A report has revealed that the Delhi Government’s decision to subsidise power has led to a voracious appetite for electricity consumption. Freebies cannot become a reason for harming the environment. It’s now time to promote solar energy
With the current commitments on greenhouse gas emissions running out by 2020, climate change, largely driven by greenhouse gas emissions, has become the top priority for nations across the world. In fact, scientists have warned that, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at the current rate, global temperatures will cross the threshold of two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and may reach upto five degree Celsius. That may not sound like much, but the temperature difference between today’s world and the last ice age was about five degree Celsius. Therefore, a seemingly small change in temperature can make a big difference for the earth.
At the ongoing climate change negotiations in Bonn, the G-7 leaders resolved to limit global warming to two degree Celsius by reducing their carbon emissions and by mobilising the sum of $100 billion a year for climate change mitigation.
Events such as the Bonn climate talks are setting the pace and agenda, prior to the definitive Paris summit that is to be held in December. Nearly 190 countries will participate in the climate summit to chalk out a strategy and to reach on a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
For the world economy, and especially for developing countries like India, climate change can have serious economic implications. The Stern Review report on the Economics of Climate Change has predicted reductions by several per cent of the world’s GDP due to climate-related costs, such as dealing with increased extreme weather events and stresses to low-lying areas due to rising sea levels.
India must ensure that its future and growth prospects do not get eclipsed by environmental challenges. This is possible only if the elected Government is able to synchronise policy planning and is able to use green technology with overall goals of environmental conservation. But sadly, this is not happening.
Growing household income is a welcome sign of a healthy and growing economy. But the Government must ensure, that such positive developments do not inadvertently pair up with the Government policies or sops and prove to be detrimental to the environment. This is exactly what happened in Delhi this summer, as the Government’s cheap electricity tariff for a substantial section of the city’s population amid rising incomes led to an unprecedented increase in power consumption.
The Aam Aadmi Party Government could have been environmentally conscious by factoring in the ecological downside of the populist policies, whether it is cheap electricity tariff or free water. The Centre for Science and Environment released a report on energy usage in Delhi which revealed how subsidised electricity and lack of energy efficiency measures led to a voracious appetite for energy intensive air-conditioned comfort and more pollution.
A robust and a fully developed economy that has healthy environmental protection standards cannot be ensured if the Government turns a blind eye to environment conservation. Successive Governments must achieve the delicate balance between appealing policies and environmental conservation. This is possible by adopting green technologies that offset and mitigate the pressures levied by urban communities on natural resources. Carbon Negative Technologies is an apt example of green technology that can be used to generate energy without penalising the environment. CNT is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the ability to sequester more carbon than the technology releases.
CNT can be a potential source of bioenergy for catering to urban needs with carbon capture and storage capability. India can explore the option of generating electricity from biomass (high-energy crops such as poplar, willow or temperate grasses) and use CNT to capture the carbon emissions and sequester the same in depleted underground reservoirs or porous rocks. This can help in net reduction in the atmospheric carbon dioxide and be a sustainable source of clean energy.
The Government must also identify areas of intensive energy consumption such as air conditioning demand and find sustainable alternatives for powering the cooling needs of the urban population. Presently air conditioning accounts for 45 per cent of the total energy consumption in the residential sector. Given the fact that India has between 300 and 330 sunny days in a year (equivalent to over 5,000 trillion kWh per year of energy), the same can be harnessed to power air conditioning plants. Solar powered air condition technology is fast gaining popularity globally.
In the last two decades, approximately one thousand solar thermal air-conditioning systems have been established globally, with majority of them in Europe. Measures such as these will help foster progress and conserve environment.
A commitment to environmental conservation that is driven by smart and green technologies, demonstrates the regard for future generations. That is the hallmark of a truly developed country.