POOR WATER MANAGEMENT UNDER NREGS

Edition-3


As a result of it, construction of new structures in the upper catchments produces negative effects downstream, in the form of reduced flows into tanks and reservoirs (Bachelor et al., 2002; Kumar et al., 2008). It is important to mention here that none of the small river basins in the country are gauged (Kumar et al., 2006), with the result that there are no official data on their runoff generation potential. Decentralized water harvesting efforts at the village level, which are un-coordinated at the level of the large watersheds or the river basin, therefore result in over-appropriation of surface water from catchments.
AS TELL IN THE GREAT INDIAN DREAM

POOR WATER MANAGEMENT UNDER NREGS

Edition-2

Implementing water management works under NREGA, on the scale envisaged, has posed major challenges. Corruption in the implementation is rampant. Till March

2001, some 1,138 complaints related to irregularities in implementation of NREGA activities were received, with maximum reported cases from the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Field evidences suggested that spending on some of the water management works has not only been inadequate, but also unwise. For instance, ponds have been dug in areas with scanty rainfall, without conceptualization of factors such as catchments area & sources of recharging (NCAER-PIF, 2009). As matter of fact, residual catchments are hard to find in naturally water scarce regions, where already a large number of small and large water impounding structures exists, including those which are traditional and modern. The flows generated from the natural catchments are already committed for the small & large reservoirs downstream (Kumar et al., 2008).

AS TELL IN The Great Indian Dream

POOR WATER MANAGEMENT UNDER NREGS

Edition-1

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Works related to water & soil conservation afforestation & land development are given top priority under the NREGS. The water management (WM) works specifically includes: a) Water conservation & Water harvesting, b) Drought proofing, c) Irrigation canals, d) Provision of irrigation facility to land owned by households belonging to SC/ST or to land of the beneficiaries of land reforms/Indira Awas Yojana/BPL families, e) Renovation of traditional water bodies, f) land development, & g) Flood-Control & protection works (Government of India, 2008). During the three-year time period (2006-07 to 2008-09) more than 31.44 lac water management related works have been completed with a total expenditure of 35.9 thousand crore (Sharma 2009). Of this maximum number of works was undertaken on water conservation & water harvesting.

                            The type of water management (WM) activities for which work can be funded (e.g. Water conservation, land development, afforestation, provision of irrigation systems or flood control) are prone to being taken over by wealthier sections of society.

WATER MANAGEMENT

It’s really a matter of supply and demand. While some areas experience flooding, others experience flooding, others experience crippling drought. So how do we make sure we have the right amount of water in the right places at the right times, keeping in mind that treating & transporting water accounts for 2-3% of the world’s energy consumption, & that in the developing countries, energy consumed to supply water may easily eat up half a municipality’s total budget? Well there’s no easy answer, but IT is a good place source, we must accurately measure it first. In addition, a region’s ability to share information has proved effective in other areas where water distribution is a constant struggle. For example, we’re working with Sonoma, California & Cape Cod, Massachusetts in US to create collaboration platforms for information sharing so that water managers can make better decisions about resource allocation. 

WATER MANAGEMENT

Regardless of industry or geography, smarter water management remains an issue faced by everyone on the planet. While the world’s population tripled in the 20^th century, use of renewable water resources has grown six fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population is expected to increase by another 40-50%. With this growth coupled with ever-growing industrialization & urbanization-demand for water could soon outpace the supply. There is a socioeconomic cost associated with water shortage or lack of access to clean, drinkable water. As per some estimates, for every percent of water that becomes unusable, 2000,000 jobs may be lost, which could lead to a 5.7% drop in disposable income on a per capita basis & a 5% increase in government spending. Also, a lack of usable water would have a negative impact across all industries & in all corners of the world. Water deficits, whi8ch are already spurring heavy grain imports in numerous smaller countries, may soon do the same in larger countries like India & China.

WATER MANAGEMENT

It said that water would be the cause of wars in the coming years.
While many people operate on the assumption that water will always be available at affordable rates, and in abundant supplies, the grim truth is that we will likely be hit by a water crisis in the near future. In a book by Charles Fishman ‘The Big Thirst’ tells the story of the small town of Orme, Tennessee, which literally ran out of water in the summer of 2007, prompting the mayor to limit town residents’ water use to a mere three hours of water service per day for months. And every few days, Orem’s fire truck was driven down the road to Bridgeport, Alabama, to fill up its 1,5000-gallon tank, replenishing the town water supply.
Barcelona, Spain, experienced a similar crisis in the spring of 2008, & in 2010, a drought in southwest China left 1 million people without water for themselves or for their 8 million head of livestock. And even today, despite the fact that India experienced a mind-boggling rate of modernization, not one of its major cities provides 24-hours-a-day water, most providing just one or two hours of water a day to tens of million of residents.
Nearly every sector of the economy relies upon the availability of water & shortages could be economically devastating. Power plants, for example, use 201 billion gallons of water daily to generate electricity-that’s more than any other industry, & by most accounts, those numbers are unsustainable.

THE BIG BUSINESS OF POLLUTED AIR*

Edition-2
The certificates are so cheap because emissions trade has a loophole: the sale of indulgences between rich industrialized nations and the rest of the world.
With the money that German common people unknowingly invests in the emissions trade, RWE buys thousand of wood cookers sits in the dusty courtyard behind Patricia Cheelo house: a shiny, hexagonal, Knee-high drum of stainless steel punctured with air holes. All Cheelo needs is a few wooden sticks, which she places in the drum’s combustion chamber. She uses a pan that can be sealed very tightly.
Until recently, Cheelo required two huge sacks of charcoal each month to cook enough for herself, her children and her grandchildren. This would use up more than a third of her monthly income, approx. 28 euros. Thanks to the RWE cooker, which saves 80 per cent energy, Cheelo is now able to save 20 euros.

*By Malte Henk & Jurgen Schaefer

THE BIG BUSINESS OF POLLUTED AIR*

  Edition-1

On a particular day in June 2010, it is 15.64 euros. This is the sum that RWE pays for the right to release 1 tonne of CO2 through the chimneys of Niederaussem.

       The idea of putting a price tag on CO2 originated from the USA. In Kyoto, President Bill Clinton made emissions trading the condition for his ratification of the climate protection agreement. The USA wanted to buy its way out of its CO2 liability. The rest of world agreed-reluctantly-but to no avail. To date, the USA has refused to implement the decisions sanctioned in Kyoto.  On the other hand, the Europeans, who were against the trade in pollution rights, have been operating the World’s largest CO2 market since 2005.

        Emissions trading are based on the assumption that it is irrelevant where exactly in the world pollution reduced; & on the belief that governments cannot bring about the reduction as efficiently as the corporate sector.

      In order to turn polluted industrial air into a tradable commodity, governments have established an account of CO2 certificates for every major polluter in Europe. Each certificate represents the right to release 1 tonne of CO2. In 2010, RWE received about 15 million certificates for Niederaussem. This only covers about half its emissions. When the account is empty, man must either have Niederaussem output reduced-or buy more certificates.

*By Malte Henk & Jurgen Schaefer        

PAPER REFORMERATION

Replacing application paper with online forms

An estimate of the amount of paper used up by application forms every year:-
1. No. of application forms an institution distributes on average every year 5,000.
2. No. of pages the application, along with prospectus comprises 15.
3. No. of paper sheets such as institution uses 75,000.
4. No. of trees cut to produce 75,000 sheets 9.
5. No. of educational institutions in India 100,000.
6. Total number of trees that could be saved annually 900,000.
It is estimated that around 2.5 crore children seek school admission every year, each of them applying to an average of four schools. Thus, around 10 cr. Applications are submitted at the school level alone.

Green GDP a matter of Livelihoods

Edition-2
“A green GDP is not a matter of lifestyle but livelihoods-of small farmers and tribal’s,” Ramesh said, evoking the Chipko Andolan, the first social-ecological movement in independent India. Similarly, the cancer epidemics in Bhatinda caused by excessive pesticides use, and the lingering effects of the Bhopal gas leak show that the constituency for green sensibilities extends beyond the elite & the middle classes, he said.
On the third concern, climate, Ramesh advocated a calibrated approach: “we don’t have to be climate evangelists but we needn’t be atheists either.” The reasons: no other country bears the burnt of the changes in monsoon & climate change patterns as India does; around 300 million Indians on India’s coastline face the threat of a tsunami; & the retreat of Himalayan glaciers puts at risk the water security of all middle India. Finally, he said, India needs to worry about sustainability. Given the rapidly growing population of young people in India, it is incumbent on the present generation to ask what natural resources it will bequeath.

The environment minister defended his crusade against industrial projects that breach Indian environment laws. “Indians delight in passing laws & (take) greater delight in bypassing them,” he said.

SOURCE-INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE

Green GDP a matter of Livelihoods

Edition-1
Industry’s most hated minister, Jairam Ramesh, whom his critics cite as the biggest treat to India’s GDP growth, stuck to his guns at the India Today Conclave.
Ever since he stepped into Paryavaran Bhawan in May 2009, Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment & Forests, has halted industrial projects at the rate of one a day, including many for clearances had been given as far as in 2006.
Addressing a session on “The way to a Green GDP”, Ramesh said there are fore concerns that had led him to his position on the tradeoff between growth & environment: livelihoods, public health, climate change & sustainability.
The MIT educated minister said that he was set in motion a process that will, by 2015, enable India to report a green GDP. Some evidence from World Bank report, “Changing Wealth of Nations” and a Cambridge university study suggest a substantial gap between GDP growth & real well-being measured by GDP adjusted for conservation of ecology & environment, he pointed out.

IT CAN BE MADE LESS DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Last Edition

At the back end, our rising appetite has led to more servers and more data centers. In fact, better use of IT can lead to, gains in energy efficiency. Data centers can be better managed along with being better located. Why should a data center be located in a concrete block in Navi-Mumbai, when it could be located at a much cooler Panchgani? Do people really care where their data is stored as they can access it whenever and wherever they want?
Moreover, each one of us can do his bit. This does not mean fewer videos on You Tube or shorter chats on cell phones. It means buying more environment-friendly hardware & better power management (switching off power or putting gadgets in sleep mode). It also means instead of long speeches at environment summits, the IT industry should become a leader in alternative energy solution.

IT CAN BE MADE LESS DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Edition-2
So what is the solution? Patel says better connectivity means data centers do not need to be in cities, and thanks to technology, could be managed by very few people. Therefore, very few people could manage them. Therefore, they could be located near dairy farms not a revolutionary technology in India, where village people still use Cowdung cakes as domestic fuel. Patel says Cowdung can be processed in inexpensive digesters to produce methane, which can be burned to create power.
In addition, for the matter what about solar technology? India’s tryst with solar energy has been a start-stop affair so far. At least the mobile communication industry can take the lead here. Mobile towers can easily have solar cells mounted on top of them, which may not completely do away with the need for diesel generators, but could definitely cut down on the use of pollution fuel. Another idea is developing gadgets that run on solar power. A case in point; Samsung displayed a solar powered phone in 2009- the solar guru E1107. Sadly, it seems to have been a one-off case.

The IT industry and IT users, which include people reading this posting, should take the lead. Thanks to advances in technology, devices today are more energy efficient than their predecessors. But we also use more of them-more computers, more phones and more tablets.

IT CAN BE MADE LESS DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Edition-1
It may not seem much but the IT industry already makes for about two percent of the total electricity consumption in the world. This is rising every year as more & more people not only buy computers, but also log into social media sites, consume increasing hours of Internet video & store everything on the cloud.
India’s Environment minister Jairam Ramesh says he closes his ears every time leaders from the IT industry talk green. And if any of ever visited a data centre where thousands of computer servers are kept in room chilled at 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, you get an idea about the kind of energy consumption talking about.
To make matters worse, due to erratic electricity supply, most data centers and
IT offices in India are powered by diesel generators, which, despite advances in technology, are not what one would call environment friendly. Indeed, India’s much-touted mobile revolution has come on the back of diesel generators. Tens of thousands of gensets can be found across the country powering cell phone towers.

SOURCE-BT/KUSHAN MITRA

LET THERE BE LIGHT-BUT NOT TOO MUCH

Edition-3
Solutions, for example, that are based on Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI). The wireless application reduces wiring between operating elements & lighting control. Up to 64 devices that control lighting groups may be flexibly positioned via a single bifilar cable. Expenditures for planning & modernization are minimized. Day light dependent lighting control systems, that use sensors to record changes in lighting & balance the system energy-efficiency, have been available for some time.
Equally established is the use of energy saving lighting system for street lighting. Osram played a successful part in projects where quicksilver steam lamps & upto 55% in energy was saved per lamp. Brickmann: “we have been able to successfully apply our expertise in many municipal energy-saving projects, for example with US Air Force properties in Germany”.

LET THERE BE LIGHT-BUT NOT TOO MUCH

Edition-2

                  If the Sun is shining outside, a room needs less artificial light than on a gloomy day in the fall. If a workplace is not occupied, office lights can be shut off. “Intel-ligent lighting systems integrate intensity sensors & the interface to electric blinds to ensure a balanced interplay in buildings”, says Ullrich Brickmann, Head of marketing, solutions for energy efficiency Siemens building Technologies. The company uses lighting agents from Osram. This lighting specialist has developed technologies for lighting solutions dependent on daylight.

SOURCE-SIEMENS BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

LET THERE BE LIGHT-BUT NOT TOO MUCH

Edition-1
Artificial light needs electricity & lots of it. In buildings without other technically complex installations like schools, kindergartens, or administration offices, lighting & computers account for about 30% of energy consumption. Effective lighting concepts are thus an important part of energy saving performance contracting. Within this concept, Siemens makes use of synergies within the company & can intelligently optimize the entire system.
A lot more is at stake than automically switching off the lights when they are not needed. Lighting agents & illuminants play an essential role as well. Moreover, the right lighting system to adapt brightness according to usage & environmental surroundings.

SOURCE-SIEMENS BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Edition-2
An ongoing study being conducted by the Central Ground Water Board in Gujarat has found that the water table in the state, which was depleting at a frightening pace until about seven years ago, is now going up, with the decade-long check dam drive being one of the main contribution factors. Another factor that has led to rise in the ground water table is the filling given by the Modi government to drip irrigation. Modi’s mantra has been:’ if you want to save future generations then recharge ground water instead of mercilessly exploiting it.” People are listening, especially farmers.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Edition-1

It can go down as one of the wonders of independent India. The 1 lakh check dams that the Gujarat government, local people & NGOs have built in the past decade as part of a statewide campaign launched by the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel in 1999, & then taken to a missionary level by his successor, Narendra Modi, has created something that gives hope to the entire country. (Check dams are barriers built on shallow rivers, or even streams, for water harvesting). The message: If Gujarat can bring up the once depleting water table in the state, the rest of India, which is struggling to cope with water crisis-created by overuse of water & the lack of water table recharge measure-can also do it.

WEST BENGAL GOV., (INDIA) FAIL TO GIVE ITS PEOPLE SAFE DRINKING WATER

After a long 28 years pass away, still the West Bengal Gov. did not able to prepare the Arsenic area affected map. Due to this, it is practically impossible to take any workable project to reduce the Arsenic pollution.

                        Today, ground water contamination with Arsenic is not only serious problem in India but also to world. Because groundwater is natural & safest source for drinking water (compare to other source), heavy metal Arsenic makes this water undrinkable to us.

                        At present in West Bengal, 17,000 villages of 79 blocks are under Arsenic contamination. It does not end here. New area is affected by passing time & until recognization process speed up. The Arsenic problem in West Bengal creates Cataclysm. When the eyes of West Bengal Gov. will open? God knows until, the work of Institution like BESU are appreciatable. However, this work is not for Institutional or NGO’s, it totally depends on Gov. to give its people safe drinking water.   

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR SCEPTICALS

Edition-4

                   One other way to ensure India is not too drunk on oil & coal is to promote clean power. Wind & solar, for instance. Apart from tax sops & incentives for generation, the government plans what are called renewable-energy certificates. Under this, renewable energy target for utilities & big power consumers will be set. Each megawatt-hour will stand for one renewable energy certificate. Again, those exceeding targets can sell to the laggards. This too is a market mechanism.

                       The developed world has offered emission reductions in varying proportions, from the more ambitious EU & Japan to the politically practical & modest US. India & China & similar developing countries would not announce absolute emissions. They have settled for carbon intensity reductions, or emissions per unit of economic output. In a growing economy, this would not lead to a cut in absolute emissions.

                         Meanwhile, the developed world, already more aware in environmental matters, is mulling things like green procurement. This will enable it to reject products made in an ecologically unsustainable manner. It is also pouring money into clean-tech research. The current emission-reduction pledges off all countries, however, are not seen by scientists to be good enough to stop a dangerous increase in temperatures. The arguments continue.

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR SCEPTICALS

Edition-3
What polluters such as China & India have done is have national road maps to attack climate change. India has called the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It has eight components, including measures to boost solar energy, energy efficiency, ensure sustainable habitats & agriculture, optimize water use, sustain the Himalayan ecosystem, promote afforestation, and build knowledge in climate modeling.
This is a source of regulatory risks & opportunities. Its energy efficiency component, for instance, will be targeted at the industrial sector. Those like power, cement, fertilized, iron & steel plants. The idea is to set energy efficiency standards for each sector. Those bettering standards can sell energy-efficiency credits or energy-saving certificates to the laggards, as part of a market mechanism. The other potion for laggards is to be penalized.

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR SCEPTICALS

Edition-2
Start cutting emissions right away, scientists have been warning nearly two-and-one-decades. In addition, someone like Al Gore, former US Vice-President, drummed up awareness for the cause through his award winning film An Inconvenient Truth. World governments, in principle, agree with scientists. However, the worldwide framework to tackle climate change still eludes them.
The US, a big polluter, opted out of the first such effort, the Kyoto Protocol, set to expire in 2012. It was in this Protocol that the clean Development Mechanism made its debut. Under this, developed countries had either to cut down the emissions or buy carbon credits from greenhouse gas-reducing projects in developing countries. Corporate in China and India generated the majority of credits. Under Kyoto, developing countries did not need to make emission cuts, & THIS THE BONE OF CONTENTION NOW. This is sensitive because emission reduction is seen as economically suicide.

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR SCEPTICALS

Edition-1

     Cut Trees, Burn Coal. Burn some other fossil fuel too, let us say oil. Do it for 200 years. In addition, result you have climate change on your hands. So well human beings that we are finding it difficult to change, even if our very survival hinges on it, have perfected this recipe. Climate change, by the way, is how the earth’s climate is getting impacted by carbon-di-oxide emissions & other green house gases, courtesy the cutting & burning. It, of course, means a hotter plant. However, it also means changes in rainfall patterns, ocean currents & melting of glaciers. It would not make for a livable planet. The Maldives, for instance, is seen sinking. Yet, skeptics still call climate change fiction.

NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION

The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aims to promote the development & use of solar energy for power generation & other uses. The ultimate objective is to made solar energy competitive with fossil-based energy options for Kilowatt range of distributed solar thermal & photovoltaic to gigawatt scale within the next 20 years to 25 years. The plan includes:
1. Specific goals for increasing use of solar thermal technologies in urban areas, industry & commercial establishments.
2. By 2011, the solar mission is aim to deliver 80% coverage for all low temperature requirements & 60% coverage for medium temperature applications in all urban areas.
3. A goal of deploying at least 1,000 MW of solar thermal power generation.
Other objectives of the National Solar Mission include the establishment of a solar research centre, increased international collaboration on technology development, strengthening of domestic manufacturing capacity & increased government funding & international support.

INDIAN CEOs NEED TO BE MORE CONCERN ON CLIMATE STRATEGY

A report last year by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) indicated that a majority of Indian CEOs did not have a climate change strategy in place. UK based carbon disclosure project, which collects emissions data of major companies the world over, got a response from just 20% of the 200 Indian companies it approached.
At the same time, however, both reports found things to cheer about. The PwC report noted that the percentage of Indian CEOs concerned over climate change has doubled over a year. The Carbon Disclosure project report mentioned that the answers of respondents were qualitatively better than earlier years.

GREEN STOCKS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY COMPANIES

Now for some investors who feel strongly about eco-friendly business practices, here is an initiative to help them track the performance of Green-companies on Indian stock markets. Verdurous Solutions, a consultancy on ‘clean-tech’, have conceptualized broad-based green index initiatives. The 25-stock index incorporates firms from the renewable energy & energy-efficiency space besides the mainstream ‘old economy’ manufacturing companies. The criteria-firms must have demonstrated superior environmental performance compared to their industry peers. The index includes Suzlon energy, Hero Honda, Praj industries, Bajaj Hindustan & ITC.

BIRD POWER IN REDUCING METHANE EMISSIONS

At a recent venture capital conference in Mumbai, India heads of agribusinesses were shooting the breeze on innovative ways to make their businesses greener, & earn carbon credits. In addition, the ideas came rolling in.

       One ingenious bright spark involved feeding poultry birds with pills, which would stop them from passing wind. That would reduce methane emission (which formed a major part of bird of bird & human gaseous releases) & in turn, each earns carbon credits.

                 Scientists from New Zealand developed a vaccine in 2008, which prevents sheep passing gas. Why such extremes measures? Forty-Five million sheep & 10 million cattle in New Zealand accounted for almost 90 % of that country’s methane emissions.

WATER CONSERVATION

WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT

Water pollution is a persistent problem in India. In fact, as per a new study based on an evaluation of environment impact on 179 countries, conducted by researchers in Harvard, Princeton, Adelaide University & University of Singapore, India was ranked third for water pollution.

India, which has always been rich in its water resources, has been facing some serious water shortages lately. The fact that a large amount of untreated domestic sewage, industrial effluents & affected water from chemical-intensive agricultural farms go without treatment has been adding up to the shortage.

As per the report by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the per capita availability of water in India has been reduced from 5277 cubic meters in 1995 to 1970 cubic meters in 2010. This figure is projected to further slump down to about 1000-1700 by 2025, making India’s water condition critical. The report says that the demand for water continues to grow & will grow by 40% from 750 billion cubic meters (bcm) currently to 1050 bcm by 2025.

Despite the current situation, about 90% of the total wastewater in India continues to be discharged without any treatment. About 1.3 billion liters of raw sewage & 250 million liters of industrial effluent is added to the Ganges every day, states the report.

NATURE CALLING

Now, a new organization formed to monitor the ecological state of the planet & its natural resources. The initiative taken by the United Nations Organization. It forms a task force. The intergovernmental science policy platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem services.
More than 230 delegates from 85 nations formed the task force, which have given the green light to the formation of a global science policy panel (akin to the intergovernmental panel on climate change) on biodiversity & ecosystem services. The new body expected to bridge the gulf between scientific research & urgent political action need to halt biodiversity loss.
It expected that the task force would mitigate the crisis-48,000 species were assessed to be at the risk of extinction in 2009. The annual damage to ‘nature capital’ is estimated to be around $2-4.5 trillion.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

LEDing the way for conserving energy

    Light Emitting Diode (LED), now used heavily on TVs, which had brighter & whiter light but consumed less energy. However, this less consumed light has possibility to illuminate the office space? The answer is yes, & the first company to do so on a large scale is an Indian company i-GATE in Chennai.

                  Phanesh Murthy, CEO, i-GATE invested RS. 37 lakh to light 57,000 sq. ft. office space at iGATE’s new development centre inside the DLF SEZ at Chennai. The benefit:-

1.     Reduction in carbon emission by 78 tonnes annually.

2.      AC requirements are down by 11-12%*. The load will come further because of LED by 4-5%.

*LED usage will help optimize this as the light is ‘cool’ & dissipates lesser heat.

                 LED gives out 63.8% & 76.8% less carbon emissions than CFL & tube light lighting respectively over five years. Total energy savings from LED is 63.8% more than CFL & 71.5% more than tube, lighting over five years.

REDUCTION OF CARBON FOOT PRINT

BY USING IT. Edition-4

Now technology has truly developed to a stage where the grid is about to be transformed completely. The fundamental problem with electricity grid is electric consumption goes through peaks & lows, there is no way to manage this except through load shedding if the demand is too high. The smart grid can help utilities to manage their distribution better switching off high consumption devices remotely.

                  Smart grid could help utilities charge differential tariffs for consumption during peak & off peak hours, & let enlightened consumers pay more for electricity from renewable sources. A smart grid is considered so essential in our fight against climate change that without it no renewable energy technology will work fully.

                  Electricity is the most efficient form of energy. Simply by using electricity wherever possible can reduce global energy consumption significantly. For example, a study by two California professors, Mark Jacobson & Mark Delucchi, found that world could cut its energy needs by 2030 by 5.4 terawatts (about 30%) just by using electricity wherever possible. They say that these needs can be met mostly by just three technologies: Solar, Wind & Water.     

REDUCING CARBON FOOT PRINT

BY USING IT. Edition -3

Popularly called as the smart grid, this automated electricity distribution system can have a substantial impact on global energy use & carbon emissions. The electricity grid is one of humanity’s greatest technological feats. However, like many other achievements, also a technology has hardly changed for a century.

             It consisted of a few elements: a source of power, a point of consumption, & wires to carry from the source to consumption. This structure remained until the 1990s, when the birth of IT began to change things a bit. IT companies realized that constant inputs from sensors in the network could change the way the grid is managed, but high costs & low bandwidths prevented massive adoption immediately.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Problem of e-Waste                                                                                        


Urban India generates about 48 million tonnes of waste per year. Of this, Delhi & Mumbai contribute over 7,000 tonnes each. The per capita generation of waste is growing by 5% every year in India.

According to the center for Science & Environment, India generates about 350,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, & imports another 50,000 tonnes. It also generated 5.9 million tonnes of hazardous waste in 2009.

India is the second largest producer of e-waste in Asia, second to China. The volume of e-waste is growing at 10% every year & 90% of it goes to the urban slums for segregating.

The total volume of e-waste generated pr year in India is expected to exceed 8,00,000 tonnes by 2012. Toxic substances in e-waste, such as lead, cadmium & mercury, among others are hazardous to health & can contaminate soil, ground water & air.

                                                                                                        By Himadri Saha

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

“RURAL FRIDGE” THAT DOES NOT REQUIRED ELECTRICITY:


A potter by caste, Mansukhbhai Raghavbhai Prajapati grew up with clay. In 2005, he thought, “why not build a rural fridge that would not need electricity”?, so he came out with Mitticool fridge.

The Mitticool fridge uses the same principal of cooling as the clay pots in which villagers store drinking water in India. At the top is a storage chamber for 10 liters of water, & the bottom compartments can hold 5-7 kg of vegetables, fruits, milk at a temperature that is 8-10 degrees lower than the room temperature, irrespective of the location. Vegetables & fruits stay fresh for around a week, he claims.

NOW THE COLOR OF THE MONEY IS GREEN

Many enterprises now recognize that if they do not develop eco-friendly products, packaging & manufacturing process by the time, they may be shut out of premium segments.


Sustainable solutions are essential to people who don’t access to water, electricity or clean air. For these customers, company needs to develop products that can work with small quantities of water or electricity or air that use alternative source of energy such as solar power. NGOs, labor organization 7 Govt. are also compelling companies to develop more sustainable products, their environment standards have become business norms in exports markets.

REDUCING CARBON FOOT PRINT BY USING IT-2

Edition-2

 As we wait for the renewable energy industry to give us the perfect answer, information technology (IT) is doing its bit to introduce energy efficiency & reduce the carbon intensity of ours lives. Software now let you make products taking into account their environmental impact.

           Visualization technologies reduce the need to use hardware, & thus help save energy in computing. Networks & sensors help you automate energy usage across enterprises, thus help reduce the carbon footprint. Smart grids help utilities regulate the flow of electricity. IT consumes a small portion of the energy in the world, but the IT industry has a big influence on the world’s energy consumption

REDUCEING CARBON FOOT-PRINT BY USING IT

Edition-1


Autodesk makes software that can analyze the environment impact & energy requirements of building minutely. Its office in San Francisco has a museum of sorts that display all the wonderful things software can do to improve the environment. You can calculate the environmental impact of products-chairs, shoes, aircraft engines, farm equipmenet at the design stage itself, and reduce it as much as possible.

Wile this does impact the total carbon foot print of industries, green buildings make a substantial difference to the carbon emissions in the world. Building contributes to about 25% of emissions globally & in India 35%.

WASTE MANAGEMENT- A BILLION DOLLAR UNTAPPED GREEN INDUSTRY IN INDIA

Due to the lack of proper utilization of waste management in urban area of India, solid waste will be a real trouble to the municipalities in India. However, the market potential of Waste management in India only is near about $8 billion & globally it is $150 billion. Nevertheless, the organized sector of waste management in India has tapped just $500 million only.

INDIA’S POTENTIAL IN WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. No overall, data, but one report says urban India generates 100,000 tonnes of solid waste a day.
2. Solid waste generated could grow at 10% a year.
3. India’s industry generates 6,232,507 tonnes of hazardous waste a year.
4. Plastic waste accounts for 10,000 tonnes of municipal waste a day.
5. An industry body report estimated e-waste in 2007 at 382,979 tonnes including 50,000 tonnes of imports.

This data is only for urban area in India. Rural area is yet too explored. The possibilities of waste management in India are endless.