* '''Indian government clears plan for sixty solar cities''' - The Indian Government will kick off an ambitious scheme to develop sixty solar cities in two years. It will be done in collaboration with city corporations, municipalities and district councils. The focus will be on renewable energy devices such as kitchen waste-based plants, solar water heating systems, solar cooking systems, solar steam generation, drying and air heating systems, solar air-conditioning, bio-mass gasification based systems and biogas. [http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/govt-clears-plan-60-solar-cities-208 Read more...]
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* '''U.S. Department of State awards $100,000 grant to Turkish foundation''' - The grant will allow the [[Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work]] (FSWW) to launch a year-long solar cooking project. The project will have two phases. During the first phase, educational seminars about the effects of climate change are planned in several communities — Istanbul, the Marmara district of Bandırma, the southern province of Hatay and the southeastern province of Mardin. Renewable energy sources will be discussed as alternatives to smokey cooking fires. An estimated 2,000 solar cookers will be built and sold by women’s groups during the second phase of the project, providing needed income opportunities. [http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=four-innovative-women-projects-get-us-funding-2011-01-24 Read more...]
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{{SeeAlso|Current news}}
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* '''Flood-affected Pakistanis receive solar generators and cookers''' -- The people of Swat, [[Pakistan]] have received solar-powered energy generators for electricity and solar-powered cooking equipment funded by a leading Berlin-based non-governmental organization, [[German Aid for Afghan Children]] (GAAC). The organization has begun one million Euros relief and reconstruction work in the Khyber Pakhtunhwa's districts worst hit by floods. GAAC had announced in 2010 the distribution of solar-powered lithium-ion batteries to generate electricity and solar cooking equipment for the planned 1000 families of Swat, Nowshera, Pabbi and Bannu districts. [http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/wire-news-display/1344743867.html Read more...]
*'''Missed the SCInet Solar Cooking Convention 2014?''' - [[SCInet Solar Cooking Convention 2014#On-demand video presentations|Watch all of the presentation videos on demand...]]''' '''
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*'''Celebrity chef José Andrés wants to cook cleaner this year''' - Writing in National Geographic, [[José Andrés]] discusses his New Year's Resolutions which include the goal to "cook cleaner"! [http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2015/01/28/jose-andres-my-new-years-resolutions/ Read article...]
* '''ID Cook offers Portable snap-together parabolic solar cooker''' - Based in [[France]], [[ID Cook]] markets the [[Cookup200]]. A clever design, it is assembled quickly from notched pieces that fit together without fasteners. When disassembled, it is easily transported in a relatively compact travel bag. Typically this style of cooker is constructed with fairly heavy materials, and a single piece reflector. Parabolic cookers are often used at a single location. This [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPluZ_tCxE video] of the lightweight solar cooker demonstrates its assembly, operation, and portability.
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[[File:SCI_exhibition_at_the_UN_1-20-11.jpg|thumb|325px|[[Solar Cookers International]] exhibition at the UN.]]
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* '''Solar Cookers International exhibition and reception at the Untied Nations a success''' - Representatives from non-governmental organizations and interested supporters attended the three-hour, open-house event put on by [[Solar Cookers International]] on January 18th. The concept of solar cooking is so important, that representatives from [[Nigeria]], the Middle East, [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], and [[Somalia]] made it through freezing, blowing rain to attend the exhibition. A wide variety of solar cookers were on display with informational material accompanying the cookers. Video loops played throughout the evening, showing real people around the world cooking with the sun and training others to do so. There was a real urgency at the exhibition that the message of solar cooking be strong, unified, and be present in global discussions of development and progress for people around the world.
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[[File:Solar_Cooking_in_the_Sahel_map,_1-19-15.png|thumb|Solar Cooking in the Sahel - ''NOWCAST''|300px]]
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* '''African solar cooking partnership project visited by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the [[United States|U.S.]] Vice President''' - [[Lift Up Africa]] is a strong believer that partnering and sharing resources is a key to successful implementation and sustainability. This project was designed to introduce solar cooking and related technologies to ten communities in [[Kenya]]. The partnership relied on [[Africa HEART]], a Kenyan-based NGO recently visited by Vice President Biden’s wife Dr. Jill Biden, to identify three community groups in each district, the fifty trainees in each community, and training venues. Africa HEART covered expenses and handling logistics related to transport for the solar cooking equipment, distribution venues, and follow-up on usage and other needs. [[Solar Cookers International East Africa Office]] (SCI-EA) provided the trainers and supplies, written reports, and conducted the training. Lift Up Africa provided a grant to cover direct expenses related to equipment purchase and SCI-EA’s travel, partnership connections, and worked with Africa HEART on follow-up and project evaluation. This project was a success and 150 families, approximately 1,200 people, have benefited from their new training and solar cooking equipment. This project demonstrates the value of independent organizations working together, each providing their area of expertise, to achieve substantial results. Hopefully, this will be a continuing pattern for projects initiated by members of the [[Solar Cookers World Network]].
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*'''Available sunshine in the Sahel region of Africa documented''' - Authors, Beth Newton, Sophie Cowie, [[Derk Rijks]], Jamie Banks, Helen Brindley, and John h. Marsham have published a well-documented analysis of the potential sunshine available for solar cooking in the Sahel region, particularly in northern [[Chad]] where a number of Sudanese [[refugee camps]] are located. [[TchadSolaire]] has been training both refugees and the indigenous population to solar cook in the region since 2005. Even along river population centers where clouds tend to form, solar cooking is possible for over 330 days a year. Read more: [[Media:Solar_Cooking_in_the_Sahel,_NowCast,_1-19-15.pdf|Solar Cooking in the Sahel]] - ''NOWCAST''
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*[[File:Keshav Srushti 1.png|thumb|right|350px|Thousands of students gather in Mumbai, India for a record-breaking solar cooking event.]]'''15,000 students in Mumbai solar cook and set world-record''' - In an event organized by [[Keshav Srushti]], 15,000 students from 80 schools in Mumbai, [[India]] set a new world record for the largest-ever solar cooking gathering. Each student was given a solar cooker and taught how to assemble and use it as part of a national campaign to spread awareness of the importance of solar technology. C Vidyasagar Rao, governor of {{State|Maharashtra}} and Ashish Shelar, minister of state, Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, attended the record-setting gathering. Read more at: [http://www.iamin.in/en/mumbai-north-west/news/over-15000-students-create-new-world-record-solar-cooking-50453 Over 15,000 students create a new world-record in solar cooking]
[[File:R20-bakery-March-2014.jpg|175px|thumb|[http://regions20.org/about/news/121-invitation-to-tender-for-solar-ovens-under-the-framework-of-our-solar-bakery-project-in-burundi Regions 20] inagurates the new [[solar bakery]] project in Burundi.]]
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* '''Haiti - One year later''' - [[Haiti]] continues to benefit from solar cooking. [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) and [[International Child Care Ministries]] (ICCM) are working to expand a project in the schools around Port Au Prince to integrate solar cooking into the 5th grade science curriculum. The goal is that each student will receive a [[CooKit]] to use each day in preparing and cooking their lunch, all the time learning about science. Training and certification of teachers continues, as do SCI’s efforts to secure funding to provide 2000 more CooKits for this school project. To date, SCI has provided 200 CooKits, pots and [[Water Pasteurization Indicator]]s (WAPIs) for four schools. With [http://www.solarcookers.org/support/donations.html your help], we will achieve our goal of 2000 more! Reaching students in their classrooms, teaching a new lifestyle habit, while at the same time providing environment education is a winning program. Background: SCI, in collaboration with [[Sun Ovens International]] and ICCM, distributed over 400 CooKits in Haiti immediately following the devastating earthquake there. Near the community of Pigeon, 135 Haitians were trained in solar cooking by [[Programme Energie Solaire]]. Each participant received a CooKit, a [[pot]] and a WAPI, giving these earthquake survivors a method to cook their food and [[pasteurize]] their water without need of scarce and expensive fuel. Solar cooking is technology that offers relief in disaster situations: 1) When infrastructures are in ruins and no energy or gas is available, solar cooking utilizes the sun to cook hot food; 2) When fuel is scarce, cooking with the sun offers a clean, workable solution; 3) Solar cookers fight cholera by heating water to pasteurization temperatures (65°C or 150°F); and 4) Using a solar cooker requires only the sun, and does not necessitate searching for other forms of fuel. Families can stay together and remain safe. SCI thanks you for your ongoing support for solar cooking in Haiti.
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*'''The solar bakery project in Burundi is up and running!''' - Each solar oven for the new [[bakery]] in Gitega, [[Burundi]], is capable of baking hundreds of loaves of bread each day. The ovens will allow the users to save over 150 tons of [[firewood]] each year, which results in the reduction of around 277 tons of [[Greenhouse effect|greenhouse gas emissions]] annually. The project creates a new economic opportunity for the local bakers, now in a smoke-free setting. Read more at: [http://regions20.org/about/news/154-r20-and-local-partner-cirid-host-inauguration-ceremony-of-solar-bakery-project-in-gitega-burundi R20 and local partner, CIRID, host inauguration ceremony of solar bakery project in Gitega, Burundi]
*'''Latest Nasa data shows elevated CO<sub>2</sub> levels over Africa and South America''' - According to [http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30399073 this BBC article], "Also apparent are the higher concentrations over South America and southern Africa. These are likely the result of biomass burning in these regions."
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*'''Solar Cookers International remembers Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis''' - As co-founder of [[Jewish World Watch]], Rabbi Schulweis was a visionary behind efforts like the Solar Cooker Project to empower and [[Touloum Refugee Camp|protect refugee women]] fleeing the Darfur crisis. He will be missed. [http://www.jewishjournal.com/obituaries/article/rabbi_harold_m._schulweis_world_renown_innovative_synagogue_leader_89 His obituary] is available online.
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*'''José Andrés details his use of solar cookers at Life is Beautiful event in National Geographic''' - In an article for National Geographic, Chef [[José Andrés]] writes about his pop-up restaurant, Sunny Day, which he opened at the Life is Beatufiul event in Las Vegas, NV. Sunny Day used solar cookers to cook their signature dish, vegetarian tacos, during the day and clean-burining ethanol in the evening. [http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/15/life-is-beautiful/?sf6344569=1 Read article...]
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*'''Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant featured in The Guardian''' - [[Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant]], the traveling solar restaurant from Catalan designer [http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mart%C3%AD_Guix%C3%A9 Martí Guixé], Chef Antto Melasniemi and Lapin Kulta beer, was featured in an article in The Guardian as an innovative user of solar energy. The piece discusses the journey of this experimental solar restaurant, including how they were able to cook in [[Finland]] in -15°C. Also featured are new innovations in photovoltaic technology, a new apartment in Hamburg, [[Germany]] which grows algae for fuel with solar energy, and simple method for water disinfection. [http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/dec/09/we-want-the-black-hole-of-sunlight-solar-power-breaks-new-frontiers?CMP=share_btn_tw Read article...]
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[[File:Basin-from-above-web.jpg|thumb|330px|[[Bjorn Qorn]] makes popcorn for sale with their [[:Category:In-the-ground solar cooker designs|In-the-ground solar cooker]].]]
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*'''Another business uses solar cooking to prepare their product''' - New-member [[Bjorn Qorn]] located in {{state|New York}}, [[USA]], has created a large [[:Category:In-the-ground solar cooker designs|In-the-ground]] solar cooker to cook their locally-harvested corn for sale as popcorn.
*'''José Andrés discusses solar and efficient cooking in Time Magazine''' - As part of the "What I'm Thankful For" series, celebrity chef, [[José Andrés]], explains that he is thankful that his family has a simple and safe method to cook their food, and how solar cooking and other fuel-efficient cooking methods are bringing this benefit to the world's poor, for whom access to traditional cooking fuels is becoming more difficult and expensive every year. [http://time.com/3595356/jose-andres-time-for-thanks/ Read more...]
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[[File:Hillary Rodham Clinton Cookstoves Future Summit|thumb|right|335 px]]
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*'''Hillary Clinton acknowledges solar cooking's role in solving cooking fuel crisis''' - In her keynote speech at a Global Alliance meeting, Hillary Clinton stated that students from the Clinton School of Public Service had traveled overseas to teach solar cooking.
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*[http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Special:UserSignup Create an account] and [http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Special:UserSignup log in] to turn off most of the ads on this site.
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*EG Solar has created a clever animated video short explaining the benefits of solar cooking - Visit [[EG Solar]].
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::[[File:The Solar Cooker by EG Solar e.V.-0|thumb|none|335 px]]
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*'''New SCInet members''' - The SCInet wishes to welcome new members [[Engineers Without Borders - Sweden]], established by Swedish engineer Stefan Karnebäck, working on [[water pasteurization]] projects in [[Cameroon]], and [[Bjorn Qorn]] with their solar-cooked popcorn business.
*'''José Andrés debuts Sunny Day pop-up restaurant at Life is Beautiful festival''' - At the Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, NV, [[José Andrés]] debuted Sunny Day, his new solar-powered pop-up restaurant. His goal for the new pop-up restaurant is to educate Americans about clean cooking around the world. [http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/10/24/jose-andres-clean-cookstoves-mission Interview with José Andrés].
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[[File:Wonderbag_image,_11-13-13.jpg|thumb|200px|Sarah Collins with the [[Wonderbag]]]]
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*'''Heat-retention cooker receives world attention''' - [[Wonderbag]] reports that over 650,000 of the brightly colored [[heat-retention cooking]] bags have been distributed worldwide.
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[[File:Morpho_Solar,_IEEE_Spectrum,_10-9-14.png|thumb|200px|[[Guro Seim]], the CEO of [[Morpho Solar]], and [[Catlin Powers]], COO of [[One Earth Designs]], prepare a meal on a [[SolSource]] solar cooker. - ''Morpho Solar'']]
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[[File:Solar Cooker Success in Afghanistan!|thumb|right|200 px]]
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*'''Solar cooking in the Navajo nation''' - [[Raquel Redshirt]] presented her solar cooker design at the TEDxABQ 2014 conference in Albuquerque, NM on September, 6 2014. She stated that her solar cooker was a more health-conscious option in her community which has a high rate of diabetes.
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*''' Norwegian start-up company tackles heat storage for solar cookers''' - [[Guro Seim]], CEO of [[Morpho Solar]], announced a breakthrough in the [[heat storage]] capabilities for solar cookers. [http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/green-tech/solar/solar-cookers-get-hot Read more...]
[[File:Tirupati_solar_installation.jpg|thumb|300px|[[India]]'s richest temple, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, uses a solar-powered [[Scheffler Community Kitchen]] to feed tens of thousands of people every day.]]
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*'''Institutional solar cooking gains momentum in India''' - A [http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=68779 news release] from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in [[India]], reporting on important activities in 2010, states: Solar concentrating systems, comprising automatically tracked of parabolic dishes, have been found to be useful for generating steam to cook food for hundreds and thousands of people in community kitchens especially at religious places such as Shirdi, Mount Abu, Tirupati etc. The world’s largest system is functioning at Shirdi for cooking food for 20,000 people/day. These systems have found good applications for air conditioning and laundry also and a few demonstration plants have recently been installed. A total of around 80 concentrating systems of different capacities covering 25,000 sq.m. of dish area are functioning in the country, largely for cooking purpose. During 2010, 15 such systems were sanctioned covering a dish area of around 3000 sq.m. See [[Scheffler Community Kitchen]].
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*'''Global Hope Network International delivers solar cookers to Afghanistan '''- The [[Global Hope Network International]] reports its recent success in transporting 300 solar cookers to rural villages in central [[Afghanistan]] where all 300 were purchased by villagers.
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*'''The [[Solar Cookers World Network]] needs to be heard from.''' In September U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the new [[Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves]], that hopes to raise more than $250 million to help create “a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions” benefiting 100 million homes by 2020. She spoke of the urgency to find alternative solutions to open-fire, and dirty-stove cooking. A solar cooker is quite obviously a clean cookstove. Hundreds of millions of poor people live where the sun provides free energy for cooking and [[water pasteurization]]. They live where forests have been decimated for use as cooking fuel. Solar cooking is part of the solution. Fuel-efficient stoves do reduce the use of wood, dung, and charcoal and are part of the ongoing solution in partnership with solar cooking and [[heat-retention cooking]]. Solar Cookers World Network needs to mobilize to raise a unified voice advocating solar cooking. [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) and [[Solar Household Energy]] (SHE) will coordinate a collective, strategic response and welcome members’ assistance. The SCWNet has quietly grown to include about one-half of the world’s experts and active promoters of solar cookers and solar food processors. In addition to the above task, our goal for 2011 is to recruit the other half to double SCWNet’s response capacity for opportunities like the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. [http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrnov10.htm#SCWNet More details and information on participating.]
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*'''Increased demand and success for solar cooking in Mauritania''' - [[Solar Clutch]] has teamed up with Lutheran World Federation to introduce solar cooking to [[refugees]] entering [[Mauritania]]. Read more at: [[Media:Solar_Clutch_Report_Mauritania_2014.pdf|Solar Cooker Report Mauritania, April 2014]]
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* '''Solar Cookers International's newsletter published''' - The [http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrnov10.htm November 2010 issue] of [[Solar Cooker Review]], [[Solar Cookers International]]'s newsletter, is now online.
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*'''Gourmet cook shifts to solar catering '''- Pierre-André Aubert used a mobile solar kitchen unit with an 8m² [[Scheffler Reflector]], mounted on a trailer, in summer 2014 to cook for various events in the south of [[France]]. {{GoogleLinkFromFrench|http://loubebert.info/blog/index.php?post/2014/08/19/Des-nouvelles-du-Gers|More info...}}
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[[Video:Get Beyond Firewood|thumb|400px|right]]
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*'''Get Beyond Firewood''' - A recent video produced by the [http://womensrefugeecommission.org/programs/firewood Womens Refugee Commission] is a poignant reminder that the need to get past using [[firewood]] as a cooking fuel is great, and immediate. Limited forested areas are being depleted, and the [[smoke]] from cooking fires is causing respiratory illness. Also, sadly, women living in distressed areas are putting their lives on the line, facing possible assualt when they leave their homes in search for fuel to simply be able to cook for their families. However, solar cooking has begun to be an important part of the solution. Investigate work being done in [[refugee camps]].
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*'''New SCInet members''' - The SCInet wishes to welcome new member [[Clement Musonda]], an engineer promoting solar cooking in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[John Futhey]], a solar cooker designer in Santa Rosa, {{State|California}}, [[USA]].
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[[File:Copenhagen_Solar_Cooker_Light_016.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light]] preparing a meal.]]
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==September 2014==
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*'''The search for simple, sturdy, easy-to-use solar cookers''' - The [[Copenhagen Solar Cooker Light]], designed by [[Sharon Clausson]], is a compact, inexpensive [[solar panel cooker]] made from durable, reflective vinyl panels. The panels bolt to a base plate, and clip to each other to create the panel cooker shape. Disassembly is quick, and the cooker conveniently packs flat for easy transport. The designer states that the curved shape of the cooker is more stable than typical panel cookers in windy conditions.
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[[File:Climate_Healers_parabolic_cooker_with_PV_panel.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Climate Healers]] [[butterfly]]-style [[parabolic solar cooker]] with attached photovoltaic cell phone charger.]]
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*'''Solar cookers and cell phones working together''' - [[Climate Healers]] is a non-profit corporation based in {{state|California|California}}, [[USA]], that has been formed to combat the climate crisis. Reforestation is a major part of their work. They also work to slow further deforestation in areas where the demand is high for wood and [[charcoal]] used for cooking. Initial projects have begun in [[India]]. They see solar cooking as an important alternative cooking method to help save remaining forests. When introducing solar cooking to new areas, recruiting local residents to become trainers and mentors for the community has historically been a successful strategy. Climate Healers, however, has taken the innovative approach by creating an incentive based system incorporating cell phone use. Their solution is to provide solar cookers with integrated charging stations, along with cell phones and LED lights at no cost to members of the community. The cell phones are configured to measure the usage of the cookers as they get charged, and then rewards are issued in the form of cell phone talk time proportional to the usage.
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<td style="font-size:125%"> Read the [[Media:Scr_sep14.pdf|Fall 2014 issue of Solar Cooker Review]]<br />...or see [[Solar_Cooker_Review#Back_issues|back issues]].</td></tr></table>
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::[[File:Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Solar Cooker Research|thumb|none|335 px|Under the direction of physics professor Dr. [[Peter Schwartz]], a team of physics and engineering students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California are conducting research on a [[Cal Poly Scheffler Reflector|simplified Scheffler reflector design]] that could be used by people in developing countries to heat water and cook food. They are also researching hybrid technologies that combine the use of a solar reflector and a [[Rocket Stove]] for uninterrupted cooking.]]
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::[[File:Dr. Bing Gu, CEO California Sunlight|thumb|none|335 px|Dr. [[Bing Gu]] was interviewed at the [[SCInet Solar Cooking Convention 2014]]. His Fresnel lens solar thermal cooking device can reach 315° (600°F), can [[track the sun]] and can [[store heat]] for nighttime cooking. He is seeking investors so [[California Sunlight Corporation]] can begin mass production.]]
*'''New SCInet members''' - The SCInet wishes to welcome new members, the [[C.V. Ramen College of Engineering]], under the leadership of Sanjib Rout in India. Also California, USA educator [[Sheela Kiiskila]], and [[Koku Selom Agbavito]], Executive Director of [[A.V.E.S-TOGO]]. Also, [[Irene Perbal]] from Jackson, California, USA has joined, and is represented by [[Solar Cooking Plus]].
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[[File:Jose'_Andre's_photo.jpg|thumb|150px|Chef [[José Andrés]] Listen to a recent [http://thekojonnamdishow.org/audio-player?nid=17843 interview].]]
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* '''Celebrity chef helps in Haiti''' - This past year [[José Andrés]], an internationally known chef and social activist, has been doing his part to help the people of [[Haiti]]. When he had lost power at his own home for a few days, following a severe snowstorm, he discovered the magic of solar cooking. He was amazed how efficiently a [[parabolic solar cooker]], which had been given to him and had sat unused, performed on a cold but cloudless day. In spring 2010 he was part of a team from [[Solar For Hope]], which headed to Haiti to help with earthquake relief. As part of their efforts they distributed [[parabolic solar cooker]]s and provided training. He feels the parabolic cooker is well-suited to prepare the traditional local fried food recipes. Andrés believes a pressurized cook pot is also a valuable asset to promote with solar cooking. It can shorten cooking times, and provide additional cooking, once the pot is removed from the oven. Listen to a recent [http://thekojonnamdishow.org/audio-player?nid=17843 interview] with José about the project. Inspired by his initial experience in Haiti, José created the [[World Central Kitchen]], a foundation focused on feeding vulnerable people, supporting the local agricultural economy through local food purchases, and promoting nutritious foods, recipes, and environmentally sustainable cooking fuels and technologies. José is returning to Haiti, and the World Central Kitchen, in partnership with Grameen Creative Lab, is planning to build a commercial kitchen with the capacity to feed 10,000 people daily. The goal is to create a sustainable "social business" for the people that have the least. They plan to serve a nearby orphanage, school, hospital, and local residents. Solar cookers will be play a central role in the project.
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[[File:Sun_Juicer_image,_8-21-14.jpg|thumb|250px|[[The Sun Juicer]] lightweight parabolic solar cooker]]
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*<gallery type="slideshow" crop="true">
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*'''Successful Kickstarter for the Sun Juicer''' - Congratulations to Leonel Gotlibowski and the [[Sun Juicer]] on their successful Kickstarter campaign! They set a goal of $15,000 and raised a total of $19,152. They describe the Sun Juicer as an emergency ultralight, compact, [[parabolic solar cooker]]. [https://www.facebook.com/thesunjuicer Read more...]
</gallery> [http://www.flickr.com/photos/350org/sets/72157625478427318/ The photos are in!] As part of a [http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=257816&id=12185972707 350.org project titled "eARTh BIG Pictures - Climate Art Visible from Space,"] the Canary Project and local Cape Town, [[South Africa]] citizens created an enormous solar sun out of 70 [[parabolic solar cooker]]s with the “rays” being on-the-ground tables where the local community will feast on traditional food made in the solar cookers. The solar cookers will be donated to the Khayelitsha community of Cape Town where many people do not have access to electricity. Each cooker lasts for 10 years and requires no fossil fuels, saving money for families while also protecting their health and the environment. Watch a [http://vimeo.com/17373864 video] of the event.
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*'''Update on Jewish World Watch Solar Cooker Project''' - [[Jewish World Watch]] published their [http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SCP_Newsletter_Summer2014_v12.pdf Summer 2014 Solar Cooker Project newsletter]. It offers background information on their [[refugee camp]] projects, highlights of the latest developments, and how to support it moving forward. Jewish World Watch reports that it has distributed approximately 128,000 [[CooKit]]s with participation rates of 75% to 100% in the camps where they have worked: [[Kounoungou Refugee Camp|Kounoungou]], [[Mile Refugee Camp|Mile]], [[Oure Cassoni Refugee Camp|Oure Cassoni]], [[Touloum Refugee Camp|Touloum]], and [[Iridimi Refugee Camp|Iridimi]]. They also plan to provide an additional cooking pot for 10,000 families. [http://www.jewishworldwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SCP_Newsletter_Summer2014_v12.pdf Read more...]
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*[[Clean Currents]], a mid-Atlantic states provider of wind power through the electric grid, announced it is partnering with [[Solar Cookers International]] for its annual holiday giving campaign. From now through January 12, 2011, which is the one-year anniversary of [[Haiti]]’s devastating earthquake, they will donate a portion of proceeds from every residential wind power enrollment to the purchase and distribution of solar cookers in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), only 12% of Haiti's population had piped, treated water before the earthquake, and now the situation is worse. Access to [[Water pasteurization|pasteurized drinking water]] is the most effective deterrent to cholera, which is spreading quickly throughout Port-Au-Prince’s slums and displaced persons camps. Solar cookers are an effective way to provide water safe for drinking, off-grid, and without fuel other than abundant sunshine.
*[http://mgafrica.com/article/2014-08-15-from-wonderbags-to-solar-cooking-innovative-solutions-to-africas-charcoal-problem/ From 'Wonderbags' to solar cooking, brilliant solutions to Africa's alarming charcoal problem] - ''Mali & Guardian Africa'' (See also: [[Wonderbag]] page)
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[[File:Energy_needs_graph_(image_sharpened),_Ajay_Chandak,_8-12-14.jpg|thumb|350px|Energy needs graph of the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home, Mylapore, Chennai, [[India]] - ''[[Ajay Chandak]]'']]
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*[http://www.350.org/en/about/blogs/cooking-your-food-sun-south-africa Cooking your food with the sun in South Africa, November 27th, 2010] Imagine if you used the sun to cook your food instead of using the electricity or gas? Well, in the sunny balmy climate of Cape Town, [[South Africa]] they are doing just that! On November 27, 2010, 1,000 people will sit down for a meal together that will be cooked exclusively with solar cookers. But before the community sits down to feast they will engage in an intergalactic photo shoot. They will create the adjacent image out of the solar cookers and will have a 59 second window where the design will be photographed from a passing satellite. People all over the world are joining this event in South Africa by donating $150 to buy a large solar cooker for this event as way to help find a permanent solution to carbon reduction in the Khayelitsha neighborhood of Cape Town. [http://www.350.org/en/about/blogs/cooking-your-food-sun-south-africa More information...] - ''350.org''
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*'''Institutional solar cooker with heat storage allows cooking after sunset''' - Commissioned on October 26, 2013, the steam-based [[ARUN®100]] solar cooking system at the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home, Mylapore, Chennai in [[India]] now allows early morning and evening cooking. The accompanying graph shows when they need to cook and when the mid-day sun recharges the system. Read more about it at: [[Media:SCI_news_2.pdf|ARUN®100 with Thermal Storage at Ramkrishna Mission, Chennai]] - ''[[Ajay Chandak]]''
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[[File:Suryakumbh_2014.png|thumb|350px|3,484 children from 80+ schools participated in the previous world's largest solar cooking class in Mumbai.]]
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[[File:Neppler_&_Stevenson_water_pasteurizer.jpg|thumb|250px|Bob Nepper and Bill Stevenson with their water pasteurizer]]
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*'''The stage is set for the next world's largest solar cooking workshop''' - A Bhayander, [[India]] based NGO, [[Keshav Srushti]], in a bid to spread awareness on solar cooking, will be gathering 25,000 students from 500 schools across Mumbai on January 15, 2015 to cook solar-powered dishes. [http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-ngo-to-hold-maha-suryakumbh-with-25000-students-2009258 Read more...]
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*[http://oakdalelakeelmoreview.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=233&ArticleID=6980 Retired 3M engineers create a solar water pasteurizer for use in Third World countries.] Inspired by the potential capacity for heat transfer they saw in plastic political signs, Bob Nepper and Bill Stevenson, long time members of the [[Solar Oven Society]] in {{State|Minnesota|Minnesota}}, [[USA]], set about designing their version of a water purifier. Water is first filtered, then passes through a field of channels in a black corrugated plastic collector. When the water reaches 71°C (160°F), and is suitable for drinking, a thermostat will open and allow the potable water to flow into an adjacent bucket. Capacity for the system is approximately four gallons of pasteurized water per hour. For more information on this concept, see [[Flow-through water pasteurization device]], and more on their design at [[Nepper and Stevenson water pasteurizer]].
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*'''The Solar Cooker Project helps to improve the lives of Darfur refugees.''' In May, 2006, [[Jewish World Watch]] began a partnership with [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) and the [[KoZon Foundation]] to expand access to solar cookers for Darfur refugees and improve the lives of over 4,000 families at [[Iridimi Refugee Camp]] in [[Chad]]. The project improves the safety and survival of women in the [[refugee camps]] and is run on the ground by the NGO Tchad Solaire ("Chad Sun"). Below is a recent video describing their efforts.
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[[Video:Solar Cooker Project for Women from Darfur|thumb|350px|left]]
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{{clr}}
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*'''Solar Cookers International contributes data for US-Africa Leaders Summit''' - President Barack Obama announced August 6th, 2014 that the U.S. NGO community invested over $1.5 billion in Africa in 2013 and anticipates investing another $4 billion over the next three years. Solar Cookers International (SCI) was one of the members of the InterAction network collaborating to collect data on U.S. NGO aid spending in Africa. See information on [http://www.solarcookers.org/what/projects SCI’s current projects] and the [http://www.interaction.org/document/15-billion-invested-africa-us-ngos-last-year news release].
[[Video:Disaster Relief Technology|thumb|300px|[[Pat McArdle]] interviewed about disaster relief technology.]]
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*'''Disaster relief preparedness:''' [[Pat McArdle]] is interviewed about [[Solar Cookers International]]'s participation at a disaster relief technology gathering held recently in Washington D.C., [[USA]]. The goal is to be able to share information more quickly, facilitating faster response times with aid when natural disasters occur.
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*'''Solar Cookers International is hiring!''' - Based on needs identified at the recent SCInet Solar Cooking Convention, SCI is hiring a full-time Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist to promote data collection and project evaluation practices within the global solar cooking sector. Read [http://www.solarcookers.org/about/career-and-internship-opportunities/monitoring-and-evaluation-specialist/ full job description].
*'''The [[Solar Nest]] is a worthy contender for an oven made of the simplest materials.''' A [[solar panel cooker]] can be fabricated with only cardboard, tin foil, and glue, but the Solar Nest can make use of dried ground cover to provide the insulated structure for a [[solar box cooker]]. Basically, it involves digging a hollow in a bed of dry wood chips (or other insulating material) and placing the cooking pot on a metal tray down into it. Then create a simple seal over the hollow by placing a wooden frame with plastic sheeting attached on top. Inside, the pot also has a plastic cover laid on top. For areas where it is not possible to use ground cover for insulation, experimentation has been done using shredded coconut husks, held in plastic netting as an alternative. The work and testing of the Solar Nest is being done by Dr. [[John Barker]]. See more about the oven and the results of his testing at [[Solar Nest]].
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==September2010==
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==July 2014==
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*'''New video from Pat McArdle where people from all around the world tell why they solar cook:'''
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[[File:BBC_Scheffler_oven_photo.jpg..jpg|thumb|300px|Watch BBC video: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11385534 How solar stoves cut cooking smoke].]]
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<table style="margin-left:33px"><tr><td>[[File:Yes We Do Solar Cook|thumb|none|500 px]]</td></tr></table>
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*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11381760 Global Bid to Tackle Cooking Smoke] US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has announced a global partnership to tackle the scourge of toxic smoke from indoor cooking fires. Cooking smoke is estimated to shorten the lives of 1.9 million people a year; it also contributes to climate change. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a partnership between the US government and other nations along with charitable foundations. It is believed to be the first major attempt to tackle the issue worldwide. The project will attempt to build on national programs already underway in India, Mexico and Peru. It aims to introduce modern low-pollution stoves to the homes of 100 million poor people by 2020. Clean stoves run on biomass (with chimneys and clean-burn mechanisms), or gas, or on solar power. Watch BBC video: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11385534 How solar stoves cut cooking smoke].
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[[File:Sacramento_festival_2014.jpg|200px|thumb|Solar Cooking Festival 2014, Sacramento, {{state|California|CA}}, [[USA]]]]
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*'''Apply for a [[Partnership for Clean Indoor Air]] (PICA) award.''' Gain global recognition for your program's innovative approaches and outstanding results. Entry deadline is November 22, 2010, and awards are to be presented during the 5th Biennial PCIA Forum in Lima, [[Peru]]. [http://www.pciaonline.org/2011Forum/Awards Apply for an award].
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*'''Solar cooking conference extols virtues of cookers to developing world''' (Sacramento Bee) - Hundreds of people Saturday cooked using only the power of the sun – a practice little used in the United States, but considered a liberating tool for women in developing countries that also helps curb greenhouse gas emissions. [http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/19/6568302/solar-cooking-conference-extols.html Read more...]
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[[File:SolSource_3-in-1_in_China_4-24-10.jpg|thumb|150px|[[SolSource 3-in-1]] in use with Himalayan community members.]]
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*'''The SolSource solar oven wins 500K EU in the Green Challenge'''. Once again the [[SolSource 3-in-1]] has impressed the jury, and won the Dutch, Postcode Lottery Green Challenge. The Postcode Lottery Green Challenge award is a startup competition run by the Dutch Postcode Lottery with 500,000 EU ($666,200 US) up for grabs for the winner and 200,000 EU ($260,500 US) for the runner-up. All entries must have the potential to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in a measurable fashion. From an impressive field of young entrepreneurs, the jury chose 25-year old [[Scot Frank]] of [[One Earth Designs]] as the winner for his company’s SolSource solar oven. The SolSource 3-in-1 combination is a solar cooker, heater, and electricity generator. It was inspired by the time Frabj spent in the Himalayas (the product has been tested there for 3 years), where women spend many hours a day collecting dung and wood fuels for cooking and heating. This process leads to deforestation, and many tribes in the Himalayas are rapidly running out of their traditional fuel sources. Families also breathe toxic indoor air pollution from the fire. Indoor air pollution is one of the world’s biggest killers of children under five, claiming 1.6 million lives per year. [http://venturebeat.com/2010/09/23/the-solsource-solar-oven-wins-500k-eu-in-the-green-challenge/ More Information...]
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[[File:UMS_students_with_cookers.jpg|thumb|250px| Indonesian students with their solar cookers.]]
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*'''Indonesia:''' Difficulties faced by rural folk in getting cooking gas supply has inspired Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students to create solar cookers as an alternative to traditional cooking methods.
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[[File:Ron_Mutebi_Uganda_photo_9-1-10.jpg|thumb|250px|Ron Mutebi demonstrates a [[GlobalSun Oven]] in[[Uganda]]]]
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[[File:Resilience_mulitple_pot_fireless_cooker,_7-7-14.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[heat-retention cooker]] designed for multiple pots.]]
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* '''The value of heat-retention cooking reviewed''' - Kris De Decker, author and founder of Low-Tech Magazine, reviews the history of [[heat-retention cooking]] and its value when used with solar cookers. [http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2014/07/cooking-pot-insulation-key-to-sustainable-cooking.html If We Insulate Our Houses, Why Not Our Cooking Pots?]
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* [http://www.america.gov/st/business-english/2010/August/20100831164225cpataruk0.857124.html?CP.rss=true Businessman in Chicago Launches Solar Ovens in Uganda] An immigrant from [[Uganda]], now residing in Chicago, [[USA]], has used the first portion of a $100,000 business competition prize to begin setting up an operation in his homeland to produce and distribute solar ovens. [[Ron Mutebi]] won his prize at the African Diaspora Marketplace competition in Washington in January. Mutebi arranged to ship from Chicago the components for 365 solar ovens and tools to assemble them in July. The shipment is scheduled to arrive in Uganda in October. In November, Mutebi will travel to Uganda to oversee the completion of an assembly plant and the training of staff to produce, distribute and service the cookers, made by [[Sun Ovens International]] in Elgin, Illinois. The ovens will appear in Ugandan markets in January 2011.
*'''Solar cooking "Avon Ladies" in Zambia''' - The [[Solar Health and Education Project]] (SHEP) began in 2007 to fund solar cooking workshops in rural areas of [[Zambia]], and also with the urban poor in the Livingstone area. The main goal of the workshops was to introduce solar cooking methods to the community in a sustainable fashion. Most at the workshop have little education, but are completely sold on harvesting the sun for their daily needs of cooking fuel. The team, with direction from [[Alison Curtis]], developed a system to appoint a local leader at the workshop to follow-up with a group of participants to help and encourage using the new cookers. Now, three years later, the solar team has ten excellent leaders who take turns spreading the solar news by setting up at shows, events, museum gatherings, school playgrounds, clinics and so on. These unschooled women leaders have learned to fill in a simple form, which SHEP developed with their input, so they have the knowledge to complete a request for funds themselves. The headmaster at the nursery school reads these requests and grants the money from SHEP to hold the demonstration or workshop. The women do the shopping, keep receipts, hold the event and then fill in a very basic report. They are paid for their workshop day @ $2.00 per event. The women are quite resourceful, as they have learned to make [[Cookit]]s from cartons and reflective Crisp wrappers found in the trash.
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<br>
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*Solar Cooking in Africa - A Remarkable Technology Transfer
:[[Video:Solar Cooking in Africa - A Remarkable Technology Transfer|none|400px]]
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* [[Media:A new turn toward solar cooking.pdf|A New Turn Toward Solar Cooking]] - ''Pia Piroschka Otte''. Learn how solar cookers are accepted and used in [[Burkina Faso]] and [[India]]. This paper discusses six case-studies from the two countries where [[Scheffler Community Kitchen|Scheffler reflectors]] were used by a diverse selection of institutions. More information about how solar cooker use can vary between cultures can be found on the [[Solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables|solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables]] page.
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<br>
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*[[Media:Solar_cooker_acceptance_-_Dar_Curtis_-_June_2010.pdf|New research reconfirms acceptance of solar cooking]] - ''[[Solar Household Energy]]''
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*[http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/eat/solar-cooking-fuel-emissions-baking-method/ Solar Cooking: The No-Fuel, No-Emissions Way to Make Dinner] - ''Edible Manhattan''
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*'''Solar Cookers for Africa: Solar Caravan 2010''' - [[SunFire Solutions]] is an NGO in [[South Africa]] that has partnered with [[Solar Cookers for Africa]] to create the Caravan as a way to reach the portions of the population that live in areas typically difficult to reach. It will be a convoy of knowledge, experience, and partnerships in the area of sustainable household and community technologies and practices. The Caravan will start in [[Mozambique]], to eventually cover most of Southern Africa. Far from relying in the knowledge and resources of a few, the Caravan will link experts, product suppliers, communities and funders. Starting in August 2010, a core team of 4 people from 3 countries will start traveling from Johannesburg, South Africa, towards Beira, Mozambique. In each community the Caravan visits, its members will be presented with a flexible curriculum of applied introductory workshops and demonstrations about the core topics and technologies. One fixed workshop module concerns clean energy; another food security, waste management and nutrition. To learn more, see how your experience may be of value, and offer to financial support see: [[Media:The_Solar_Caravan_2010.pdf|Solar Cookers for Africa: Solar Caravan 2010]]
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[[File:Mujeres_Solares_de_Totogalpa_22_new_cookers_2008.jpg|thumb|The [[Solar Women of Totogalpa]] demonstrate their solar cookers.]]
*'''Household air pollution from cooking fires kills more people than malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS combined''' - The journal Nature reports on a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report that states that 4.3 million people die annually from household air pollution caused by polluting biomass stoves used by one-third of the global population. However, efforts to introduce [[Rocket Stove|more efficient biomass stoves]] are failing. Read article in Nature: [http://www.nature.com/news/global-health-deadly-dinners-1.15286 Global health: Deadly dinners]
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*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/jose-andres-thinks-food-can-fix-the-world-starting-in-haiti/2014/06/05/8e4de760-d0cb-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html José Andrés thinks food can fix the world, starting in Haiti] - ''The Washington Post''
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* '''[http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=359740&CategoryId=23558 Nicaraguans Swap Firewood and Fossil Fuels for Solar Energy]''' - ''Latin American Herald Tribune''<br>
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:The [[Solar Women of Totogalpa]] is the name of a cooperative made up of 19 women and a man who are working to promote, produce and do research on renewable energy in the northern province of Madriz, [[Nicaragua]], for the sustainable development of the family and the community. They have been involved in their community for quite a while helping to promote energy production in areas with no traditional source of electricity. Early emphasis was primarily with photo voltaic solar panel installation. After some time, the women agreed that they thought the solar ovens were more a priority, as even with electricity, they were still cooking with wood stoves. Saving the forested areas and smoke elimination while cooking were deemed more important for community health.
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[[File:Shine_On_Save_the_Date.jpg|100px|left]].
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* '''Save the date!''' [[Solar Cookers International]] invites you to attend [[Shine On! 2010]] celebration to be held Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 5:30 - 8:00 pm at the Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St., Sacramento, CA. Guest speaker is Bob Christopherson whose expertise is in geography, with strong interests in polar regions, global climate change, energy issues, and environmental awareness. Music will be by Bob Wren and the Sacramento City College World Music Ensemble.
[[File:Farishta.jpg|thumb|160px|none|[[Solar Cookers International]] board member [[Pat McArdle]]'s novel about solar cooking in [[Afghanistan]] wins [http://goo.gl/tMeN Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award]!]]
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==May 2010==
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==May 2014==
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*'''Your data is requested for NIH household air pollution study''' - [http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-TW-14-008.html Request for Information (RFI): Global Cookstove Distribution Programs and Projects for Evaluation of Health Benefits] - Data submission is due June 30, 2014
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[[File:SCI_Cambodia_5-10.jpg|300px|thumb|Pilot project begins in [[Cambodia]] with [[CooKit]] solar cookers. ]]
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* A pilot project has begun in Tamoung Pha-em, [[Cambodia]] to introduce [[CooKit]] solar cookers to the local community. Similar to many other regions, residents have relied on wood for cooking. The area once surrounded by jungle, has mostly been turned into palm oil fields, leaving scarce wood for cooking. Families have started to rely on kerosene, or walk long distances to get wood. The project is sponsored by [[Global Roots]], a {{State|Washington}} state non-profit. [[Patrick Firouzian]] recently traveled to Tamoung Pha-em with the first cooker to demonstrate it's potential. Dany Pan, a village school teacher, will use the cooker regularly and experiment to adapt local food recipes.
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[[File:Jamhuriat_Girls_School_Kabul_Scheffler_array.jpg..jpg|thumb|300px|[[Scheffler Community Kitchen]] array at the Jamhuriat High School for Girls in Kabul, [[Afghanistan]]]]
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* A [[Scheffler Community Kitchen]] is currently being installed at the Jamhuriat High School for Girls in [[Afghanistan]] through the efforts of [[Solare Brücke]]. Located in the heart of Kabul, it is planned to be operational in June. The school has an enrollment of 1000 girls and the new kitchen will serve approximately 700 students who have lunch at the school each day. Everyone there looks forward to stop using the wood-fired kitchen stove, and are quite proud that the entire new solar kitchen has been produced in Afghanistan.
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[[File:Pat McArdle small.JPG|thumb|130px|[[Pat McArdle]]'s solar cooking novel among Amazon finalists]]
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* In solar cooking advocate [[Pat McArdle]]'s novel, inspired by the year she spent in northern [[Afghanistan]] with the British Army, the fictional heroine introduces solar cooking to people living in remote villages in the Hindu Kush (just like Pat did when she was in Afghanistan). On Tuesday May 25, Amazon announced that Pat's novel is one of three finalists (out of 5,000 entries) in the General Fiction category of this year's [http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award] contest. The winner (who will receiving a publishing contract from Penguin Books) will be determined only by the number of votes received from Amazon customers before 11:59 p.m. EST on June 2. The publication of ''Farishta'' as a breakout work of popular fiction has the potential to expose millions of readers to sustainable solar cooking technology wrapped in a compelling plot with an international cast of characters. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/ref=amb_link_352998802_6?location=http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/ABNA/farishta_excerpt.pdf&token=957BBB0669152D76BE1C614537975585163C1748&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=1KH6DM36WQ3ZHAM97CM8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1264161282&pf_rd_i=332264011 Read an excerpt] and [http://goo.gl/sTer vote]. If you are already an Amazon customer, voting takes less than one minute.
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<table><tr>
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* [http://solarmoxie.blogspot.com/2009/10/chad-solar-cooking-project-evaluation.html Chad Solar Cooking Project Evaluation photos and commentary] - ''[[Karyn Ellis]]''
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default [[Media:Scr_may14.pdf]]
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<td style="font-size:125%"> Read the [[Media:Scr_may14.pdf|Spring 2014 issue of Solar Cooker Review]]<br />...or see [[Solar_Cooker_Review#Back_issues|back issues]].</td></tr></table>
*Asian air pollution (partly from cooking fires) reached the US:
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*'''Photo of reciprocal light creates new approach to solar cooker testing''' - [http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Earthbound_Technology#Recent_news_and_developments William Bradley, founder of Earthbound Technology, has been developing a new way to be able to analyze potential performance of solar cookers]
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<table cellpadding="2" valign="top"><tr>
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<td>[[Video:Air pollution from Asia reaches US shores|none|300px]]</td>
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<td valign="top">With a large ocean on either side of their countries, most North Americans do not consider the fact that the smoke from fuelwood burned in other countries can reach them. This video shows a cloud of carbon monixide migrating from Asia to the US. See [[Global dimming]] for more information.</td>
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</tr></table>
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[[File:Ewb-Iran-April-2014.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Engineers Without Borders - Iran]] solar cooking workshop]]
*'''Solar cooking advocate in Iran trains high school students''' - [[Soheil Salimi]], a twenty-two year old civil engineering student, has started a chapter of [[Engineers Without Borders - Iran]], and has begun organizing solar cooking workshops in his free time. His latest class was at the Hafez high school for girls. Read more about his projects on his [[Soheil Salimi|personal page]].
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[[File:SolSource_3-in-1_in_China_4-24-10.jpg|thumb|150px|[[SolSource 3-in-1]] in use with Himalayan community members.]]
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*'''[[SolSource 3-in-1]] wins National Sustainable Design award.''' The SolSource 3-in-1 combination solar cooker, heater, and electricity generator being developed by Wellesley College, Harvard, MIT, and Qinghai Normal University students has won a P3 national award at the 6th annual National Sustainable Design Expo held at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on April 24-25, 2010. The Expo brings together students, scientists, engineers, and business leaders whose innovative technologies are designed to advance economic growth while reducing environmental impact. A highlight of the Expo was the technologies developed by P3 student teams to address alternative energy, purification and distribution of drinking water, reducing pesticide run-off, green buildings, and more. The student team is working to help bring clean energy to the rural Himalayas. The goal is to promote awareness about energy choices and to make clean energy device manufacture a feasible option for local income generation. They have been working with direction from the non-profit [[One Earth Designs]].
*The [http://solarcooking.org/newsletters/scrapr10.htmApril 2010 issue of Solar Cooker Review] is now online.
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*'''Three cheers for the Girl Scouts''' - [http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/article_b8f2ec44-c6a9-11e3-84f2-0017a43b2370.html Girl Scouts in Texas can now earn a solar energy patch studying solar cooking and photovoltaic electrical generation]
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*'''German solar cooker manufacturer reaches impressive milestone''' - [[Stephan Zech]], with [[Sun and Ice]], reports that they have distributed 50,000 [[parabolic solar cooker]]s in the last ten years.
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*'''Afghan Scouts Harness Solar Energy''' - U.S. Army Soldiers are teaming with the Afghan Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts in Kabul, [[Afghanistan]] reducing the need to use wood as a fuel source. Through finding an alternate fuel source they are helping to create a cleaner Afghan environment while creating a more economical way of cooking. The solution: a solar oven, a box with a glass lid and reflective panels that absorb energy from the sun, trapping the energy inside the box to heat food and water. Solar ovens can bake, fry or steam any type of food. [http://www.ntm-a.com/blog/2-categoryblog-general/427-afghan-scouts-harness-solar-energy?lang= More Information]
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==March 2010==
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==March 2014==
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*[http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Testing#Recent_news_and_developments Former SCI board member Paul Funk to participate in establishing cookstove and clean cooking solutions standards]
[[File:Solar_Women_of_Totogalpa_baking_photo_4-24-10.jpg|thumb|250px|Nicaraguan group [[Solar Women of Totogalpa]] prepares baked goods for sale]]
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*'''How solar energy empowers women, youth in rural Nicaragua''' - Forty years ago Sabana Grande was ravaged by war. Now you will find people sitting under solar-powered lights, eating solar-cooked chicken, and drinking smoothies made by a bicycle-powered blender. Sabana Grande has embraced a solar culture that has transformed the community. [http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2014/0320/How-solar-energy-empowers-women-youth-in-rural-Nicaragua Read more...] (See also [[Solar restaurants and bakeries|other solar restaurants and bakeries]].)
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*Mexican teens have constructed their own solar ovens for the school hot lunch program. Utilizing the enthusiastic energy of teens, [[Peter Edmunds]] is introducing a solar-powered school hot lunch program into an economically disadvantaged Mexican middle school. The dream that the dusty border town of Palomas will become "the most solar-conscious town in [[Mexico]]" is closer to reality with four student-constructed solar ovens in place and in use. Edmunds, 71, a New Mexican retiree, founded the nonprofit organization [[Border Partners]] last year to address poverty in the desolate US-Mexico border area of Columbus, NM and Palomas, Mexico. [http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5449113-teens-construct-own-solar-oven-school-hot-lunch-program Teens construct solar ovens]
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* ''' NGO initiates second phase of solar bakery project in Burundi''' - [http://regions20.org/about/news/129-r20-initiates-second-phase-of-solar-bakery-project-in-burundi Regions 20] continues its efforts to help local bakers organize their solar bakery. [http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Burundi#News_and_Recent_Developments More information...] <b>Update: The deadline to submit proposals to supply the solar ovens has been extended.</b>. Interested parties will find more information here: [[Media:Invitation-to-Tender_Solar_Ovens.pdf|Invitation to Tender For Solar Bakery Project, Burundi]]. The scale of the project may be rather small, but the funding and implementation is coming from world leaders in the field of economic and environmental relief.
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[[Video:Shirdi - Solar Cooking for 100,000 - CNN.flv|right|300px]]
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*[http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Kawesa_Mukasa#Recent_news_and_developments Renewable Energy Cooking Resource Center under construction in Biharwe, Uganda]
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*The world's largest solar cooking system was recently put into service. It is located in the holy town of Shirdi, [[India]]. Feeding the pilgrims that make an annual visit to the town has historically been done with conventional ovens, with recurring issues of fuel supply and air quality. Through the efforts and engineering of [[Deepak Gadhia]] and his wife, [[Shirin Gadhia]], they have brought this largest solar cooking installation constructed to date, to Shirdi. They began working on the design in Germany before bringing the technology to India. Deepak is a specialist in energy conservation and management, and Shirin has a doctorate in genetic engineering. They worked with the proven designs of of the [[Scheffler Community Kitchen|Scheffler parabolic solar oven]] as the basis for their system. The array incorporates seventy-three large parabolic dishes connected and coordinated with a tracking system to efficiently create the steam for cooking. Talking with CNN correspondent Mallika Kapur, Deepak said that "We soon realized what India needed was appropriate technology, not high technology". This region in India benefits from approximately 320 sunny days per year. During the monsoon season the existing boiler is used for cooking for the few days without sunshine.
*[http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/India#News_and_Recent_Developments School in Ladakh, India saves $23,000 USD in annual fuel costs with solar cookers]
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*[[Darwin Curtis#Recent news and developments|Darwin Curtis receives SCI Order of Excellence 2013]]
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*Video showing hundreds of [[CooKit]]s in use at the [[Touloum Refugee Camp]] in [[Chad]].
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*[[Friends of the Old#Recent news and developments|Friends of the Old in Kenya continues to distribute 100 safe water packages each month]]
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[[File:French_solar_food_cart,_2-10-14.jpg|188px|thumb|See [[Sun and Ice#News and recent developments|Sun and Ice]].]]
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:[[Video:Les femmes réfugiées du Darfour cuisinent solaire|305px|none|]]
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*'''French solar cuisine done with style - ''' [[Sun and Ice]] shares photos of one of their reflectors incorporated into a portable solar kitchen, created by one of their customers in [[France]]. The small, trailered construction is a rolling work of art. See more photos on the [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.605247826234177.1073741835.182264431865854&type=1 facebook page.]
* [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) is proud to receive funding from The Agua Fund, Inc. for the SCInet Wiki. Read SCI’s current [[Media:SCI_Annual_Report_2012-2013.pdf|Annual Report]].
*'''February 25, 2010:''' With hundreds of thousands of Haitians homeless and living in tent camps, [[Sun Ovens International]] is continuing to place as many ovens in camps as possible. In late February, [[Paul Munsen]] traveled to Haiti and initiated distribution and training in seven tent camps. A committee was formed in each camp to determine who would receive the [[Sun Oven]]s and look for ways to increase utilization. At each location many people who were not able to receive a Sun Ovens pleaded for additional ovens. For additional information about Sun Ovens International's work in Haiti, [http://www.sunoven.com/international/haiti.php click here]. As shown in the photos below, camps are in open fields, schoolyards or anywhere space is available. Previously trained staff from ''Programme Energie Solaire'' of the Free Methodist Inland Mission have been employed to conduct training sessions. Paul Munsen loaded his rental car with ovens to take to the camps where he met with a camp committees. Training on the use of [[WAPI]]s for [[water pasteurization]] was also provided. Children and adults were eager to learn how to cook with the sun. [[Haiti#News_and_Recent_Developments|See more photos]].
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[[File:SunFocus_hybrid_cooker_2,_1-29-14.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[SunFocus Solar Oven]]]]
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*'''Hybrid solar cooker includes electrical back-up option''' - Since 2010, David Chalker, founder of the [[Sun BD Corporation]], has been working on a version of a [[solar box cooker]] that includes an electrical heating element, rated at 465 watts / 120v. The [[SunFocus]] has a built-in thermostat which will turn off the electrical heating element once the cooker has reached 150°C (300°F). The cookers are made in Waterloo, {{state|New York}}, [[USA]].
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[[File:MiniSun12H_rechargable_lamp,_1-24-14.jpg|thumb|300px|The [http://www.minisun12h.org MiniSun12H] lamp recharges in sunlight.]]
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*<span style="color:red">'''''Helping Haiti:'''''</span> Donate $40 to Solar Cookers International's (SCI) Haiti Project to quickly put a solar cooking kit ([[CooKit]], [[pot]], and [[WAPI]]) into the hands of a Haitian family affected by the recent devastating earthquake. SC) is partnering with [[Sun Ovens International]] and [[Friends of Haiti Organization]] to send as many solar cookers as possible to Haiti in a shipping container leaving on March 25, 2010. [https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11207811 Donate here!]
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*'''Solar cooking works with solar lighting to help families save money''' - [[Stephen Pearson]], founder of [[SUN-LIFE]], has been helping residents of [[Ghana]] for many years save on cooking fuel expense by learning to use the [[CooKit]] solar cooker. His new goal is to help these families further reduce their kerosene usage by offering a low cost portable lamp to replace their fuel-burning lanterns. The new [http://www.minisun12h.org MiniSun12H] lamp has an integrated photovoltaic panel to recharge the lamp during the day. The projected retail price for the lamp is $5 USD. His reasoning is; if a family can save on cooking fuel using the CooKit, then they will have enough money to be able to buy the new lamp. Using both approaches, the families should be able to save $50-100 USD on kerosene expense annually. Money is saved, and [[indoor air pollution]] is reduced. You can help him with this project by supporting his efforts at [http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/goodbye-dangerous-kerosene-hello-safe-solar-minisun12h Indiegogo] fund raising. You can learn more about the new lamp in this short [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7-vhlAefeU video].
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*'''International aid organization seeks solar cookers for bakery in Burundi''' - The global relief organization [http://www.regions20.org R20-Regions of Climate Action] has organized a solar bakery project in Rutegama, [[Burundi]]. Currently the bakery, in operation since 2006, has relied on wood-fired ovens, with the wood needing to be gathered by the women working at the bakery. They are soliciting proposals from tenders interested in providing three institutional solar ovens required to convert the bakery to solar. The ovens must be limited to three meters (a little under 10 ft.) in height, and if carried, weighing no more than 10 kg (22 lbs.). <b>Update: new deadline of offers to be submitted by Friday 28th February 2014</b>. Interested parties will find more information here: [[Media:Invitation-to-Tender_Solar_Ovens.pdf|Invitation to Tender For Solar Bakery Project, Burundi]]. The scale of the project may be rather small, but the funding and implementation is coming from world leaders in the field of economic and environmental relief.
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[[File:Touloum_November_2009_refugee_woman_with_baby.jpg|thumb|200px|Darfur refugees cooking with [[CooKit]]s at the [[Touloum Refugee Camp]] in [[Chad]]]]
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* [[Media:Touloum Refugee Camp Evaluation - November 2009.pdf|Evaluation report from a November 2009 on site visit]] to the [[Touloum Refugee Camp]] shows strong uptake of solar cooking by refugee families.
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[[File:Chile_box_cookers_2,_Guai_Bao,_1-14-14.jpg|thumb|300px|Recently constructed [[solar box cooker]]s in Ovalle, [[Chile]].]]
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*'''February 15:''' [[Haiti]] update: [[Jack Anderson]] reports: [[Paul Munsen]] is going to Port-au-Prince next week to establish some connections with the Free Methodists and others. There could be as many as 80 [[Sun Oven]]s there that didn't get crushed or damaged. Right now I am trying to connect with experienced trainers that might take jobs in any of the projects that surface. So it is a planning and capacity building phase that we are in. The energy, consciousness and cooperation among all of our solar colleagues is very inspiring and somewhat humbling in the face of such a huge catastrophe.
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*'''New solar cookers ready for distribution in Chile''' - Guai Bao, traveling in [[Chile]], sent along this photo of newly constructed [[solar box cooker]]s at a manufacturing facility in Ovalle. The cookers are well thought out. They are sturdy with insulated inner walls, and an internal high-back reflector to catch the sun. The front wall is low and slightly tipped forward to avoid blocking any sunlight. The external side reflectors appear to be able swing closed and protect the glass surface. They look ready to start cooking sitting on the small tables, which provides a convenient work height for users. The cooker construction is being supervised by [[Ruddy Viscarra]]. See more [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.10152103262019407&type=1 assembly photos] on [https://www.facebook.com/groups/scwnet facebook].
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[[File:Suryakumbh_2014.png|thumb|300px|3,484 children from 80+ schools participated in the world's largest solar cooking class in Mumbai. [http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-3484-kids-take-part-in-largest-solar-cooking-session-set-guinness-record-1945468 Read more...]]]
*'''India raises the bar for the world's largest solar cooking class''' - "As many as 3,484 children from over 80 schools participated in the largest solar cooking initiative Suryakumbha on January 4th, which has qualified as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records. The emergence of renewable sources of energy as an answer to the imminent exhaustion of conventional energy sources pushed a Bhayander NGO, Keshav Srushti, to start with the most influential members of society, children." The class was held in Mumbai, [[India]]. [http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-3484-kids-take-part-in-largest-solar-cooking-session-set-guinness-record-1945468 Read more...]
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*[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5205895,00.html Cooking with the power of the sun] - ''Deutsche Welle''
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*[http://thebarbwire.blogspot.com/2010/01/from-dr-judy-ann-fisher-in-haiti-on-sun.html Solar ovens "cooking up a storm" for quake victims in Petite Riviere De Nippes, Haiti].
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[[File:Villager_DPRK.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Villager Sun Oven]] can cook large amounts of food.]]
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*'''January 29: [[Sun Ovens International]] Update:''' Much progress has been made in the efforts to expand the use of Sun Ovens to [[Haiti]]. On January 28, 2010, 2 large [[Villager Sun Oven]]s, 160 [[Global Sun Oven]]s, 200 [[CooKit]]s and 2,000 [[Water Pasteurization Indicator]]s (WAPIs) have been shipped. In addition, arrangements are underway for 297 Haitian made Global Sun Ovens from the assembly plant in Lambert Haiti to be distributed to families left homeless by the recent earthquake. A shipment of parts to reopen the assembly plant is scheduled for February 8. A partnership has been initiated with Bright Hope International, an NGO which has been working in Haiti for more than 15 years. The majority of the Sun Ovens will be distributed to families living in a tent city which has sprung up at a garbage dump in Port au Prince. Bright Hope is currently providing food and medicine to 429 families at this location. Some of the ovens will also be used in tent cities in Pignon which is 79 miles north of Port-au-Prince and has doubled in size from 35,000 to 65,000 people in the past two weeks. [[Paul Munsen]] will be traveling to Haiti in early February to assist in the distribution and training. Bright Hope plans to send additional shipments to Haiti of food, medicine and Sun Ovens throughout the month of February. With hundreds of thousands of Haitians homeless and living in make shift tent camps the need for Sun Ovens is immense. Most of the tent camps and are using charcoal to cook. The smoke in these camps strains the health of women and children who are all ready malnourished and dehydrated. The cost of each Sun Oven with two pots and WAPIs is $199. Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated. Donations should be made out to Friends of Haiti Organization, PO Box 222, Holland, OH 43528, USA (Please note the donation is for the Sun Oven project.)
*The January 2014 issue of [[Solar Cooker Review]] is now available online.
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*[http://www.recorderonline.com/news/wapis-44322-haiti-rotary.html Water Pasteurization Indicators set to go to Haiti] - ''Recorder Online''
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*[[Kevin Adair]] discussed solar cookers and help for [[Haiti]] on Chicago Public Radio's Worldview program on Thursday, January 21. [http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/content.aspx?audioID=39496 Listen on-demand here].
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==2013==
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{{Main|Solar cooking news archive 2013}}
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==2012==
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*[http://www.capradio.org/articles/articledetail.aspx?articleid=7705 Solar Cookers Head to Haiti] (Audio) - ''Capital Public Radio''
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{{Main|Solar cooking news archive 2012}}
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*[http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/19/2178696.aspx Solar Salvation for Haiti?] - ''MSNBC''
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[[File:Haiti Project Kit.jpg|thumb|200px|<span style="color:red">'''''Helping Haiti:'''''</span> Support the January 28th shipment of 200 solar oven kits to Haiti. [https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11207811 Donate here!]]]
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*<span style="color:red">'''''Helping Haiti:'''''</span> [https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11207811 Donate $40 to SCI's Haiti Project] to quickly put a solar cooking kit ([[CooKit]], [[Media:3-liter_roaster.jpg|pot]], and [[WAPI]]) into the hands of a Haitian family affected by the recent devastating earthquake. [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) is partnering with [[Sun Ovens International]] and [[Friends of Haiti Organization]] (FOHO) to send as many solar cookers as possible to Haiti in a shipping container leaving on January 28, 2010. There is room in the January container for 200 extra solar cooking kits along with [[Global Sun Oven]]s from Sun Ovens International and 270,000 meals being provided by [http://www.fmsc.org Feed My Starving Children] (donations also accepted here). Other shipping containers will follow. You can also support the work of other NGOs promoting solar cooking in Haiti by going to our [[Haiti|Haiti page]].
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==2011==
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*[[Media:PCIA-Bulletin-Issue-22.pdf|Issue #22 of the PCIA Bulletin]] from the [[Partnership for Clean Indoor Air]] is dedicated to the role that solar cooking can play in reducing indoor air pollution.
Celebrity chef José Andrés wants to cook cleaner this year - Writing in National Geographic, José Andrés discusses his New Year's Resolutions which include the goal to "cook cleaner"! Read article...
Solar Cooking in the Sahel - NOWCAST
Available sunshine in the Sahel region of Africa documented - Authors, Beth Newton, Sophie Cowie, Derk Rijks, Jamie Banks, Helen Brindley, and John h. Marsham have published a well-documented analysis of the potential sunshine available for solar cooking in the Sahel region, particularly in northern Chad where a number of Sudanese refugee camps are located. TchadSolaire has been training both refugees and the indigenous population to solar cook in the region since 2005. Even along river population centers where clouds tend to form, solar cooking is possible for over 330 days a year. Read more: Solar Cooking in the Sahel - NOWCAST
Thousands of students gather in Mumbai, India for a record-breaking solar cooking event.
15,000 students in Mumbai solar cook and set world-record - In an event organized by Keshav Srushti, 15,000 students from 80 schools in Mumbai, India set a new world record for the largest-ever solar cooking gathering. Each student was given a solar cooker and taught how to assemble and use it as part of a national campaign to spread awareness of the importance of solar technology. C Vidyasagar Rao, governor of Maharashtra and Ashish Shelar, minister of state, Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, attended the record-setting gathering. Read more at: Over 15,000 students create a new world-record in solar cooking
Latest Nasa data shows elevated CO2 levels over Africa and South America - According to this BBC article, "Also apparent are the higher concentrations over South America and southern Africa. These are likely the result of biomass burning in these regions."
Solar Cookers International remembers Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis - As co-founder of Jewish World Watch, Rabbi Schulweis was a visionary behind efforts like the Solar Cooker Project to empower and protect refugee women fleeing the Darfur crisis. He will be missed. His obituary is available online.
José Andrés details his use of solar cookers at Life is Beautiful event in National Geographic - In an article for National Geographic, Chef José Andrés writes about his pop-up restaurant, Sunny Day, which he opened at the Life is Beatufiul event in Las Vegas, NV. Sunny Day used solar cookers to cook their signature dish, vegetarian tacos, during the day and clean-burining ethanol in the evening. Read article...
Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant featured in The Guardian - Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen Restaurant, the traveling solar restaurant from Catalan designer Martí Guixé, Chef Antto Melasniemi and Lapin Kulta beer, was featured in an article in The Guardian as an innovative user of solar energy. The piece discusses the journey of this experimental solar restaurant, including how they were able to cook in Finland in -15°C. Also featured are new innovations in photovoltaic technology, a new apartment in Hamburg, Germany which grows algae for fuel with solar energy, and simple method for water disinfection. Read article...
Another business uses solar cooking to prepare their product - New-member Bjorn Qorn located in New York, USA, has created a large In-the-ground solar cooker to cook their locally-harvested corn for sale as popcorn.
November 2014
José Andrés discusses solar and efficient cooking in Time Magazine - As part of the "What I'm Thankful For" series, celebrity chef, José Andrés, explains that he is thankful that his family has a simple and safe method to cook their food, and how solar cooking and other fuel-efficient cooking methods are bringing this benefit to the world's poor, for whom access to traditional cooking fuels is becoming more difficult and expensive every year. Read more...
Hillary Rodham Clinton Cookstoves Future Summit
Hillary Clinton acknowledges solar cooking's role in solving cooking fuel crisis - In her keynote speech at a Global Alliance meeting, Hillary Clinton stated that students from the Clinton School of Public Service had traveled overseas to teach solar cooking.
José Andrés debuts Sunny Day pop-up restaurant at Life is Beautiful festival - At the Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, NV, José Andrés debuted Sunny Day, his new solar-powered pop-up restaurant. His goal for the new pop-up restaurant is to educate Americans about clean cooking around the world. Interview with José Andrés.
Heat-retention cooker receives world attention - Wonderbag reports that over 650,000 of the brightly colored heat-retention cooking bags have been distributed worldwide.
Solar cooking in the Navajo nation - Raquel Redshirt presented her solar cooker design at the TEDxABQ 2014 conference in Albuquerque, NM on September, 6 2014. She stated that her solar cooker was a more health-conscious option in her community which has a high rate of diabetes.
Norwegian start-up company tackles heat storage for solar cookers - Guro Seim, CEO of Morpho Solar, announced a breakthrough in the heat storage capabilities for solar cookers. Read more...
Global Hope Network International delivers solar cookers to Afghanistan - The Global Hope Network International reports its recent success in transporting 300 solar cookers to rural villages in central Afghanistan where all 300 were purchased by villagers.
Gourmet cook shifts to solar catering - Pierre-André Aubert used a mobile solar kitchen unit with an 8m² Scheffler Reflector, mounted on a trailer, in summer 2014 to cook for various events in the south of France. More info... -
Under the direction of physics professor Dr. Peter Schwartz, a team of physics and engineering students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California are conducting research on a simplified Scheffler reflector design that could be used by people in developing countries to heat water and cook food. They are also researching hybrid technologies that combine the use of a solar reflector and a Rocket Stove for uninterrupted cooking.
Successful Kickstarter for the Sun Juicer - Congratulations to Leonel Gotlibowski and the Sun Juicer on their successful Kickstarter campaign! They set a goal of $15,000 and raised a total of $19,152. They describe the Sun Juicer as an emergency ultralight, compact, parabolic solar cooker. Read more...
Update on Jewish World Watch Solar Cooker Project - Jewish World Watch published their Summer 2014 Solar Cooker Project newsletter. It offers background information on their refugee camp projects, highlights of the latest developments, and how to support it moving forward. Jewish World Watch reports that it has distributed approximately 128,000 CooKits with participation rates of 75% to 100% in the camps where they have worked: Kounoungou, Mile, Oure Cassoni, Touloum, and Iridimi. They also plan to provide an additional cooking pot for 10,000 families. Read more...
Energy needs graph of the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home, Mylapore, Chennai, India - Ajay Chandak
Institutional solar cooker with heat storage allows cooking after sunset - Commissioned on October 26, 2013, the steam-based ARUN®100 solar cooking system at the Ram Krishna Mission Student’s Home, Mylapore, Chennai in India now allows early morning and evening cooking. The accompanying graph shows when they need to cook and when the mid-day sun recharges the system. Read more about it at: ARUN®100 with Thermal Storage at Ramkrishna Mission, Chennai - Ajay Chandak
3,484 children from 80+ schools participated in the previous world's largest solar cooking class in Mumbai.
The stage is set for the next world's largest solar cooking workshop - A Bhayander, India based NGO, Keshav Srushti, in a bid to spread awareness on solar cooking, will be gathering 25,000 students from 500 schools across Mumbai on January 15, 2015 to cook solar-powered dishes. Read more...
Solar Cookers International contributes data for US-Africa Leaders Summit - President Barack Obama announced August 6th, 2014 that the U.S. NGO community invested over $1.5 billion in Africa in 2013 and anticipates investing another $4 billion over the next three years. Solar Cookers International (SCI) was one of the members of the InterAction network collaborating to collect data on U.S. NGO aid spending in Africa. See information on SCI’s current projects and the news release.
Solar Cookers International is hiring! - Based on needs identified at the recent SCInet Solar Cooking Convention, SCI is hiring a full-time Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist to promote data collection and project evaluation practices within the global solar cooking sector. Read full job description.
July 2014
New video from Pat McArdle where people from all around the world tell why they solar cook:
Yes We Do Solar Cook
Solar Cooking Festival 2014, Sacramento, California, USA
Solar cooking conference extols virtues of cookers to developing world (Sacramento Bee) - Hundreds of people Saturday cooked using only the power of the sun – a practice little used in the United States, but considered a liberating tool for women in developing countries that also helps curb greenhouse gas emissions. Read more...
Household air pollution from cooking fires kills more people than malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS combined - The journal Nature reports on a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report that states that 4.3 million people die annually from household air pollution caused by polluting biomass stoves used by one-third of the global population. However, efforts to introduce more efficient biomass stoves are failing. Read article in Nature: Global health: Deadly dinners
Solar cooking advocate in Iran trains high school students - Soheil Salimi, a twenty-two year old civil engineering student, has started a chapter of Engineers Without Borders - Iran, and has begun organizing solar cooking workshops in his free time. His latest class was at the Hafez high school for girls. Read more about his projects on his personal page.
German solar cooker manufacturer reaches impressive milestone - Stephan Zech, with Sun and Ice, reports that they have distributed 50,000 parabolic solar cookers in the last ten years.
How solar energy empowers women, youth in rural Nicaragua - Forty years ago Sabana Grande was ravaged by war. Now you will find people sitting under solar-powered lights, eating solar-cooked chicken, and drinking smoothies made by a bicycle-powered blender. Sabana Grande has embraced a solar culture that has transformed the community. Read more... (See also other solar restaurants and bakeries.)
NGO initiates second phase of solar bakery project in Burundi - Regions 20 continues its efforts to help local bakers organize their solar bakery. More information...Update: The deadline to submit proposals to supply the solar ovens has been extended.. Interested parties will find more information here: Invitation to Tender For Solar Bakery Project, Burundi. The scale of the project may be rather small, but the funding and implementation is coming from world leaders in the field of economic and environmental relief.
French solar cuisine done with style - Sun and Ice shares photos of one of their reflectors incorporated into a portable solar kitchen, created by one of their customers in France. The small, trailered construction is a rolling work of art. See more photos on the facebook page.
Hybrid solar cooker includes electrical back-up option - Since 2010, David Chalker, founder of the Sun BD Corporation, has been working on a version of a solar box cooker that includes an electrical heating element, rated at 465 watts / 120v. The SunFocus has a built-in thermostat which will turn off the electrical heating element once the cooker has reached 150°C (300°F). The cookers are made in Waterloo, New York, USA.
Solar cooking works with solar lighting to help families save money - Stephen Pearson, founder of SUN-LIFE, has been helping residents of Ghana for many years save on cooking fuel expense by learning to use the CooKit solar cooker. His new goal is to help these families further reduce their kerosene usage by offering a low cost portable lamp to replace their fuel-burning lanterns. The new MiniSun12H lamp has an integrated photovoltaic panel to recharge the lamp during the day. The projected retail price for the lamp is $5 USD. His reasoning is; if a family can save on cooking fuel using the CooKit, then they will have enough money to be able to buy the new lamp. Using both approaches, the families should be able to save $50-100 USD on kerosene expense annually. Money is saved, and indoor air pollution is reduced. You can help him with this project by supporting his efforts at Indiegogo fund raising. You can learn more about the new lamp in this short video.
International aid organization seeks solar cookers for bakery in Burundi - The global relief organization R20-Regions of Climate Action has organized a solar bakery project in Rutegama, Burundi. Currently the bakery, in operation since 2006, has relied on wood-fired ovens, with the wood needing to be gathered by the women working at the bakery. They are soliciting proposals from tenders interested in providing three institutional solar ovens required to convert the bakery to solar. The ovens must be limited to three meters (a little under 10 ft.) in height, and if carried, weighing no more than 10 kg (22 lbs.). Update: new deadline of offers to be submitted by Friday 28th February 2014. Interested parties will find more information here: Invitation to Tender For Solar Bakery Project, Burundi. The scale of the project may be rather small, but the funding and implementation is coming from world leaders in the field of economic and environmental relief.
New solar cookers ready for distribution in Chile - Guai Bao, traveling in Chile, sent along this photo of newly constructed solar box cookers at a manufacturing facility in Ovalle. The cookers are well thought out. They are sturdy with insulated inner walls, and an internal high-back reflector to catch the sun. The front wall is low and slightly tipped forward to avoid blocking any sunlight. The external side reflectors appear to be able swing closed and protect the glass surface. They look ready to start cooking sitting on the small tables, which provides a convenient work height for users. The cooker construction is being supervised by Ruddy Viscarra. See more assembly photos on facebook.
3,484 children from 80+ schools participated in the world's largest solar cooking class in Mumbai. Read more...
India raises the bar for the world's largest solar cooking class - "As many as 3,484 children from over 80 schools participated in the largest solar cooking initiative Suryakumbha on January 4th, which has qualified as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records. The emergence of renewable sources of energy as an answer to the imminent exhaustion of conventional energy sources pushed a Bhayander NGO, Keshav Srushti, to start with the most influential members of society, children." The class was held in Mumbai, India. Read more...
,_Ajay_Chandak,_8-12-14.jpg){kind=link}
