LAST month, Zesco announced an 8-hour load shedding schedule due to drought-induced low water levels. While many people have not been happy with this development, a fraction of the business sector appears to be benefitting from load shedding – charcoal traders. Since the resumption of load shedding, the government has attempted to advise citizens to use gas stoves for household cooking. However, the reality is that many people still depend on charcoal because it is a much cheaper option. Households that cannot afford a full bag of charcoal at least have the option to buy smaller pre-packaged ones instead. But despite this being the case, the environmental impact of charcoal production cannot be ignored. I recently visited some charcoal traders...