This is quickly becoming the slogan for the fundraiser that I am heading up in Boulder, Colorado. More and more, it is becoming clear that without an alternative to charcoal, it is going to be very difficult to save the mountain gorillas of the Congo. I want to talk more about this, but first, I’d like to address your comments from the last post.

“Can the Elite Rangers help the other rangers enter the park to protect the mountain gorillas?
At this time, the answer is, no. Despite being highly trained and effective, the Elite force is massively outnumbered and outgunned by the rebels. Going head to head with the rebels would only start a war within a war, and it would be a war the rangers would die fighting. The only viable path to getting the rangers back into the Virunga NP is negotiation. It is going to take international pressure and the UN to uphold the cease-fire to make the return of the rangers possible.

With ICCN’s Nobert Mushenzi essentially being denied access to the park by a former ranger and now rebel, who sees himself as the Director of National Parks for rebel held territories, where is the hope?
It was clearly a shock for Mushenzi and his rangers to be denied access to the gorillas, given the cease-fire and their UN escort. This is terrible news, but I think there is reason for optimism. Nkunda, the rebel leader, seems to realize that the mountain gorillas are worth more to them alive than dead. As was pointed out in the Gorilla Protection blog, there are reports of the rebels taking tourists, coming from Rwanda, to see the gorillas. While the international community is working to get the rebels to lay down their weapons and leave the park, it is good news that the rebels see a reason not to kill the mountain gorillas for bushmeat, target practice, or to clear the way to make more charcoal.

Doesn’t the DRC government value the gorillas? Don’t they know that the governments of Rwanda and Uganda are making significant amounts of money from gorilla tourism?
I believe the DRC government is well aware of this, but unlike the governments of Rwanda and Uganda, the DRC governing body doesn’t have control over all of its territories, namely the Virunga NP. Nor do the various arms of government function as a unified body that obeys its own rules and regulations. Once the rebels agree to lay down their arms and leave the park, and the army shifts from running illegal charcoal to enforcing existing laws to shut down the illegal trade, I believe there will be the possibility of a Rwandan or Ugandan-style gorilla eco-tourism industry.

The Boulder Fundraiser
I’ve never put one on before, but on March 5th, I’ll be giving it a “go”. As a volunteer half way around the world from the Congo, this seemed like a great way to make a contribution. “Mountain Gorillas at the Brink of Extinction: Boulder Throws a Vital Lifeline”, is the name of the event and it is fast becoming a reality thanks to the Boulder Highland City Club’s generous sponsorship and their tireless GM, Douglas Scheffer. Behind the scenes at WildlifeDirect, Virginia Echavarria has been pulling all of the presentation materials together and has been infecting me with her boundless enthusiasm. And then there are the friends, and friends of friends, that are helping out… Our goal is to raise $30,000, but we all believe we can surpass that mark. I will let you all know how it turns out. In the meantime, please consider hosting an event like this where you live. I will gladly share all of the materials we used, including poster and invitation artwork, as well as lessons learned. Know that I am available to help you in any way I can — after March 5th.

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Your generous donations
I would like to begin today’s post with a sincere “Thank you!” to Nancy, who donated $250, the largest donation yet to our effort to end the illegal charcoal trade. Many thanks also go out to Rodger l ($50), Theresa S ($25) and Tim M ($20). Thank you for sharing in the vision.

Charcoal traffickers get creative
Recently, Ephrem and I reported on the initial efforts to interdict illegal charcoal shipments coming out of the gorilla sector and the Virunga NP in general. At the time of our last report, efforts were going well, but the charcoal runners were starting to get creative.

Ephrem, who is based out of Mutsora, DRC recently visited the ICCN checkpoint in Kibati and found that charcoal runners have started using just about every kind of vehicle imaginable to try and smuggle their loads past the rangers. Open, flatbed trucks have now been replaced by closed container vehicles - vehicles traditionally used for imported goods. Smaller loads are being carried around checkpoints on wooden bikes called, “chukudus”.

More and more frequently, ICCN rangers are finding charcoal loads smuggled on military vehicles. Despite the edict that all military personnel are supposed to be involved in halting the illegal charcoal trade, apparently, the message hasn’t reached all levels of the military - or it is being ignored. It would be naïve to think that the new official edict would end military involvement overnight. This will probably take quite some time because most military personnel receive an extremely minimal salary. They make ends meet by “unofficial” means. There is very informative, albeit disturbing, video presentation by Markus Beasdale that describes the humanitarian crisis in the DRC and how that impacts efforts to effect positive change in Congo. After seeing this, it will be easier to understand why it will take time to convince the military to support environmental laws that protect the gorillas’ habitat. To view this, choose “Crisis in Congo” in the upper left and make sure to view the “Full mulitmedia presentation”. Be forwarned, some of the images are disturbing.

The Rwandan Factor
As if it weren’t bad enough that the Congolese are cutting down the forests within the gorillas habitat, so too are Rwandan charcoal traffickers. From Kibati to Kibumba, there are 13 footpaths used by Rwandans to enter into the Virunga NP. These are monitored by the Congolese army, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of confiscating the illegal charcoal and arresting the smugglers, soldiers see this foot traffic as a means to supplement their minimal government wages. For a small fee, soldiers let the smugglers pass right on by. Today, as Ephrem was coming back from Rumangabo on bike, he passed a group of ten women hauling illegal charcoal Rwanda.

The smugglers (Rwandans and Congolese as well) have also changed the dynamics of selling illegal charcoal. Instead of Ruhunda being the main market, now they are selling their charcoal to Congolese displaced people in the Kibumba camp on the backside of the park, near the Rwandan border. With so many people concentrated in a small area, the traffickers can reduce the transportation costs associated with getting their illegal product to market. After all, why carry the charcoal all the way to Rwanda if they can unload it in the DRC, but a significant part of this charcoal still go to Rwanda. To make matters worse, the lucrative charcoal trade has attracted many of the refugees themselves into the business. Many of these refugees are from the villages of Rugari and Gisigari, which were attacked in September 2007 by the Tutsi rebel group led by Laurent Nkunda. Sadly, all of this translates into even more pressure on the mountain gorillas’ habitat.

Fixing the problem
To fix this problem, at least two things need to happen. First, the Congolese Army needs to enforce the new environmental laws that forbid charcoal production in the Virunga NP. Second, there needs to be cooperation between the Rwandan and Congolese governments. Unfortunately, the Rwandans have little motivation to do so because, under the current arrangement, they are getting charcoal without incurring any damage to there own forests.

The dedicated ICCN rangers
The ICCN rangers have an incredibly difficult task in stopping the illegal charcoal trade. They are taking numerous actions, such as seizing trucks at the checkpoints, patrolling along the roads trying to catch the smaller smuggling operations, patrolling within the park in order to discover charcoal production operations and supply networks, raising awareness at public meetings, and lobbying stakeholders (local and national government officials, military officers, etc.) So far, the trade around Rumangabo, on the eastern side of the Nyiragongo volcano, has been reduced, but new networks continue to pop up along the southern and western sides of the volcano. Thankfully, 16 members of ICCN’s Elite Ranger force are arriving this weekend to try and put a stop to all this new activity. We will keep you posted on their efforts.

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Thank you Judy, for your generous $30 monthly donation to this project! Help from people like you is vital to our success. It’s great to have you on the team. I apologize, but I don’t have a definitive answer to your question about reforesting the areas in the gorilla sector that were cleared by the charcoal producers. It is safe to assume, however, that nothing is being done at this time because of the security situation. Although it is improving day to day, even the rangers have yet to return to their posts.

I just returned from another virtual visit to the Working Villages International site, specifically the Ruzizi project. What a great concept. Thanks for the heads up, Pam. As we move into the agricultural phase of this project, I hope we can leverage off of what has been learned at Ruzizi. Thank you for your offer to look into contacts with World Bank. This would be a huge leg up, as would hearing about any of the lessons learned in the process of working with them.

Dipesh, great information about the plant, moringa oleifera. I am contacting BSH to see if they have any experience with using it as a fuel. I’m also trying to find out the yield per hectare, so I can compare moringa oleifera to the other plant oil fuels. I will report back when I have an answer. This truly is an amazing plant. Virtually every part of the plant is usable.

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The 2-5 year goal of this project is to eventually reach 100,000 households in the Goma area, which is the primary demand center for illegal charcoal coming out of Virunga NP. As such, one of the main parts of this initiative is fundraising to support the scope of this project. As Pam suggested, it will be vital to tap into the microfinance arena. Even beyond this, we are looking for ways to catch the attention of organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. If you know of anyone with connections or expertise related to working with microfinance entities or the bigger institutions, please look into those. I always come back my 6 degrees of separation philosophy…

With respect to raising funds on the Charcoal blog, Ephrem and I will be using the information garnered in his research to decide on the best donation categories for the blog. At this time, general donations will be earmarked for helping indigent families purchase plant oil and preheating fuel. We also need to start raising funds for when we get past our initial 100 stoves that BSH has generously offered to donate — to assist families that cannot afford the stoves outright. It is unlikely that we will be giving many stoves away for free because it is important for people to feel as though they have a stake in the project. In speaking with people that have done this kind of thing, the recurrent theme is that people are more likely to follow through if they have some of their own money invested.

The Jatropha/Vanilla Synergy
Paula, it would be a great help if you could dig up your study on Jatropha oil. Jatropha has the third highest yield per hectare of all the oils that the stoves can burn, producing on average, 1728 liters of oil per hectare per year. In contrast, soybeans produce just 408 liters of oil per hectare per year. Jatropha’s high yield and synergy with vanilla make it a top candidate.

Networking with Other Blogs
In the next several weeks I will be working on tying into other blogs, and most certainly, will look into the food blog networks. This is one of the best ways for us to expand our reach.

Have a great weekend!

-Robert

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Hello, this is Robert. Thank you all for your interest in the “Ending Charcoal” blog!

Yes, I am based in Boulder, Colorado. Ephrem Balole is based in Africa and he and I work closely on this blog. At this point, most of our focus is on the Protos project. The reality is, this is a massive project and as such, will probably leave little time to pursue other things such as biodigesters for the time being. Having said that, though, if there is anyone out there that wants to look into technologies such as this, that would be great!

The Relationship Between BSH and WildlifeDirect:
We are trying to set up a partnership with BSH in which we will work collectively to bring the Protos stove technology to the DRC. Their business model clearly forbids the introduction of the stove in politically unstable areas, however, after hearing about the fate of the mountain gorillas, they agreed to explore the possibility of working with WildlifeDirect. If we go forward with this, BSH has indicated that they would donate the first 100 stoves and provide guidance and technical assistance. BSH is adamant that users grow their own fuels, and do so in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner. They are very serious about this and have actually pulled out of areas that have failed to demonstrate their commitment to this principle.

Current Status of the Protos Project:
Ephrem has the difficult task of doing the required phase 1 & 2 market research for BSH. He is looking at things such as demographics, supply chains, alternative cookers, costing, household cooking habits, agricultural sectors, and barriers to entry. I will be working on putting together the training program for the possible introduction. If things go well, I and someone else from WildlifeDirect will spend a week in the Philippines in late March/early April, where there is a Protos pilot underway. We will receive training on the stove and spend time with actual users. The idea is to learn as much as possible from the Phillipines project before we try to bring the stoves to Goma, DRC.

Cost of the Protos Stove:
If brought in from the outside, the cost of the stove will be around US$50-75, 50% or which is transportation cost. Once local manufacturing capability is established, that cost should drop to US$20.

Fuel Types for the Protos Stove:
The Protos stove can burn canola, coconut, Jatropha, palm, peanut, rapeseed, safflower, soy, sunflower, and used cooking oil (biodiesel). One of the most important parts of this project is to grow fuel for the stoves locally. As Paula suggests, it looks like Jatropha will be a great fit in the DRC. We will be making sure NOT to use palm oils coming from any place that has destroyed vital habitat to establish palm oil plantations. This monoculture is a scourge in many places, such as in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it has had a devastating impact on orangutans and other key species. We will be vigilant about using only environmentally sustainable fuel sources.

Fear of Charcoal Mafia Reprisals:
With the crackdown on illegally harvested charcoal, there is clearly a renewed risk to the mountain gorillas. Luckily, this comes at a time when Nkunda and his rebels have agreed to cease hostilities. This is no guarantee that the gorillas will be safe, but it is a step in the right direction.

Creating New Ways to Make a Living:
If we are successful with the Protos project, a whole new sector of the economy will be created. The hope is that the people involved with the illegal harvest of charcoal will see that more money is being made in the plant oils and naturally want to transition into this area.

How you can become involved:
Remember the old adage that only a few degrees of separation stand between you and just about anyone in the world. Think of who you know, and who that person knows, and so on. Rack your brains to think of people that would be willing to help raise funds and awareness to save the last mountain gorillas – and the other critically endangered species of the planet. Think outside the box of what you think is possible!

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In the first post of the Ending Charcoal blog, I spoke of the recent crackdown on illegally harvested charcoal coming from the Virunga NP, home to 70 of the last mountain gorillas in existence. The photos below do a good job of telling the story of the action that is being taken. This really is unprecedented action to end the illegal harvest. Thanks go out to Robert Muir and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) for taking and sharing these great shots.

Trucks stopped at a joint Army-ICCN roadblock set up to interdict illegal charcoal shipments

Catch of the day - a truck stuffed to the gills with illegal charcoal

Confiscated charcoal being staged for shipment to refugee camps

A UNHCR Aid Truck being readied to transport confiscated charcoal to refugee camps for displaced people

Robert Muir of the Frankfurt Zoological Society overseeing the redistribution of seized charcoal at the camp for displaced people

Amidst a sea of displaced people, this couple is about to receive some of the confiscated charcoal. It was amazing how patient everybody was during this whole process

ICCN Rangers have gotten strong support for the charcoal ban at high levels in the Army. Below is a letter that was sent to the Provincial Director of ICCN by the Martial Court Commander. Essentially, the Army is letting ICCN know that is has sent out an edict that states that any soldier, policemen, or warden caught collaborating in any way with the illegal harvest of charcoal within the Virunga National Park will be prosecuted according to Ordinance 69-041. This is a good start, but it remains to be seen if anyone will actually be prosecuted. There have already been reports of Army personnel transporting the illegal charcoal themselves. From these reports, it is clear that the written legislation is only a first step.

Robert Williams

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