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Abstract

The use of solid biomass fuels and the implementation of eco-stoves to mitigate its harmful effects has become a popular topic in discussions on global development. An article published on use of traditional fuels in The New Yorker reports, “A map of the world's poor is easy to make…just follow the smoke.” Eco-stoves are now being constructed in impoverished communities around the world as an alternative to traditional stove models as a means to improve health and overall quality of life. Global Brigades, a sustainable development NGO, has been working in communities in rural Honduras to construct an eco-stove model called an Estufa Justa. This article pertains to a research project designed to evaluate household satisfaction with this new stove model, the stove's efficiency, and the effect that installing these stoves has had on community dynamic. The methodology included a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Using the data obtained from this study, it can be concluded that the Global Brigades model is more efficient and has a higher satisfaction rate among users compared to the traditional fogón models currently in use and that the installation of stoves has had a positive impact on community dynamic.

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