Carbohydrate biofuels II: The need and the potential for rootfuel in the Navajo Nation

Conference · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:115253

Shultz, E B; Jr,; Bragg, W G ^[1]; Whittier, J ^[2]

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1. Enable International, Wheaton, IL (United States)
2. NEOS Corp., Lakewood, CO (United States); and others

Over 80% of rural Navajos and about two-thirds of all Navajos use scarce woodfuel and low-grade coal for home heating half the year, with coal used mainly as a nighttime adjunct. Serious health problems arise because stoves are old and leak smoke and carbon monoxide. The impacts are gender-biased to women and small children. Respiratory disease is a major cause of Navajo mortality and unusually high admissions to Navajo Indian Health Service hospitals. A 1990 study at a Navajo hospital showed that Navajo children under two years of age from homes with woodstoves are nearly five times more likely to contract acute lower respiratory tract infections than children from homes with no stove. Correctives include improved stoves and fuels. Our previous studies on clean-burning starchy/cellulosic {open_quotes}rootfuels{close_quotes} in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are applicable. We discuss our preliminary work on the Navajo reservation, the current status of household stoves and stovefuels, the health impacts of woodsmoke and coalsmoke from old, faulty stoves, the conditions for growing rootfuel on the reservation, and policy and strategy for coping with the problem.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 115253
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP--200-8098; CONF-9508104--; ON: DE95009230
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
AMERICAN INDIANS
BIOMASS
DRYING
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
INDIAN RESERVATIONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
ROOTS
WOOD BURNING FURNACES
WOOD FUELS