Can solar cooking save the forests?

Cooking with the sun has become a potentially viable substitute for fuelwoo d in food preparation in much of the developing world. Fuelwood scarcity is a growing problem that has thus far been poorly addressed. Solar cooking i s one possible solution but its acceptance has been limited partially due t o cultural barriers, relatively high start-up costs, and a lack of continue d support subsequent to introduction. One possible source of some funding f or solar cookers may be the Clean Development Mechanism (Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocols) aimed at reducing carbon emissions to curtail the impact o f global warming. Using Haiti as an example, CDM funding is shown to be pro mising but only a partial solution. With CDM as a possible source of at lea st seed capital, more ambitious solar cooking programs are feasible but the ir success will be a function of addressing cultural barriers and providing support for adaptation well beyond the introductory stage. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.