One of the things that contribute significantly to our carbon footprint is the way people eat. Apart
from the energy required to accept the things that we produce to take
home from the grocery store, people can not realize that the way they
are cooked, can also harm the environment. Most homes use gas or electric stoves that eat a lot of fuel. Does that mean that people should return to the cooking campfire and cook on the grill? This need not be the case, as several green cooking options are now available for those who help to preserve the environment. One of them is the solar oven.
It might sound something out of a science fiction movie, but it has been around for quite some time now. These are popularly known as a box cookers. These furnaces are thermally boxes, isolated heat up to 300F. You have either made of plastic or glass plates, which ensure to make that reduced convection. The sides can be lined with foil or reflective plates while the bottom have to be colored black. The box itself and the inner surfaces should be well insulated to avoid melting.
A solar oven focuses on sunlight, angled usually using a reflective panel on the inside of the box to cook the food. The light is converted into heat and trapped inside by means of the insulated walls of the hearth. Black pots and pans are preferred to help contain heat during cooking. The best time to use one's around noon when the sun is highest. But not everything can be cooked in a solar cooker. Since there are limits to how high the temperatures in the use of one, it is best for recipes that are not looking for foods that have a lot of moisture.
The solar cooking technology has not only helped in reducing harmful emissions and the use of non-renewable resources, but to also help in providing funds for people in other less developed parts of the world to a safe and warm meals. Since this technology is cheap and very portable, a solar oven just in the villages where they still brought with firewood for cooking. Since it uses solar energy and contains no ignition, it is also safer. The stove can only reach a certain temperature, it is easy to use and does not burn food, even when unattended. The depletion of forests through the use of trees for firewood can be prevented in this way. A solar oven can also be used to ensure that the food is well cooked and that boiled water so that families in remote areas can avoid diseases.
More and more types of solar cookware developed as solar oven today. More complex models coming out that possibly far removed from those we know to be. It is definitely a technology worth looking into not only for the environment but for the improvement of life in other parts of the world....
