[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 99 (Monday, July 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7142-S7143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 1396. A bill to direct the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development to carry out a pilot program to 
promote the production and use of fuel-efficient stoves engineered to 
produce significantly less black carbon than traditional stoves, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to offer a bill to reduce 
the production of black carbon, a potent contributor to global climate 
change. I am pleased to be joined on this bill by my friend and 
colleague, Senator Durbin, as the lead cosponsor.
  Black carbon is a particulate produced during the incomplete 
combustion of carbon-containing materials. It has been estimated to 
have, on an equivalent mass basis, more than 500 times the global 
warming potential of carbon dioxide. Reducing the production of black 
carbon would help stabilize the global climate.
  Black carbon is produced by some events, such as forest fires, that 
cannot easily be corrected by Senate actions. My bill addresses a 
mechanism of black carbon production that we can influence.
  Throughout the world today, an estimated two billion people cook with 
solid fuels over an open fire or with primitive stoves. More than 50 
percent of the controllable black carbon emissions in the world are due 
to these practices. Modern stoves, designed to efficiently burn fuel, 
can eliminate up to 90 percent of the black carbon produced during 
cooking and home heating.
  Additionally, cooking and heating with poorly designed stoves emits 
noxious gases and particulates. Experts believe that these pollutants 
cause the premature deaths of over 1 million people, chiefly women and 
children, each year. Replacing these stoves with modern alternatives 
will strongly reduce the number of these deaths. There is a real need 
to find alternatives to those poorly performing stoves to improve 
global environmental and human health.
  The U.S. Agency for International Development carries out activities 
under a number of existing projects to place low-cost, fuel efficient 
stoves in poor communities. It has found that, to be successful, the 
new stoves must be customized to fit the needs and cooking traditions 
of the community. These programs have had a very positive impact. But, 
they have not had the resources to optimize stoves to minimize black 
carbon emissions.
  Our bill authorizes $1 million per year for 2 years for the U.S. 
Agency for International Development to conduct a pilot program to 
develop and test stoves that optimize both fuel efficiency and black 
carbon reduction.
  This measure addresses an issue, global climate change, that we must 
take very seriously. It also provides funding that, while addressing an 
important global pollutant, also alleviates a public health disaster 
affecting developing nations. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this bill.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

[[Page S7143]]

                                S. 1396

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development.
       (2) Black carbon.--The term ``black carbon'' means a 
     particulate formed through the incomplete combustion of 
     fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass.

     SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROMOTION OF FUEL-EFFICIENT STOVES 
                   ENGINEERED TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE PRODUCTION OF 
                   BLACK CARBON.

       The Administrator shall establish a 2-year pilot program to 
     promote the production and use of fuel-efficient stoves 
     that--
        (a) do not produce significant amounts of black carbon; 
     and
       (b) are customized for use throughout the world.

     SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, and not later than 30 days after the last day of 
     the pilot program established under section 2, the 
     Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot 
     program that includes--
       (1) the names of the organizations receiving funding 
     through the pilot program;
       (2) the names of communities identified for participation 
     in the pilot program and descriptions of the socioeconomic 
     parameters that led to their selection for participation in 
     the pilot program;
       (3) a description of the services carried out by the 
     Administrator under the pilot program;
       (4) an assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot 
     program; and
       (5) the recommendations of the Administrator with respect 
     to the extension or expansion of the pilot program.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
                                 ______