Is the use of fossil fuels a short-term fix which should be replaced by renewable energy in the future?
While Practical Action supports the use of renewable energies where appropriate, there are few renewable energy options that are clean and affordable. One such fuel is biogas from animal dung and other organic waste. Biogas is being introduced in parts of Asia very successfully – there are over 120,000 bio-gasifiers in Nepal alone – but its introduction in Africa has been very limited. Further research and development of renewable, clean cooking fuels will be essential for longer term cooking options. These would additionally reduce national dependence on imported fuels. There is also some exciting work being done around the world developing clean and environmentally friendly fuels such as gelfuel, ethanol and methanol from organic sources. However the problem of global warming is mainly an issue of over consumption in industrialised world. Dealing with the massive over consumption in the west would have a far bigger impact on the threat of global warming than depriving the developing
