Gopinath's blog: April 2025

Article titled 'ENERGY SHIFTS FOR EMISSIONS MITIGATION'

ENERGY SHIFTS FOR EMISSIONS MITIGATION

The latest IPCC report warns of global temperature raise beyond the 1.5^oC by 2030 which is likely to cause melt down of polar ice and consequent rise in sea water levels. This puts almost half the world population at risk of getting drowned if they don't migrate. This is because, IPCC claims, the countries with high emission rates have not done enough to curb the pollution levels at the scale required fast enough. The situation has become so serious that IPCC is advising countries to fast track their climate efforts to reach a 'net zero emissions' status by 2050.

There are several steps the countries have to take immediately to abide by the IPCC dictum. We understand the Prime Minister has committed to make India a 'net zero emitter' by 2070. It is estimated that this itself will cost the exchequer $13 trillion. But what is it that India needs to do to achieve that status?

Phasing out coal: India is still a growing economy, now, unlike other developed countries. Likewise, it has a growing electricity demand to cater to its present 1.4 billion population that is expected to increase to 1.7 billion by 2050. India will then become the most populated country in the world bypassing China. India's power demand of 200 GW will rise to 4000 GW by 2050. Thus, coal will continue to be the main fuel for power generation till such time. India will have to reduce use of coal by 2070 and increase renewable energy capacity, if it has to meet its 'net zero' emission status.

Crude oil usage: Both production and use of crude oil must be curtailed to meet the climate change challenge. The crude oil producing countries are planning to phase out their production by 2034 at the earliest and 2050 latest. India's oil consumption will rise from the present 4MBPD to around 7MBPD by 2030 and 9MBPD by 2050. India is also geared to produce 25% of its own demand by 2030. Oil consumption will continue to grow till 2050. But by then, India will have to start curtailing its use and totally phase out by 2070

Renewable energy: India stands 4^th in solar capacity and 4^th in wind power capacity in the world. India has done well in meeting its renewable energy capacity targets of around 150 GW till date. It plans to increase it to 500 GW by 2030. But the capacity should rise to at least 2400 GW by 2050 and 7600 GW by 2070. Solar power capacity alone will have to reach 1700 GW and Wind power 550 GW by 2050. By 2070, solar power capacity will have to be 5600 GW and wind power 1800 GW.

Hydrogen: Hydrogen is now considered a viable alternative fuel for reducing emissions. Its present usage is limited to oil refining, ammonia and methanol production. It has great potential as fuel in transport industry, as a blend with natural gas in building heating systems, and in gas turbines for power generation. As hydrogen does not occur naturally in its pure form, it is produced from fossil fuels, methane or electrolysis of water or even biomass gasification. When hydrogen burns in air to form water vapour, it's exothermic reaction releases energy. It has been identified as THE viable alternate fuel to replace coal, oil and gas. It can play a vital role in reducing emissions in transport and steel industry. More importantly, hydrogen can play an important role in helping transport renewable energy over long distances.

Fuel cells with hydrogen as fuel act as battery to generate electricity, water and heat. These fuel cells can be used in transportation vehicles, industries, buildings as well as energy storage. The use of fuel cells, with hydrogen as fuel, has zero emissions contributing significantly to better carbon footprint.

However, presently, hydrogen is produced from natural gas making it expensive and polluting as it emanates carbon di oxide. This is 'Gray hydrogen'. If CO2 is captured and only hydrogen is released, then it is called 'Blue Hydrogen'. This is reportedly only 20% better than fossil fuels in protecting the climate. If hydrogen is produced through electrolysis by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with renewable energy as power source, then it is called 'Green Hydrogen'. The only problem with hydrogen is its storage. It is highly flammable. However, it can be stored as compressed gas, in liquid form in cryogenic tanks or adsorbed on materials or in any other chemical form. This will be completely free from emissions. Combined with carbon capture, green hydrogen is THE answer to achieve 'Net Zero' emissions target propounded by the Prime Minister. Large scale Research and Development activities are being taken up to promote 'Green Hydrogen as the fuel of the future.

History of fuels as energy source:

The earliest fuels for producing heat and light mankind used millions of years ago are the plant matter and wood. About 10,000 years ago, mankind started using charcoal. As European forests started depleting, wood and charcoal got replaced by concealed fuels such as coal and its derivative coke. Coal became the most prominent energy source, mainly in China and India, as they had no other source to feed its teeming population. United States, Russia, Australia, China and India have substantial reserves of coal to last for several hundreds of years. But due to huge domestic consumption, China and India import coal from US, Russia and Australia. The global pressure for emissions reduction is forcing India to reduce usage of coal in power stations.

It was only in the early 19^th century that crude oil, another concealed fossilised fuel, was discovered. However, China is credited to have used oil, without refining, as a fuel more than 2000 years ago. Then, in the 10^th century, they started refining oil to produce lubricants and make fire bombs for military purposes. However, modern oil refining industry is reported to have been developed by a Canadian scientist, in mid 19^th century, to refine coal and oil to form a liquid fuel called kerosene, which burned better than other fuels. This was mainly used to light lamps to overcome darkness. Further, development of internal combustion engines and their use in automobiles created the need for gasoline. This prompted the US, Romania and Germany to establish large scale petroleum oil refineries. Most refineries were established, during the World War II and after, to meet the demands of gasoline, aircraft fuel and kerosene. The Middle East accounted for almost 30% of oil reserves and became the largest suppliers of crude oil around the world.. India discovered its oil reserves in Assam in late 19^th century and set up its first refinery in early 20^th century. Since then, oil refined products found their way into all sectors – Industrial, Power sector, Commercial, Transport, Domestic as well as Agriculture. The oil industry dominated by the Middle East and Russia under OPEC+ brought in several regulations to control oil production, distribution and profits. This continued till end of 20^th century when the scare of oil wells in the Middle East drying up and consequent depletion of refined products spread around the world.

Natural gas, as another concealed fossil fuel, was first noticed around 1000 BCE in Greece and later in China. Greece lit the gas to form a flame but China used the gas to boil sea water to make it drinkable. In early 18^th century, natural gas was manufactured from coal to light streets and homes in Britain and the US. Although, Native Americans ignited naturally occurring natural gas underground during the 17^th century, commercial natural gas was piped to homes and streets in the US only in early 19^th century. It was only in late 19^th century and early 20^th century that natural gas was identified as a viable energy source and began to be used in homes, manufacturing industries and power stations. Natural gas is composed mainly of methane (85-95%) with tiny fractions of ethane, propane and butane. It is found to be the cleanest among all the fossil fuels mentioned above. Gas deposits are generally found near oil wells and in deeper strata in the earth. As the oil refining techniques improved in early 20^th century, natural gas found its use in heating and cooking applications while oil refined products met the demands from the burgeoning transport industry on road, rail and air. Natural gas usage increased as the availability of crude oil started dwindling due to restrictions in trade and pricing. Today, natural gas is used in power generation, industries, commercial and domestic buildings as well as transport sector. Presently, USA, Russia and China happen to be the largest consumers of natural gas. But Russia accounts for the largest 25% of total reserves of natural gas. India's gas reserves are found in onshore in Assam and offshore on the western and eastern seas. However, natural gas usage in power generation is minimal (only 5-6%). It is mainly used as raw material in glass, brick and steel industries and as source of heat in fertiliser and chemical industries. India also imports LNG from the Middle East to meet its growing demand.

Energy in the future:

Worldwide, coal reserves are expected to last for another 100-110 years, oil reserves to last for 50-53 years and natural gas reserves to last for another 45-50 years at the present levels of consumption. Petroleum conservation activities that started at the time of scare of oil wells drying up in late 20^th century (termed Energy Crisis) were expanded to cover all types of energy sources. Energy conservation and management as an effective productivity technique has helped extend the life of fossil energy sources and electricity to some extent. This gives a fairly comfortable timeline for decreasing fossil fuel usage and increasing renewable energy component and shift to 'Green Hydrogen' to curb emission levels before the end of this century. Once the fossil fuels completely disappear, we will have to resort to the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen. That is when mankind has to take care to use earth's water sources effectively through resource management, lest we end up in water crisis!

It is reported that eight small countries – Bhutan, Comoros, Gabon, Guyana, Madagascar, Niue, Panama, Surinam - have already achieved 'Net Zero Emissions' level by 2019. Most countries like USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. have committed to achieve 'Net Zero Emissions' target by 2050. China plans to reach the target by 2060 and India by 2070.

Isn't it bizarre that we have come to a stage to adopt hydrogen as energy source to protect the atmosphere, which is exactly what generates radiant energy at the Sun's core at extreme pressures and temperatures for billions of years? Although Sun's energy is by nuclear fusion of hydrogen neutrons into heavier helium to generate an equivalent of 3.846x10¹⁷GW that is radiated across the solar system, the radiant and convective energy within the sun's crust makes it a perpetual energy source. We are so blessed by the Sun.

DAUGHTER'S VISIT

Daughter visits after a long time

We are very happy to dine

It looks invigoratingly fine

To play with grandson.

We chat on varied issues

I get to learn new things

She appears very relaxed

With her son on his own errand.

Then she gets busy with her mother

To talk on home issues that matter

I keep away from all that

To sit with grandson and chat.

I give him puzzles to solve

He doesn't find it difficult to resolve

I try to give him universal knowledge

But he tells me things alien to judge.

Son in law joins them at home

I have man to man talk with him

They are very busy otherwise

Leading life as per their desire.

It's after they leave my house

That I strongly feel their absence

Door remains open with them not in sight

For another long weekend I have to wait.

- Gopinath S

( penned without ChatGPT support)

ENERGY CONSERVATION IS PASSE’

'Energy technology, developed as a new field of study, can be expected to create better opportunities and motivate a new breed of engineers and technologists to come out with ideas for optimal utilisation of our energy sources'.

This was the need of the day alluded to in my article 'Energy Technology as a separate discipline' that I had published in 'The Hindu' in November 1983 after seven years of energy audit service where in I had outlined the pitfalls in energy conservation efforts by the industry which is the main consumer of our precious energy resources like coal, oil and electricity. Basically energy conservation or more aptly fuels and electricity conservation, demanded better operation, maintenance and management practices through human interventions to reduce unnecessary wastages that involved minimal investments. This was because the machineries in use were outdated and inefficient and awareness was also quite low. As the energy costs were quite substantial, the cost benefit ratio of such measures was quite attractive. This economic factor led to creation of energy service companies (ESCOs) as outsourcing agents who offered to implement energy conservation measures with little investment. But this service did not survive for long as the net benefit amounted to hardly 2-4% which was abysmally low as against the expected 10-15% compared to production costs and losses. Thus implementation of such improved and better practices was quite rear as it required a changed mindset and a lot of attention and supervision.

Later, awareness increased due to government's continued efforts and need for energy conservation was felt most essential at that time due to unprecedented hike in crude oil cost in 1970's as well as shortages in availability of various forms of energy resources in India. Academicians acted upon the issue and introduced energy technology as a major discipline in engineering studies. Government ministries and departments dealing with energy resources and Industry organisations took upon themselves to popularise energy conservation measures to save energy as much as possible. However, since 1990's, technology in several domains grew by leaps and bounds. The internet revolution by the year 2000 by the advent of software programs for human interventions and actions then flooded all sectors. Laptop computers replaced the large size and heavy desktop computers and invaded all offices and even homes too. This development also led to hand held mobile phones that had built-in applications to duplicate works on laptop computers besides allowing audio and video calls. Technology also developed sensors based on commands through text with respect to time. This took care of most operational and maintenance actions to save energy on a continuing basis.

After nearly three decades of technology and internet revolution, energy conservation based on operational and maintenance improvements has been taken over by energy efficiency achievable by built-in up gradation in the design and operation of machines and devices. In industry, we see operation of huge machineries like boilers, furnaces, turbines controlled by computer software aided programs that have already incorporated viable energy conservation measures. All these machines are now provided with adequate instruments to maintain required pressure, temperature, and flow rate to control combustion of fuels or energy flows which are monitored at the control panel. Most machines are now marketed with energy efficiency labels. So the burden on energy managers, floor staff and operating personnel is lessened.

We also see such advancements in transport sector. All the present day cars, buses and trucks are fitted with software aided programs that help drivers through a display screen to run at optimum speeds, maintain correct air pressure in tyres, monitor lubricant oil level and also specify distance driven, fuel consumed and mileage recorded and help attain optimum fuel efficiency as well as safety. Added to this, vehicle engines linked to cell phones display Google route maps that show most optimum route for the destination envisaged. All vehicles are sold with fuel efficiency figures at standard conditions along with their engine capacity and other features and details. So the burden on drivers to follow fuel conservation measures while driving is reduced. Similar systems are incorporated in domestic accessories too like electric and gas stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, dish washers, microwave ovens and air fryers which come with display panels to indicate optimum levels of operation at required temperatures and durations to save fuel, electricity and water. Commercial and domestic buildings are built as per energy efficient architecture and fitted with smart energy meters that display voltage, amperage, pF, KW load and kWh units consumed. This helps consumers to monitor their electricity consumption on a daily or monthly basis. Even the entertainment systems like television sets and cell phones come with smart operation levels that go on standby mode when not in use. As an example, use of LED lights and fixtures on a wide scale in commercial buildings and homes and even on streets these days has brought down electricity load and consumption in lighting substantially

What is now required is not merely 'energy conservation' per se but 'energy transition'. Energy conservation doesn't require human intervention anymore. Humans are in anyway lazy by nature. Technology will take care of it at the design stage itself. In India, energy transition is needed from fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas to renewable energy resources which are adequately available. This will hasten achieving 'Net zero' status by 2047 as per government's wish and combat climate warming issues. I am not sure if the present syllabus in engineering studies includes Climate change and Sustainable Living also which are the need of the day. Nation has to create infrastructure to make this energy transition feasible and at the earliest possible time. Power sector is promoting green electricity generation from solar, wind and biomass as well and reducing power from coal to the extent possible. Vehicles are also switching over to cleaner resources like CNG and electricity. As per Jevons paradox, as energy becomes cheaper and more widely available, its consumption is likely to increase and not decrease. But this increased energy consumption will improve overall economy of the nation and make it available to all sections of people. Fortunately, the renewable sources are available in plenty in tropical country like India as long as Sun, Wind and Water exist on this planet earth and the universe!

Water is also considered as a viable energy resource as it facilitates power generation as well as mobility. It is also a major life giver to all beings and plants on this planet earth. Although there is abundant presence of water in seas and oceans on earth, that which is good enough in quality for use by beings is abysmally low. There is therefore need to save and conserve river and rain water which are considered good enough for our well being and posterity. It is reported that there is huge wastage in transporting river water for use in different sectors. There is also need to harvest rain water in bulk. We have failed in implementing policy actions to initiate both these actions on a wider scale. Popularising water conservation measures by human actions has not yielded any appreciable result. During the latest water shortage crisis in Bengaluru, domestic home owners were advised by BWSSB to fit aerators in their taps to conserve water. This was adopted by many homes easily and sale of aerators increased tremendously. This one action helped conserve water to some extent. Present day technology, hardware systems and smart applications can play a vital role in achieving these conservation measures faster and effectively. It is unfortunate that this technology and internet revolution has not ingressed into agriculture sector to make it more productive and energy and water efficient.

Humans have always been attempting to put their life at ease by devising systems since ages. Invention of wheel in early years helped mobility through development of cycles, cars, trains and airplanes. Technology development improved productivity of machines. Internet and computer softwares have helped operation of machines and devices from a pivotal point. Most domestic accessories come with remote controls which help operation of devices and light fixtures as required thus saving electricity. There are also some systems which operate on voice commands. Some light fixtures have motion sensors which turn on when they notice human movement. Basically we have reached a stage when we can get all the work done sitting in one place. This has facilitated 'work from home' these days! Artificial Intelligence and machine learning has made it possible to have automatic production and assembly units, driverless cabs, trains, launch of spacecrafts, robots as waiters and servers in hotels and restaurants, check in counters at airports, card less ATMs and deposit and withdrawal machines in banks and so on. In the coming years, most of our actions will get automated and we only need to use our human brain to program these technologies in advance. After all, any technological advancement comes only from the human brain! In fact I wonder why it is called artificial intelligence when it is actually developed by a super human brain. Rather it should be labelled as super intelligence!

फिर भी दिल है हिन्दुस्तानी

CAT ON THE WALL

(On behalf of millennial)

We are a generation that has seen old and new

We have seen growth of computer right through

We have experienced technology changes

We are in a dilemma what we should do in our lives.

We are like the cat on the wall

We are not sure which way to fall

We wonder what others will say

Anxious how parents will sway.

Do we work under a boss in an office

Or do we work as boss without a fuss

Do we drive own vehicle to office

Or do we take metro and get peace?

Do we stick to our normal food

Or switch to pizza pasta as ordered

Do we always eat at home

Or go out atleast sometime?

Do we dress in our old ways

Or wear modern western clothes

Do we watch family dramas

Or see crime and horror movies?

Do we visit church or temple

Or pray at home in peace and lull

Should we believe in God Almighty

Or feel we make our own destiny?

Do we stay in independent home in outskirts

Or in a modern flat in an apartment complex

Do we opt for second third floor

Or choose to stay much higher.

Do we buy a home of our choice

Or stay in a rented place and rejoice

Do we buy furniture accessories

Or rent them as per requirements?

Should we decide to have child

And bear all the agony in mind

Or get a pet and live peacefully

Treat it and rear it as good as a baby.

These questions come to our mind

But what we wish to do we find

We don't bother what society thinks

We live as per our own norms.

- Gopinath S

(penned without ChatGPT support)

WE ARE SAFE IN THE UNIVERSE BUT….

It appears we are moving very fast in technology that we are about to conquer the universe by exploring moon and mars. We are looking for signs of life and water beyond our mother earth. But there are basic elements on and around the earth that humanity can survive on for millions of years more. So why are we in such a hurry? Let us explore these basic elements that sustain our lives here on earth.

SUN:

Sun is the most important element for our life on earth. It gives light and heat to the whole solar system continuously. It is supposed to have formed about 5 billion years ago with molecular clouds containing hydrogen collapsing due to gravitational forces. The extra matter spread to orbit around to form solar system. Sun accounts for 99.86% of the total solar system. Seventy three percent of its mass contains hydrogen and twenty five percent contains helium along with minor quantities of oxygen, carbon and iron. Its mass is several trillions of kilograms (more than 3 lakh times that of earth). It is estimated to fuse 600 billion kgs of hydrogen to helium every second to release 4 billion kgs of matter into energy. This very act is keeping the sun in hydrostatic equilibrium with its internal pressure equalising the external gravitational forces and turning it into a spherical object. So also with all other planets on the solar system.

The sun's luminosity is expected to increase in 600 million years when the carbon cycle in the atmosphere will get affected. This will affect the photosynthesis process leading to plant species dying. This in turn will result in demise of animal life depending upon plant materials. In another billion years, solar radiation will further increase by 10% causing ocean waters to evaporate which will end all human life on earth. This fusion act is expected to continue for about 7 billion years when the sun will lose its hydrostatic equilibrium. After that, it will lose its outer layers but will still have enough energy to shed for trillions of years more. Only then it will become a black dwarf with no more energy to shed. So humanity need not worry about receiving solar energy for several trillions of years.

The surface temperature of sun is reported to be 5600'C. Solar energy received on earth can be converted into power through photovoltaic (PV) installations. This power (Capacity 1600 GW) has reached 1630 TWh globally accounting for 5.6% of total power generated. But the growth in solar PV power has been the highest among all renewable power in recent years. As solar energy is widely spread, decentralised small PV power plants are also in vogue to meet local needs. It is third largest renewable power at 11% globally behind hydropower and wind power. The total potential is estimated to be around 10000 GW to supply about 90% of global electricity demand. We still have a long way to go.

AIR:

Oxygen is the life saver for all organisms including humans, animals and plants. Earth has sufficient mass to create gravity that pulls a large mass of air and holds it in hydrostatic equilibrium. Fortunately air is present around the earth up to a height of 10000 Kms. The troposphere up to average 12 Kms account for 76% air. This air at sea level contains 21% oxygen. The percentage of oxygen decreases by 0.3-0.8% every 300 metres. As we go higher, we reach stratosphere (12-50Kms), mesosphere (50-80 Kms), thermosphere (80-700 Kms) and exosphere (700-10000 Kms). The temperature of air cools by 6.5`C for every kilometre in the troposphere. Stratosphere contains ozone which absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UV) and increase the temperature. This ozone in fact protects earth from receiving the harmful UV radiation. The temperature decreases to subzero levels in mesosphere and increases again in thermosphere due to UV radiation from the sun.

Increase in levels of green house gases (GHG) gases in the atmosphere in the past hundred years that has caused global warming and climate change has also affected the oxygen levels in air. It is reported that this release of GHG gases along with disturbance in natural regeneration cycle of photosynthesis due to deforestation and urbanisation has reduced oxygen levels at sea level by about 0.1% till date. It isn't a worrisome factor yet. But what is more worrying is that increase in GHG gases in the atmosphere is leading to global warming that is causing climate change in weather patterns. The increase in atmospheric temperature is reported to be 1.2'C since 1900. Scientists predict that this temperature rise should not be allowed to go beyond 1.5'C by 2050. They have also warned that temperature rise up to 2'C will cause havoc by rise in sea levels resulting in flooding of coastal towns and cities. Therefore, as per Paris agreement, countries have agreed to limit it to this level even beyond 2050 by taking strict actions to minimise GHG emissions by all countries concerned. So every one of us is responsible to reach this target to save humanity.

Particulate matter (PM) suspended in air is yet another concern. The particulate matter consisting of solid and liquid particles is released by smoke, windblown dust, vehicle emissions and industrial emissions. What is problematic is PM of small and tiny sizes that affect human health through respiration. These are best controlled by pollution laws to control emissions in industries and vehicles, dust control measures by construction and road works. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) of the US developed an Air Quality Index (AQI) to establish air quality levels. Places where AQI level is less than 50 are considered safe while places where these laws are not stringently followed will face high AQI and consequent health hazards.

All wind movements occur in the troposphere due to uneven temperatures across regions and earth's constant rotation. Wind power (Capacity 1000 GW) is the other renewable energy source that has reached 2330 TWh constituting 7.6% of total power generated. 93% of this power is generated onshore while 7% is generated in offshore wind farms. This is the second largest renewable power in the world at 21% globally. Onshore wind farms are usually located in less populated rural areas and hill tops with good wind speeds and no obstructions. The global potential for wind power has not yet been established with anticipation for technology upgradation. Offshore wind farms, either fixed or floating, are located away from shore to catch higher wind speeds. It is estimated that generation of wind power from onshore and offshore, can reach as high as 465,000 TWh which is fifteen times the present global power consumption. Wind power typically has higher energy yield per unit area than solar power. They are therefore more suitable from a climate change perspective.

WATER:

Water is the vital solvent for all living organisms on earth. It exists in all three forms of matter – Solid, liquid and gas. However, earth has 96.5% of water in liquid form in its seas and oceans covering 71% of earth's surface. Ground water accounts for 1.7% and glaciers another 1.7%. Water is present in minute quantities as vapour in clouds. Water maintains a cycle of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, sublimation, infiltration, surface run off and subsurface flow. This cycle absorbs energy while evaporating and releases energy while condensing, thus influencing the cycle system. The surface water after precipitation flows along rocks and absorbs salts and minerals on its way to the sea and ocean. That is how sea and ocean water accumulating over billions of years have turned salty. This of course affects marine life to some extent. But these marine organisms have intrinsic mechanism to shed salt and take in only water. Humans do not have this capability. Our blood pressure rises by drinking salty water. That is why we depend on surface water from rivers, lakes, etc. and ground water for our consumption. Fresh water for consumption is unevenly distributed across the globe. Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets account for 90% of fresh water sources. Thus there are only six countries in the world that have access to abundant fresh water. They are Brazil, Russia, United States, Canada, China and Columbia.

Globally ground water accounts for one third of consumption while surface water meets the balance requirement. Ground water is used mainly by agricultural and industrial sectors and to some extent in domestic sectors. Ground water meets 50% of drinking water requirement, 40% of irrigation needs and balance for industrial requirement. The Asia Pacific region constituting China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey accounts for maximum ground water extraction. Of these, India accounts for largest extraction of ground water. This is also causing uncertainty in the quality of water with contaminants like arsenic, fluoride and salinity making it unsuitable for drinking purposes. Climate change is supposed to be warming up ground water. There is no data is available on the consequences of such warming up on the usage.

Surface water other than in seas and oceans is found in permanent bodies like rivers, lakes, wetlands, semi permanent bodies like channels, reeks and lagoons and manmade bodies like dams. But surface water is prone to contamination and pollution and requires treatment before consumption. There is natural water loss due to evaporation and ground water recharge but replenishment through precipitation makes good this water loss. But lately climate change is altering the rainfall patterns and its quantum in some regions which may entail water loss over a period of time. In such cases, artificial recharge techniques like storing during wet periods need to be employed. A long term low intensity rainfall is preferable for proper recharging to take place. However, this is not under our control. Some rivers traversing many boundaries, states or countries may involve water rights for sharing of water resource.

Surface water in oceans and seas absorb 93% of earth's warmth due to climate change. This is warming up ocean waters thus reducing its oxygen holding capacity. Scientists predict migration of fish from oxygen deficient areas to oxygen rich areas which in turn will affect fishing industry. This will eventually affect marine life much more probably by 2100.

The water cycle involving evaporation and precipitation happens because of clouds formed with water vapour in the troposphere. This results in rain fall in the monsoon season occurring in different regions at different times. This rain water is considered comparatively purer than river water that flows over the earth. But it does pick up some pollutants from the atmosphere like dust, smoke and other contaminants (different from acid rain water). So this rain water also requires some basic filtration to make it safe for human consumption.

Rain water harvesting is the alternate source for water storage. In previous centuries, artificial lakes were built in rain fed areas and water made available for consumption. Earlier days, town residents were depending upon such water bodies for their daily needs. Somehow this practice vanished when the public authorities started supplying pumped filtered river water up to usage points and charging for the same. But we cannot ignore this mode of water storage anymore. While sunlight, air and space are relatively distributed evenly around the earth, distribution of water is uneven due to several factors like earth's topography (like mountains), evaporation rates and precipitation patterns. Also, population density, agriculture practices, irrigation and water usage pattern determine unequal availability potential of water in regions. Therefore, wide scale rainwater harvesting needs to be urgently implemented both at the government level as well as at the individual consumer level through strict policy measures if water deficient regions don't want to face any water crisis in the coming years.

With increasing population, there are increased levels of garbage that includes non-biodegradable materials like plastic materials. Some of these are finding ways into storm water drains, rivers, seas and oceans when not properly handled and disposed off in designated landfills. This is creating a nuisance in waters affecting marine life. People and authorities concerned have to become aware of such nuisance and take proper measures to mitigate the problem.

Hydro power from natural waterfalls is a major renewable source of power. It has reached 4210 TWh (Capacity 1400 GW) accounting for 15% of total electricity demand. This is the most favourable renewable power compared to solar and wind. But the construction of dam and reservoir may result in deforestation around the area and consequent reduction in oxygen, loss of arable land, displacement of population, disruption in ecology, etc. China, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Russia are the countries generating 50% of hydropower worldwide. Countries like Bhutan, Paraguay, Norway, Nepal and some European countries meet more than 90% of their electricity demand in respective countries. Hydro power accounts for the largest share of renewable energy source at 58% presently. Total global technical and economic hydropower generation potential depending upon water flow is estimated to be 16000 TWh. So we are yet to exploit its full potential.

EARTH:

Earth constitutes about 30% of surface land. Earth's soil is a rich medium for plant and organisms containing minerals, air, water and microorganisms. Earth that formed about 4.6 billion years ago will likely last for another 1-2 billion years as sun's increased solar radiation will heat up the atmosphere and evaporate oceans. Carbon and oxygen content in the atmosphere will plummet. That will be the end of all life on earth. Sun will turn into a red giant and expand to such an extent that it will likely engulf earth.

Satellite moon revolving around the earth is a crucial factor in sustaining life on earth. Because of moon's gravitational pull, earth is remaining stable and maintaining a slight tilt in its axis. Otherwise, earth would wobble and create disturbances in the climate. Moon is also responsible for creating tides which are essential for ecology, water circulation, mixing of nutrients and also life evolution. Moon has also stabilized earth's rotation now to twenty four hours in a day. It also reflects sunlight to areas in darkness. Moon could serve as a launch pad or a refuelling station for space explorations in future. Moon is supposed to be drifting away from earth by a few centimetres every year. Moon is so huge and is held by a gravitational pull that the probability of any asteroid or any other space element hitting the moon is reportedly nil.

Presently human settlements use around 15% of this land area while 40-50% is used for agriculture. Rest are covered by forests and other unexplored regions. Plants need three things for their survival and growth. They absorb water from soil through their roots and carbon dioxide from air through the leaves. With the help of sunlight, they convert that into energy and release oxygen as by-product back into the atmosphere in a process called photosynthesis. Thus forests are a necessary ecological mechanism provided by almighty that help in sequestering carbon dioxide and maintaining oxygen cycle in the atmosphere. Wherever human settlements and urban infrastructure are present, additional plants, trees and gardens help in maintaining the oxygen cycle in the atmosphere. If not in forest areas, decrease in ground water in urban areas due to rampant extraction of water through bore wells along with changes in rainfall patterns due to climate change have stunted growth of plants and trees. This is also a worrying factor for future generations.

Another worrying factor is decrease in global forest cover itself due to several factors like increase in population leading to deforestation due to expansion in agriculture activities, raising livestock, timber, wood fuel, paper, mining and drilling activities, urbanization, natural disasters, forest fires, etc. Unfortunately afforestation (increasing forest cover in new areas) and reforestation (increasing tree density in existing forest covers) are not keeping pace with the extent of deforestation. Therefore, planting of trees in large scale is an essential activity that should to be undertaken in affected regions.

Earth's soil is most essential for living beings including plants with more than 80% surviving on it. It is basically sand with organic matter. This organic matter in the soil helps absorb carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Next to oceans, soil is the largest carbon sink globally. Soil stores 65% of fresh water that help agriculture activities. Soil microbes also play an important role in absorbing air pollutants. Healthy soil gives healthy food. Over the years, it is reported that the soil quality has degraded due to factors like deforestation, urbanization, use of fertilizers and chemicals and poor irrigation. Soil erosion is also taking place due to extreme weather events like droughts, floods and heat waves occurring because of climate change. Time has come to implement better agricultural practices like crop rotation and agro forestry, reduce fertiliser usage and also mulching with organic matter to improve soil health.

Earth in its earliest formation involving natural geological processes with magma in its core over five billions of years ago at temperatures of 5000'C along with bombardment of meteorites from space and remains of plants and animals accumulated several minerals and fossils and fuels. Humans have been exploring earth's surface since time immemorial looking for materials to make implements for their survival and later for minerals, gold, rare elements and of course fossil fuels. Mining operations have, no doubt, had positive impacts on extracting precious metals and oils for economic development, technological advancement and also providing job opportunities. But these operations have also had deleterious effects on earth's soil in terms of soil degradation, water contamination, pollution, erosion and disruption in ecosystem. Nowadays Environmental impact assessments are carried before approving mining operations at sites. Once the operations end, measures land reclamation, soil treatment and water treatment have to be undertaken to mitigate environmental impacts.

Garbage generation has increased proportionately with population and modern life styles. If the authorities concerned do not take proper measures to collect waste and dispose them off in designated landfills or burnt in waste treatment plants, they will pose health hazards particularly for those living close to waste dump yards.

A substantial part of garbage is referred to as biomass which is organic matter from plants and animals in municipal solid waste. The biomass includes kitchen food waste, plant leaves and twigs, paper and cardboard, wood waste, agricultural wastes, etc. In poor countries in rural areas, biomass was being used in homes only to produce heat. This process was a highly inefficient way of combustion that also released GHG gases causing pollution and consequent human hazards. But biomass burning can produce heat, steam or electricity through traditional combustion or more advanced gasification. These technologies have developed in the US, Europe, Canada and Brazil and biomass has become a part of viable renewable energy source. Although biomass combustion releases GHG gas, it is equivalent to GHG gas absorbed through photosynthesis. Biomass is therefore considered a carbon-neutral fuel source. Globally, power generated from biomass has reached 685 TWh. Asia is leading in this technology accounting for 40% power generated from biomass followed by Europe with 35%. China, Brazil and the United States together have 60 GW installed capacity for biomass power. In view of costs involved in transportation of biomass residues, decentralised small scale biomass power plants are in use in developing countries like India and Thailand. Biomass power holds the fourth renewable share at 9% globally. Biomass power holds a strong promise that could reach up to 25% of renewable share by 2050. However this may require dedicated cultivation of biomass crops that may compete with land availability for food production. This therefore requires a strategic management in future.

SPACE:

Space in the universe is very huge compared to that occupied by stars and planets in constant revolution in several galaxies. Scientists believe that universe evolved out a extremely small , extremely hot and dense matter that expanded with a big bang (a giant explosion) to cool and become less dense about 14 billion years ago. Philosophically and spiritually our ancient astronomers believed that the universe started with A-U-M sound and continues to expand with this sound. NASA has recorded the vibrations of sun and earth occurring due to solar winds, planetary atmospheres and magnetic fields as a subtle sound. Some perceive this sound as AUM which is the universal sound in ancient texts from India. It is regarded as sacred symbol, syllable and mantra as it represents life of creation, preservation and destruction among Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Scientists and Technologists are now trying to discover resonance of AUM sound with Artificial Intelligence and Data Science to understand life itself.

But we are concerned with atmospheric space and outer space around the earth. Humans have embarked upon space exploration since the first sputnik launched by the Soviets in 1957. Presently the United States, Russia, China, European Space Agency, Japan, India and Canada are deeply involved in space missions for exploration as well as activities related to global mapping, communications, weather monitoring, navigation, internet access, etc.. Space vehicles have been launched to land on moon. Some satellites are placed at geostationary orbits for other activities. Currently around 10000 unmanned satellites are revolving in space. Some satellites conclude their activities after the missions but continue to stay in orbit. Over a period of time such expired space vehicles constitute debris. The problem with such debris is that they may collide with active satellites and cause disruption in experiments and measurements. If the debris parts lose their orbit and enter earth's atmosphere, they may burn up and disappear. Some burning parts may even fall down to earth and destroy the local infrastructure. As space technology is evolving, private companies have also entered into the fray to launch low earth orbit. As of now, space debris is not considered a crisis. But when the number of satellites increases to around 100,000 in orbit by 2050, they may pose a bigger problem.

CONCLUSION:

What we now understand is that sun and earth will survive for billions of years more to sustain life on earth. That means earth will continue to proffer its gravitational force to hold water, air and space around us. But, in our greed to expand our economies, we have polluted all the elements in the last two hundred years except the sun which is not in our reach. As of now, we are safe on mother earth and in the universe. We can therefore concentrate on increasing power generation from these renewable sources and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This will also help us to mitigate climate change effects and limit global warming as desired. As humanity we also have the responsibility to mitigate pollution effects in air, water and soil on earth and also probable disturbance in space we are facing now. Otherwise these will turn into huge crises if we don't take remedial measures in the coming years. Responsibility lies hugely on the millennial, Gen X, Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the just born Gen Beta as well.

- Gopinath S

[Retired Energy Engineer, Author, Poet]

ECONOMIC REVOLUTIONS (aka CRISES) AROUND THE WORLD

World has seen many revolutions in the past eight hundred years. We are now on the threshold of another major revolution in the coming five or six decades. Where does it take us through is anybody's guess. One thing is certain. This will bring a dramatic change in our life styles. How Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta will live will be totally different from how we have lived all these years. All our traditional beliefs and rituals and religious faiths will go for a toss. Life will depend totally on technological advancements. Human interventions will diminish. "Survival of the fittest' will probably change to 'Survival of the smartest'.

Religious uprisings played a part in early revolutions. Christianity spread from Roman Empire to other parts of Europe and the Middle East with the existence, preachings and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the first century. While proselytizing for Christianity continued, Prophet Mohammed rose to claim revelation from God in the 7^th century. He began to attract followers and Islam religion found its place in the Arabian Peninsula. It later spread to the Middle East and some parts of Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Explorations on sea:

The motivating factors for exploration on sea were many like spreading Christianity across the world, finding new routes for expanding trade via seas to avoid middlemen, scientific knowledge about unknown territories, acquiring wealth like gold, search for newer items and gadgets for a better living and medicines for well being and of course curiosity and adventure for glory. Modern Portugal established itself as a Christian country after initial conflicts with the Romans and Muslims in the 13^th century. It has a long shoreline and many harbours and rivers flowing westward into the Atlantic Ocean harboured several navigators and mathematicians in the early 14^th century. These navigators were successful in building merchant ships called 'Naos' which they used to explore.

Spaniards were the first to explore other areas in the world and amassed great wealth as early as the fifteenth century. This prompted England, France and Netherlands to establish their trade networks in America during 15^th and 16^th centuries. They brought several slaves from Africa. But, by the 17^th century, the British were successful in defeating other settlements and establish colonies in the present day North America. When the British East India Company sought to sell China tea without taxes, the Native Americans destroyed the shipment of loads of tea in the sea in Boston. This raised a series of protests in British America culminating in American independence to form the United States of America in 1783 through a Treaty of Paris recognised by Great Britain and other nations of the world. However, the constitution was drafted and finally adopted in 1789. But it took three years for all the states to comply with the constitution and abide by it.

Industrial revolution:

In spite of agricultural revolutions and such explorations, poor economic status prevailed in European countries. This prompted an industrial revolution to achieve widespread stable manufacturing processes beginning in the Great Britain around 1760. In the 19th century, this revolution had spread to other European countries and the USA. This resulted in shifting from manual production processes to large scale mechanization and use of steam and water power for locomotive actions and power generation. Textile industry was the first to make use of this development. Industrial production increased vis-à-vis population. Britain was a pioneer in this effort and became the leading country in the world in terms of trade that helped set up colonies in America and Africa. Thus Britain acquired military and political hegemony.

World Wars I & II:

The French revolution took place due to social, political and economic reasons by the end of 18^th century led by Napoleon Bonaparte and later by Louis XVIII. This led to abolition of monarchy and a republican government was formed. All this resulted in establishment of separate states and countries like Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, etc. But nationalism, military strength, alliances, took shape. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary by Gavrilo princip in Bosnia, Serbia, is believed to be the spark to enrage European nations into World War I in 1914. This war lasting five years resulted in widespread destruction, food shortages and deaths of millions of people. Germany accepted defeat and forced many to leave the country for safer places to live. Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party in Germany and turned it from democratic rule to autocratic rule. When Germany invaded Poland for expansionism, it resulted in World War II with Great Britain and France opposing it. Soviet Union and the United States also joined the war against Germany. Japan joined Germany to oppose USA and Soviet Union's hegemony. In order to end the devastating war, the US dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki towns (military cantonments) in Japan that killed lakhs of civilians. Japan was forced to end the war and surrender in 1945. There were several repercussions after the devastating war. The United States continued as a world leader, so also the Soviet Union and a cold war started between the two. The US controlled the Western Europe while the Soviet Union controlled the Eastern Europe. UK and France had to decolonize their holdings in Asia and Africa.

The United Nations was set up mainly to prevent world wars in future and avoid large scale destruction and loss of lives and economic depression. Cold war between the US and the Soviet Union showed up in the fight between dictatorial North and democratic South Korea that has kept the land divided to date. The cold war was also seen in Vietnam between democratic North and republic of South that spilled over to Laos and Cambodia. The war ended with these three countries turning communist in 1975. However, it is a pity that wars continue to take place between neighbouring countries for different reasons in some parts of the world even to this day.

Rising of India and South Africa:

A Revolution had already started in the Indian region to attain independence from the British rule when the first war of mutiny took place in 1857. When the world wars erupted, Britain had got preoccupied and found it difficult to continue colonization. After several liberation attempts and nonviolent movements, gradual decolonization led to independence in 1947 albeit with separation of India and Pakistan. This partition resulted in one of the largest mass migration with about 10-15 million people crossing borders. There were also atrocities committed with large scale violence and bloodshed. A large number of deaths numbering up to two million also occurred. Many had to spend their lives as refugees on both sides of the border till alternate arrangements could be made. During the same time, South Africa experienced apartheid (Racial segregation by the whites against the local Africans). Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, an Indian, with a law degree from London, who worked as a legal counsel for expat Indians in Durban in South Africa, helped the local Indians to fight court cases against apartheid. After twenty odd years, he decided to return to India and worked with locals and helped fight for Indian Independence. South Africa also won their fight against White rule in 1994 and apartheid got abolished when Nelson Mandela was appointed as the first African President.

Oil energy crisis:

In the early 1970's, oil producing countries were the US, the USSR, the Middle East, Libya, Venezuela and Indonesia. But as oil from the Middle Eastern countries were available at a reasonable price compared to local production costs, export of oil from these countries constituted 60-70%. Oil crisis originally started with embargo on oil supplies by the Organisation of Arab Oil Exporting countries (OAPEC) on countries that supported Israel after an unsuccessful attempt by Egypt and Syria in 1967 war to get back annexed territories. The targeted countries were Canada, Japan, Netherlands, UK and the USA. In March 1974, OAPEC lifted the embargo but raised the oil price by 300% and also cut oil production. That is how they constituted Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to include other oil exporting countries in case they had to use oil as a weapon for controlling wars between countries.

The Arab countries accumulated wealth but it affected the economy of the rest of the world. This was the first oil crisis. Based on the technology for oil drilling, proven reserves of oil in countries other than Middle East were estimated to last just another three decades if the consumption continued at the same pace. By that time, crude oil refined products like petrol, diesel, kerosene, gas, furnace oil, bitumen etc. had already found widespread usage in all sectors in all countries. In 1979, there was a big revolution in Iran culminating in the establishment of Islamic Republic of Iran. This also caused disruptions in oil production and availability resulting in second oil crisis. This created havoc around the world and paved way for conserving oil resources by whatever means mainly in oil importing countries. However, over a period time, oil drilling technology developed and new oil reserves were also discovered that would last for much longer time than anticipated. So the dwindling oil reserves theory proved to be a false alarm. Simultaneously technology helped improve energy efficiency of oil consuming machinery. Initially Natural gas that released during drilling for oil was flared as there was no use for the same. In later years, natural gas was used for street lamps. Nowadays, its use has spread to cooking in domestic homes, heating in industries and as fuel in transportation. Production of natural gas has also increased lessening the burden on oil products. In the present estimates, oil reserves are estimated to last for another five decades at least.

Awareness of dwindling reserves of oil however helped establish finite resources of coal as well and also look for alternate sources of renewable energy like solar and wind. This resulted in identifying measures to conserve coal also. As coal and oil were the main fuels for generation of electric power, electricity conservation to reduce dependence on coal and oil was also necessitated. Thus overall energy conservation through improving energy efficiency in all sectors has stayed as a necessary management objective.

This oil crisis made state run oil companies in Venezuela bankrupt in 1983. Inflation crept in the ensuing years and the government failed to control it with the result it went into spiralling hyperinflation. The US is working with the Venezuelan government to bring back its dignity and democracy in place.

Technology revolution:

The first and second oil crisis, one may say, was the clarion call for energy resources. Major advancement was the development of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) by General Electric Engineer to replace energy guzzling incandescent lamps (ILs) in 1978. CFLs were found to use one fourth of energy that was used by ILs. Although costing much higher than ILs, the CFLs were estimated to save as much as five times its price over its life time. CFLs became very popular to save electricity for the next three decades. But they had inherent problems like fear of toxic mercury pollution, flickering, initial warm up time and disposal issues. By 2008, Philips developed Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to replace CFLs that had higher energy efficiency, longer life, instant brightness and no fear of mercury pollution. Development of LEDs have had tremendous impact in the availability of flat television screens, sign boards, traffic signals and display screens, street lights, decorative lighting systems, etc.

The same period also saw development of sensors and actuators that can measure vital parameters like pressure, temperature, flow and also duration. This helped convert manual to automatic operations and improve operating efficiencies of industrial machinery. Present day vehicles come with automatic gear transmission system as against manual systems. Additional digital controls incorporate safety features that have helped increase speed limits on roads and in air. These have made driving a pleasurable experience nowadays. This also gave way to wireless operations with remote controls, computer mouse, etc.

The other remarkable developments in the 21^st century have been improvements in solar and wind energy generators, Laser devices in medical, industrial and entertainment fields, barcodes, Lithium rechargeable batteries, 3D printing, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), tubeless tyres, health devices like pacemakers, artificial organs (prosthesis) to replace kneecaps, severed limbs, kidneys, genetic engineering in medicine, agriculture and biotechnology, etc. Drones have become very handy in agriculture operations for spraying fertiliser and water, aerial video photography and also speedier courier services. This has paved way for incorporating digital control devices in machines and devices for productivity improvement and efficiency. All these technological innovations and developments have made our lives simpler, faster, smarter and more energy efficient.

Several countries including US, China, Russia, France, Japan and India have successfully progressed in space exploration and missions. Rise of private space companies have launched International Space Station which serves as a platform to conduct experiments in space environment. Successful missions have been launched to moon. Other planets like Mars are on the anvil. Such space explorations may pave way for economical international internet accessibility.

Computer and Information Technology Revolution:

Once the world wars ended and decolonization took place around the world, peace seems to have returned with countries prospering due to trade and business. However, during the World War II, a need for breaking codes and calculating trajectories at the earliest possible time led to the development of electronic computers by the end of the war. From the early abacus to slide rule for mathematical calculations, computers were found useful in managing large data base among scientists and researchers and managing inventories and accounting processes in businesses. These main frame computers were large in size initially working with transistors. Then came the Integrated Circuits (ICs) in 1950s. Dramatic development over the years led to micro processors in 1970s that gave rise to personal computers making it easy and comfortable for people working on it. These microprocessors took care of all functions like arithmetic, logic and control functions. This was the era of transformation from analog computers to digital computers. This required a hardware system, a software program consisting of algorithms with codes and logic, a memory space and a battery to run all these systems. By now, many businesses, airlines, banks and other trades had adopted the computerised system for day to day operations.

When the year turned from 31 December 1999 to 1 January 2000, there was anxiety around the world if the software program (developed and incorporated by software engineers of whom many Indians were a part of) with built in logic and code could safely move to 2K in the date and time slots. Fortunately, the computers did transition to the New Year and operations continued without any hitch. Technology helped reduce the size of personal computers to laptop computers with flat screen monitors and tablets. The basic wireless mobile phones had been developed to make and receive calls only while on the move. The present day smart phones evolving from these basic phones, besides being devices for making and receiving calls, can do several other operations like storing documents, clicking photos and videos, sending and receiving messages, transacting with bank accounts and accessing the internet for information from around the world. These smart mobile phones have captured the worldwide market and have become a synonym to an individual citizen card. Modern sensors have been developed that can receive signals from text, voice or movement and act accordingly. In the present times, most transactions for business, trade and finance are done online through software Applications (Apps) developed for such purposes. Accessibility to internet has made available cloud services for storage and retrieval of applications, videos, photos, etc.

Climate Change:

Although gas emissions from power stations and transport vehicles were considered the main cause of increased climate temperatures (also called global warming) around the world as early as 1896, they were not considered an issue of concern till 1970. Initially this was viewed as a natural cause of sun's activity or volcanic eruptions. In the year 1970, for the first time, Earth day was pronounced to protect all life on earth as an environmental calling. In the last fifty years, after significant research and analyses, it has been accepted that gas emissions as the major cause for climate change that in turn affect global temperatures, weather patterns and seasons. Another major fear is the rise in ocean water levels that are likely to drown towns along the seashore causing huge loss of biodiversity.

The emissions of gases affecting the environment are called greenhouse gases (GHGs) that constitute largely carbon dioxide that comes from burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas in power stations and vehicles. Obviously, the big economies of the world like the US, Canada, Japan and Europe account for 50% contribution of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, despite their low population, due to their industrialisation and growth over the past 170 years that has resulted in climate change so far. The other major constituent of GHGs is methane which comes from agriculture, fossil fuel extraction and waste decomposition in addition to digestion process in livestock. China, India and Brazil, although comparatively smaller economies with bigger population levels also contribute significantly to GHGs. Now it is considered a serious matter demanding early action to combat climate change and prevent a rise in global temperature beyond 2°C since pre-industrialisation. UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) has been formed at the UN level to involve all developed and fast developing countries. Paris agreement adopted in 2016 and signed by 196 countries, is the latest international treaty to limit global temperature rise and provide financial support as needed to developing countries to initiate actions towards achieving the same.

COVID 19:

COVID 19 is a contagious viral disease that erupted in January 2020 from Wuhan, China and spread worldwide forcing WHO to declare it as a pandemic. Many contracted the disease with no symptoms and many more suffered with fever, fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties and loss of smell and taste. Fortunately, vaccine was developed on an emergency basis and injected into the human population to control the pandemic. In addition, people were advised to wear masks, stay indoors, maintain distances, avoid crowded places and such other measures. Some countries also declared complete lockdowns in some cities for some weeks to avoid the spread the disease any further. The pandemic resulted in business closures, loss of jobs, mental breakdowns, disruptions in supply chain management, etc. About seven million deaths have been reported worldwide due to this pandemic alone. People have now become aware of consequences of such pandemics and have started taking precautions during any viral attacks.

Artificial Intelligence:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an extension of computation by the computers which mimics human intelligence to include surfing, logic, reasoning, problem solving, decision making, etc. This field has developed and expanded in the last two decades so much that it is used in voice commands, machine operations, medical diagnosis, predictions, photo and video shopping effects, data analyses, etc. AI has been found to be most useful in making robots to work as waiters in hotels, assistants, vehicle drivers, desk secretaries, vendors, language translators, etc. In times to come, AI may diversify in many other areas where humans work. This is creating a sort of anxiety that it may lead to loss of jobs for working class. Only time will tell!

Revolutions up to the end of World War II affected the whole world economy. Oil energy crisis woke up the populace to reality of finite fossil fuel reserves. Technology revolution has made life much easier. IT revolution has made our lives smarter. The latest climate change and global warming has again put us back to primitive situations like less fossil usage and increased green cover with trees. COVID 19 has warned us that we are still not completely safe with immunity. We have to wait and see where AI revolution will take us!

ENERGY CONSERVATION IS PASSE'

ENERGY CONSERVATION IS PASSE'