(GIST OF YOJANA) Tapping sustainable energy alternatives [JUNE-2019]

(GIST OF YOJANA) Tapping sustainable energy alternatives

[JUNE-2019]

Tapping sustainable energy alternatives

Introduction

•  Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations," which otherwise means economic development that is conducted without depiction of natural resources.
•  According to World Health Organisation, climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health clean air, safe drinking water, food security and shelter. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250000 additional deaths every year from malnutrition, diseases like malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. Its cost to health is estimated to be between 2-4 billion US dollars a year by 2030.
  Nationally Determined Contributions
•  India is a signatory to the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which has brought all nations to a common cause to undertake efforts to combat climate change through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead.
  Carbon emissions in India
•  Emissions in India were estimated to have grown by 6.3 per cent in 2018, pushed by strong annual economic growth of around 8 per cent, according to recent projections by the Global Carbon Project. India was among the four major emitters in 2017 (7 per cent) along with China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent) and the European Union (10 per cent). The rest of the world contributed 41 per cent.
•  The National Solar Mission promotes ecologically sustainable growth, while addressing the country’s energy security challenge and  contributes to global effort to meet climate change.
•  India has set an ambitious renewable capacity expansion programme, with a projected growth of achieving 40 per cent of its total power generation from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, to meet NDC target. The target would place India among the world leaders in renewable energy use.

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Nuclear power generation

•  Another major source of environmental pollution is nuclear power generation. Nuclear plants create 50 per cent more thermal pollution than fossil fuel plants. The challenge India faces now is to improve energy access to modern energy at affordable price in a sustainable and responsible manner without sacrificing economic growth and social development to meet the aspirations of its burgeoning population.
•  The domestic etude oil production is able to meet only less than one fifth of the demand, while the rest is met from imported crude. India’s energy security will remain vulnerable until alternative fuels to substitute/ supplement petro- based fuels are developed based on indigenously produced renewable feedstock.
•  Though non – conventional sources of energy are not entirely without impact on environment, in comparison, it is the hotter option, being the lesser evil. Fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use , land use and global warming emissions.
•  The extraction and utilization of coal have created a massive impact on environment with far reaching consequences. Nearly 65 per cent of India’s electricity is generated from thermal power, for which the feedstock is invariably coal mined in India. Power generation through
•  The Boiler Turbine route results in atmospheric pollution due to the release of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrous oxides.
•  Indian automotive sector is among the fastest growing industries in the world. By 2020, it is expected. The annual demand for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and two wheelers in the country will be 46.7 million, turning India into the third largest vehicle market in
  the world.

Way foward

•  As per International Energy Agency (IEA ) estimates, globally; transportation sector accounts for 30 per cent of worldwide energy consumption and is the second largest source of carbon dioxide emission contributing to 20 per cent of greenhouse gas. India’s National
  Mission for Electric Mobility seeks to mitigate the adverse impact of economic development, by completely switching over to electric vehicles by
  2030.
•  Another major source of environmental pollution is nuclear power generation. Nuclear plants create 50 per cent more thermal pollution than fossil fuel plants.
•  The challenge India faces now is to improve energy access to modern energy at affordable price in a sustainable and responsible manner without sacrificing economic growth and social development to meet the aspirations of its burgeoning population.

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