Chapter # 9
Energy Requirement and
Global Warming
Introduction
In any economy, energy is the basis of growth and
progress. The main consumers of energy include
industries, homes, offices, vehicles and agriculture.
It is estimated that one-third of the world energy is
consumed by the industry. Approximately, 10% of
the produced energy is used to turn automobiles.
Energy is also used in homes and offices for
various purposes. Most of the world’s energy
requirement is met from oil, natural gas and coal.
The per capita commercial energy
consumption is about 20% of the world’s
average.
It is worth noting that is just 40% of the US,
and the about 28% that of china.
For a large number of the Indian population,
electricity is a luxury and traditional biomass is
the primary cooking fuel foe over 700 million
Indians.
Energy Consumption Pattern
Available figures show that over 76% of the
global energy consumption comes from fossil
fuels like coal, petroleum and natural gas.
By the year 2020, it is estimated that the
share of fossil fuels will have a marginal
reduction by over 1%.
In India, fossil fuels contribute to almost 90%
of the total energy consumption.
Petroleum is the second highest source of the
energy providing around 34.4% of the energy
consumption.
This is followed by natural gas and
hydroelectricity with 13% of the
consumption.
The non-consumption sources of the energy
like wind, solar energy and biomass
contribute to around 5% of the global energy
needs.
Energy and Global Warming
Evidences show that there is a direct
relationship between rising energy demand,
carbon emission and global warming.
In most of the situation, production of the
energy is associated with burning of fossil fuels.
The fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal
emit the maximum amount of carbon per unit of
energy supplied.
In the event of the fuel getting burned
completely, the only by product that would be
released is carbon dioxide.
Though, with rising global temperature the
heating requirements at the mid and high
latitudes and altitudes would decline, the
cooling requirements at the other areas are
bound to increase.
The rising demand for energy and its impact
on global warming has been a matter of
serious discussions, the world over.
Coal
Coal is a complex mixture of compounds of
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It may also
contain small amounts of nitrogen and
Sulphur compounds.
Coal is often considered as the backbone of
the energy sectors like transportation and
electric power generation.
Coal is classified depending on the carbon
contents as follows:
No. Type of coal Carbon
content %
1 Peat 60
2 Lignite (Soft coal) 70
3 Bituminous (household coal) 80
4 Anthracite (hard coal) 90
On strong heating, coal breaks up to produce coal
gas, ammonia, coal tar and coke.
Coke which is obtained after losing all its volatile
constituents during the process of destructive
distillation of coal contains 98% carbon. It can be
used as smoke free fuel.
In the next fifty years, thereby leading to higher
levels of carbon emissions, and consequent
increase in the global temperatures
The solution
Energy is the only available panacea to
energy- induced global warming.
Energy efficiency can be brought forth by
providing appropriate economic as well as
regulatory framework for consumer and all
other concerned stakeholders.
This framework has the responsibility to
bring forth cost effective actions and the
latest technologies that will enable economic
growth, with little or no damage to the
environment.
The climate change information Kit (200) brought out
by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program)
and UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change) proposes that taxes, regulatory
standards, tradable emissions permits, information
programmers and the phase out of counter-
productive subsidies have a major role to play in this
direction.
It also states that changes in practices and lifestyles,
from better urban transport planning to personal
habits such as turning out the lights, are also
important.
Steps Taken by Pakistan
Some of the measures which are specific to the
energy sector are as follows:
1. Introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for
public and private transport in metropolitan areas.
2. Improving quality of transportation fuels.
3. Rising share of public transport.
4. A major biodiesel program.
5. Increasing of forest and tree cover to 25% by 2007
and 33% by 2012.
6. Electricity for all by 2012, which is to base on
decentralized power using local resources.
7. Cleaner fuels for power generation.
8. Raising the thermal efficiency of coal plants.
9. National programmed on coal washing, in-
situ coal gasification, Integrated Gasification
Combined Cycle (IGCC), Coal bed and Mine-
mouth methane and hydrogen energy.
10. Around 50,000 MW hydropower initiatives
including over 50 per cent from Run of Rivers
Operation (ROR) projects to be accomplished
by 2012.
They provided a number of suggestions in the context of power
sector reforms, which include the following:
1. Removal of entry barriers and rising competition in exploration,
extraction, conversion, transmission and distribution of primary
and secondary energy including coal mining.
2. Institution of price reform with full competition at the point of
sale.
3. Augmentation and diversification of energy option, sources and
energy infrastructure coupled with tax reforms so as to
promote optimal fuel choices.
4. Strengthening and/or introduction of independent, regulation.
5. Forcing conservation and restriction of demand growth through
imposition of high energy taxes.
6. Promotion of hydro, nuclear and renewable energy
and maintained of an appropriate energy mix.
7. Promotion of clean coal technologies.
8. Improvement of highways, building of mass transit
and freight corridors for improved energy efficiency.
9. Promotion of less carbon intensive fuel for
transport.
10. Introducing of standards, labeling and bench
marking for energy efficiency and enforcing
environmental quality management.
11. Removal of energy subsidies.
Various Forms of Renewable Energy
There are several of renewable energy. Some
of them are as follows:
Solar
Wind
Biofuels
Hydro
Geothermal
Wave and tidal
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells
Each of them is in detail in the following.
Solar Energy
Solar energy which is directly derived from the
sun, in the form of radiant energy, is the most
abundant source of energy on the earth.
This is the fastest growing type of alternative
energy which is increasing at about 50% a year.
It is estimated that annually the sun delivers
more than 10,000 times the energy that humans
currently use.
Sunlight can be converted into electricity by
solar thermal devices like thermos-electric
converters, solar chimneys and solar ponds.
Wind Energy
Wind power is derived from the uneven
heating of the earth surface.
Wind energy is generated in the form of
electricity by converting the rotation of
turbines blades into electrical current by
means of an electrical generator.
Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely
distributed, clean and reduces GHGS.
In earlier times, wind energy was used in
windmills to turn mechanical machinery to do
physical work, like crushing grains, pumping
water and so on.
Biofuels
Biofuels which is available in solid, liquid,
gaseous state derived from recently died
biological bodies like plants and animals.
For example wood, wood chippings, methane
from animal excrement or as a result of
bacterial action and ethanol from plant
materials.
While biofuels are derived from recently dead
materials, fossil fuels are derived from the
biological organisms, which have died long
back.
Hydro energy
Hydro energy is derived from the movement of
water in rivers and oceans. This movement can be
used to generate electricity using turbines.
Hydro power is presently in use in many places
around the globe. It accounts for around 25% of
the world’s electricity.
Hydro power is much cheaper than most other
forms of energy.
However, construction of dams can lead to a lot of
environmental problems as well as displacement of
inhabitants, who in most cases are of tribal origin.
Wave and Tidal Energy
The seas and oceans that cover about three
fourth of the planet has vast potential for
generation of energy.
Ocean contains energy in various forms like
temperature gradients, as well as waves, tides
and ocean currents.
Technologies are now available to harness this
power to generate electricity in an
environment friendly manner.
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