Photo courtesy of Robert Williams
DCL
Colorado resident Robert Williams isn't a wildlife or habitat conservation expert, but when he learned just how endangered Africa's mountain gorillas are, he wanted to act. He set out on a search for alternatives to the use of charcoal, a major cause of deforestation in Virunga Park and a major source of funding for rebels not super interested in conservation.
Williams thought, the Daily Camera reports, "alleviating the dependency on charcoal would simultaneously save the forests and pull the financial rug out from under rebels." He ended up developing a press—in his basement—that would make biomass briquettes.
Williams hopes that by replacing Congolese residents' charcoal stoves with biomass briquettes made in Nederland, he can help to run out the so-called Charcoal Mafia rebels that have resisted conservationist efforts and have a stranglehold on the area.
But Williams isn't stopping there, he's also looking for ways to provide the national park with on-going financial support so park rangers can continue to protect the gorillas. He's proposing a Boulder sanctuary, where residents could adopt an acre of the park for $25 a month.
Six hundred of these briquette presses now operate in Congo, with a goal of 1,000 by November. Read the full story to learn how this one man started what is now the largest alternative fuel program in Congo.
