Energy is the essence of life. Since origin our ancestors have been trying to harness all available sources of energy. Starting with the discovery of fire, which was by far the most significant discovery in our journey so far in this world, we have cared very little about our nature.
In the pre-industrial age, solar energy met all of humanity’s energy needs. Plants convert solar energy into biomass through the process of photosynthesis. People burned this biomass for heat and light. Plants provided food for people and animals, which, in turn, used their muscle power to do work. Even as humans learned to smelt metals and make glass, they fueled the process with charcoal made from wood. Apart from photosynthesis, humans made some use of wind and water power, also ultimately fuelled by the sun.
Temperature differences in the atmosphere brought about by sunlight drive the wind, and the cycle of rainfall and flowing water also gets its energy from sunlight. But the sun is at the centre of this system, and people could only use the energy that the sun provided in real time, mostly from plants.
Then, fossil fuels opened new doors for humanity. They formed from the transformation of ancient plants through pressure and temperature over tens to hundreds of millions of years, essentially storing the sun’s energy over time. The resulting fuels freed humanity from its reliance on photosynthesis and current biomass production as its primary energy source. Instead, fossil fuels allowed the use of more energy than today’s photosynthesis could provide, since they represent a stored form of solar energy.
First coal, then oil and natural gas allowed rapid growth in industrial processes, agriculture, and transportation. The world today is unrecognizable from that of the early 19th century, before fossil fuels came into wide use. Human health and welfare have improved markedly, and the global population has increased from around 1 billion in 1800 to around 8 billion today. The fossil fuel energy system is the lifeblood of the modern economy. Fossil fuels powered the industrial revolution, pulled millions out of poverty, and shaped the modern world.
But over the decades, through mindless exploitation to satiate our greed, we are fast forwarding our own destruction, along with destruction of all other living things ( and non-living things too) on earth . An impending disaster is lurking our planet that is threatening the very existence of our earth due to anthropogenic activities especially by releasing the greenhouse gas emissions of which the most predominant is carbon dioxide due to burning of fossil fuels while the other contributors are Methane gas predominantly due to agriculture especially growing paddy and ruminant animals especially cattle and nitrous oxide due to industries.
But the lessons learnt from Chernobyl and other such catastrophic sites, where though humans perished along with the entire ecosystem, due to manmade causes, the earth there is slowly but steadily coming back to normalcy except for human habitation. It shows that we need the earth much more than the earth needs us.
Also Read: India leapfrogging Energy transition
In the existing world scenario, the underdeveloped and developing countries do not have much options available which are cost effective and But at the same time, we can’t afford to burn fossil fuel which threatens our very own existence. In our country, more than 80 % of the energy needs are met through thermal power plants (around 150 of them), operating on fossil fuels. Now, the alternatives available, the renewable energy sources – be it solar, wind, wave energy etc, the resources required are so prohibitive that it doesn’t come very handy. The other alternative, i.e. hydro power by constructing huge dams has its own perils.
The new technology of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is in its nascent stage with only around two dozen such projects mostly in North America.
While I completely agree that we have no option but to move away from fossil fuels and that too as fast as we can, we need to enable the not so developed countries around the world with technologies which are affordable and sustainable.
Views expressed by Dr P B Salim, Chairman & Managing Director, West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL).
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