Green Daily

Just the other day, Shawn reminded us how hazardous it is to burn paper and cardboard. So why in the world would Nairobi instate a program that encourages this act?

Because the government does not recognize Nairobi's slums (like Kibera), those who live there have no city services like trash pickup. The rubbish builds and builds, creating a noxious stench and seeping into the water where children play. But several people - including an environmental firm - have an idea that might change all that.
It's called a community cooker. After trial and error, they came up with a way to burn the slum's trash: burning oil and then mixing it with vaporized water droplets to result in a super-hot smoke without the dangerous toxins.

The cooker is also creating jobs. Young men go around and collect rubbish, which they can exchange for cooking time at the cooker, or hot water for washing. And in addition to sanitizing water, the cooker will soon be used for baking bread and cakes.

Members of the community are also noticing improvement in their general health, now that the rubbish is being cleaned up and properly disposed of.

The project sounds promising - but is the resulting smoke being produced by the cooker actually safe?