Renewable Energy

   In the past few years, renewable energy has become a popular topic throughout the world. This is in part because news of climate change and its consequences are becoming more known and understood with each passing day.  Climate change has been brought about by the world’s consumption of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, that have long produced the energy supply for countries throughout the world. With the dwindling availability and increasing price of these fossil fuels, alternative energy sources have begun to be seriously looked at as the energy sources of the future.

            The benefits of producing energy using renewable energy technologies are numerous.  By using resources that are not finite such as coal and oil, there can be more security of energy sources.  Countries would not have to undergo political battles to gain the right to import these resources from other countries.  There would not be a fear of rising prices for energy as supplies become more limited with use because unlike fossils fuels, renewable energy technologies are just that, renewable.  If there is flowing water, hydropower will be able to be generated, if there is wind, wind power can be produced, if there is sunlight, solar energy can be harnessed.  As long as these elements are present, energy can be produced. This is the binding characteristic of all renewable energy resources, that their resources can be regenerated consistently.  It will take fossil fuels millions of years to reform, a timescale that is not compatible with the human lifetime.  In addition to the threat of resource depletion, the use of fossil fuels also contributes to global climate change.  The emissions that result from these resources are detrimental to the health of the world and over time will significantly impact the planet.  Emissions are harmful to human health as pollution of air and water can directly adversely affect their lives and lead to disease or death.  Climate change can result in increased droughts and temperature, stronger storms, compromise wildlife, rising sea levels.  All of these consequences have an impact on human life and health and so our consumption of fossil fuels should be evaluated in order to find ways in which we can limit climate change.

            While it may sound like an easy fix to a big problem, incorporating renewable energy into a country’s infrastructure is not an easy process.  For one, the technology is still being developed so these resources can be used as efficiently as possible. Also, infrastructure may have to be implemented in order to accommodate these new sources of energy.  Grid modifications will be essential and finding the best areas to build these technologies is also a challenge.  These challenges are all very important to overcome, but one of the most significant barriers is money.

            Renewable Energy is not cheap.  There is a large upfront capital cost associated with these resources to build windmills, dams, and solar panels and then additional costs to ensure they continue operating.  In a developing country like India, money is not the easiest commodity to come by.  However, it is still very important for these developing countries to plan for global environmental change and begin to implement the use of alternative energy sources to ensure energy security for the future (Benecke 2011).  To help cushion the cost of implementing these technologies and ensuring that these alternative energy sources will be researched there are multilateral institutions and development banks that carry out renewable energy projects in developing countries.  The Indian renewable energy sector has received support from these organizations in the forms of loans and grants.  Some of these organizations include The World Bank, KfW of Germany, USAID, and the Asian Development Bank, or ADB (Arora et al 2010). All of these banks serve a common purpose to aid in the growth of countries and provide funds for projects that would not ordinarily be feasible for these countries.  The World Bank gives $1 billion annually to India’s power sector in efforts to improve their power generation efforts and to encourage sustainable development which includes implementing renewable resources. (Arora et al 2010).  A recent World Bank report reported the 68GW of power could be generated from India’s renewable resources if these resources were tapped into. (2011 World Bank Report). This is a significant amount of energy and would help to accommodate the increasing electricity demands that are occurring throughout the country.  In addition to the World Bank, these other development agencies provide loans for similar projects that help alleviate the money burden that these developing countries struggle to overcome each day.  In providing such support, these agencies are allowing renewable energy and alternative energy sources to be an economically feasible option in the developing world.

            Incorporating renewable energy resources into the world’s energy production is an important and necessary step towards ensuring the security of the world’s energy sources.  While fossil fuels will eventually be depleted, these other options will provide the energy we need going forward.  A major obstacle in overcoming these barriers is money, especially in developing countries. With the help of multilateral agencies, overcoming this barrier is slowly becoming a reality and as a result of these efforts, renewable energy resources will be utilized at increasing rates in the coming years.  

References: 

2011.  World Bank: India can generate 68GW from renewables.  Power Engineering                       International. 19(3).

Benecke, E. (2011). Networking for climate change: agency in the context of renewable energy                  governance in India. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law, and Economics, 11(1).

Arora, D.S., Busche, S., Cowlin, S., Engelmeier, T., Jaritz, H. Milbrandt, A., Wang, S.(2010).  Indian Renewable Energy Status Report. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. U.S. Department of Energy.

The Green Revolution

Agriculture has long been the foundation of India’s economy.  The vast majority of its population are involved in the agriculture industry, so particular interest is placed on this industry when discussion of India’s economy occurs.  In the first half of the 20^th century, India was prone to food shortages as its farmers struggled to keep up with the demands of its growing population.  In order to combat this problem, the Green Revolution was born in India, but it did not come without its faults.

            The Green Revolution began soon after Jawaharlal Nehru came to power in 1947 and made India focus on developing the infrastructure needed to usher in the era of scientific agriculture.  Fertilizers and pesticides were beginning to catch on in the world of agriculture and new farming techniques were being discovered to accommodate these new developments.  Universities focused on agriculture studies began to form so the people could learn the new ways of farming.  While India prepared itself to increase its food capacity by investing in this infrastructure, food shortages were still prevalent and the importing of food became essential to provide the needs of this growing population (Swaminathan 2010). 

             In order for India to improve its food production, it had to continue building on the infrastructure that it had already established.  The next step was to implement irrigation and begin use of the new hybrid crops that had been developed.  The crops of particular benefit were the dwarf varieties of wheat and rice.  These crops could withstand harsh conditions, consume water and nutrients more efficiently, and produce a yield that was 2 to 3 times more then what had been previously grown (Swaminathan 2010).  The success of the wheat and rice crops led to the expansion of crop varieties and a greater emphasis was placed on the production of pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, and milk. Needless to say, the culmination of these events, led to extraordinary growth of the agricultural sector.  The food production rate in India was now exceeding the growth rate of the population, and thus lessening the occurrence of food shortages. (Swaminathan 2010).    The increased efficiency and investment in the agricultural sector led to this Green Revolution and allowed India to be able to support its own population with food from within its borders.

            The success of the Green Revolution eventually led to a false sense of security in India.  While newspapers were boasting of the excesses of food in India, policy makers became more apathetic to the cause and decreased their investment to the advancement of the industry. This, along with the ever-present malnutrition present in India has led to some questions regarding the shortcomings of this revolution (Swaminathan, 2010).    The policies enacted that resulted in the increased production of food, but the distribution was where the problem occurred.  The farmers that were able to benefit from the new agriculture policies in India became powerful and were able to influence the future policies pertaining to agriculture so that they benefited themselves. The influence they were able to exert prevented additional infrastructure investments from being made in regions where the infrastructure improvements had not yet occurred (Das, 1999).  In order for smaller farms to benefit from the new agriculture science innovations, they needed such tools as irrigation to be able to take advantage of their potential.  Due to this, the impact of the green revolution was only able to greatly impact the farmers and regions who were fortunate enough to benefit from the initial investments made by the country (Das 1999).  Those that were not a recipient of these investments, largely smaller farms in rural areas, were left behind and could not advance their food production capabilities (Das, 1999)  This left many rural areas from enjoying the perks of the Green Revolution which had been felt by so many of their fellow citizens.  The lack of policy intervention in these areas has resulted in the malnourishment that is still prevalent in India.  The policy and infrastructure distribution was unequal during the Green Revolution and has adversely impacted the agriculture conditions between regions.

            The Green Revolution increased the food production in India by an enormous amount, however, it cannot be forgotten that this period of time did not solve all of India’s food problems.  There are many regions that were not the beneficiaries of this new era of technology and innovation in the field of agriculture and so are still struggling to produce enough food for their people.  Despite these areas of neglect, the Green Revolution did result in increased food production and has benefited millions of Indians.  Without this event in India’s history, there would be more Indians struggling to find food then there are today, and for that, the Green Revolution can be recognized. 

References:

Das, Raju J. (1999). Geographical unevenness of India’s green revolution. Journal of               Contemporary Asia, 29(2), 167-186.

Swaminathan, M.S. (2010). From green to evergreen revolution Indian agriculture:                  performance and emerging challenges.  New Dehli: Academic Foundation.

Nitrogen Emissions and Us: Are they Worth it?

          The nitrogen cycle is an essential system in our world, without it, the living organisms on our planet would not exist. In the last century, the world’s understanding of the importance of nitrogen to the growth of crops has led to the development and widespread use of fertilizers which enrich the nitrogen content of the crops, causing increased crop yields.  The addition of nitrogen to the environment, along with other various industries’ use of nitrogen has disrupted the balance of this element on the Earth.  The positive results these industries achieve at the expense of adding nitrogen to the environment, may not be worth the health and environmental problems that come as a result of this exploitation of nitrogen. 

            The world’s agriculture production is limited by nitrogen, and as a result its use as a fertilizer has dramatically increased since its availability became widespread (Townsend et al., 2003).  As of 2002, it was estimated that over half of all the inorganic nitrogen ever used on earth was applied in the past fifteen years (Townsend et al., 2003). It would come as no surprise to many then, that this extensive application of nitrogen has resulted in substantial changes to the earth’s environment.  On the positive side, this increase of fertilizer use contributed to the green revolution and resulted in increased food production.  This production has enabled the world to support a growing population, while also decreasing the incidences of starvation and malnutrition (Townsend et al., 2003).  This benefit is felt most profoundly among the developing nations where lack of food was, and still is, a serious problem for these nations’ people.  By increasing their agriculture production, their health has improved as a result and better nutritional content has strengthened their immune disease allowing it to fight diseases with more success and normality.  This use of nitrogen enhancing fertilizers has improved the public health of their populations, a benefit that must not be overlooked when analyzing the benefits and ill consequences of introducing more nitrogen into the environment.

            The increased food production has been beneficial to many, but the effect that increased nitrogen is having on the environment is important to recognize.  In coastal water environments, eutrophication occurs leading to harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and reef degradation.  On land, the increase in tropospheric ozone can cause extensive crop damage, soil can become less fertile as a result of acidification, and increase the risk of agricultural diseases and pests (Townsend et al., 2003).  All of these consequences can severely impact the world’s resources and ability to support the population if they are not properly monitored and maintained in the future.

            The direct impact of nitrogen increases on our human health are many.  The two common means by which nitrogen ingestion occurs are air pollution and water pollution that have increased nitrates (Townsend et al., 2003).  Increased nitrates causing air pollution can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma, decreased lung function, and in some cases death (Levy, 2003).  Some studies also show that nitrogen oxides can oxidize to form nitric acid which in turn can react with ammonium to form ammonium nitrate particles.  These particles can cause respiratory as well as cardiovascular problems (Levy 2003).  Another health complication that occurs as a result of air pollution by nitrates in increased pollen production by plants.  This increase exacerbates the allergies already suffered by millions of people each year (Townsend et al., 2003).  As one can see, air pollution can cause many health problems and should be reduced as much as possible to help curb the effects that increases in nitrogen in the atmosphere can have on people.

            Not only does air pollution by way of nitrogen increases pose a significant problem for human health, but water pollution does as well.  High levels of nitrate in drinking water can cause reproductive problems, methemoglobinemia (or blue-baby syndrome), and cancer (Townsend et al., 2003).  Many of the world’s water resources are polluted and people do not have the ability to cleanse their water effectively which leads to the adverse effects that nitrogen poses to drinking water sanitation.  Water sources need to be better cleaned so that populations around the world do not have to endure the negative effects that nitrogen pollution can have on their health. 

            The addition of more nitrogen into the world has led to paradoxical effects.  On the one hand, developing nations have been able to better feed their people, while on the other, adverse effects on the environment and on human health have been identified.  Rather then blindly continue the use of fertilizers and other activities that release nitrogen into the atmosphere, we should begin to calculate the consequences of those actions. A more balanced approach should be taken when it comes to using nitrogen.  Its benefits are significant and should be maintained, but not to the extent that they cause irreversible damage to the environment.  There should be more awareness and studies conducted regarding the impact of increased nitrogen exposure to the world so that we as a society can better manage the release of this life sustaining element.  

  References:

Levy, J. (2003).  Health effects of atmospheric nitrogen emissions.  Environment, 45(7), 14.
 

Townsend, A.R., Howarth, R.W.,  Bazzaz, F.A., Booth, M.S., Cleveland, C.C., Collinge, 
                            S.K.,…Wolfe, A.H. (2003).  Human health effects of a changing global nitrogen
                           cycle.  Front Ecol Environ, 1(5),  240-246.  

Blog One: Monsoons in India

India relies on its monsoon season to deliver the majority of its precipitation to the country each year.  Agriculture is a vital industry in India which requires there to be a consistent rain season in order to ensure the growth of its crops.  Without the monsoon, India would not have a reliable or sufficient rain source to support its agriculture and would thus cripple its economy and endanger the lives and health of its giant population.  Considering the importance of agricultural production in India and the reliance each and every species in the region has for the monsoon, it is one of the most important natural phenomenons that occur in India.

Before going into more detail about the implications the monsoons have on India, here is a brief description of the causal factors that lead to the formation of the monsoon, or more specifically the South Asian monsoon.  This monsoon forms each year as a result of a rapid reversal of wind circulation from the traditional Hadley cell circulation that ordinarily is found in that region of the world (Molnar, Boos, & Battisti 2010).  This change of wind pattern, coupled with the geographic obstacles of the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayan mountain range which alter the wind’s current, contribute towards the formation of the South Asian monsoon.  However, it is important to note that the study of the South Asian monsoon is ongoing and the exact causes of its formation are constantly being debated.  This aside, the monsoon is still an intriguing and mystifying weather pattern that is vital to the existence of the Indian people.

Right before the monsoon season begins in May, India often begins to worry about whether or not the monsoon will come.  However, when studying the history of the monsoon, one realizes that the coming of the South Asian summer monsoon is one of the most reliable events on the calendar (Gadgil & Rajeevan, 2008).  The amount of rainfall fluctuates only slightly from year to year and in the last 132 years only 17% of the time has been spent in so called drought conditions.  On the other hand, when a severe drought does come the negative impact on the Indian GDP can reach between 2-5%(Gadgil & Rajeevan, 2008).  Thus, when a drought season does come, which is not particularly common, a significant impact is felt throughout India.  With the negative impact that comes from the drought season, one may think that if there was an excess of rainfall in a given year, which occurs 14% of the time, that the agriculture industry would receive a boom in production.  Unfortunately, this is not the case and there is very little additional positive impact of surplus rainfall on production (Gadgil & Rajeecan, 2008). Fortunately for India, the monsoon regularly occurs, allowing its agriculture to consistently support its population.

The very existence of the monsoon is a unique natural occurrence in the Indian region.   A climate that is ordinarily hot and dry is able to support the massive Indian population due to the rain that comes with the monsoon season.  All told, the monsoon season accounts for 80% of the average annual rainfall over India (Gadgil & Rajeevan, 2008).  The dependence on the monsoon is so great that the agricultural practices and migration patterns of the population have evolved to accommodate and utilize this weather pattern(Gadgil, 2006).  Farmers plant their crops based on the timing of the monsoon season.  Given modern technology and the ability of meteorologists to predict with increased accuracy the arrival of the monsoon season, farmers are able to plant their crops at the most opportune time.  In addition to farmers planning their crops around the monsoon cycle, various plant and animal species native to India have adapted their life cycles to better accommodate the climate.  For example, many trees in India will bloom during the peak of the dry season which allows their seeds to be ripe and prepared to sprout when the rain comes (Gadgil, 2006).  Also, elephants’ migration patterns are contingent on the monsoon season.  They travel to the rain forests when the monsoon season ends and then head to the deciduous forests just before the monsoon season picks up again in order to accommodate the fluxes in climate (Gadgil, 2006).   The learned behavior patterns of various species when the monsoon season arrives and exits verifies how important this event is to the survival of all organisms who live in the monsoon zone.

The South Asian monsoon is a natural phenomenon that is unique in several ways, from the way it is formed to the vital role it plays in the lives of millions of people.  The monsoon dictates the success or failure of the agriculture season for India each year and over time has led to the evolution of species whose very life cycles are contingent on the monsoon’s annual arrival.  Without the monsoon, India’s development would have been vastly different and the India as we know it today would not exist.  

References:

Molnar, P., Boos, R., Battisti, D.S. (2010). Orographic controls on climate and paleoclimate of Asia: thermal and mechanical roles for the Tibetan plateau. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary                        Sciences, 38, 77-102.

Gadgil, S., & Rajeevan, M. (2008) The Indian monsoon: 5. Prediction of the monsoon.  Resonance,                               13(12),  1117-1132.

Gadgil, S. (2006) The Indian monsoon:1. Variations in space and time.  Resonance, 11(8),  8-21.