With less than a month to go for the Copenhagen climate conference, there is great expectation that India, the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will come up with a clear plan to stem the growth of its carbon emissions. After a long phase of denial, there are some signs that national policy is beginning to acknowledge global concerns on this all-important issue. The signing of a memorandum of agreement with China on climate change is a welcome initiative that promises long-term benefits for both nations. The Chinese experience in substantially reducing carbon emissions per unit of GDP — by an impressive 49.5 per cent between 1990 and 2004 — is worth studying and emulating. It now appears virtually certain that the United States will not commit itself to binding emissions cuts at Copenhagen because a domestic consensus is yet to emerge. That need not stop India, however, from shaking off its ‘do-little’ image and strengthening international efforts for a political agreement. Indeed, if the U. S., China, and India can agree to differentiated cuts and joint development of green technologies, a strong protocol under the United Nations framework in 2010 may be more feasible. India needs to get its national action plan on climate change off the ground quickly. State governments need to get their act together. Aggressive measures are necessary to reduce emissions and raise efficiency in areas such as power generation, transmission, lighting, building practices, transport, forestry, water and waste management.
The Copenhagen conference may end with only a ‘political’ agreement on reduction of carbon emissions beyond the Kyoto Protocol period. Yet it offers India an opportunity to formulate a green development policy that leapfrogs the dirty carbon legacy of the industrial revolution. Wind, water and solar energy (derived using available technologies) have the least impact on global warming. They can help taper off fossil fuel use and meet the bulk of energy demand in the future. There are challenges, however, as rare earths and other materials needed to manufacture the tens of thousands of wind turbines, motors, fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells that form the backbone of this vision are finite and difficult to access. If new materials are developed, these hurdles can be crossed. The resulting clean energy can transform the residential, commercial, industrial, and transport sectors. This is the green growth that India should aspire for. With political commitment, it is possible to develop a research and production base for cutting-edge technologies and fast-paced innovation. It will also lay the foundation for a new wave of green jobs.
Comments:
Being in denial mode for decades, now India has to show the sign of reducing the green-house emissions. China has done remarkably well in this area and by going its path, India can also set an example in supporting Global Warming initiatives for the smaller developing nations to follow. United States' non-commitment should not be a demotivating factor for India.
Climate change is not a phenomenon which the scientists predict will happen in the future, but it is what ordinary people across the world are witnessing today. It is heartening to note that our government is now opening its eyes to this reality. Electricity generation based on fossil fuel is the major contributor to carbon emission. Our decision makers have always talked about the need to increase electricity generation to meet the needs of economic growth, but there has been very little stress on reducing electricity consumption by avoiding its widely seen wastage. Most of the commercial buildings constructed in recent years in cities and towns, even though centrally air-conditioned, have glass walls which impair the thermal insulation of the buildings and thereby increase the load on air-conditioners and their power consumption. There are many other ways by which electricity is wasted by us. In Bangalore , a national highway leading to new airport is brightly lit over a distance of about 30 km throughout the night. All over India , even in places where the weather is not very hot and humid, the rising number of people are air-conditioning their houses and apartments. With the exponential growth of personal vehicles, the carbon emission from this source is growing at an alarming rate. We will be fooling ourselves if we counter this allegation by saying that modern vehicles are highly fuel efficient. The number of vehicles on the roads have increased so much that in spite of their higher fuel efficiency their combined contribution to environmental pollution has increased enormously. If we depend on the yet to be installed nuclear power plants which are prohibitively expensive with long gestation period besides being subject to international power play, enormous damage to human habitat would be done . Other unconventional methods of environment-friendly electricity generation have their own problems as pointed out in the editrial. Avoiding wastage and reducing unnecessary use of electricity are the best way to help the environment today.
I am glad you didn't stop with the tall talk of 'shaking off its do-little image' and went ahead to suggest increase in efficiency in many areas and 'a green growth'.China has shut down many older, inefficient industrial boilers and power plants and started investing in nuclear and wind sources. Moreover, Chinese premier Hu has said that his country would plant forests across an area the size of Norway, and generate 15% of its energy needs from renewables within a decade. Besides these, China has the distinction of controlling its population growth with a one-child-only policy for decades. They are committed to look at the problems well ahead and think of ways to come out of it at the earliest.A big lesson to learn for those in Sansad Bhavan.
With much hue and cry for months going into making the Copenhagen summit on climate change a success, the sudden U-turn by the US, clearly under domestic pressure, though not surprising, given its past opposition to the Kyoto protocol, gives pointers as to what lies ahead. It shows how serious the developed industrialised countries of the west are when it comes to making serious legally binding carbon emission control measures. For it is easier to point an accusing finger at other nations, specially the developing ones, and hold them responsible for an excessive energy consumption, than to introspect and accept their own historic role at polluting atmosphere through laying a bigger carbon footprint on the planet.
Our prime minister wants to create 'green energy' through nuclear power. As per data available, each Megawatt of Nuclear power will need anything between 150,000 227,000 litres of WATER.