[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 63 (Monday, May 7, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2929-S2930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 2515. A bill to promote the use of clean cookstoves and fuels to 
save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat harmful 
pollution by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient 
household cooking solutions; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce The Clean 
Cookstoves Support Act, which addresses a serious global environmental 
and public health issue. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by my 
friend and colleague, Senator Durbin.
  Nearly half the world's population cooks food over open fires or 
inefficient, polluting, and unsafe cookstoves, using firewood, dung, or 
coal as fuel. Smoke from these traditional cookstoves and open fires is 
associated with a number of chronic and acute diseases, with women and 
young children affected disproportionately. The World Health 
Organization estimates cookstove smoke to be one of the top five 
threats to public health in poor, developing countries. This smoke may 
account for nearly two million deaths annually in the developing world, 
which is more than the deaths from malaria, tuberculosis, or HIV.
  Traditional cookstoves also create serious environmental impacts. The 
amount of biomass cooking fuel required each year can reach up to two 
tons per family, and local environmental degradation can result where 
demand for fuel outstrips the natural regrowth of resources. Recent 
studies show that emissions of black carbon, or common soot, from 
biomass cookstoves significantly contribute to climate change, second 
only to carbon dioxide in impact.
  These stoves should be replaced with modern alternatives to reverse 
these alarming health and environmental trends. Fortunately, modern 
stoves, designed to burn fuel efficiently, can eliminate up to 90 
percent of the black carbon produced during cooking and home heating. 
This would be relatively inexpensive and could be done quickly it is 
what scientists call the ``low-hanging fruit'' of environmental fixes.
  Through the leadership of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and the 
United Nations Foundation, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves was 
formed in 2010. Recognizing the severity of the global health and 
environmental issues, this public-private partnership aims to save 
lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat pollution by 
creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household 
cooking solutions. The Alliance partners are working to help overcome 
the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment, 
and use of clean cookstoves in the developing world.
  To assist in this important endeavor, several Federal agencies the 
Departments of State, Energy, and Health and Human Services, including 
NIH and CDC, the United States Agency for International Development, 
the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation have committed to contribute to the Alliance in 
three key areas.
  First: support for research and development to improve design, lower 
costs, and develop global industry standards and testing protocols for 
cookstoves. Second: diplomatic engagement to encourage a commercial 
market for clean stoves and promote several strategies, including 
reducing trade barriers, promoting consumer awareness, and improving 
access to financing. Third: the launch of international development 
projects to distribute the clean stoves to targeted areas, including 
refugee camps, disaster relief efforts, and long-term aid programs, as 
well as projects

[[Page S2930]]

aimed at women and girls. These contributions will assist the Alliance 
in reaching its goal of spurring the adoption of clean cookstoves in 
100 million households by 2020.
  Our legislation reinforces the commitment these U.S. agencies have 
made to the Alliance and requires the Secretary of State in 
consultation with the relevant Federal agencies, and in coordination 
with relevant international nongovernmental organizations and private 
and governmental entities to work to advance the goals of the Alliance. 
In addition, our bill formally authorizes the agency's funding 
commitments to ensure that these crucial pledges toward preventing 
unnecessary illness and reducing pollution around the globe are met.
  By supporting the work of the Alliance to replace primitive stoves 
with modern versions that emit far less soot, this legislation would 
directly benefit some of the world's poorest people and reduce harmful 
pollution that affects us all.
  This measure addresses an important global pollutant and alleviates a 
serious public health and environmental concern affecting developing 
nations. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting The Clean 
Cookstoves Support Act.
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