The document discusses the causes and impacts of deforestation through the example of Haiti. It notes that deforestation involves the long-term loss of forest cover and its conversion to other land uses. In Haiti, a poor country, people rely heavily on fuel wood for cooking and heating due to lack of alternatives, using an estimated 4 million tons of wood annually. The document proposes solar ovens as a potential alternative to fuel wood to help address deforestation.

1. Energy and Deforestation Grade 9 Shekou International School November 2011

2. What is deforestation? The conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of the tree canopy cover below a 10 percent threshold. Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover and its transformation into another land use. http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html

3. What are the causes of deforestation? Rainforest alliance 1999

4. What is fuel wood? Wood or plant material that is gathered and used to cook food or provide heat for homes. http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/ storage/images/media/images/012010 -haiti-environment-deforestation/7243026-1 -eng-US/012010-haiti-environment-deforestation _full_600.jpg

5. Haiti: One country’s story Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 167/183 by International Monetary Fund (2010) by per capita GDP $1,167 USD). Compare this to: US ($46,860); Hong Kong ($45,944); Australia ($39,764); France ($33,910); South Korea ($29.997); Israel ($29,602); Brazil ($11,273); South Africa ($10,518); and China ($7,544) People need to cook food and heat their homes what fuel will they use?

6. Haiti: One country’s story It is estimated that Haitians use at least 4 million tons of wood annually, 33% of which is transformed into charcoal, chiefly for cooking purposes (2007 ESMAP)

7. Alternatives? Try solar ovens !!

8. The project You and a partner (more on that later) will work together to design and build a solar oven that is capable of cooking food!! You will have 3 attempts to get the temperature inside the oven to exceed 100° C, the minimum temperature for cooking. Once we are done, you will cook your lunch inside it!