Dams, lies and red tape
Pro and anti dam activists join hands to establish an independent body for reviewing large projects
Search Results
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Solid energy
A new battery, made only of solid materials charges into the market
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Hotbeds of energy
Simmering rocks found several kilometres beneath the earth's surface hold the potential to meet our power needs
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Bytes
nano-capacitors: A team of scientists from the Carnegie Mellon University in the US has discovered a nanocrystalline material that is cheaper, more stable and produces a higher quality energy
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Energy crunch
The energy crunch that the country will soon be beset with, as global fossil fuel reserves fail to adequately satisfy the growing energy needs of emerging economies, is an issue that has yet to receive the urgency it warrants. While the persistent rise in oil prices has drawn attention to the problem, the government's long-term plan to address it remains either sketchy or under wraps. Few realise that India's commercial energy consumption is now growing at almost double the world's average rate, and indeed, almost as fast as China's. The consumption base is low, admittedly. Despite being home to a fifth of all humanity, India's current share of world energy usage is only 3.9%, as compared to China's 15.6%. That OECD countries consume half the world's commercial energy supplies is a reflection of how developed those economies are. For India to gain share, as its emergence demands, "clean energies' like nuclear and hydro electricity have been widely recommended. But even here, India's global share is only 0.6% and 3.7%, respectively, compared to 84.5% and 43.5% enjoyed by OECD countries. India's hydrocarbon reserves do not inspire much confidence either. By current estimates, India's oil and gas will last only about 19 and 34 years, respectively, half the world average for these reserves. Only in coal can the country claim to have a reasonable edge, with its current reserves expected to last up to 207 years, about a third longer than the world average. But, in an interlinked world, global warming complicates the coal scenario. Indian policymakers would be well advised to chalk out a long-term plan that discreetly optimises all the options within the set of existing and emerging energy-use constraints. Overt trends and underlying pressures would have to be taken into realistic account. While global oil prices, which shot above $100 per barrel early last week, are a hot subject of discussion worldwide, natural gas and coal have also touched critical highs. Natural gas in the EU, which slid steadily for a decade-and-a-half to a low of $1.80 per million btu in the late 1990s, now rules at around $9, with spot rises spiking higher. International coal prices have nearly doubled in the last three-four years. Market forces, even if allowed to operate unhindered, would still spell high prices, given demand trends. India does have assets. Good management could see the country through.
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Shut down!
Forced by the Supreme Court, authorities crack down on industries that pollute the Yamuna river. Over 200 units are sealed; 900 more face closure
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Scientists seek clues to properties of water
A molecular theory is being put forward to explain why water behaves the way it does, but proof still eludes the researchers.
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Chasing an eccentric monsoon
FEW WOULD disagree that the monsoon in India is almost unparalleled in beauty, but not many realise the subtle nuances in the workings of nature that makes this season possible. These curious
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Differing views
Environment ministry guidelines state that many of the adverse impacts of thermal plants can be foreseen and minimised through judicious siting, preventive and control
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Car free smog free!
As cars keep off the street following a French call for European car free day, air quality in some cities shows improvement
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Waste to energy plant in Vijaywada shuts down
in yet another indictment of incineration technology, the waste-to-energy plant at Vijayawada recently stopped operations. There is now no functional incineration-based waste-to-energy plant in the
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World's first green party takes root
THE ISLAND state of Tasmania, with its relative abundance of natural resources and wild countryside, is the home of the world's first Green party, the United Tasmania Group (UTG), which elbowed its
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The mess over neutrino mass
The neutrino dispute has broken out again, with a new study claiming evidence that the ethereal particle has mass
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Arctic plunder
The Bush administration has passed a bill that permits oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
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How green was the Capital
COMMITMENT to the environment is visible in every page of this small book. Gitanjali Singhal doesn't merely take note of the fact that Delhi's green areas are in for trouble from human acts of
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Playing Lego with molecules
Scientists are trying to make designer solids substances whose molecules they assemble according to a predetermined plan
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Natural jeans, clean gasoline and organic cures
Manufacturers across the world are busy developing environment friendly products and minimising pollution in production process. A select list
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Floating park is drowning
Development threatens the world s largest floating park situated in Manipur
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Out with fuse
Thanks to gallium nitride, it is now possible to develop bulbs that can last a lifetime
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Karachi's garbage plans
ignoring the growing worldwide concern over waste-to-energy plants and incineration, the district administration in Karachi has tied up with a Malaysian firm to build a similar plant. The project