Question

What are the environmental consequences of the increasing demand for energy? What steps would you suggest to reduce energy consumption?

Answer 1

Hint: Environmental consequences of increasing energy demand include depletion of natural resources, overexploitation of conventional sources of energy, etc. The world is shifting to clean non-conventional energy sources that are eco-friendly and help mankind live with nature peacefully without creating many pollutants.

Complete Step by step solution
As our world changes due to the ever-increasing demands of energy we should look back to see its consequences. Due to overpopulation and improper distribution of clean energy resources, the stress on conventional energy has increased various problems in our present society such as:
1. Hampering the natural ecosystem of recycling of energy reserves
2. Pollution due to not using clean sources of energy
3. Global warming due to overconsumption of fossil fuels
4. Causing political tension due to some energy reserve being in disputed regions
5. Increased energy demand caused deforestation as well for fuel woods. India has only \[72\,million\,hectares\]of forests that are rapidly decreasing due to the mining of coal and other energy sources like shale gas. India presently uses \[832.1\,kWh\]of electricity per capita compared to \[5511.05\,kWh\]of electricity per capita in Europe. Similar statistics are available for per capita consumption of Natural Gas which Indians use \[40.57{m^3}\]compared to \[903.4{m^3}\]in Europe. Reducing energy consumption includes,
6. Changing our individual approach towards using everyday appliances should change, switching off unnecessary equipments
7. Using solar energy from rooftop solar panels, thus reducing the load on the national grid.
Use cycles and e-vehicles for transport as they use less energy and have cleaner technologies
Installing smart energy meters, using rooftop solar plants, and promoting clean energy alternatives.
8. On a per capita basis, we are good in figures but the ground reality gives a dull picture. We need to actively promote greener fuels, transition to electric vehicles and properly implement newer green technologies instead of patenting and selling them abroad only.

Note:
The \[C{O_2}\]emissions from fossil fuels and industrial processes constitute \[65\% \]of the total greenhouse gas emission on the planet whereas the \[C{O_2}\] emission from forestry and other land use constitute only \[11\% \]. To reduce this carbon footprint, we should promote cleaner and greener sources of energy like solar, wind, tidal etc. and have periodic assessments of the demand variations in energy with respect to locations and seasons.