A spectacular display conveying a serious message took place on the opening day of the 47th Union World Conference on Lung Health, when open fires were lit in specially built miniature housing in the piazza outside the venue. The housing was built by students from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and the fires were tended by firefighters from Operation Florian; a UK based international humanitarian charity with a mission to save lives worldwide.

The display showed the risks posed by fire and consequent air pollution to the many people – approximately half the world’s population – who rely on biomass fuels (animal or plant material) for their daily energy needs. Around four million people die every year from exposure to biomass smoke.

It also served to demonstrate by contrast a positive solution to this problem, an African Clean Energy cookstove, the ACE-1, which is among the cleanest and most high-tech stoves available. The solar powered stove can provide light and charging facilities by USB as well as heat and cooking facilities with greatly reduced smoke emissions.