The challenge of charcoal

EAST AFRICA FORESTS SERIES

This is part two in a series of three stories that look at forests, trees and how they are used in East Africa.

Charcoal, a high-carbon form of energy made from wood, is a fact of life in Kenya, as in many parts of the world where energy sources from natural gas to solar electricity are too expensive for most. While charcoal provides a readily available and inexpensive source of energy for cooking and heating, it often comes at an environmental cost in the form of deforestation.

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