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Coal: A precious energy source or a threat to the clean environment

by | 23-02-2014 20:03



Given years of energy shortage problem, energy-starved Pakistan is looking to coal powered energy generation as its future energy exploration frontier. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a nuclear scientist and energy commentator said, "despite its dirty reputation coal produced 44 percent of global C02 emissions in 2011 Pakistan has few other options to keep the lights on." He also further commented that he is "aware of the fact that there are serious CO2 issues but the amount Pakistan is producing would be insignificant on the global scale."

 

This is a controversial issue in the context of the imperative for consorted efforts of the international community to reduce the carbon emission and an equally important national agenda of overcoming electricity, more broadly energy shortage many developing countries are facing. Even worse, in many cases, the debate escalates into the issue of who should bear the greater burden of carbon containment between developed and developing countries.

 

True, pure focus on energy security by developing countries will risk the uncontrolled carbon emissions, leading to growing competition for dirty energy source among them, undermining the safety of the environment and clean atmosphere. However, we also have to heed to the developing countries' concerns that they are shouldering the brunt of economic loss due to energy shortage without employing the dirty energy generation as the necessary evil while the developed countries had historically enjoyed the economic benefits of energy generation without such constraints.

 

This debate does not seem to have a clear winner nor will offer a productive outcome. The best solution is to forge concession from both sides. Developing countries should make more efforts to gear towards environment friendly source of energy generation and developed countries should provide to developing countries more assistance both financial and technical. We should recognize that the earth is our common asset which can only be preserved by the efforts of all parties concerned, not by only one party.


Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/673600/solution-to-energy-crisis-pakistan-sets-sights-on-coal/