The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Energy consumption growing at an alarming rate in China

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 26, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Energy consumption growing at an alarming rate in China

Special Correspondent

Concern over human intervention leading to rise in greenhouse gas level

BANGALORE: Greenhouse gas emissions by power stations, industrial processes and transportation fuels in developed countries caused global warming and climate change, according to scientists.

Speaking at a workshop on “Global Warming” organised by the Legislative Council here, H. Honne Gowda, director (technical), Department of IT, BT and Science and Technology, said concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has been rising due to human intervention during the last two centuries. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide had increased by 31 per cent while methane had risen by 151 per cent since the industrial revolution, he said.

The climate change has not only caused an increase in global average temperature and sea level but has also led to a decrease in snow cover besides forcing the retreat of mountain glaciers. All these would have adverse effect on agriculture and daily lives of human beings.

Dr. Honne Gowda said major sectors that generate greenhouse gas emissions were power stations (23. 3 per cent), industrial processes (16.8 per cent), transportation fuels (14 per cent), agricultural byproducts (12.5 per cent), fossil fuel retrieval processing and distribution (11.3 per cent), residential, commercial and other sources (10.3 per cent), land use and biomass burning (10 per cent) and waste disposal and treatment (3.4 per cent), he said.

As per the 2005 data available at the global level, the greenhouse gas emissions by the U.S. was 20.5 per cent, followed by China 18 per cent, Russia 5.4 per cent, India 4.9 per cent and Japan 4 per cent. He said there was no dispute among the scientific bodies about climate change and global warming.

Dr. Honne Gowda said that globally, the 1990s was the warmest decade while 1998 was the warmest year. The number of hot days had increased while the number of cold days had decreased in all land areas during the 20th century. The per capita consumption of energy was the highest in the U.S. (11.4 kW), and in India, it was 0.5 kW. The most significant growth of energy consumption was taking place in China, growing at 5.5 per cent a year over the past 25 years, he said.

Increased energy efficiency standards and promotion of the use of renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar), eliminating subsidies that encourage the use of coal and oil by making them artificially cheap would help in controlling the global warming, he suggested.

Space scientist U.R. Rao said the developing countries had been facing the consequences of global warming and the most affected were the people living in Asia and Africa. Burning of natural gas, coal and oil, the production of industrial gases, and air conditioning and refrigeration systems caused climate change over the years, he said.

Legislative Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar, who presided over the workshop, said regional climate model suggest 2.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature and within in India, northern parts became warm. The country’s hydrological cycle was most likely to be altered increasing drought and flood intensity, he said.

Stating that crop yields would decrease with increase in temperature, Prof. Chandrashekar said agriculture in the coastal States of the country would be affected the most.

A. Ravindra, chairman, Planning Board, stressed the need for striking a balance between environment and development to reduce emission of greenhouse gasses.

MLAs G. Parameshwar and Krishna Byregowda attended the workshop.

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