I was stunned to see this inventor receive such an award when such designs appeared to have been around for ages. However it is the simplest design over most and does the job. If it can pasteurise water, cook most available foods, free up time, resources and limit danger, then its a winner. Solar cookers work anywhere. I’m in Manchester UK and use every sunny day to cook or brew drinks with for free. Why not? Fair enough its been largely pissing it down since Easter but hey, time to refine.

Yes…I’ve come to suspect any such ‘good intention’. Though they might be genuinely sincere from the givers hearts, some objective observations would prove they are little more that ‘feel-good’ works to boost the givers egos so they might consider themselves holier-than-thou individuals. though they rarely realize it.
even worse yet, some might use it to the financial benefits (from donors) for themselves. imagine, getting a thousand grand for every 2 dollar crappy cardboard cooker given!

I didn’t see the water boiling and I doubt that without proper insulation it would. Moreover, temperature of the inside would be limited to the combustable temperature of cardboard.

Solar cooking and purifying water with solar ovens or parabolics is a fine way to use the sun’s energy, no matter what country you live in. I use my solar ovens to cook my food in the USA. So do others in my family who are far from poor. Some big high tech companies are using solar ovens in the USA as well. The food tastes better and it is non polluting technology. Solar cooking is politically neutral. It’s free, it’s clean, and it’s available almost everywere on the planet.

How entirely unenlightened… what a bore.

“give them techs” “help them industrialize”
Maybe they could gain the skills to build a technological society if they didn’t have to spend all their time gathering wood and finding safe water. Don’t you know cultures and people can’t advance until their basic needs are met? Why don’t you try living without electricity and running water for a weekend or a week.

Whens the last time you were a poor mother living in Africa?

When was the last time you were raped going into your kitchen to cook dinner?

“Its capacity to not only cook food but also sterilize water could help three billion people reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”

“By allowing users to boil water, the simple device could also potentially save the millions of children who die from drinking unclean water”

BTW, this won the inventor a $75,000 prize. His plan is to have corporations distribute them in exchange for carbon credits, and earn him an estimated $26-40 annually per box.

Some of the “benefits” are amusing. Slow cooking? The big problem there is burning wood indoors for heat. This solar cooker isn’t going to help there, just make cooking take up more of their day. Greens don’t seem to like progress for poor nations. I agree with spiracy; let them–or help them–industrialize.

I hear you agnungk.
But what is it that you are trying to say??
What is the solution that you are trying to get at here??

Brilliant idea, but I think it should be made of something more sturdy than cardboard. Or a separate model offered in a sturdy heat resistant plastic.

Can this technology/simple-elegant-solution be utilized in hot water solar panels for heating homes? Then can the solar heated water be utilized for radiant floor heating? Free home heating could revolutionize the use of energy in America.

So what is the solution then??