Nearly half of the world’s people use biomass fuels such as wood or dried dung to cook their food, and many cook indoors.

Professor Kirk Smith of the University of California, Berkeley studies environmental impacts on human health, and wondered about the impact of smoke on the families.  In the early 1980s he was studying energy use in rural Asia.

“And during that time, I noted the very smoky conditions in village households,” said Smith. “I came back and I thought, well somebody must have looked at the health effects of this, and I could find nothing in the literature.  My students and I looked.  So we did some back-of-the-envelop calculations to figure roughly what kind of air pollution levels might exist, and we could not believe the results of our simple models.”

Later measurements confirmed the estimates: household cooking produces as much smoke as 1,000 cigarettes burning per hour.  His studies show that this leads to nearly two-million premature deaths a year, especially among women and children, and the emissions contribute to climate change.

Air pollution in one part of the world affects the air in another, says the other recipient of this year’s Tyler Prize, John Seinfeld of the California Institute of Technology.

“Emissions from Asia will make it across the Pacific, will be in the air over the United States, and even in some cases be tracked out over the Atlantic heading to Europe,” said Seinfeld. “And so you can think of the northern hemisphere as a big backyard.”

He says the southern hemisphere has the same mixing, and there is long-term interaction between the hemispheres.

Seinfeld says natural and man-made substances interact.

“Every particle in the air anywhere on earth is a little kitchen sink of compounds that come from everywhere,” he said. “So I got interested in understanding what this was, and it was very clear the atmosphere is just a big reactor.”

He says the interactions are complicated.  Human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are warming the atmosphere.  Other man-made and natural substances can accelerate the process, or sometimes slow it. “  The compounds they produce can be harmful to human health.

The scientists say environmental research requires careful measurement. In Guatemala, India, China, and other countries, Kirk Smith has overseen studies to measure household emissions and assess the long-term effects on those exposed to smoke from cooking.

Research teams are also assessing the effectiveness of low-pollution stoves, and Smith foresees widespread use of that technology when the results are in.  He notes that many devices being distributed by non-profit organizations have not been fully tested.

“The motto of my research group is, you do not get what you expect, you get what you inspect,” he said. “So it looks good, but we have to inspect before we can know what to expect.”

He sees the financial burden being shared, as it is now in parts of China, where one third of the cost of a stove is paid by the family that uses it, one third by provincial authorities and one third with credits from the international carbon market.

He says stoves that are proven to be effective at reducing emissions will benefit families and communities and help to clear the air around the world.

Ghana is likely to be listed as a priority country for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) after it officially joined the initiative early this year.

With the US being a key partner, the Alliance, which is 18-months old, is a United Nations Foundation led public-private partnership to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions.

Speaking to journalists across Africa via a teleconference meeting May 4, 2012, Jacob E. Moss, Director of U.S. Cookstoves Initiatives at the Office of the Secretary of State, said “Ghana is likely to be one of the priority countries of the Alliance.”

According to Mr Moss, the Executive Director of the Alliance, Ms. Radha Muthiah, was in Ghana recently and met with the government and “got a very strong positive feedback from them regarding participation from them in the Alliance”.

“So, they formally joined now and they will be working very closely with the Alliance in the coming years,” he added.

The Alliance will soon start a market analysis in Ghana which will look at the consumer side of what the needs are in the country, what foods are cooked, what fuels are available, among others.

They will also be looking at the supply side of “who is manufacturing either clean stoves or clean fuels, or who is interested in the distribution of clean stoves or fuels,” Mr Moss said.

Mr Moss indicated they will be working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country to enhance the smoothness of the initiative.

The Alliance seeks to promote the use of clean energy such as gas for cooking.

According to Kris M. Balderston, Special Representative for Global Partnerships at Office of the US Secretary of State, unclean air from cookstoves, from cooking, kills two million women and children a year and accounts for 20% of the world’s black carbon.

“Every year two million women and children die. This is twice as much as malaria as and considerably more than tuberculosis,” Mr Balderston said.

China’s announcement comes during a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Beijing. Secretary Clinton, who launched the Alliance in September 2010, is a staunch supporter of increasing the global adoption of making clean cooking solutions available to women worldwide and all efforts that seek to reduce the tremendous toll cookstove smoke takes on women around the world. China is the 33^rd country to join the Alliance since its inception.

Exposure to smoke from traditional cook stoves and open fires – the primary means of cooking and heating for 3 billion people in developing countries – causes almost 2 million premature deaths annually, with women and young children affected most.

The majority of China’s rural population, over 800 million people, relies on solid fuels (biomass and coal) for household cooking and heating. According to the World Health Organization, this accounts for more than 380,000 premature deaths annually.

“We welcome China’s leadership role in the Alliance,” says Radha Muthiah, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Their participation is a testament to the country’s long-standing commitment to addressing this devastating health and environmental problem and a tremendous boost to a global effort to foster the universal adoption of clean cooking solutions by making them more accessible and affordable to those who most need them.”

The Alliance’s ‘100 by 20’ goal calls for the adoption of clean cooking solutions in 100 million households by the year 2020. China’s role in this global effort will result in greater collaboration on research and testing, support for the development of robust efficiency and emission standards, and transformative approaches to manufacturing cleaner cookstoves. China will play an essential role in making the Alliance’s goal of universal adoption a reality.

China’s determination to tackle environmental and health problems associated with cooking on traditional cookstoves goes back decades. In the early 1980s, China launched the National Improved Stove Program (NISP), the world’s largest publicly financed initiative to improve cookstove efficiency.

China’s domestic cookstoves industry is one of the world’s largest, with over 100 domestic manufacturers. Chinese manufacturers are experts in stove design, efficiency, and lowered emissions. China’s participation in the Global Alliance opens many avenues for collaboration between Chinese and stove experts worldwide.

“China’s experience in the sector makes it a clear leader among national implementing partners of the Alliance,” adds Muthiah. “Its leadership in manufacturing and exporting clean cookstoves, coupled with its potential role in stoves research and standards, makes it an ideal partner to help lead outreach efforts in Asia and ultimately scale up adoption of clean cooking solutions worldwide.”

About the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a United Nations Foundation led public-private partnership to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. The Alliance’s ‘100 by 20’ goal calls for 100 million homes to adopt clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020. The Alliance is working with more than 350 public, private, and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment, and use of clean cookstoves and fuels in the developing world. Learn more at: www.cleancookstoves.org

For more information, please contact Bea Spadacini at bspadacini@unfoundation.org or by phone at +1.202.247.8832

Saving money is one of the many benefits of clean cookstoves, which use natural gas, solar power or electricity, Kenya, May 2, 2012. .Indoor air pollution emanating from open fires or leaky cookstoves is the fifth-largest health risk in the developing world, according to the World Health Organization. Massive deforestation caused by households collecting firewood is also a huge problem. The use of so-called “clean cookstoves” – stoves that use clean fuel such as natural gas, or cut down on solid fuels such as firewood – is being touted as a way of combating indoor air pollution and deforestation. Aid groups met in Kenya’s capital recently to fine-tune promotion efforts.

Roseline Amondi is making githeri, a traditional dish of maize and beans, for her small restaurant in the informal settlement of Kibera in Kenya’s capital.

She places her sufuria, or cooking pot, on what is called a “clean cookstove,” powered by biogas harnessed from the community toilet.

Amondi says she now pays one-tenth of what she used to when cooking.

“Me, I have a small hotel [restaurant]. I was using wood,” she said. “You can just see that sufuria – it is black. And now, I can cook with gas; it is a pride on my side. In fact, I am very happy, because even charcoal, we buy, and also even wood, we buy at a higher price. But this one is only 10 shillings.”

Saving money is one of the many benefits of clean cookstoves, which use natural gas, solar power or electricity, and can also utilize solid fuels such as firewood or charcoal more efficiently.

“When you have a clean cookstove, the level of particulate emissions, the smoke that you are breathing, is reduced drastically, and therefore you get the health benefits from using a clean cookstove,” said Radha Muthiah, the executive director of the Washington-based Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

Clean cookstoves feature chimneys and other ventilation structures, grills to hold the firewood in place, and insulation.

Traditional cookstoves and open fires release carbon dioxide, methane, and other harmful emissions.

“Traditional stoves can also create indoor air pollution,” said Laura Clough, a market researcher with the Global Village Energy Partnership. “People often cook in small spaces that are not well ventilated, and the smoke and emissions given off can lead to long-term health consequences.”

These consequences include pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Emphysema, cataracts, bronchitis and cardiovascular disease are also risks.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly two million people, 500,000 in East Africa alone, die prematurely every year of illnesses arising from indoor air pollution.

Aid groups are working on promoting and subsidizing clean cookstoves primarily for rural households, which rely heavily on firewood and charcoal to cook their food.

Between 2006 and 2011, GIZ disseminated 1.3 million stoves on a commission basis all across Kenya, saving up to 50 percent of firewood per stove.

“If you calculate that, it’s about 1.4 million tonnes per year saved, which is equivalent to 78,000 hectares of tree cover saved,” said Anna Ingwe, the coordinator of the Kenya Cookstove Program at the German aid agency GIZ.

An important consideration in a rapidly-deforesting region.

NAIROBI (Xinhua) — A home-cooked meal in East Africa , like the rest of the world, is one of the most common daily rituals that bring family members together for an ordinary dinner or a special occasion.

Yet the simple act of cooking at home poses a great danger to nearly three billion people – almost half of the world’s population, and in particular to women and children. East Africa is no stranger to this tragic reality.

This is because many households still rely on wood, charcoal, dung or agricultural waste (also referred to as solid fuels) to cook their meals on open fires or rudimentary and inefficient cook stoves.

This way of cooking produces harmful smoke that in poorly ventilated homes can cause cataracts, pneumonia, low birth weight and even death.

According to the World Health Organisation, smoke from dirty stoves causes almost two million premature deaths every year.

During a stakeholders’ workshop held in Nairobi this week under the umbrella of the Global Alliance for Clean Stoves, which brought together experts from the East African region to discuss how to develop country action plans, it emerged that clean and efficient household cooking solutions could save lives empower women and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market.

“The Alliance calls for 100 million households to adopt clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020 as a concrete step towards universal adoption,” says Radha Muthaiah, the Chief Executive Director of Global Alliance.

“We are working with about 350 public, private and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment and use of clean cookstoves in many emerging markets and developing countries.”

She said East Africa is a priority focus area for the Alliance because of the need and the potential impact in terms of percentage of people using solid fuels (which varies by country but between 60 and 95 percent), environmental and health benefits, scalability potential based on the number of people who currently cook on inefficient stoves, opportunity to test innovative business models, and types of resources that can leverage to support adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels.

Muthaiah said regional governments have an important role to play in ensuring that clean cooking solutions are accessible and affordable.

“They need to prioritize clean cookstoves as a tangible and practical household energy solution. We encourage government agencies to engage through policy regulations, and public awareness campaigns to complement private sector actors in their efforts to create a thriving market for clean cooking solutions.”

The CEO outlined that these efforts will address the current lack of knowledge among users, in affordability of clean stoves, and lack of internationally recognized standards that clearly define what a clean and efficient cookstove is.

A market assessment carried out on the cookstove sector in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania by the Global Village Energy Partnership International (GVEP) – an organization that seeks to increase access to modern energy services to reduce poverty – on behalf of the Global Alliance, showed that around 76 percent of the total population of about 100 million people was using wood fuel predominantly for cooking within rural areas and 15 percent are using charcoal within the urban areas.

“Biomass users within East Africa have experienced increasing fuel prices over the past decade combined with a combined with a consumer inflation of around eleven percent. In Dar-es-salaam a bag of charcoal which cost less than 3 U.S. dollars in 2003 is now estimated to cost as much as 25 dollars, a price increase of over 700 percent,” said Laura Clough of GVEP.

“The use of biomass combined with unsuitable cooking space can contribute to indoor air pollution, which the WHO estimates is responsible for over 50,000 deaths every year in East Africa .”

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), East Africa has a total forest cover of around 18 percent, but this figure is decreasing as forest is cleared for household, economic and agricultural purposes. It is estimated that Uganda lost 25 percent of its forest cover between 1990 and 2005.

A low profit limited company in Kenya has come up with a concept to provide efficient household energy solutions and build sustainable supply chains to be able to get these solutions into people’s households.

“In Kenya we supply efficient household firewood cookstoves that cut firewood consumption by approximately half. Think about the impact it would have on the environment if the three million households in the rural areas of Kenya that use firewood would use just one branch of a tree per day as firewood,” argues Mathew Kimolo of Paradigm Kenya .

The UN Industrial Development Organisatio is working closely with the government of Kenya to promote the use of renewable energy in areas that are not served by the national grid and eliminate the use of kerosene lighting that are used by a majority of rural households by developing a national strategy for clean household energy which has sometimes been referred to as “Kerosene Free Kenya.”

World-Renowned Spanish Chef and Culinary Innovator

Named Dean of Spanish Studies

Introduction of Spanish Studies Marks Official Brand Evolution

From The French Culinary Institute to The International Culinary Center

 New York, NY and Campbell, CA (May 2, 2012) – The International Culinary Center (www.internationalculinarycenter.com), the world’s leading culinary center for education, today announced José Andrés, the internationally recognized Spanish culinary innovator, chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup, as Dean of Spanish Studies. Andrés, a multiple James Beard award-winning chef and one of the most celebrated Spanish chefs in the world, is the force behind dining concepts in a number of restaurants across America, among them Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, China Poblano, minibar by josé andrés, and The Bazaar by José Andrés at The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills. A new branch of The Bazaar by José Andrés will open at The SLS Hotel South Beach later this month. Andrés was just named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by TIME magazine.

Spanish cuisine has become one of the most popular in the world. Yet no one has attempted to create an education program that brings the true soul of Spanish cooking to America. Until now. The International Culinary Center, together with Andrés and Colman Andrews, one of the world’s leading experts on Spanish cuisine, author of the seminal Catalan Cuisine, co-founder of Saveur and Editorial Director of TheDailyMeal.com, will develop a curriculum that can begin to foster new apostles in the art, history, and future of Spanish cuisine. Andrés and Andrews believe that with this education, a new generation of chefs will emerge and bring innovation to a cuisine that has increased dramatically in popularity.

Andrés is the ninth and newest member of The International Culinary Center’s industry-leading deans. The school’s other deans are Jacques Pépin, André Soltner, Jacques Torres, Alain Sailhac, Cesare Casella, Emily Luchetti, David Kinch and Alan Richman.

“I am deeply honored to have been named Dean of The International Culinary Center and to stand next to such a prestigious group of culinary greats, people I have long admired,” said Andrés. “When I came to this country 20 years ago, I knew I wanted to share the story of Spain, but I couldn’t have imagined how much America would embrace Spanish cuisine. Spain’s contributions to America can of course be traced to the very founding of this country, and is still seen today across the nation. But the culture of modern Spain is something many people are still discovering. Over the years, I have cooked for and with many chefs hoping to educate future generations of chefs in order for traditional and modern Spanish cuisine to continue to thrive around the world. I couldn’t be more thrilled about finally bringing that dream to life at The International Culinary Center. And for Spain, and America, the opportunity to provide training and education, to promote tourism and cultural exchange, in order to create jobs is something we strive to accomplish.”

“We are very excited and proud to announce José Andrés as our newest dean and our collaboration with him and Colman Andrews to develop our Spanish culinary program,” said Dorothy Cann Hamilton, CEO and Founder of The International Culinary Center. “With the great demand for skilled professionals in today’s market, we are constantly working to expand our international offerings to aspiring chefs around the world. To more accurately reflect our embrace of all the world’s cuisines – and the way our alumni have embraced them too – there is no better time to officially mark our evolution from The French Culinary Institute into The International Culinary Center to truly represent our leadership in culinary education.”

The Spanish curriculum will cover the country’s history, geography, regional differences and culture as well as a comprehensive understanding of traditional and modern Spanish cuisine, including, but not limited to cooking tools, techniques, tapas, seafood, desserts and wine.

The International Culinary Center’s hands-on education has graduated more than 22,000 alumni worldwide including award-winning Chefs Bobby Flay, David Chang, Dan Barber, Josh Skenes and Christina Tosi. The transition from The French Culinary Institute to The International Culinary Center is an indication of its evolvement into the world’s leading culinary incubator that is continually advancing culinary education and knowledge, producing world-class graduates and expanding its offerings with programs beyond classic culinary and pastry programs, including The Italian Culinary Experience, Cake Techniques and Design, International Bread Baking, Intensive Sommelier Training, Restaurant Management, and now Spanish cuisine. As it continues to define the culinary evolution that is happening worldwide, The International Culinary Center will offer more international programs, more symposiums, and more talent to prepare the food and wine professionals of tomorrow.

For more information on Spanish Studies at The International Culinary Center and to view a video of José Andrés discussing the future of Spanish cuisine, please visit: http://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/courses/ab/study_in_spain.

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 About The International Culinary Center

The International Culinary Center, founded as The French Culinary Institute by Dorothy Cann Hamilton in 1984, is the world’s leading culinary center for education. With locations in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Parma, Italy, The International Culinary Center is a culinary incubator with cutting edge curriculums producing world-class graduates that advance the industry. Its state-of-the-art multi-million dollar kitchens and classrooms provide the very best environments for aspiring chefs and culinary enthusiasts to learn and develop successful careers – from an unmatched six-month career program to serious amateur and recreational classes. The International Culinary Center boasts some of the most world-renowned chefs as its deans including Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, André Soltner, Alain Sailhac, David Kinch, Emily Luchetti, Alan Richman, and Cesare Casella, with José Andrés joining most recently. In addition to its premier culinary education, The International Culinary Center is the leading destination for culinary events, catered and produced exclusively by FCI Catering & Events. The International Culinary Center is home to the Michelin-recommended restaurant L’Ecole in New York City and the Monte Bello Dining Room in California and has published three cookbooks, most recently The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking and the James Beard award-winning books, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine and The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts. For additional information, visit www.internationalculinarycenter.com.

About José Andrés
Named Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, passionate advocate for food and hunger issues, author, educator, television personality and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. TFG is the team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and soon Miami including minibar by josé andrés, Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills. In late 2012, Andrés will present a dining destination at the new Dorado Beach, Ritz Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico. Often credited with introducing Americans to both avant-garde and traditional Spanish cooking, Andrés has played a crucial role in promoting the culture of his native Spain and popularizing its cuisine and classic ingredients in the U.S. For his efforts, the Government of Spain awarded him the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters medallion making him the first chef to receive this recognition. Andrés can be seen on PBS as host and executive producer of Made in Spain. His cookbooks include Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. Andrés also teaches “Science and Cooking” at Harvard. He is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit which aims to feed and empower vulnerable people in humanitarian crises around the world; and he is culinary ambassador to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. He is Chairman Emeritus for DC Central Kitchen, an organization that combats hunger and creates opportunities with culinary training. He was recently named to the 2012 100 Most Influential list by Time magazine. Andrés lives in Washington, DC with his wife and three daughters.

Media Contact

Agnes Hansdorfer

The International Culinary Center

ahansdorfer@intlculcenter.com

(646) 254-7547

Ann McCarthy

ThinkFoodGroup

AnnM@thinkfoodgroup.com

(202) 638-1910 x224