Get-up-and-go!

Warning: Continue only if your brain is in its right place. Seriously!
Thug.. thug.. thug.. and the fan comes to a whining halt as does everything else with no electricity.. no fuel.. no power..

Our world is heading towards a severe energy crisis due to our desperate need to consume more energy than can be produced. While we all are aware that the energy we use is not limitless, we continue to take it for granted. Gas, power, oil, even water has limited availability. Nevertheless, we are unprepared for the energy crisis that will inevitably occur. The responsibility is not only the governments, but every man, woman, and child.

Gas and oil prices have already skyrocketed, and as each day dawns, they are getting closer to extinction. There are some misinformed people who believe the energy crisis is a myth. Burying one's head in the sand when the hunter is hot on your heels should be left to the ostrich! The prices have been rapidly escalating over the course of the past five years, due to an increase in demand and the decline of energy resources specifically- crude oil supply problems, rapidly escalating demand for energy, energy pricing policies, oil import quotas, lack of incentives to invest in domestic energy facilities, and depletion of domestic oil and gas reserves to name a few.

In this post however, I wouldn't indulge in the unneeded act of adding a few more strokes to the already dark picture that has been painted so many times by so many. I would prefer to point out what could, no SHOULD be done.

The right energy policy for a nation must aim to satisfy energy needs of current and future generations of all citizens in an affordable manner without adverse impact on the environment. In today's world, mere domestic availability of a particular fuel may not ensure access of modern energy services to all. A nation requires a range of resources in the entire energy supply chains--primary energy, financial capital, material and human capabilities for development and manufacture of relevant technological systems, and logistical infrastructure for delivery--to make available useful energy to its citizens at affordable costs over a long period of time.

An energy policy aimed at long term affordability, clean environment, sustainability and security must be centered on a wide mix of renewable energy options- solar, wind, small-hydel, biomass and others. Wide mix of renewables is necessary to ensure reliability of supplies and avoid possible fallout of dependence on single option like bio-fuels. Therefore, to begin with, India must change its energy strategy towards one that places the highest priority on renewable energy by committing huge resources for up-scaling infrastructure for manufacture and supply of technologies for production of electricity, heat and other end-use energy from solar, wind, biomass and small-hydel resources. Agreed, setup of a coal powered power plant is atleast 20 times cheaper than that of a wind powered one, but with careful planning and skillful management it can be ensured that in the long run, the alternative sources prove to be profitable along with taking care of the crisis part.

State support must be provided to build dispersed infrastructure in rural areas for delivery and maintenance of these systems. Systems based on clean coal and natural gas, given their current domestic availability and low capital cost respectively, can play stopgap role in the transitory phase until delivery infrastructure based on renewables is put in place.

Meanwhile, research on newer sources of energy must carry on. The microbes that churn out inexpensive bio-fuels and bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol should not be left alone to the confines of PhD papers locked up in stacks of dusty files in some corner of the laboratory store rooms.

In addition to changing energy supply mix, drastic end-use and life-style changes that cut down energy use will be necessary. Examples are: new urban planning with homes closer to offices, excess public transport capacities, and promotion of local markets and local materials to avoid long distance transport. But these changes cannot come by market economics alone. Governments need to intervene now to make them economically attractive in the future.

To sign off, energy crisis is a common problem. It needs an even handed solution. Any strategy should be thoroughly taken into account. The energy and food crisis is a threat to domestic and international political and economic system. If the crisis is not resolved, world wide recession is imminent. There is a need to devise short, mid and long-term strategies particularly by developing countries like India to absorb the skyrocketing prices and ensure a bright future.

Hasta la Vista!