Energy Conservation
Kyoto protocol of 1997 and the recently held conference on energy conservation in Paris have concluded that environment is going to be the biggest concern of present century. But the dilemma is that the leading industrial countries like USA and China are not ready to play their part in conserving energy and saving global environment from imminent threats. Same is the case with the developing countries that Pakistan is a part of. The country is facing a huge energy crisis for last ten years, but least is being done to cope with the situation. In the situation of water scarcity and uncertain future of oil industry, the energy mix of Pakistan has not been altered much. The ingredients of this mix include thermal 65 percent, hydropower 31.5 percent, nuclear 3 percent and solar 0.5 percent. Adding fuel to fire is the national psyche of not conserving energy. Appliances remain switched ON in most of the offices and private buildings even when there is no one using them. Moreover, these electrical goods are not aided with grain-oriented silicon electric sheet, which increases their energy consumption many folds. This is the reason that energy consumption of Pakistan is increasing by 3.9 percent, while this ratio is 1.1 percent in developed countries. It is utmost important for the country to save it and switch to alternate sources of energy production like wind and solar.
According to a research finding, global average temperature has risen by 0.5 percent in the previous century, and it is expected to rise by 4.5 percent by the end of current century. Effects of this surge in temperature have been clearly felt in Pakistan, where thousands of people have died of heat waves in Karachi, a relatively moderate temperature city. So there is a dire need to develop an energy sensitive approach in which every individual takes a lead. Energy-conservation is not a priority but survival antidote coupled with applying environment friendly energy resources like solar and wind producing 0.1 and 0.02 Kg of CO2 /KWh and cutting off the dangerous resources like Thermal power plant producing above 0.76 Kg of CO2/kWh.
Policy making needs to be cautious about some of the key factors in this sector. First is to ensure quality-based production of electrical appliances. Further, they are being manufactured with conscious knowledge of the appliances being substandard, and thus can squarely fall within the ambit of ‘malicious wastage of energy’ under section 40 of the Electricity Act 1910. The locally manufactured fans are consuming more than 120 watt to 170 watt instead of the international standards of 80watt. Another important step to be taken is to change the energy mix, and make it according to international standards, with focus on renewable sources of energy like solar and wind. Similarly vehicles must be used that are energy efficient, with least emission of sulfur and carbon in the air. These changes can help the country meet its energy demands for its future generations.
