Music for Relief (MFR) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have launched a campaign to raise necessary funds to provide an entire village in the Himalayan country of Nepal access to clean, green biogas technology.
Founded by two-‐time Grammy winning/multi-‐platinum rock band Linkin Park, MFR is a non-‐ profit organization dedicated to providing aid to survivors of natural disasters and the prevention of such disasters. MFR will reward supporters who raise funds for the campaign here with a chance to win tickets to see Linkin Park at a small, private performance in Las Vegas in January.
A segment of Power the World (an initiative that brings together Linkin Park, MFR and the UN Secretary-‐General that seeks to bring sustainable energy solutions to one million people), the “clean cookstove” campaign follows the success of other campaigns including providing solar lights in Haiti, solar suitcases in Uganda, and the SOCCKET in South America.
“We are thrilled that Linkin Park and Music For Relief are championing biogas in Nepal because this simple, effective technology delivers a rare triple win—transforming the lives of people, protecting wildlife and healing the planet,” said Shubash Lohani, Deputy Director of WWF’s Eastern Himalayas Program.
“It’s exciting to find a solution that helps on multiple levels,” said Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell of Linkin Park. " The clean, biogas cookstoves WWF is implementing will improve families’ health, keep women and children safer and protect the environment. We hope our supporters will join us in providing technology for those living in the Kumrose village in Nepal."
More than eight million people call the Terai Arc Landscape in Nepal home, and many cannot afford electricity, and must rely on large quantities of wood for cooking and other needs. On average, each person in the Terai region uses up to 2,000 pounds of wood per year, resulting in massive clear cutting of trees that yields serious consequences for both people and wildlife.
Biogas offers a straightforward, cost-‐effective solution. Human and animal waste is processed to produce methane that burns with a bright blue flame. Constructing methane from waste protects forests and the valuable habitat for the species that live there. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions – a win-‐win for Nepali communities.
The campaign also invites supporters to learn about local farmer Buddhi Ram Mahato and his family through a series of online stories that will take viewers on an inspirational journey.
“We hope people are inspired to join this campaign to uplift an entire village by providing cleaner air, better healthcare, increased incomes for locals, while at the same time regenerating forest habitat for tigers, rhinos, and the many other species that live there,” added Lohani.
To start a fundraiser that will support the campaign, click here. Those who raise at least $565 (the cost of one biogas system including a cookstove, biogas digester and toilet) by November 22 will be entered to win tickets to see Linkin Park at a small, private show.
Globally, 3 billion people rely on solid fuels to cook each day, which results in 4 million deaths annually from lung and heart diseases, cancers, burns, and more. MFR and WWF are partners of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-‐private partnership working to create a global market for clean cooking solutions. Each organization is committed to fulfilling the objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, which calls for universal energy access by 2030.
