According to a new report from the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for 7 million deaths around the world each year. Though half of those were linked to indoor smoke resulting from improperly ventilated stoves, millions also died because of outdoor pollution. Among the risks of prolonged exposure to air pollution are issues that include “heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.” Along with the millions whose premature deaths are attributed to the outdoor pollution, in many poor and rural areas unsafe cooking conditions are a constant source of danger. A WHO official wrote in the report, “Poor women and children pay a hefty price from indoor air pollution since they spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cook stoves” …
