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Mali Looks to Clean, Renewable Energy to Empower Women
I hate women who run on gasoline. They're just little pollution machines in skirts...Mali is promoting solar power and modern, clean energy such as butane to reduce poverty and improve the lives of rural women and safeguard the environment. The Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water is encouraging such new and renewable energy alternatives to wood through a project that aims to reach 250 villages in the southern regions of Koulikoro, Ségou, Sikasso and Mopti. Other partners are the Ministry of Environment; the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family; and UNDP. The Government is providing US$1.3 million, UNDP $500,000, and the partners are seeking additional contributions for the $2 million, five-year initiative, launched earlier this month. Wood is widely used for cooking and heating, and this causes a severe environmental toll. Each year 480,000 hectares of forest in Mali are cut for fuel, and wood burning emits 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. New forms of energy can free women from the arduous task of gathering wood, reduce indoor and outdoor pollution, trim time spent preparing meals, power pumps for home water supply and irrigation, and enable women to spend time on activities to earn more income.
Posted by: Fred 2004-03-21 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=28736 |