Perhaps we should get the rangers started on making briquettes, too?

    s.

  2. Virginia Virginia Says: 3 Jul 2008

    I could have never set up such a big project in Bukavu on my own withouth your continuous advice, the courage of the abused women in Kadutu, the help of the General Hospital and The Congregation of the Sisters of Dorotee di Cemmo and the logistics support I got from SoDeRu. http://soulens.wordpress.com

  3. How did it all happen? « Project Kadutu Weblog How did it all happen? « Project Kadutu Weblog Says: 3 Jul 2008

    [...] fun, who later became fundraiser and consultant for that same NGO (you can read more on his blog Ending Charcoal). We kept in touch after I left, and he was the person who proposed and inspired me with this great [...]

  4. Judy in CA Judy in CA Says: 3 Jul 2008

    Robert, amazing work, thank you for this! will the recent Nat Geo broadcast on the gorilla murders help your efforts with more funding? I was horrified how many sites the charcoal mafia had in place with 200 workers at each site. Can this all be dismantled now that their leader has been arrested and will go on trial? Are their independent operators? Like the Congo army that will keep this illegal trade going? Alternative fuels and employment is key; I wonder how fast these solutions will help to intervene in this immediate challenge. Your work is so important! Thank you!
    Judy in CA

  5. endingcharcoal endingcharcoal Says: 3 Jul 2008

    Thank you all for your comments. The displaced people living around the park will the ones hired for the press operations. But, we will certainly be creating awareness among the ICCN rangers. Yes, National Geographic’s focus on this issue can only help our fundraising efforts. We really need to capitalize on our media exposure while we have to good fortune to have it. Regarding the question of being able to dismantle the charcoal network now that arrest have been made, the short answer is “no”. It’s a bit like “whack the mole” (just a metaphor, of course). The charcoal mafia is very decentralized. The players are numerous and diverse. With people like Paulin Ngobobo back in charge, though, operators will find it more difficult to traffic charcoal. Ultimately, the only way to stop the deforestation is enforcement — and most importantly, by providing economically viable alternatives to charcoal - as Judy suggested.

  6. Lisa, California Lisa, California Says: 7 Jul 2008

    Hi Robert, Good to hear from you again. We know you’ve been very busy. I’m still very much interested in holding an event here in the Los Angeles area. I just sent you an email regarding this. : ) Lisa

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