Devil quotes the scriptures

Rights come with responsibilities. This is a lesson the Indian government, if there is such a homogenous entity, needs to learn. Relevant ministries recently refused to issue a clear statement opposing or supporting the transfer of nuclear energy technology from industrialised countries to developing countries under the global climate convention and its Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism ( cdm ). The reason stated is that every country should have a 'right to choose' its own options for sustainable energy in the future.

Failing to come clean

What a waste

there is growing concern over the new wave of waste-to-energy technology being adopted by the Union ministry for non-conventional energy sources ( mnes ). In this technology, waste is burnt at very high temperatures to produce energy. Health experts, however, warn that the burning of waste could lead to the formation of dioxins -- one of the most dangerous chemicals known to humans which has been linked with cancer. At least 11 waste-to-energy projects have been proposed in India.

Burning bright

in countries where a large number of the population still live in villages, biogas could serve as a potentially limitless fuel source for a variety of purposes. But one problem with burning biogas is the production of many polluting byproducts because of inefficient burning of the fuel.

MONEYMAKERS

CLEANER CONVERTER: A new catalytic converter that reduces harmful exhaust emissions from diesel engines has been developed by Toyota Motor Corporation. The clean exhaust technology called Diesel Particulate NOx Reduction System is a filtering system made of porous ceramic and cuts both particulate matter and nitrogen oxide pollutants by more than 80 per cent and also significantly reduces sulphur emissions. The technology will be used in Toyota's midsize and large commercial trucks by 2003.

Recycling cell

A German utility company is using a fuel cell to recycle waste methane from a sewage treatment plant, at the same time generating electricity and thermal energy. gew Kln ag , the company that has set up the system at its plant, provides water and electricity to the town of Cologne. Introduced for the first time in Europe, the cell uses an electrochemical process to convert chemical energy into electricity and hot water.

Multi-powered craft

The first commercial marine vessel to be powered by solar and wind energy was launched at Jervis Bay, Australia recently. The craft is scheduled to begin cruise operations in the Sydney harbour area throughout the Sydney 2000 Olympic Green Games. An earlier prototype has demonstrated, reasonably well, the speed, versatility and reliability of 'solar sailing'. The major achievement of Solar Sailor Holdings, the company that constructed the craft, is their ability to limit noise and air pollution to reasonable levels, besides making it totally clean in the water.

The role ahead

Although it will take large amounts of research investments and government incentives before fuel cells become a commercial reality, there is no reason to get disappointed. The advantages of fuel cells are not restricted to cutting down emissions of greenhouse gases. Fuel cells are silent and economical.

Time to 'learn' clean energy is now or never

Source: N Mattson 1998, GENIE: An energy systems model with uncertain learning, quoted in Anon 1999, A GENIE for Imperfect Foresight, IEA/OECD ETSAP News, June

Hurdles

Fuel cells promise a lot, but there is little hope if shortsighted business interests get the better of policymakers. For one, fuel cells will eat into the earnings of oil companies. The June 1999 issue of the Fuel Cell Bulletin quotes the oil consultancy Kline & Co as saying that "the industry can expect a 30 per cent decline in demand for lubricants by 2015 as a result of fuel cell cars". The bulletin also notes that lubricants "contribute substantially to the downstream profitability of oil companies".