March 11, 2006
LPG or charcoal? That is the question
As a human being in charge of a household composed of two kids, a helper, three dogs and two cats, I carry big responsibilities on my shoulders.
One such decision I have to make is whether to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or charcoal for cooking. I have always used LPG – from the student days when a 11-tank costs much below P100 until now when it has zoomed to more than P500. Imagine, an LPG tank costing more than half a thousand pesos?
I have suggested to my house helper if we can use charcoal. Well, not for everyday use but for cooking food that needs longer cooking. And to heat water for bathing in the early mornings.
Sure, my agreeable helper said. She bought a kalan (stove) the following day. We can buy charcoal from the stores nearby, she said.
But if we use charcoal everyday, more trees will be cut and be converted into charcoal. Then it will be a hotter, more erosion-prone world we will live in.
During an interview with Wendy Co, the community environment and natural resources officer in Urdaneta City, Eva (my neighbor here) and I asked what problems she had to contend with as far as forest resources are concerned.
Eastern Pangasinan has more than 40,000 of forestlands. The magnificent Caraballo Mountains run along most towns there, and while many areas are bald, many areas are still forested. And many areas are being reforested by people’s organizations.
“It’s the charcoal-makers,” Co said. “They have stepped up their activities because there seem to be more demand for charcoal.”
Along with the kaingin practice (slash and burn), charcoal making depletes the forest cover and exposes the top soil, making it prone to erosion. (When the top is washed down during rains, then the rocky part of the mountain/land is exposed, and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to plant in rocky areas).
So what’s an overworked, underpaid journalist cum blogger to do? Use LPG which is hurting my budget, or use charcoal which will surely hurt the environment?
A confession: I have not started using charcoal yet so I don’t know how much budget it would take.
Comments
March 20, 2006
susan said:
I admire your love to our mother nature, but take it from an experienced grandma like me, with four heavy-eater children, two apos who drink and drink and drink milk, but with only one noisy pet dog:
first, keep only one dog as 'bantay', tipid sa food, away from probability of having asthma and skin asthma. keep your kids away from asthma! You need not send your extra dogs to the dog-eaters. You can send them to animal ampunans (for sure you will again think of the dog's rights). second, one cat is enough for your pet mice! its presence, the wewee and the u-uh might be one of the causes of your allergies. please consult your doctor for confirmation.
LPG or charcoal? you have already thought of the bad effects to your most-loved mama earth if you choose charcoal. Compute P15 or P20 cost of charcoal a day times 30 days: P450 or P600 a month, almost or more expensive than your LPG. What about the time you will consume waiting? Plus the effort of your inday waking-up early to cook your food and heat water for your baths. That will cost extra budget to your electricity plus the posibility of making your househelp sleepy during days work. Consider also the flying ashes while cooking plus the uling to your calderos. Now, charcoal or LPG?
But of course you have to try first before quitting. Happy charcoal day! The spirit of Bangus festival is now in the air! from: sweetie lolah