Locally
In some countries people have been known to move to towns specifically because there are wood resources nearby. This is because the task of acquiring fuel for cooking is a constant burden which families are keen to avoid. In certain areas of Mali the average family spends 6 hours a day gathering wood, roots and grasses to burn, resulting in an expanding circle of desert around villages and cities.
Spending so much time gathering wood (both for personal use and to sell to the cities) either results in a loss of otherwise potentially productive time or results in a child (usually a girl) not attending school because they spend their time gathering wood.

In Kenya, the cost of a bundle of firewood which will last a day is around $.50 which is sometimes 25% of the family’s income. In such situations water is rarely if ever boiled to disenfect it, as doing so is too expensive. If such families do not have some other access to potable water, disease is a daily reality.

If, by whatever mechanism, low tech solar concentration technology spreads to such regions the effects could be drastic.

Once solar technolgoy is in place, energy costs cease to be a significant issue. The burden of acquiring energy is lifted and the family becomes more able to deal with other problems. Since energy now costs little the family can now sterilize water and will no longer be burdened by illness due to waterborne diseases and smoke inhalation. Not only does this mean greater happiness and productivity on the part of the would-be sick person, but also for the caretaker, who would have had to care for the sick person in addition to other chores. Free water heating also means enhanced sanitation due to clean hot water for bathing and washing.

Less sickness, more comfort and more time and money means a higher level of morale at the family and community levels as well as increased financial prosperity. A large number of families using solar energy to meet their energy needs will have a noticeable positive effect on the surrounding environment.

National
If families and communities around a country start using solar energy at the micro level, the micro benefits will soon accumulate and manifest at the macro level.
By reducing the cost of living, the number of sick workers and the number of hospital patients and by increasing the number of people available for productive participation, solar technologies will have a positive impact on the economy of a country.
By helping to promote Solar Fire technologies governments can make progress towards the goals of many treaties and accords relating to climate change, deforestation, desertification, soil degradation, waterborne disease, respiratory illnesses, poverty, un-sustainability, women’s rights and children’s education.

Global
By reducing the environmental impact of people around the world and increasing the energy independence of developing nations, Solar Fire acts to:
* Reduce deforestation and desertification rates, resulting in more stable wildlife habitat which fosters greater biodiversity and thus reduces the probability of a cascade failure in the biosphere.
* Reduce particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emission from burning biomass, thereby improving air quality and reducing our impact on global warming.
* Reduce soil erosion, meaning more arable land for food production and other important uses.
* Reduce the incidence of energy driven conflicts.

By shifting towards ecological and decentralized energy, we move closer to a sustainable society, a state of affairs which is beneficial for all the inhabitants, present and future, of our planet.

Lorin Symington November 2007