Module I: Environment, Resources and Energy.

(20hrs)
Classification of resources - renewable and non-renewable resources – conservation of resources
– material substitution – product life extension – recycling. Energy – sources of energy –
renewable and non-renewable source of energy – conventional and nonconventional source of
energy – direct and indirect energy – atomic energy – energy crisis and energy scenario in India
– environmental issues.

Definition of environment

The word Environment is derived from the French word “Environ” which means “surrounding”.
Our surrounding includes biotic factors like human beings, Plants, animals, microbes, etc and
abiotic factors such as light, air, water, soil, etc. Environment can be defined as the total
planetary inheritance, and the totality of all resources. Environment includes water, air, and land
and their creature, plants and micro-organisms. Environment provides basic services essential to
humanity such as supporting light, supplying materials, energy and absorbing waste products.

Components of Environment

Our environment has been classified into four major components: 1.Hydrosphere, 2.Lithosphere,
3.Atmosphere, 4.Biosphere.

Hydrosphere : Hydrosphere includes all water bodies such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and
ocean etc. Hydrosphere functions in a cyclic nature, which is termed as hydrological cycle or
water cycle.

Lithosphere : Lithosphere means the mantle of rocks constituting the earth’s crust. The earth is
a cold spherical solid planet of the solar system, which spins in its axis and revolves around the
sun at a certain constant distance

Atmosphere : The cover of the air, that envelopes the earth is known as the atmosphere.
Atmosphere is a thin layer which contains gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide etc. and which
protects the solid earth and human beings from the harmful radiations of the sun. There are five
concentric layers within the atmosphere, which can be differentiated on the basis of temperature
and each layer has its own characteristics. These include the troposphere, the stratosphere, the
mesosphere, the thermosphere and the exosphere.
Biosphere : It is otherwise known as the life layer, it refers to all organisms on the earth’s
surface and their interaction with water and air. It consists of plants, animals and micro-
organisms, ranging from the tiniest microscopic organism to the largest whales in the sea

Functions of Environment
(1) Supply of Resources

The environment offers resources for production.

It includes both renewable and non-renewable resources.

Example: Wood for furniture, soil, land, etc.

(2) Sustains Life

The environment includes the sun, soil, water, air which are essential for human life.

It sustains life by providing genetic and biodiversity.

(3) Assimilation of Waste

Production and consumption activities generate waste.

This occurs mostly in the form of garbage.

The environment helps in getting rid of the garbage.

(4) Enhances Quality of Life

Environment enhances the quality of life.

Man enjoys natural beauty like rivers, mountains, deserts, etc.

These add to the quality of life.

Classification of Resources

All things that are useful to us are called resources. Air, water, land, soil, forest etc are all resources.
Resources are useful raw materials that we get from nature. These are naturally occurring materials.
They are useful for us in many ways, and we keep developing new ways to use them or convert them
into useful things.
Natural resources" was first coined and popularized by E.F. Schumacher in the 1970's by his
famous book "Small is Beautiful." Some parameters used to classify resources are (i)
Classification based on Source of Origin; (ii) Classification based on exhaustibility; (iii)
Classification based on ownership; (iv) Classification based on the stage of development of the
resource

(i) Classification based on source of origin: Abiotic vs. Biotic -

-Biotic Resources are resources which come from biosphere and have a life example. human
beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.

- Abiotic Resources are those resources which come from non-living, non-organic material.
Example, rocks, minerals, air, water, metals etc.

(ii) Classification based on exhaustibility: Renewable vs. Non-renewable

- Perpetual Resources – these are resources which exist irrespective of the amount of their
usage.

- Renewable Resources - the resources which can be renewed and reproduced by physical,
chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable or replenishable resources. These
resources are able to increase their abundance through reproduction and utilization of simple
substances. Examples of such resources are water, forests and wildlife, plants etc. we can further
divide into continuous or flow and biological.

- Non-Renewable Resources - this process takes place over a long geological time. Examples of
such resources are minerals and fossil fuels. This may take millions of years in their formation.
Some of the resources like metals are recyclable and some like fossils fuels cannot be recycled
and as such they get exhausted with their use.

(iii) Classification based on ownership: Individual vs. Community vs. National vs.
International - This classification is inspired from socio-economic demarcation or classification
of resources and natural wealth. Interestingly, the resources (metals/ minerals) found on these
pieces of land ownership also belong to the concerned owner.
- Individual Resources - these are resources owned by individuals privately. Example, land
owned by a farmer allotted to them by government against the payment of revenue.

- Community Resources- these include resources that are accessible to all the members of the
community like the village grazing grounds, burial grounds, village ponds, public parks, picnic
spots, playgrounds in urban areas are accessible to all the people living there.

- National Resources- technically speaking all the resources belong to the nation because the
country has legal powers to acquire even private property for public good. This we may have
seen many times when government take fields owned by private individuals to construct roads,
canals, railways.

- International Resources - there are also international resources regulating resources. The
oceanic resources beyond 200km of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no
individual country can utilize these without the consensus of international institutions.

(iv) Classification based on the stage of development of the resource: Potential vs.
Developed vs. Stock vs Reserves

- Potential resources are those which can be found in a particular region but are yet to be put to
use. Example. Regions in states like Rajasthan and Gujarat have huge potential for development
of solar, wind and tidal energy, which us yet to be used.

- Developed/ Actual resources includes are resources which have been/ are surveyed and their
quality and quantity have been determined for utilization. The development of resources
however depends on technology and level of their feasibility

- Stock - the materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but
human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access these, are included among stock.
Water for example is a compound of two inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen which can be
used as a source of energy. But we do not know how to use them for this purpose. Therefore it is
considered as stock.
- Reserves - they are the subset of stock/ actual which are/ can be used with the help of existing
technical knowledge. Reserves can be used for meeting future requirements. For example water
in lakes, dams, forests etc is a reserve which can be used in the future.

Of the not mentioned ones, one can also say that in classification of resources, man-made
resources and natural resources should be put as a category, but well, that is a tricky argument

RENEWABLE RESOURCES & NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

There are mainly two resources in the earth

A) Renewable Resources

B) Non Renewable Resources

A) Renewable Resources: Renewable resources are those resources that can be replenished or
renewed naturally over time. Air, water, wind, solar energy etc are all renewable resources.
Renewable resources can be easily renewed by nature. Examples are the following

1) Soil: It is rate at which soil can regenerate depends on the climate of an area. 2)Wind: Not
only renewable resources but inexhaustible. 3) Sun: It is also considered inexhaustible. 4) Water:
Constantly renewed /replenished by the water cycle. 5) Biomass Fuels: That are contained solar
energy are organic matter. 6) Geothermal Energy: The heat generated deep within the earth. It
is used to heat water

B)Non Renewable Resources

Non-renewable resources are those natural resources that are available in limited quantity. These
resources cannot be renewed or replenished in short duration. Therefore they are also known as
exhaustible resources. Examples- coal, natural gas, petroleum etc

1. Fossil fuel

Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are non-renewable resources. They are found deep inside the
earth and are made by natural processes over many centuries. Their quantity is limited and they take
thousands of years to get renewed. Example of fossil fuels is coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.
 Coal: It is also known as black diamond. Coal is used as a fuel, to generate electricity, and
in factories and steam engines.

Natural gas: Natural gas is used as a fuel called Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. Some
wells dug into the earth produce only natural gas. Natural gases are a good alternative to
petrol and diesel and it is used as Compressed Natural Gas. It burns easily and produces a lot
of heat. It is a good source of hydrogen.

Petroleum: Petroleum is also known as mineral oil or crude oil. This liquid mineral is
refined to make fuels such as petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene. Plastic, cosmetics,
and lubricants are also products of petroleum. It is found deep inside the Earth or under the
sea floor. It is taken out by drilling wells deep into the Earth or under the seabed.

2. Nuclear energy

In the classification of resources, nuclear energy is classified as non-renewable. The fuel used for
nuclear energy is generally uranium, which is in a limited supply. So we classify it as non-
renewable. Production of electricity from nuclear energy does not release carbon dioxide. Thus, use
of nuclear energy is safe for the environment.

Non-renewable energy resources are available in limited supplies, usually because they take
a long time to replenish. The advantage of these non-renewable resources is that power
plants that use them are able to produce more power on demand.

METHODS OF CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

Conservation of resources means using the available resources carefully and giving them time to
get renewed. Management of the human use of natural resources to provide the maximum benefit
to current generation while maintaining capacity to meet the needs of future generations. The
golden rule of conservation is – the R’s = Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The word ‘Reduce’ we
means that the reduction of consumption and wastage of resources. The second rule is ‘Reuse’
which means that reuses the resources again, instead of throwing them. And the last golden rule
of conservation of resources is Recycling. Recycling is a process by which the life of resources
is extended by means of recycling it or reusing it as an input or output. Recycling reduces
pollution, and wastage of energy and raw materials

There are 3 main methods used for conserving resources. The methods are: 1. Material
Substitution 2. Product Life Extension 3. Recycling Other methods include 4. Optimum
Recycling 5. Waste Reduction.

# 1. Material Substitution:

Material Substitution refers to the process of using materials which not cause harm to the
nature. It is using one renewable resource than another. There are many possibilities of material
substitution by which, the use of a material resource can be restricted by finding an alternative
resource. The problem in this is that many materials have extensive uses and also joint uses.

Copper sheet can be substituted by aluminium. Aluminium is being extensively substituted for
tin, particularly, in the production of metal cans and containers. Plastics are being used for
insulation and anti-corrosive purposes where lead and zinc respectively were previously used.

# 2. Product Life Extension:

Product life extension is one of the most important methods of conservation of resources. It
means extend the life of the product. Reuse the product and use the product for the next time.
This is a method by which the durability of the product is extended by deliberate design, so that
the need for replacement would be postponed.

Product life extension helps conserve the natural resources in two ways.

It helps to reduce the use of raw materials

It helps to reduce environmental pollution.

The product life extension method has some disadvantages. It requires the customers to hold on
the goods for a longer period. This will be possible only with substantial increase in the quality
of the product to extend its durability. Otherwise, the product may become less suitable and the
objective will be defeated. Thus, the product life extension has a potential role to play in
conservation of resources.
 # 3. Recycling:

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It is an
alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse
gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the
consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution and water
pollution . Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component
of the "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" waste hierarchy. Thus, recycling aims at environmental
sustainability by substituting raw material inputs into and redirecting waste outputs out of the
economic system.

The recycling process involves 3 main steps. They are;

(1) Collecting the recyclables

(2) Processing the recyclables and turning them into recycled-content products

(3) Purchasing recycled products.

Steps for Recycling

Step 1. Collection

In the first step of the recycling process, the recyclables materials are collected.

Methods of collection may vary from community to community. However, there are four main
methods of collection, namely curbside, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund
programs.

After collection, the recyclables are then sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and
prepared into marketable commodities to be sold to processing companies.

Step 2. Processing

In the second step of the recycling process, the recyclables are processed. Once cleaned and
sorted, the recyclables are processed to retrieve the raw materials, and the raw materials are then
used in manufacturing recycled-content products. All recyclables need to broken down, melted
or liquefied into its basic elements, before it can be either made directly into new materials or
mixed with virgin resources and made into new materials.

Step 3. Purchasing Recycled Products

The third step involves purchasing recycled products. This third step completes the recycling
loop. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with total or partial recycled
content.

We should recycle because:

To Make Environment Clean
Conservation of Materials
Energy
To Save Reduce Garbage in Landfill
Prevents pollution.

# 4. Optimum Recycling:

The optimum level of recycling is the point at which the extra cost of recycling does not
outweigh the extra benefits. For a private firm, the decision to recycle depends upon the
difference between the cost to the firm of using the ‘virgin’ material and the cost of using
recycled material.

# 5. Waste Reduction:

Waste reduction can be achieved by appropriately redesigning industrial processes, so that there
will be technological efficiency in utilizing the resource and avoidance of waste to the minimum.
Sugar industry can be cited as an excellent example of either using its own wastes or marketing
the waste materials.

Energy - Sources of Energy

All organisms need energy to live. Energy implies the capacity or ability to work vigorously.
Energy is one of the major parts of the economic infrastructure, being the basic input needed to
sustain the economic growth. There exists a strong relationship between economic development and
energy consumption. The more developed is a country, higher is the per capita of energy
consumption and vice-versa. Human civilization relies on different sources of energy.
The energy sources can be classified in a number of ways based on the nature of their transaction,
as commercial and noncommercial sources of energy . All energy resources, particularly the
commercial ones, are natural. Coal, oil and nuclear sources constitute commercial sources, while
firewood, biomass and animal dung constitute non- commercial sources. Also, the energy
sources are classified based on animate and inanimate characteristics.

Energy sources could also be classified as exhaustible/depletable or non - depletable /

renewable resources. The distinguishing feature of an exhaustible resource is that, it gets
exhausted when used as an input of a production process, and at the same time, its undisturbed
role of growth is nil. That is, the temporal services provided by a given stock of an exhaustible
resource are finite.

Further, based on conventionality in deriving energy, energy sources could be classified as

conventional (coal, oil, hydro, nuclear,etc.) and non - conventional (solar, wind, tidal,
geothermal, biogas, etc.) sources.

They are also classified as primary or secondary types -Primary sources can be used directly, as they
appear in the natural environment: coal, oil, natural gas and wood, nuclear fuels (uranium), the sun,
the wind, tides, mountain lakes, the rivers (from which hydroelectric energy can be obtained) and the
Earth heat that supplies geothermal energy.
Secondary sources derive from the transformation of primary energy sources: for example petrol,
that derives from the treatment of crude oil and electric energy, obtained from the conversion of
mechanical energy (hydroelectric plants, Aeolian plants), chemical plants (thermoelectric), or
nuclear (nuclear plants). Electric energy is produced by electric plants, i.e. suitable installations that
can transform primary energy (non-transformed) into electric energy

Conventional & Non- conventional sources of energy

Energy resources are broadly classified as Conventional and Non-conventional sources of energy.
Conventional sources of energy are not present in the environment in abundance, however there uses are
unlimited. On the contrary, non-conventional energy sources are the sources present in the environment
in large quantity but are used for limited purposes only.
The two major sources of energy can be classified under:

Conventional Sources

Non-Conventional Sources

1. Conventional Sources of Energy

These sources of energy are also known as non-renewable sources of energy and are available in limited
quantity apart from hydro-electric power. Further it can be classified under commercial and non-
commercial energy.

Commercial Energy Sources

The coal, electricity and petroleum are known as commercial energy since the consumer needs to pay its
price to buy them.

a) Coal

Coal is the most important source of energy. There are more than 148790 Coal deposits in India. India is
the fourth largest coal-producing country and the deposits are mostly found in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh and Bengal.

b) Oil and Natural Gas:

Today oil is considered to be the liquid gold and one of the crucial sources of energy in India and the world.
Oil is mostly used in planes, automobiles, trains and ships. It is mainly found in Assam, Gujarat and
Mumbai.
c) Electricity:

Electricity is a common source of energy and used for domestic and commercial purposes. The electricity
is mainly utilized in electrical appliances like Fridge, T.V, washing machine and air conditioning.

The major sources of power generation are mentioned below:

Nuclear Power
Thermal Power
Hydro-electric power

Thermal Power:

Thermal power is generated at various power stations by means of oil and coal. It is a vital source of
electric current.

Hydroelectric Power:

The hydroelectric power is produced by constructing dams above flowing rivers like Damodar Valley
Project and Bhakra Nangal Project.

Nuclear Power:

The fuel used in nuclear power plants is Uranium, which costs less than coal. Nuclear power plants can be
found in Kota(Rajasthan), Naroura (UP) and Kalapakam(Chennai).

Non-commercial energy sources

Generally, the energy sources that are freely available are considered as the non-commercial energy
sources. The examples of non-commercial energy sources are, Straw, dried dung, firewood.

Conventional energy sources are also known as a non-renewable energy source and have the
following advantages:

The efficiency of the energy source is high

This energy source is a well-known source

The production expenses are low

Following are the two disadvantages of conventional energy sources:

It is not environmentally friendly

When used on a longer run, can deplete soon

2. Non-Conventional Sources of Energy

These non-conventional sources are also known as renewable sources of energy. The examples include
solar energy, bioenergy, tidal energy and wind energy. Non-conventional sources of energy are considered
to be important as they are renewable, pollution-free, availability of them is in abundance, and they are
environmentally friendly. The largest non-conventional source of energy is solar energy.

Solar Energy

This is the energy that is produced by the sunlight. The photovoltaic cells are exposed to sunlight based on
the form of electricity that needs to be produced. The energy is utilized for cooking and distillation of water.

Wind Energy

This kind of energy is generated by harnessing the power of wind and mostly used in operating water
pumps for irrigation purposes. India stands as the second largest country in the generation of wind power.

Tidal Energy

The energy that is generated by exploiting the tidal waves of the sea is known as tidal energy. This source
is yet to be tapped due to the lack of cost-effective technology.

Below are some of the advantages of non-conventional sources of energy:

These sources of energy are environmentally friendly

They are inexhaustible

They are easy to operate

Disadvantages of non-conventional sources of energy

Wind energy is one of the non-conventional sources of energy which is expensive and can be a cause of
noise pollution
Radioactive wastes are produced in nuclear energy

Difference between Conventional and Non-conventional Sources of Energy

Conventional sources of energy Non-conventional sources of energy

These sources of energy are also These sources of energy are also known as a
known as a non-renewable source of energy renewable source of energy

They find both commercial and industrial

They are mainly used for household purposes
purposes

Renewable and Non-renewable Energy Resources

There are two major categories of energy: renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable resources replenish themselves. The five major renewable energy resources are:
Solar
Wind, Water, also called hydro, Biomass, or organic material from plants and animals
Geothermal, which is naturally occurring heat from the earth

Renewable energy resources have the advantage of unlimited supply over the long haul, they are
limited in their availability at any given moment.
For example, the sun rises each day, but its ability to generate power is limited when its cloudy.
Another disadvantage is that power plant operators can’t crank up renewable energy production
when people are consuming more power, such as on a hot day when many people are running air
conditioners at the same time. The renewable energy resources are
1. Solar energy
Sun is a big source of energy. The energy that we get from the Sun is called solar energy. All the
natural phenomenon like the flowing of wind, water cycle, photosynthesis etc are possible only due
to solar energy. Now a day, solar energy is being used to cook food with the help of solar cookers,
heat water, light streets, pump water for irrigating fields etc.
2. Hydro-Energy
Water is important natural resources. All living organisms need water to live. Humans need water
for many purposes such as drinking, cleaning, cooking and for growing crops. Water flowing into
the river or water stored in a dam is sources of hydro energy. The Simple method to use hydro
energy is to convert it into electrical energy.
3. Wind energy
Winds are constantly being created in nature. The windmill is a source of electrical energy. These
windmills are generally established only at places where most of the days in a year experience
strong winds. The energy from this wind is used for grinding grain, pumping water and to produce
electricity. In India, many windmills have been set up in different places such as Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, West Bengal and Gujarat.
4. Biogas
Biogas is a type of fuel which is a mixture of gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen etc
which is obtained by decomposition of animal and plant wastes like animal dung, with the help of
micro-organisms in the presence of water. It is used as fuel in gas stove especially in rural areas.
5. Wood
Wood is an ancient and traditional source of energy. It is mainly a mixture of many carbohydrate
compounds. Wood is used to cook food. It leads to deforestation and pollutes air also. In India, still
in many villages, they use wood chullas to cook food every day. While having ill effects on the
environment, it is also harmful to human health
6. Hydrogen
It is a good source of energy because it does not create pollution and produce maximum energy on
burning. Hydrogen has the potential to be the answer to all our energy and fuel troubles.
Technology is currently being developed to fully utilize hydrogen efficiency.
7. Alcohol
Alcohol has many commercial and medical purposes. It can use for producing energy. It can be
obtained while making sugar from sugarcane. Thus it is a very cheap source of energy. A mixture of
petrol and alcohol is being used as a fuel in automobiles. This mixture is called ‘Gasohol’.
Non-renewable energy resources are available in limited supplies, usually because they take a
long time to replenish. The advantage of these non-renewable resources is that power plants that
use them are able to produce more power on demand. The non-renewable energy resources are:
Coal
Nuclear
Oil
Natural gas

1. Fossil fuels

Coal: It is also known as black diamond. Coal is used as a fuel, to generate electricity, and
in factories and steam engines.

Natural gas: Natural gas is used as a fuel called Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. Some
wells dug into the earth produce only natural gas. Natural gases are a good alternative to
petrol and diesel and it is used as Compressed Natural Gas. It burns easily and produces a lot
of heat. It is a good source of hydrogen.

Petroleum: Petroleum is also known as mineral oil or crude oil. This liquid mineral is
refined to make fuels such as petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene. Plastic, cosmetics,
and lubricants are also products of petroleum. It is found deep inside the Earth or under the
sea floor. It is taken out by drilling wells deep into the Earth or under the seabed.
2. Nuclear energy
In the classification of resources, nuclear energy is classified as non-renewable. The fuel used for
nuclear energy is generally uranium, which is in a limited supply. So we classify it as non-
renewable. Production of electricity from nuclear energy does not release carbon dioxide. Thus, use
of nuclear energy is safe for the environment.
Direct and Indirect energy
(Primary and Secondary sources of energy
They are also classified as primary or secondary types -Primary sources can be used directly, as
they appear in the natural environment: coal, oil, natural gas and wood, nuclear fuels (uranium),
the sun, the wind, tides, mountain lakes, the rivers (from which hydroelectric energy can be
obtained) and the Earth heat that supplies geothermal energy. Primary energy sources are those
that are either found or stored in nature. Common primary energy sources are coal, oil, natural
gas, and biomass (such as wood). Other primary energy sources available include nuclear energy
from radioactive substances, thermal energy stored in earth's interior, and potential energy due to
earth's gravity. Primary energy sources are mostly converted in industrial utilities into secondary
energy sources; for example coal, oil or gas converted into steam and electricity. Primary energy
can also be used directly.

Secondary sources derive from the transformation of primary energy sources: for example petrol,
that derives from the treatment of crude oil and electric energy, obtained from the conversion of
mechanical energy (hydroelectric plants, Aeolian plants), chemical plants (thermoelectric), or
nuclear (nuclear plants). Electric energy is produced by electric plants, i.e. suitable installations
that can transform primary energy (non-transformed) into electric energy

ATOMIC ENERGY

Atomic Energy is energy carried by atoms. The term originated in 1903 when Ernest Rutherford
began to speak of the possibility of atomic energy. The term was popularized by H.G. Wells in
the phrase, “splitting the atom”, devised at time prior the discovery of the nucleus. Atomic
energy may include:

Nuclear binding energy, the energy required to split a nucleus of an atom.

Nuclear potential energy, the potential energy of the particles inside an atomic nucleus.
Nuclear reaction, a process in which nuclei or nuclear particles interact, resulting in products
different from the initial ones; see nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Radioactive decay, the set of various processes by which unstable atomic nuclei (nuclides) emit
subatomic particles.
The energy of inter-atomic or chemical bonds, which holds atoms together in compounds.
Atomic energy is the source of nuclear power, which uses sustained nuclear fission to generate
heat and electricity.

Uses
In a nuclear power plant this heat is used to boil water in order to produce stream that can be
used to drive large turbine

Turbine active to generate electricity.

Advantage

No pollution gas
Generation of electricity through nuclear energy reduce the amount of energy generated from
fossil fuels (carbon & petrol).
Not contribute to global warming.
Disadvantage

Noise pollution.
Radio active waste and waste disposal is very difficult.
It is expensive
Local thermal pollution form waste water , it affect the marin life.

Energy Crisis
An energy crisis is any great bottleneck (or price rise) in the supply of energy
resources to an economy. It is often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and
place, particularly those that supply national electricity grids or serve as fuel for vehicles. The
energy crisis is the concern that the India’s demands on the limited natural resources that are
used to power industrial society are diminishing as the demand rises. These natural resources are
in limited supply. While they do occur naturally, it can take hundreds of thousands of years to
replenish the stores.
Causes of the Energy Crisis
1. Overconsumption: The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on our natural
resources, not just one. There is a strain on fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal due to
overconsumption – which then in turn can put a strain on our water and oxygen resources by
causing pollution.
2. Overpopulation: Another cause of the crisis has been the steady increase in the population
and its demands for fuel and products. No matter what type of food or products you choose to
use – from fair trade and organic to those made from petroleum products in a sweatshop – not
one of them is made or transported without a significant drain on our energy resources.
3. Poor Infrastructure: Aging infrastructure of power generating equipment is yet another
reason for energy shortage. Most of the energy producing firms keeps on using outdated
equipment that restricts the production of energy. It is the responsibility of utilities to keep on
upgrading the infrastructure and set a high standard of performance.
4. Unexplored Renewable Energy Options: Renewable energy still remains unused is most of
the countries. Most of the energy comes from non-renewable sources like coal. It still remains
the top choice to produce energy.
5. Delay in Commissioning of Power Plants: In few countries, there is a significant delay in
commissioning of new power plants that can fill the gap between demand and supply of energy.
The result is that old plants come under huge stress to meet the daily demand for power. When
supply doesn’t matches demand, it results in load shedding and breakdown.
6. Wastage of Energy: In most parts of the world, people do not realize the importance of
conserving energy. It is only limited to books, internet, newspaper ads, lip service and seminars.
7. Poor Distribution System: Frequent tripping and breakdown are result of a poor distribution
system.
8. Major Accidents and Natural Calamities: Major accidents like pipeline burst and natural
calamities like eruption of volcanoes, floods, earthquakes can also cause interruptions to energy
supplies. The huge gap between supply and demand of energy can raise the price of essential
items which can give rise to inflation.
10. Miscellaneous Factors: Tax hikes, strikes, military coup, political events, severe hot
summers or cold winters can cause sudden increase in demand of energy and can choke supply.
A strike by unions in an oil producing firm can definitely cause an energy crisis.

Possible Solutions of the Energy Crisis

Many of the possible solutions are already in place today, but they have not been widely adopted.
1. Move Towards Renewable Resources: The best possible solution is to reduce the world’s
dependence on non-renewable resources and to improve overall conservation efforts. Much of
the industrial age was created using fossil fuels, but there is also known technology that uses
other types of renewable energies – such as steam, solar and wind.
2. Buy Energy Efficient products: Replace traditional bulbs with CFL’s and LED’s. They use
less watts of electricity and last longer. If millions of people across the globe use LED’s and
CFL’s for residential and commercial purposes, the demand for energy can go down and an
energy crisis can be averted.
3. Lighting Controls: There are a number of new technologies out there that make lighting
controls that much more interesting and they help to save a lot of energy and cash in the long run.
Preset lighting controls, slide lighting, touch dimmers, integrated lighting controls are few of the
lighting controls that can help to conserve energy and reduce overall lighting costs.
4. Easier Grid Access: People who use different options to generate power must be given
permission to plug into the grid and getting credit for power you feed into it. The hassles of
getting credit of supplying surplus power back into the grid should be removed. Apart from that,
subsidy on solar panels should be given to encourage more people to explore renewable options.
5. Energy Simulation: Energy simulation software can be used by big corporates and
corporations to redesign building unit and reduce running business energy cost. Engineers,
architects and designers could use this design to come with most energy efficient building and
reduce carbon footprint.
6. Perform Energy Audit: Energy audit is a process that helps you to identify the areas where
your home or office is losing energy and what steps you can take to improve energy efficiency.
Energy audit when done by a professional can help you to reduce your carbon footprint, save
energy and money and avoid energy crisis.
7. Common Stand on Climate Change: Both developed and developing countries should adopt
a common stand on climate change. They should focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions
through an effective cross border mechanism. With current population growth and over
consumption of resources, the consequences of global warming and climate change cannot be
ruled out. Both developed and developing countries must focus on emissions cuts to cut their
emission levels to half from current levels by 2050.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Environmental issues may be defined as the problems with planet's systems ( air, water, soil )
that have developed as a result of human interference or mistreatment of planet. We know
Environment is the provider of all minerals needed by man. It is also a global issue. The main
reason for this is the harmful effect of human activity. Following are the main environmental
issues.

Major Environmental issues

*Pollution
*Global Warming
*Deforestation
*Climate Change
*Over Population
*Ozone Depletion
*Acid Rain
1) Pollution

Pollution is one of the primary causes of many of the other environmental concerns,
including climate change and bio-diversity. They are interlinked and influence one another.
There are mainly 3 pollutions that affect our environment rigorously. They are WATER, AIR,
SOIL pollution.

Water Pollution : contaminated water are undrinkable. Water is the huge concern for us and our
environment. It mainly polluted with oil spills, an abundance of plastic waste and toxic
chemicals entering our waterways, we are damaging the most valuable resource our planet has to
offer.
Air Pollution : Air pollution is a big cause to the human health. Polluted air weakens the ozone
layer and causes many health problems. People who live in areas with high level of air pollution
are 20% more likely to die of lung cancer.

Soil Pollution : Soil pollution is defined as the toxic chemicals in soil, in high enough
concentrations to pose a risk to human health and the eco system. It is a part of land degradation.
Soil pollution losses the fertility of the soil.

2) Global Warming

Global warming is a long term rise in average temperature. It is the gradual increase in the
overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere. Generally attributed to the greenhouse effect
caused by increased level of co2, cfc's and other pollutants. It causes changes in the timing of
seasonal events. Fossil fuels are being continuously used to produce electricity. The burning of
these fuels produce gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides which led to global
warming. And it also causing melting of polar ice cabs, rise in sea levels and also unnatural
pattern floods and excessive snow, severe heat waves, severe droughts, wild fire.......... etc Thus
global warming also a big cause to the environmental sustainability.

3) Deforestation

We need plants and trees to survive. They produce oxygen, food, water and medicine for
everyone. We know our forest are decreasing at an alarming rate as well as reducing our supply
of oxygen, the loss of forest is contributing around 15% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Forest
help in regulate temperature and rainfall. Deforestation is a big threaten to our environment and
human beings survival.

Causes of deforestation:
a)Climate change
b)Fewer crops
c)Flooding
d)Increased greenhouse gases in atmosphere
e)Loss of biological diversity of both plants and animals.
4) Climate Change

As pointed out by the recent UN report, our planet will suffer drastically from global
warming in just 12 years due to our actions and behavior. Greenhouse gases are the main causes
of climate change. An increased ocean temperature is affecting the sea life and the ecosystems
habituated there. The rise in global sea level is shrinking our land, causing mass floods and freak
weather incidents across the world. Climate change causes sudden health problems to every
living thing in our earth including human beings.

5) Over Population

We have more than seven billion people on the planet right now. Over population is become
a serious and even life threatening problem. As the world's population rises, the amount of
resources available for survival decreases. In fact the population has grown to an unsustainable
level. The more they release carbon dioxide and other gases into the air, the growing population
comes with cause of greenhouse gases and climate change. And also over population results
shortage of efficient resources like food, fuels.......... etc.

6) Ozone Depletion
ozone produced in stratosphere. The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection around the
planet and that protects us from the sun's harmful rays. It is vitally important to life because it
absorbs biologically harmful ultraviolet radiation. Manmade compounds like cfc's and other
gases do great damage to the ozone layer and it leads to skin cancer, blindness, superstitions of
human immune system. The main cause of ozone depletion and the ozone hole is manufactured
chemicals, that is excessive release of chlorine and bromine from manmade compounds such as
cfc's.
7) Acid Rain
Oxide's of sulphur and nitrogen together with atmospheric moisture and they transformed into
sulphuric and nitric acid. This acid mixed with raindrops and shower on earth. It is termed as
acid rain. Acid rain affect human health and it causes major diseases like skin cancer. It occurs
due to presence of certain pollutants in atmosphere. Acid rain is a known environmental problem
that can have serious effect on human health, wild life and aquatic species.