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Cardboard solar oven wins first prize

By Lori Bongiorno

Posted Thu Apr 9, 2009 12:16pm PDT

Related topics: Food and Drink, Design, Solar Power, Activism

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(Photo: Kyoto Energy)

Can a couple of cardboard boxes, black paint, tin foil, and an acrylic cover help solve major environmental and social problems? Forum for the Future certainly thinks it's possible.

The Kyoto Box, a surprisingly simple solar-powered cooker, won a $75,000 first prize in the sustainability group's climate competition.

Jon Bomer, the Kenya-based entrepreneur who invented the cooker, set out to transform the lives of villagers in developing world who use firewood to cook. What's more, the cooker costs about $6.60 to make, so it can actually benefit the people who need it most.

"We're saving lives and saving trees," he says in a press release. "I doubt if there is any other technology that can make so much impact for so little money."

Ironically, the Kyoto box uses the "greenhouse effect" to help the planet. An acrylic cover set atop two cardboard boxes (one inside of the other) traps the sun's energy. Black paint and silver foil help to concentrate the heat. A layer of newspaper or straw placed in between the two boxes provides insulation.

Here are just some of the ways this brilliant invention can make an impact:

Decreases carbon emissions created from burning firewood.
Slows down deforestation by curbing the need for firewood.
Removes indoor smoke pollution and the health problems associated with it.
Lowers the cost of energy since fuel from the sun is free.
Allows families to easily boil water so they can have access clean drinking water.
Eliminates the need for children to spend time looking for firewood so they can spend that time in school.

This just goes to show that sometimes less is more.

See how the Kyoto Box will work in Africa in this video:

Related topics: Food and Drink, Design, Solar Power, Activism

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Showing 1 - 15 of 78 comments

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Posted by brandon r Thu Apr 9, 2009 3:02pm PDT
So how exactly hot can it get? Hot enough to cook meat?
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Posted by MARVELOUS Thu Apr 9, 2009 5:14pm PDT
just when does this guy say he invented this contraption? we did this in jr. high 16 yrs ago.
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Posted by Kyle C Thu Apr 9, 2009 5:54pm PDT
16 years ago? I think the cavemen used the sun to cook food at least once or twice... He, in no way, "invented" this.
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Posted by hot chick Thu Apr 9, 2009 8:36pm PDT
a great concept but lets get real this never work in north america only 3rd world countrys but if it helps 3rd world countrys i am on board but lets just say don't send me one. can they afford the box and pait i wonder?
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Posted by unclecharlie Thu Apr 9, 2009 9:14pm PDT
See how the Kyoto Box will work in Africa in this video: ........ and that is WHERE? ain't no video here dude!!!!!!!!
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Posted by foster1234 Thu Apr 9, 2009 10:23pm PDT
Apparently none of these contestants were in the Cub Scouts,or Boy Scouts. You learn early about solar powered boxes such as that early
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Posted by Doug M Thu Apr 9, 2009 10:42pm PDT
awesome! we may learn things like this in different organizations, but it takes someone not belonging there to make a positive impact on people's lives. go figure!
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Posted by NONE Y Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:39am PDT
i wonder how he's going to patent the thing! sheeeeeesh
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Posted by joe Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:02am PDT
Why would he want to patent it? The whole point was to improve the state of the world not the state of his checkbook. Besides, he already won a $75k prize.
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Posted by Muddinjetta Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:37am PDT
Really? i made one of these in boy scouts when i was 13. where is my money?
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Posted by Kevin V Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:37am PDT
Seems like there are alot of jealous minds here. Just be happy that people less fortunate are being helped. That is the main point of the story.
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Posted by HerewegoAgain Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:39am PDT
ok they said they are saving trees..... um it takes trees to make cardboard- DUH!!!!! Black paint contains VOC's which has been linked to cancer, not to mention using straw as an insulator- FIRE HAZARD if it gets really hot. This guy may have "invented" (which is BULL, we did this in 10th grade science class AND in Girl Scouts) this thing but he obviously didnt do that much thinking. And I am far from jealous. Shouldn't we be coming up with ways to better irrigate for crops over there?
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Posted by Jacqueline Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:41am PDT
Amazes me that so many people have had negative things to say about this! Congratulate him for an effort made in helping needy people!!! So what if you did something similar when you were a kid... don't be so jealous since you didn't think of this and win the $75000!!!
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Posted by Andrew C Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:41am PDT
it doesn't matter anyway. the amount of energy that is needed to produce the amount of acrylic needed to satisfy this project would outweigh the benefits. The units would have to be in use for 200 years to counter-effect the production of all that plastic, paint and cardboard. Plus the shipping, plus the logistics to implement it, not to mention all the red tape...
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Posted by bshan Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:46am PDT
Only one person came up with the idea that this box would help inviroment and many people in their daily lives, even some tried in their camps or school. Can't we use this system in summer for out door cookings!!!
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