Comments (3)

By Mom Unplugged, July 30, 2007 7:16 pm

I recently wrote a post about a child who decided to take it upon herself to solve a problem and make a difference in the world. See my post: Involved Kids . In this post, I mention how much easier it seems for children and young people to take action when they sense a need. Adults are often too caught up in the complexities of life to bother.

It was with thoughts of this recently written post fresh in my mind, that I came upon this article in Newsweek magazine: The Flames of Hope (Newsweek, July 16, 2007) about a Berkeley physicist who has invented a stove to be used in Darfur that burns 75% less firewood. This seems unremarkable, but when you consider the unimaginable price women pay to leave their camp to simply collect cookstove firewood in Darfur (rape, mutilation, 7 hours of travel - men can’t go for they would simply be killed), it is a huge asset.

Apparently physicist Ashok Gadgil received a call in 2004 from the U.S. Agency for International Development asking if he could design a press for turning the Darfurians trash into fuel pellets. Gadgil determined that this was not a feasible plan, but rather than give up and carry on with his affairs, he continued to consider the fuel problem. He eventually realized that instead of redesigning the fuel, he could re-engineer the stove. So he did.

The result is an efficient stove that produces the high heat necessary for cooking the Darfurian staple diet of onions, garlic, and okra, resists the strong local winds, and requires 75% less fuel. This of course means fewer risky foraging expeditions and less negative environmental impact from wood harvesting.

The plan is for the stoves to be built locally and rented by the refugees. Obviously this means that money is needed to develop workshops, buy tools, provide training, and purchase inventory for the manufacture of the stoves. If you want to learn more, the project’s website is: Darfur Stoves Project. By the way, just $20 will provide a stove for a Darfur family.

Obviously the ideal solution would be to end the horrible situation in Darfur. But in the meantime, this project seems that it could at least help improve the refugees’ living conditions to some small extent.

I find people like Mr. Gadgil and 14 year-old Savannah Walters to be truly inspirational. As one of my commenters on the Involved Kids post said about her young daughter:

“So far, I’ve decided the best way for her to learn is by example, and I need to do a better job of that.” - Jenny, of Wildwood Cottage

Well, so do I Jenny. Perhaps my blog can be a motivating force for me in my efforts to overcome inertia and do what I know is right: set a good example for my children by volunteering to help others. Unfortunately I can’t single-handedly “Save Darfur,” but hopefully I can instill in my children a conscience and a desire to do good in the world. If everyone on this planet simply did that, then perhaps another Darfur would be less likely to occur.

(The June 2007 Oprah Magazine also featured a small article about the project: Fueling Hope.)

Thanks to morguefile.com and photographer Mike Reid.

Comments (4)

By Mom Unplugged, July 27, 2007 7:50 am

I may be unplugged at home, but here at my Dad’s house there is TV. On Tuesday evening I saw a segment on CNN called CNN Heroes. It featured a 14 year-old girl from Tampa, Florida named Savannah Walters who has taken it upon herself to educate drivers about the gasoline that is wasted by underinflated tires. Click here to watch. Here is also another portion of the interview with Savannah that did not make it to the brief CNN Heroes clip.

Savannah has launched educational campaigns in 15 states (Pump ‘em Up) and passed out 10,000 donated tire gauges! Simply by properly inflating our tires, we could easily collectively save a huge amount of gas. What an easy way to make an enormous positive impact on the environment!

What really struck me about this story however, was how this young girl (9 years-old at the time she began her crusade) simply decided that something needed to be done, AND DID IT! Why is it so hard for us grownups to take action when we see a need? Most adults can’t get it together to do this (myself included).

Savannah fell in love with the Arctic after her second grade class did an in-depth project about it. Saving the Arctic has been her passion ever since.

One day, environmental activist Lenny Kohm received a phone call from 9 year-old Savanna who said the “she wanted to call him and her Mom said it was OK.” He told her about the underinflated tire issue and her response was “So why don’t people pump them up?” Lenny said, “So why don’t you tell them to?” And she did.Perhaps children retain a simple logic, unadulterated by negativity, “baggage” and life’s other complications. Maybe that is why Savannah could do what so few of us adults can do.

As parents I believe that we should encourage that urge to take action when we see the spark in our children. Savannah’s parents obviously did it. I must remember this and follow it through rather than dismiss it and send them outside to play, by far the “easier” short-term choice.

Several months ago my children and I got into a conversation about how there are many people in the world who do not have enough to eat. In fact there are many people in our area who do not have enough to eat. This was an unfathomable concept for my kids.

I told them about our town soup kitchen and how local people donate food and volunteer to help feed the hungry of the community. My 6 year-old daughter said she wanted to go help too. I said that I would take her there to volunteer one day. But, I am ashamed to say that I have not yet done it despite frequent requests from her that we do so.

When I return from vacation I must remember Savannah. If I want my children to make a difference in this world then I must encourage them to follow their altruistic urges as they arise. My daughter and I will go to the soup kitchen and she will see families (many with children like her) who do not have enough to eat. Who knows where that might lead. She may not become the next Savannah, but at least she will have an understanding of other people’s lives and some of the many problems of this world that urgently need changing.For more information on starting your own Pump’em Up Chapter or hosting an event, please check out the

Pump’em Up website.

Thanks to morguefile.com and photographer Mary Vogt for this photo.