♪♪ Scott: Accessible to everyone, the sun could provide cooking fuel for nearly 40% of the world's population.

A Sacramento-based nonprofit, Solar Cookers International, is leading the movement to bring this technology to the world.

Its CEO, Caitlyn Hughes, joins us today to show how solar cooking is changing lives and empowering communities worldwide.

Caitlyn, give us an example of how a life can be changed merely by being able to cook with solar.

Caitlyn: Absolutely.

And thank you so much for this opportunity to share more about solar cooking.

Uh, so one really great example is a woman named Andramaya.

She lives in Nepal and, unfortunately, she lost her husband.

So, she is left to take care of her parents as well as her children, which is a huge responsibility.

So, she runs a restaurant, which is great.

But, without solar cooking, a lot of her expenses would go towards fuel because she has to purchase LPG, or liquid petroleum gas.

But with a solar cooker that she's been able to use, thanks to support from Solar Cookers International, she's able to save a huge amount of money that she would otherwise spend on that gas that she would need to cook food for her restaurant.

And with that money that she... she saves, she's able to buy more food to support her family.

And it can also go towards other things like healthcare expenses, education, and building her business.

Scott: It's interesting you mention that about the relationship between paying for fuel and... and it crowding out the ability to do other things, such as healthcare.

What is the problem that solar cooking is attempting to solve worldwide?

Caitlyn: Yeah.

Uh, as you mentioned, it's about 3 billion people, so about 40% of the world's population, that cooks over an open fire.

So that's burning wood, charcoal, animal dung, which is really a huge problem for people's health, as well as the environment.

The pollutants that come from cooking over an open fire can be equivalent to smoking 400 cigarettes an hour, which is really scary because those health impacts are predominantly felt by women and children who are stuck with these responsibilities in a lot of cases.

Scott: Animal dung?

And 400 cigarettes in an hour?

These are things that I don't think that many of us are... are aware of.

How is it that you all came to this work in the first place?

Caitlyn: Yeah, thanks for asking.

And I totally agree with you.

I think for those of us who have the ability to, you know, plug in a microwave or flip a switch to be able to cook food, uh, we might not realize the challenges that a lot of people go through on a daily basis just to be able to eat, cook food, something, you know, so simple that, really, all of us can relate to in... in terms of that need and... and that desire to be able to provide for our families.

Um, but I think it's really important that we have this awareness, especially also with climate issues as well, because, you know, burning wood, charcoal, and animal dung not only has huge negative impacts for somebody's health on an individual level, but that's also putting a lot of pollutants into the air, which affects climate change.

And, also, people are having to cut down forests in order to burn them to cook the food that they use.

Um, for example-— Scott: You know... you know it's interesting you mention, like, cutting down forests and things like that because most of us, when we hear about things like that, we're hearing about that from the perspective of, "Oh, big multinational companies are cutting down forests, you know, getting rid of our oxygen generation canopy for things like lumber production,"” and things like that.

But you're saying that this is an issue, as well, in cutting down forests and... and consuming resources just for the purpose of cooking, alone.

Caitlyn: Exactly.

Right.

Um, and one of the reasons I love solar cooking is it isn't a trade-off.

You're not having to choose between what's good for people and what's good for the environment, because solar cooking is good for both!

You know, that's our... that's our mission, is improving human and environmental health with solar cooking.

So, it's a win-win, which is great.

And, also, you can look at the... the risks in terms of, you know, again, often women and children having to go to collect firewood.

Because, you know, once you chop down the trees closest to your home, then you need to go further and further and further.

And that comes with risks for, you know, animal attacks or conflict with other populations.

You know, there's risk for sexual violence for women in collecting that... that wood and competition over resources.

So, you know, really, when we can utilize and empower people to utilize a resource that's literally delivered to our doorsteps every day, it... it's a win-win.

Scott: I...

I'm curious about that.

You're talking about competition for resources, like... like firewood and... and things like that.

How does that competition affect things like food security and hunger, in general?

Caitlyn: Yes.

Thank you so much for asking.

So, we're doing work in Kakuma Refugee Camp, which is in Kenya.

Um, and so, for example, a family there, you know, they receive food rations as part of being, you know, a refugee family, and they do receive some cooking fuel.

However, the cooking fuel that they receive is not enough to cover their needs for the entire month.

So, then they're left with very difficult choices of either going out to try and collect wood.

You know, that can mean walking for miles, and walking for hours, um, and putting oneself at risk.

And at... at times, also, logging has been banned.

So, then there can be legal consequences as well.

So that's one option, which is really not great.

But another option would be to take their already limited food rations and go to the market and try and trade them for more cooking fuel, which is also not a great option.

And, also, with COVID, you know, being exposed to a busy market and the additional risks that go along with that, on top of the additional respiratory strain from cooking over an open fire and breathing in all that smoke and all those pollutants, um, just really not so great.

But solar cooking is such a beautiful solution because even the simplest solar cooker can save one family from burning one ton of wood in a year.

So, when we multiply that by 3 billion people, the impacts are awesome.

And I love solar cooking because it's such a simple solution that can be made anywhere in the world.

You can make a simple one with cardboard and tinfoil, or wood.

Um, and we definitely encourage local production.

Scott: Uh, I...

I'm glad you went there because, for those of us who maybe were not top of our class in science, can you help explain how solar cooking works and... and what makes it such a great alternative to the traditional use of the consumption of fuel?

Caitlyn: Yes.

Thank you so much for asking.

And even... even for people who might not have been top of their class for science, there's a lot of ways that, uh, things that happen in our daily lives that I think help us understand solar cooking.

And solar cookers can range everything from, like I said, a very simple cardboard and tinfoil, or you can even recycle materials.

Uh, anything reflective, like the inside of a potato chip bag or a granola bar wrapper, you can actually turn into that reflective surface.

Um, we actually have free plans on our website, "How to make the CooKit," which was designed by request of the United Nations.

They wanted something that could be made easily and affordably anywhere around the world.

So, we did that, made the plans open source.

You can go there.

You could make one today, if you want to, probably with things that you have in your kitchen.

So, there's very simple versions like that, but there's also everything all the way up to institutional-style solar cooking.

So, for example, rooftop systems, um, that can generate steam and cook meals for tens of thousands of people in a day, which is really exciting.

And so, we see that whole range of examples and we encourage people to find a good fit for them.

Scott: And... and I know that this is a real simple question, but I...

I gotta ask.

So, a solar cooker gets hot enough to where it is that it can actually take the place of cooking food when you've got to get the temperature up fairly high?

Caitlyn: Absolutely.

Yeah.

There's a... a range of different types of solar cookers.

And so, just like you have a range of different appliances likely within your home, you probably have a stovetop and an oven and maybe a barbecue, there's a range of different types of solar cookers that offer, um, advantages for cooking different types of food.

So, for example, a reflective panel cooker might work similar, and cook similar things, that you might cook in a Crockpot, for example.

Uh, there's box oven solar cookers, which work very similar to an oven.

I've made enchiladas, quiches, um, cookies, all those great things.

Uh, there's also parabolic solar cookers, which work very similar to your stovetop.

So, for getting those higher temperatures, uh, like heating-— or, like, frying.

Uh, we made popcorn the other day.

Uh, those types of cookers work well.

And then, there's also evacuated tubes, uh, which combine a lot of that technology as well.

So, finding a good fit is something that we encourage as well.

Scott: That is so amazing.

It sounds like your work takes place a lot overseas and, particularly, in less affluent countries and regions.

How did a nonprofit from Sacramento get such a worldwide reach?

Caitlyn: Yeah, thanks for asking.

Um, I think a lot of the people who've been involved with Solar Cookers International-— we've been around since 1987-— we've had those experiences and we understand what a powerful solution it is from maybe traveling and seeing it firsthand or... or being aware of what a simple solution it can be, applied to many different situations.

It's a very appropriate technology, which is one of the reasons I love it.

Um, and we're doing a lot of advocacy work as well.

Uh, for example, at the United Nations.

Scott: Really?

Uh, tell us about-— a little bit about your work with the United Nations.

Caitlyn: Yeah.

So, you know, we recognize that the solution is going to be most powerful when implemented on a scale to impact approximately 3 billion people's lives.

And so, we're really working to let governments know about solar cooking as a solution so that they can incorporate it in their national policies.

You know, I think, overall, there's increasing awareness around the world about the importance of protecting our environment and protecting people's health.

And so, we're encouraging country leaders to include it in their policies because then that opens up even more avenues for collaboration and resources and to make this technology and knowledge accessible to the people who need it most.

Scott: Where is it that you all, thus far, have had your greatest impact?

Caitlyn: Thanks for asking.

It's... it's hard to pick just one place, 'cause we actually have hundreds of collaborators in about 140 countries.

Um, but some of my favorite experiences, of course, are talking about Kakuma Refugee Camp because, you know, the people there have already faced so many challenges in their daily lives-— unimaginable, I think, to... to many of us.

Um, and so, when we can provide a solution that is so appropriate and so accessible to relieve literally daily burdens and, you know, solar cookers can be used three times a day.

And when you're making an impact, not just on a person, but also the next generation... Scott: Tell us... tell us a little bit more about the impact on the next generation.

Caitlyn: Of course.

Yeah.

So, when a child doesn't have to grow up in a smoky home, or when they don't have to risk falling into a cooking fire because, you know, perhaps a mother is trying to cook food for her family and tend to her children.

Um, you know, we don't want people to have to grow up with that risk and, you know, grow up with burns and-— Uh, there's also a lot of impacts, uh, cognitive impacts, for example, growing up around that much smoke, um-— Also, if you were to imagine a pregnant mother, you know, the impacts are going to be for her, but also her baby.

And so, when we can stop those negative impacts in their tracks, it really opens up the potential on an individual country and worldwide level to really help people, you know, reach their full potential and... and lead their longest, healthiest, best, most sustainable lives, which I think is something all of us want.

Scott: One of the things that I found fascinating in learning more about what it is that you're doing is it seems like, in some ways, solar cooking has a relationship to women's empowerment.

Could you, uh, explain a little bit about how that is, how the relationship between cooking and how it's done traditionally, and some of the options that women have on how they live their lives are impacted by being able to use solar cooking?

Caitlyn: Absolutely.

Yeah.

So, without solar cooking, you know, you can imagine a woman having to spend potentially hours walking miles to cut trees and then carry these really heavy burdens back to their family to then use them to burn, to cook food to feed their families.

And when you're cooking over an open fire, it's not like you can just set it and forget it, right?

You need to pay attention to that fire because of all the risks associated with it.

Solar cooking is actually quite the contrary.

Uh, one of the reasons I love it is you can do exactly that, set it and forget it.

So, you can put it out in the sunshine.

I can come back, get other things for, you know, work done or whatever else I need to do.

Um, and then go back to it.

And then it's ready, which is great!

So, that's one of the reasons I love it.

And so, being able to free up that time for women is really important because then, they can pursue other things like studies, or income generation.

Um, solar cooking also opens up more avenues in terms of that because it opens up more cooking options.

So, for example, a woman could make a cake and sell a cake and she might have a corner on the market on that because everybody else cooking over an open fire, that wouldn't even be a possibility.

Um, it also really increases food stability because solar cookers can be used for solar drying.

So, think about if you were a peach farmer, right?

And all of your peaches were ready at the same time, and you brought them to the market, but so did everybody else, and the... the... the price for peaches drops.

So, you're not able to make as much money.

But you can actually add value to your crops or to your products, and add food stability, if you're able to dry them and preserve them.

And then, you're able to have more food available throughout the year.

Uh, solar cooking can also be used for things, everything from ironing clothes '‘cause you can heat the iron, uh, you can sterilize medical equipment, um, and... and other processing, as well.

So, it's just really a huge range of possibilities.

Scott: Well, I...

I do have to ask the contrarian question, which is what happens on cloudy and rainy days?

Caitlyn: Sure.

That's a great question.

Uh, so there's a variety of options in terms of how to deal with that.

Some types of solar cookers have built-in insulation.

So, they're designed that even if a cloud passes over, that's okay.

It's going to retain a lot of that heat, you know, kind of like a thermos, which is really great.

Um, so... so that's one of the reasons, too, that we encourage people to find a good fit.

So, for example, if you live in the U.K., you might want to pick a different solar cooker than if you live in Kenya, and that's okay.

Um, we do also encourage pairing of solar cookers with complementary technologies, like a retained-heat basket.

So, that's just a fancy way to say "“an insulated basket.

"” Again, works like a thermos, or the opposite of a cooler.

And the great thing about that is you can start cooking your food, uh, when the sun is available and then you can put it in there and it'll stay warm and be ready for you to eat whenever you're ready for it, which is great.

Um, but we've done a lot of, uh-— One of the things Solar Cookers International does is we're actually a leader in terms of data gathering, and then being able to use that data to help inform people to make their decisions.

Uh, so, we've done a country -by-country analysis of the impacts of solar cooking, both environmentally and economically, and the impacts are huge.

Even if people were to solar cook a quarter of the time, it's going to save a lot in terms of the environment, and also give people a lot more resources, um, based on what they would directly spend on fuel, but then also when they're not having to deal with the health costs of everything that goes along with cooking over an open fire.

Scott: Now recently, uh, Solar Cookers International was in the news, winning something called the curling... curling prize.

What... what is that?

And... and what's its... its impact or meaning?

Caitlyn: Yeah, thanks so much for asking.

We are so honored to be recognized by the Keeling Curve Prize, which recognizes the most impactful climate projects around the world.

So, we were one of about 400 applicants that applied for this, and there's a very rigorous process of judges and analysts that look at these different projects, and the impact that they have, and their scalability.

And we were very fortunate to be recognized as one of the top 10 laureates, um, from the Global Warming Mitigation Project, which gives out the Keeling Curve Prize.

Uh, and this recognition is just really important on so many levels.

Scott: And, like, who judges a... a prize like this?

Is it people from the, you know, diplomats, governmental officials?

Who... who tends to judge these things?

Caitlyn: Well, Scott, probably some names that you would recognize.

There's people on the judging panel from Tesla, from Amazon, but they also make an effort to have... Scott: Really?

Caitlyn: Yeah!

Uh... to have people from all around the world who are bringing their expertise and, you know, often in their... their daily lives and their jobs, uh, they're heavily involved in these sustainability efforts as well.

Scott: Mhm.

And, you know, you use the term, um, that 40% of the world-— I think you said 3 billion people across the world could really benefit from this technology.

And I assume, and please correct me, but many of these are people in Third World or... or under-resourced countries.

At the same time, I'm curious, what's the receptivity and adoption level for the First World?

Because it would seem that all of us could benefit from this technology.

Caitlyn: I couldn't agree with you more.

I thank you so much for recognizing that 'cause in the end, we're all breathing the same air.

I think that's something that we've experienced a lot with, you know, the wildfires and the smoke here in Sacramento.

We've seen what it's like to be around that.

And, you know, if I could just invite everybody to think about if that wasn't just for a few weeks or even months, but if that was what you had to experience on a daily basis and you know, in your home.

It's-— I think it just really puts thing in-— puts things into perspective, as far as how important it is that we're all a part of the solution.

Um, and... and, like I said, I think, you know, solar cooking is beautiful because it's something that each one of us can do.

It's something that, you know, the sun is delivered to our doorsteps every day and-— I don't know about you, but in Sacramento summers, the last thing I want to do in the middle of a hot day is turn on my oven.

And so, I love that I can just take advantage of that, put my solar cooker outside, put my food in that.

I don't have to turn the AC on to combat that.

It's... it's really a win -win -win.

And then, also, there's that feeling good that, you know, we're not tapping into a limited resource and we're actually doing things that protect our health and our planet's health for everybody and for future generations.

And I think, you know, there's increased awareness about how urgent it is that we're each a part of the solution and... and it's something that's so simple and can be done every day.

And, I think, also has a lot of advantages in making, you know, my life easier because, like I said, I can just put it out there and, um, come back to some great solar-cooked foods so-— Scott: You know, you've said that now, uh, I think three times in this conversation, and, uh, I have to imagine that at some point, the, uh, infomercial people will be quaking in their boots because you might take some market share away from them.

Caitlyn: We hope so.

We hope so.

Scott: I...

I'm curious, how do you measure your impact when-— You tell the story of, uh, the woman in...

I believe it was Nepal.

You... you... you allude to the other stories of where it is that this is making a difference.

But, en masse, how are you going to measure the impact and the success of the work that you all are doing?

Caitlyn: Yeah, thanks for asking.

So, Solar Cookers International is the leader of the solar cooking sector.

We work to connect these hundreds of collaborators throughout the world, anyone and anything to do with solar cooking.

And one of the things that we work to do is to track the progress of the solar -cooking sector.

So, when we're having these conversations with government leaders, and they're like, "Oh, that's a great idea!"

and we're like, "Yeah, it's not just an idea.

Uh, we actually have a global map on our website, solarcookers.org, where you can go and you can see."

So, we've been able to identify over 4 million solar cookers around the world.

So, you can see what's happening.

We also manage the world's largest online database of solar-cooking information, which automatically translates into over 40 different languages.

And that's another way that we really work to empower people with information about solar cooking, wherever, whenever it might be-— It can be plans on how to make your own solar cooker, information on where to buy one in your area, as well as people who are within each country, leading solar cooking in their area.

And we also encourage those connections because, you know, being able to connect with somebody who speaks your language or cooks your local foods can be really important for that sustainability and that behavior change for, uh, you know, sharing this awareness but then, uh, also making sure it's available to even more people.

Scott: Yeah, I'm curious.

When you all arrive in some location that potentially could be impacted by the presence of solar cooking, give us a step-by-step on how that works and how you show up and get people trained because, based on the areas that it appears that you're having the greatest penetration, that-— there has to be a little bit of, you know, sort of cultural competency and training that goes along with that.

Caitlyn: Absolutely.

Thank you so much for understanding that.

Yes, definitely, having that training and that follow-up and having those leaders within communities who are resources, uh, for our solar cooks, um, new and experienced, is so absolutely important.

Um, because we want an approach that's sustainable.

You know, so, you know, me flying different places for a couple weeks isn't necessarily what's going to be what sticks within a population.

So, we make a very sincere effort to work with-— identify, and work with, trusted leaders within communities.

So, for example, we have a team of global advisors, which is about a dozen experts and leaders within their own right, in terms of solar cooking, from all around the world.

Um, so creating those platforms is... is something that really, really worked to do, to strengthen and lift up the entire sector, um, and help each of us do what we're doing better so that we can continue to work to scale up to reach those 3 billion people.

But then, also, so that there's, you know, advocates and voices that represent the diverse populations that we work with.

Um, you know, this year, we've been-— We always work to participate in United Nations events and to get the word out about solar cooking, and we've actually been able to do that even more over the past year and a half and to bring those voices to light because so much has gone virtual.

So, you know, speaking at the High-level Political Forum at the United Nations, we're able to bring voices from... from Nepal, from India, and they're able to share, in their own words, the impact that solar cooking has and-— You know, I think for government leaders to hear from experts like Solar Cookers International, but also people from, you know, similar contexts and environments about the impact it has, I think, is just really, you know, really inspiring.

Um, I remember meeting the Minister of Energy from Uganda.

And, you know, just seeing solar cookers, his mind was absolutely blown.

He's like, "This is the solution that people need."

You know, "Thank you so much for telling me about this.

I can't wait to go back to my country."

And... and, you know, we were actually able to connect him with people who were already doing solar cooking in Uganda.

And so, creating those meaningful relationships, uh, to continue to help things to grow on multiple levels is one of the reasons I feel so fortunate to be a part of this movement and work for Solar Cookers International.

Scott: And, very quickly in our final moments, it just raises for me a question.

Is, uh, the work of Solar Cookers International, and this movement, a part of the... the global climate discussion on reducing greenhouse gases and waste?

Just very quickly.

Caitlyn: Yes, absolutely.

It is part of the discussion.

Um, we'll actually be going to the United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow, um, where we'll be, you know, thanking countries who have included it in their national policies, as well as encouraging governments to include it.

We've also been building relationships with organizations like the World Health Organization, um, so that solar cooking is included as a part of the information and resources that they provide, in helping countries, you know, achieve the sustainable development goals, as well as climate goals.

Scott: That is wonderful.

And I think we'll leave it there.

Thank you so much for joining us today and good luck in your work.

Caitlyn: Thank you so much for this opportunity and for your time.

We really appreciate it.

Scott: All right.

And that's our show.

Thanks to our guest, and thanks to you for watching Studio Sacramento.

I'm Scott Syphax.

See you next time right here on KVIE.

♪♪ ♪♪ Scott Syphax: All episodes of Studio Sacramento, along with other KVIE programs, are available to watch online at kvie.org/video.