Firewood and charcoal in Tanzania: hidden environmental costs and clean cooking options

An op-ed in Tanzania's Daily News argues that firewood and charcoal are not truly cheap. The real costs show up later as deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, indoor smoke, and carbon emissions. Traditional charcoal kilns are often inefficient, so the damage starts long before a bag reaches a kitchen. Author Daudi Birigwa says the fix is not to blame households that depend on these fuels. It is to make cleaner options like LPG, biogas, solar cooking, and efficient electric appliances affordable and reliable enough to compete with charcoal. The article also calls for more efficient charcoal production during the transition, reforestation, and stronger enforcement of environmental rules. For anyone tracking East African energy or climate policy, the piece connects cooking fuel demand to forest loss and household health. It is a reminder that a green transition cannot focus only on grid-scale power while ignoring the daily fuel choices of most households.