The Hindu Business Line : Switching to alternative fuels

Our reserves of oil for 19 years don't look bad though with our neighbours are at a minute benefit of a few years. Their consumption pattern is more aggressive than ours.

With West Asia still having aplenty, it is not that the global reserves are coming to an end very soon.

Our efforts to preserve the reserves can only get us a few more years. If that is at the cost of development, there is a serious need of a cost-benefit analysis of any such preservation drive.

Maybe, we do not need to panic at all because our domestic companies have shown us the way by launching electric vehicles which are economical as well as trendy and of course environment-friendly. Thus, it may not be an `issue' after all.

Pulkit Soni, Indore*

It is a fact that a growing economy can exhaust reserves rapidly. Though petroleum imports are costlier, there is no other way out for the country but to remain import dependent. The pace of exploration to find new reserves has picked up in the past few years. But still the increase in confirmed and proven reserves does not give much comfort. As the world economy is also on the growth trajectory, the demand for petroleum/fossil fuels will continue to outstrip their supply and they are going to become much more costlier than now. Further, OPEC is known to be unpredictable in its policies and pricing.

India is expected to become second largest economy in the next 25-30 years and will need sustained energy supplies at reasonable prices.

Energy saving and reduction in consumption are the need of the hour. We must switch to more energy-efficient lighting and fuel-efficient vehicles. Government support and diktats will be needed to carry it forward.

S. Krithivasan, e-mail

The write-up is a reminder to policy-makers that something has to be done urgently to take care of the impending oil shortage. But the policy-makers are also helpless because any policy framed to reduce the usage of oil may lead to judicial scrutiny in public interest litigation.

The best solution is self-discipline by the citizens. I have a suggestion: All office-goers/students in cities can commute in public vehicles and should avoid using private vehicles. The private vehicles should be used only when they travel with their families. A public transport can move at one go about 45 people, while it would take 20-25 private vehicles besides causing congestion and pollution.

If we do not change, the system will, as Stephen Covey famously told Corporate India and this is true for other matters also.

K. V. Rao, Bangalore

According to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy 2007, India's oil reserves will last just over 19 years at the current rate of production. Further improvement or depletion depends on how we are able to increase production over consumption level. Regardless of this, we have to reduce the dependence on oil and its import by taking all possible steps to achieve it. Innovation will have to play a great role in this regard.

Alternatives such as bio-fuel, wind energy, solar energy are being developed. Coal and nuclear power are other sources. And fuel-efficiency is to be practised in all the fields. Already electric cars are on the road. Hybrid cars must be promoted.Necessity is the mother of invention. And where there is a will there is a way. We have to act with confidence.

A. Jacob Sahayam,

Thiruvananthapuram

That India's oil reserves will last only another 19 years is an extremely disquieting fact. Although the reserves of the oil producing countries could last much longer, that India will have to depend on these nations for all its needs can be a dampener for India's economy and economics. The time has come to think seriously of developing alternative fuel sources. Bio-fuels such as Jatropha may not meet our huge requirements and only technological solutions can be the answer. The situation can worsen as global oil reserves deplete. Therefore, searching for solutions when the situation has become critical can be disastrous and the government must take steps to address this problem without any delay.

T. R. Anandan, Chennai

Depletion of oil resources is an emerging threat. Though initial shock was felt as early as 1973, we have not done much to exploit our natural resources and industrial wastes to find an alternative cheap fuel for transportation, industries and domestic needs. Creation of a monitoring body in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy and doling out grants to NGOs are not enough.

There have been many gas explorations, prominent among them being in the Krishna-Godavari basin, off Gujarat and in Rajasthan. India must also explore vigorously opportunities in Bangladesh, Myanmar and South China.

With uncertainty still on bio-fuels such as jatropha, and ethanol, India must think of tapping the wind energy. Wind farms in Gujarat, Goa, Orissa, West Bengal, Tripura and Tamil Nadu should be given sufficient encouragement.

India is also blessed with large thorium deposits. Efforts should be made to set up miniatomic power stations, wherever viable.

Attempts must be made to harness hydro power through mini-power stations especially in the North-East.

T. S. Sundareswaran, New Delhi

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