Firehiwot Mengesha of Gaia Association joined our partners in clean energy technology at the 2011 ETHOS symposium, presenting about Gaia’s experiences and lessons with ethanol production and cookstoves. The symposium was held January 28-30 in Kirkland, Washington.  Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service (ETHOS) is a non-profit organization which facilitates research and the development of appropriate technology such as clean cookstoves.  It promotes cooperation and collaboration of universities, research laboratories, engineers, and non-governmental organizations around the world.

Firehiwot, chemical engineer and Gaia Association team member since 2004, gave her presentation entitled “Gaia Lessons and Modifications – Small Scale vs. Large Scale Approach” during the final day of the symposium. Firehiwot addressed the symposium attendees about the issues Gaia has faced regarding large-scale ethanol supply for household energy use.  She discussed large-scale ethanol’s vulnerabilities to the pressures of commodity pricing and the gaps between production and consumption.  The presentation included a comparison of the efficiency of both models, a look at the potential utilization and sale of co-products. Firehiwot also discussed the environmental and economic advantages of integrating farmers and agriculture into an energy supply chain.

Among symposium attendees and presenters were representatives from the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the CDM Gold Standard, Trees, Water and People, and many others.  Presentations and discussions included stove production and emissions, indoor air pollution monitoring and carbon finance for clean energy projects.

See Firehiwot’s presentation at http://tinyurl.com/4hhvekh