AIR Spotlight Summary on: “Various Aspects of Energy Conservation”
Introduction
- Energy is life, without energy the modern lifestyle or even to survive an ordinary lifestyle cannot be imagined. So energy is very vital for the existence of human being. Oil is one of the conventional age old energy sources which are finite. The total oil stock of the planet is been estimated to linger 65 years more. There will be some time less than a century where there will be no oil at all. There are certain scientific operations and activities for which oil is essential. Renewable energy cannot replace oil in these scientific operations.
- For the first 7 months in the current financial year, the petrol and diesel consumption in India posed a growth of 9.2% and 5% respectively. This shows that our demand for oil is growing on a daily basis. The population is increasing, our living standards is improving, average human expectations are rising, so in such a situation we are aspiring for more comfortable lifestyle for which energy is very vital.
Renewable Energy
- Renewable energy is more preferred these days because of no carbon emission and no Green house gases. Government has taken a pledge to reduce 10% of oil imports by 2022 and India being oil deficient country, the conservation becomes very vital. This is not very ambitious target and 10% reduction is feasible. Whatever we require for our sustenance and for meaningful objective is welcome, but wasting oil cannot be tolerated. It pinches in financial terms and also affects our future generation.
- India also committed at international level its renewable energy target of having 175 GW capacity by 2022, which includes 100 GW Solar, 60 GW Wind, 10 GW Biomass and 5 GW Small Hydro. Renewable energy in such a big way along with massive nuclear plants can help reduce 10% of oil imports by 2022.
Electric Vehicles
- The government is aspiring to move towards electric vehicles where it wants only electric vehiclesto run on its roads by 2030. Many say it is futuristic, but it is not. The charging points, battery components need to be in place. When the source of the electricity is from fossil fuels, then electric vehicles will also generate green house gases.
Oil Conservation
- Oil conservation week is celebrated every year, from 4thof January to the 10th of January, by the people worldwide in order to increase the awareness all across the world regarding the importance of conservation of the petroleum products. Since oil is a finite resource, it needs to be conserved on a finite basis. In traffic signals when the signal is red, the vehicles need to be switched off, so that unnecessary wastage of fuel can be avoided. In cooking, heat is to be conserved and recycled. In industrial processes, the heat can be recycled and so energy can be recycled. A lot of capacity building, training, and tree plantation at local level are required because if people are not able to conserve energy, no one can conserve it as government alone cannot do everything. People in their own interest for their own existence need to protect the planet.
- Clean energy measures like ethanol blending or bio fuel mixing are very vital. Oil from bio fuel sources are environmental friendly and don’t create more emissions.
- Energy conserved means energy generated. By conserving energy we will be saving the precious resources for the future generation and it will be beneficial on the financial front also. India must aim for less oil dependence and depend more on clean and renewable energy.
