Solar Electricity Comes to RCREC

TWP was recently awarded a grant from Namaste Solar in Boulder, Colorado, for the installation of a 2 KW solar electric system at the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center (RCREC). This system will provide renewable energy for RCREC’s facilities, as well as serve as a demonstration for visiting tribal members and a teaching tool for future trainings. The installation will be completed this summer by Namaste and RCREC staff, as part of an interactive workshop on solar electricity.

HAPPY EARTH DAY FROM TREES, WATER & PEOPLE!

Every day is Earth Day at Trees, Water & People.

Our name speaks for itself. We at Trees, Water & People are just that; people who improve other people’s lives by helping communities protect, conserve and manage their precious natural resources EVERYDAY. From our fuel-efficient stoves and tree nurseries, to our solar heating systems and watershed protection programs, we are working EVERYDAY to make a difference for both people and the planet.

Today, TWP would like to thank you for your commitment to making a difference for people and the planet. Celebrate Earth Day every day with Trees, Water & People!

To learn more about TWP and how you can offset your carbon footprint visit www.treeswaterpeople.org.

Yours for a greener tomorrow,

Trees, Water & People

Nicaragua: Healthy Stoves Healthy Families

More than half of the world’s population relies on biomass combustion to meet basic domestic energy needs. Indoor cookstoves can result in extremely high levels of indoor air pollution and can lead to severe respiratory and other health problems. The World Health Organization estimates that pollution from these stoves kills over 1.6 million people worldwide each year.

Traditional indoor cookstoves can result in extremely high levels of Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), a serious health issue in the developing world. IAP is linked to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), both major causes of illness and death. Traditional cookstoves that emit hazardous wood smoke are the main contributors of IAP. Women, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to the toxic gases and fumes, and IAP is the leading cause of morbidity and death for children under five years of age in Latin America. Improved stove technology and commercialization projects have proven very successful at eliminating IAP because they incorporate chimneys into their design which vent the harmful smoke outside the kitchen.

There are solutions to this massive global health problem. In the summer of 2008, a group of Colorado State University students working with Professor Jennifer Peel and Trees, Water & People traveled to El Fortin- a barrio of Granada, Nicaragua- to assess the exposures and health of families using traditional indoor cookstoves.

The families in El Fortin received an improved, more energy-efficient stove with a proper ventilation system. In the summer of 2009, we will return to the community to assess the effectiveness of the new stoves in reducing exposure and improving the health of these families. The study will provide critical evidence about the success of these stoves as a potential solution to this problem affecting families worldwide.

For more information about TWP’s “Improved Cookstove Intervention to Assess Changes in Woodsmoke Exposures and Health Status among Nicaraguan Families” project please go to www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/erhs/Nicaragua

Dear Trees, Water & People,

I hope this note finds you well. I am a Peace Corps Volunteer in
Metapan, the most northwestern region of El Salvador. I have seen your
projects first hand in other parts of the country, and have been
completely blown away. The effect they have on the local communities is
outstanding and impressive.

I am writing to you to find out how I can become involved in these
projects. In my area, reforestation projects and stove projects would
be ideal. I would love to have more information on these projects and
if there would be any opportunity to bring them to Metapan. It would
be really ideal because there are 8 Peace Corps volunteers in the
area, all of who could help organize, facilitate, and sustain these
projects.

Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

Emily Clyne
Voluntaria Cuerpo de Paz
Santa Rita, Metapan
El Salvador