Michael Strong, GCC Faculty.
An upcoming edition of Energy for Sustainable Development will feature an article co-authored by GCC's Michael Strong, Social Sciences faculty, and Julie Silva, a geography instructor at the University of Buffalo.
The manuscript "Predictors of persistent charcoal consumption among urban households in Tete, Mozambique," examines motivations for persistent charcoal consumption in urban households that have access to electricity.
Key findings indicate that income plays only a negligible role in predicting the use of charcoal over electricity as a primary cooking fuel. More important are personal preferences and the effects of friendships with people who do not use charcoal to cook. This has implications for realizing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as it provides additional pathways for policymakers to induce a shift in charcoal demand with the potential to improve sustainable consumption of the region's forests.
Strong holds a Ph.D. in geographical sciences from the University of Maryland and an MA in geography and environmental planning from Towson University. He has published several papers on sustainability, conservation, and human development in Mozambique. He teaches courses in earth and environmental sciences at GCC, chairs the sustainability instructional council, and is the secretary of the GCC Faculty Senate.