Population growth, urbanization, and use of modern technologies now-a-days demand a great deal of energy every day. To meet the need of the growing population, fossil fuels (i.e. coal, natural gas and oil) are conventionally used since long, which is a well- known source of non-renewable energy. Till date, burning of firewood and dung cakes for cooking purpose is a common practice in remote villages. However, the emissions from the above practices contribute to the greenhouse gases that highly affect the environment and causes many health problems to the living beings.
The concept of alternative energy source, which can minimize the hazards caused by the non-renewable energy source, is comparatively a new one, involving a few environment-friendly options. Wind, solar, hydro, geo-thermal and biomass energy are some convenient solutions to the world-wide power production with reduced emission. The renewable sources of energy minimize the dependence on fossil fuels and their import from other countries which can be beneficial for economic growth.
Among the renewable energy sources, hydropower plays an important role, with a capacity to respond quickly to an increasing electricity demand. Wave and tidal power also have some potentialities to be used as an alternative energy source. Wind power may become a future energy source, but in the present scenario, it needs other energy sources to balance its intermittency. Solar energy technologies are developing rapidly.
In the recent years, use of biofuels has drawn attention as a clean and renewable source of energy. Biogas, bioethanol, biodiesel and biobutanol are most attractive forms of biofuel. Photosynthetic microorganisms have the capability of capturing energy of sunlight. Capturing a small amount of available solar energy can make a great contribution to the energy need of the planet. Additional research is required in this aspect.
Renewable energy sources can play a key role as cleaner mode of energy supply in near future. With the emerging awareness for environmental degradation and sustainable development, it is the need of the hour to pay attention to the use and popularization of the less harmful modes of energy production. Therefore, international coordination and investment in renewable energy research is of utmost importance in this regard for the betterment of mother earth.
Juli Bairagi Junior Research Fellow Advanced Institutional Level Biotech Hub Chaiduar College, Gohpur
Switching our research to renewable resources : Changing attitudes for a better world
Let us close our eyes for a moment and think what will happen to this world if, by some magic, humankind is removed from here. The forests, no doubt will thrive again, the rivers will purify and refresh themselves, the atmosphere will be clean and animals facing the danger of extinction will flourish all over. That is exactly the kind of world we ought to dream of nowadays. From this we are to infer that the problem is not the environment but we ourselves- the human species. Thus, if we are serious about preserving ourselves, our future and the environment, then we have to transform ourselves.
Transformation is not possible by money, technology or any other resource for that matter. It is possible by altering our habits and lifestyle alone which in turn can be corrected by inculcating a more environment-friendly attitude. It is our attitude which will determine our destiny.
Now the important question is how to change our attitude? Experience tells us that there is no substitute for education as an instrument of attitudinal changes. It is essential to educate children about the environment, the ways to preserve it, and to develop a more positive attitude in the minds of young generation, on whose shoulders the destiny of humankind rests. There should be attempts to make people understand the close bond between human activities and environment, to explain environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behavior and to increase people’s involvement in finding solutions for environmental problems.
India has an ancient tradition to educate children through stories. Indeed, the Panchatantra and Jataka tales were brought into existence precisely for that purpose. The same tradition of imparting education through stories is still followed in many parts of India like ‘the north east region.’ This region has been declared as one of the few biodiversity ‘hotspots’ all over the world. This region reflects remarkable diversity but at the same time possess striking similarities too. The entire region of north east is predominantly mountainous in nature, is replete with rivers and streams, is covered with thick forests, receives heavy rainfall and harbors many climates and eco-systems. Even the people living here share a strong resemblance in outlook and attitude. They are simple, honest and charming.
Environmentalism springs from the amazing ability of our environment to re-create and rejuvenate itself. We know that our environment is resilient as well as vulnerable. It is in this capacity to flourish once again that the humanity has discovered the hope for its future survival and well being. The question is how to preserve and improve our environment. To find an answer to our question let us have a closer look at environment. One thing can be easily seen among the constituents of the environment: they are independent. For example, the birds depend upon vegetation and insects for their food. On the other hand, most trees and plants depend upon birds for fertilization and dispersal of seeds. The human race is also a part of this complex web. The only difference is its greater capability to manipulate nature, giving it the false perception that it is the master of nature and he can play with it any way he likes and can escape its consequences. The perception has changed dramatically. Today it is recognized that humankind alone has to pay for its actions. If the current trend of human actions arising due to man’s greed rather than his need will continue, the extinction of the human race is a foregone conclusion. Nature will survive without mankind but man needs this planet to survive.
It has become very important to reemphasize our traditional wisdom and the light of modern thinking to develop the right kind of attitude. The environment has to be cared for its vulnerability and respected for its resilience- for our own benefit. It is possible to attain a better world no doubt. A better world, a happy world, a world where its inhabitants live in harmony is not impossibility. We are firm in our conviction that it is possible- if we wish it to be. Whether we really wish for it is a question that can be best answered by US alone.
Gayatree Hazarika Research Scholar Dept. of Zoology Gauhati University
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