Earth Day
Climate change is a ‘hot’ topic today. NGOs, Governments, Unions, Media, it’s on everyone’s mind. And deservedly so. While industrial revolution leapfrogged mankind into a supreme being on this lonely planet, its unintended consequence has turned for the worse.
Mankind found an easy form of energy in volatile fossil fuels. When they were first discovered, everyone concerned had no doubts about them as a finite resource. But, that became fuzzy over time, as our dependency and the need for energy increased. So much that today, we cannot live without them and cannot think of anything else but them.
Today is a scene of exponential energy demands, rapidly depleting available and accessible resources; hunger for power, acute need for development and well being — of nations and its people. On one hand, you need energy, while on the other, you need to think of the world’s well being as a whole. This is a precarious balance, and an extremely difficult one.
The holy grail, of course, is clean, environmentally friendly energy. How do you get it? That’s a priceless question. And no one seem to have the right answers. So, we go with what we know best, in maintaining that balance, which is already tipping.
At the heart of climate change is the excessive emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. And at a rate that’s heating our planet enough to cause glaciers to melt, experience warmest winters and bringing in unpredictability into everything we thought we already knew. Before I go on, I invite you to read more about Climate change and how it is already affecting us — in order to get a bearing of what I am talking about. Go on then, I’ll wait till you come back.
While this is a crisis, it is also an opportunity to join hands. Work together, across barriers and boundaries, to take collective responsibility in doing the best we can, to reduce the burden and reduce emissions. Some (like Industries and Governments) more but we as citizens of this world, no less in our homes, work places, our vehicles, wherever we are and wherever we go.
Governments must take the first step.
Without regulation, there can be no compliance — voluntary or involuntary. EU recently took a brave step in getting carmakers to cut CO2 emissions to 120 grams per kilometer by 20121. In addition, Governments can take some constructive steps:
- Help innovative companies working towards energy efficiency. Give them tax holidays, real estate and reduce other hurdles of setting-up infrastructure.
- Start a media campaign on energy efficiency. Smart advertisements in public interest among others. (A Dutch energy company recently gave away free energy efficient lamps to people. This is not a great example, but nevertheless, an important step in spreading awareness.)
- Make devices working on human energy cool again. Subsidize energy efficient products, make them free of all forms of tax. Also tax, those people who use efficient forms of energy, less.
- Build more infrastructure to aid energy efficiency, indirectly: bicycle tracks; subsidized multi-person travel (reduce toll tax), build more runways to avoid takeoff / landing time to save fuel and operating costs.
- Encourage alternative fuel industry, hydrogen for one and Gas for the other. Reduce excise tax on them.
- Enforce efficient public transportation. Make them cool (and safe wherever) again. (In Amsterdam, people wait for that particular Hydrogen powered bus when they could, otherwise, take any other bus.)
Those are just a few from the top of my head. I am sure there are many other ways that Governments can think about.
There are some wonderful tips, for you and me, to take action.
Wishful thinking on innovation: Ideas, I have some, which might sound stupid, but what if?
- Develop large capacity batteries with small form factor. If USB drives can be 30+GB, why not two AA sized batteries, which can run your home for a whole day before requiring a recharge?
- How about developing chargers that charge your phones and laptops while you bicycle to work?
- Your iPods charge while you run on the treadmill.
- Tennis, squash rackets, jogger shoes and even cars as battery chargers for not just your utilities but also to electrify your homes. Think of a tiny pair of batteries charging from any of these sources as you do your daily chores and you come home plug the batteries in and you get hot water, lighting, powers-up communication and entertainment system and other such utilities? How cool would that be?
- Jogger shoes as battery chargers.
- Bring back those automatic watches that auto-charge based on human movements.
- Use LEDs for lighting in homes and work places.
- Use dynamic weight shifts in public transports, sports stadia to generate and recharge power.
- Convince Dean Kamen to become the next Bill Gates by subsidizing those human powered Segways. If they bring those prices down, I am sure Segway human transporter would be the next best thing to iPod to hit us, in terms of cool factor, not to mention a plus one on human energy efficiency. Get everyone to move just by positioning themselves dynamically. How’s that?
If each and everyone does it in America, China and India, half of the energy problems could easily be solved. On those thoughts, here’s to Earth Day, today. It’s the only one we have and it’s precious. Lets not waste it.
- Our recently bought car, is fuel efficient, emits CO2 between 140gm–156gm, a class B vehicle, that we’re happy about [←]
A few private power supplying companies in Mumbai have collaborated to release some public interest ads which tell people to save electricity. It has simple messages like: keeping the air-conditioner temperature controlled at 24*C, switching off electronic devices from the plug point.
I think it is very important to spread public awareness about how certain taken for granted things are also consuming/wasting power.
One major thing I believe a city like Mumbai needs is more efficient usage of cars for transporting people to and from HOME / WORK. Car pools unfortunately are not considered a very friendly service around here.
Apr 24, 07 at 08:03