There is an interesting article on the BBC about solar powered lights, and how the company that makes the lights won some kind of environmental award.
What I found interesting, the article states that 1.5 million people die each year due to Kerosene fumes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10486605.stm
I know a lot of people stockpile kerosene for use in lanterns - but lanterns pose 2 health risk, 1 from the fumes, and 1 from the fire hazard. It seems to me that the hazard from fumes is overlooked a lot.
When my wife and I use our kerosene space heater, we crack a window in the kitchen so that the house can vent. But I had never really thought about kerosene lanterns needing to vent. Its such a small flame, I had not really considered that fumes cold build up to the point of being lethal.
With a kerosene lantern you have this little bitty flame that barely puts out enough light to read by. The thought of the fumes from that little flame killing 1.5 million people every year, is just mind boggling to me.
Maybe I need to re-think my whole attitude on kerosene and move to solar powered lights? It seems to me solar would be a lot cheaper and safer then kerosene.
What I found interesting, the article states that 1.5 million people die each year due to Kerosene fumes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10486605.stm
Back in April of 2009, I posted a video on youtube about using solar powered lights instead of candles. When I was making the video, I was not thinking about the danger of fumes. Instead, I was more thinking about the fire hazard that candles and lanterns pose.
I know a lot of people stockpile kerosene for use in lanterns - but lanterns pose 2 health risk, 1 from the fumes, and 1 from the fire hazard. It seems to me that the hazard from fumes is overlooked a lot.
When my wife and I use our kerosene space heater, we crack a window in the kitchen so that the house can vent. But I had never really thought about kerosene lanterns needing to vent. Its such a small flame, I had not really considered that fumes cold build up to the point of being lethal.
With a kerosene lantern you have this little bitty flame that barely puts out enough light to read by. The thought of the fumes from that little flame killing 1.5 million people every year, is just mind boggling to me.
Maybe I need to re-think my whole attitude on kerosene and move to solar powered lights? It seems to me solar would be a lot cheaper and safer then kerosene.