National Action Plan on Climate Change Launched: Solar Energy to Change the Face of India
India Launches Climate Change Plan Focusing on Solar Power
In a brief summary at New Delhi today (June 30), the Prime Minister (PM) of India released the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Prepared under the guidance and direction of Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, the Plan was released amidst members of the Council, representatives of civil society and senior officials of the Government.
At a time when India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth in a climate constrained world, the Action Plan pushes for not just promoting sustainable production processes, but also, sustainable lifestyles across the globe. The Action Plan focuses attention on eight priorities National Missions, the first among which is “Solar Energy”, whose success, according to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, has the potential to change the face of India.
The Action Plan was much awaited by environmentalists, concerned citizens and the industry at large. In a speech that followed, the Dr. Singh informed that the release of the National Action Plan reflected the importance the Government attaches to mobilizing our national energies to meet the challenge of climate change. The global dimension of the challenge of climate change was also emphasized in the PM’s speech, which, according to him, demands a global and cooperative effort on the basis of the principle of equity. With the Action Plan now in place, Dr. Singh declared that India is ready to play its role as a responsible member of the international community and to make its own contribution.
The eight priority National Missions listed in the National Action Plan include:
1. Solar Energy
2. Enhanced Energy Efficiency
3. Sustainable Habitat
4. Conserving Water
5. Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
6. A “Green India”
7. Sustainable Agriculture
8. Strategic Knowledge Platform for Climate Change
The PM further reinstated India’s stand on this global issue, in confirmation with the world view by informing that India believes that every citizen of this planet should have an equal share of the planetary atmospheric space and therefore, long-term convergence of per capita GHG emissions was the only equitable basis for a global agreement to tackle climate change. In this context, Dr. Singh reaffirmed India’s pledge that as it pursued sustainable development, its per capita GHG emissions would not exceed the per capita GHG emissions of developed countries, despite India’s developmental imperatives.
The PM also clarified that the National Action Plan would evolve and change in the light of changing circumstances and therefore invited broader interaction with civil society as a means to further improve the various elements of the Plan. He concluded by recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s advice: “The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of people, but will never have enough to serve their greed”.
Click here to read the 52 page long National Action Plan on Climate Change
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Image Source: Govind Singh
No real ‘civil society’ representation was there either at the release or during the frame of time that the action plan was being written. This will have huge pitfalls during the implementation stage of the plan.
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Solar Energy to Change the Face of India | Deliggit.com…
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So, why are these chairs still in the shade? Is this supposed to be telling?
it may interest the readers. the last president of india Mr.kalam was also very keen on solar energy and under his guidance the rashtrapati bhawan (official president’s residence) was fitted with solar panels. The plan was to derive the whole of the energy requirements from the plant. I had read about the installation in the newspaper (don’t recall which, but most probably The Times Of India.) I do not know what happened to the project, is it functional or how much of the required power is derived from it. if someone knows this do inform us all.
Why not make mandatory that all apartments in cities should use only ’solar powered’ geysers ? Of course, one should ensure that this is done progressively so that good quality geysers are availble at affordable prices.
@UNphysical: The chairs are in shade, for the Actiom Plan has only been released. We are awaiting (good and proper) implementation, before we can keep the chairs in the sun!
@Abhishek: I am not sure I am aware of the solar energy initiative by the President’s house but I know of a good groundwater recharge initiative made at the said place. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) is an issue there too, I have heard. I am told we have to chant “OM” not just to remember God now, but also to ensure effective Operation and Maintenance!
@S. Balasubramoniam: Precisely the point. Adequate subsidy - in the right direction - is the need of the hour.
[...] They have just released an energy action plan. [...]
I’m an American and glad to see India taking the steps necessary to become self suffecient and withsustainable growth of India on this note I suggest the following features that will help greately if implemented. Please take my free advise and elaborate on it run a think tank see the wisdome of the sage. One eaqual housing requires thinking outside the box. Think land everwhere in India not just cities. I was fasinated by a new building system
CWD Canadian Wooden Domes especially a video on you-tube about this housing system I belive it may be the answer to how all peoples can afford housing. It builds houses that can go up in five hours and larger houses can be made using the same factory automated modular building principles. for insulation soy foam for heating and cooling radiant heat and ground source heat pumps for exterior sheathing a concrete
substitute called grancrete does not expand and contract. Interior wall finish venitian plaster
structures like these would use 1/3 the energy
maybe even net-zero with solar panels.
India is facing potable water problems I may suggest that many water purfication system exist on the market
two have the greater promise in solving India’s emerging water concerns. UV disinfection of water
this process uses UV light generated by a special light buld to effectively treat drinking water by working in this manner. Any and I quote any parasite
single cell organise bacteria or virus is effectively
dis-assembled by UV light in strong enough exposures
this cleans the waters of pathengens but other floaters and sediments or pollution must still be filtered. Distilation of treated water and filtered water is effective. Costs for filtering are however cost prohibitive. Other means are available natural
wetlands,artificial wetland and living systems can all effectively reduce pollution in water. The best way to clean water is to never pollute it to begain with. pesticides,fossil fuels,other petro chemicals
and leachants should be highly regulated. If alt methodes are available in natural form they should be implimented. Water chemsitry is complicated. fresh water in it’s purest for is necessary to health and
clear thinking. methodes to make clean water from
ocean water could be a partial solution for the population closest to the oceans. desalanation on a grand scale using the diferination in the temperature of the ocean at depth and at the surface water can
generate enough energy to run a desalanation plant that precipitates out clean fresh pure water clean as a spring rain. Water can be distilled using a solar still in-land and solar can draw fresh water from wells. water from wells that is not freash can be
treated by UV light and conditioned in living systems cat tails and aqua ponds containing plants who’s roots react as bio-filters uptaking pollutants
water can be cleansed by leaves in the stream
water from sources high in the mountains contain
significant minerals benifitial to longivity hunza water is said to be glacial water responsible for people living to be 100. India has the engineers to figure out how to do all this and now the mandate from goverment Isn’t India proud they should be very proud and ready to make business with their findings
while helping all other in the process.