Energy is the life and soul of modernisation. Energy is the part and parcel of our daily life. It is not wrong to say that it has a very deep impact on our society and it looks like a desert to just imagine our so called sophisticated and well-organised world without the daughter of science, technology and energy. In a nutshell energy means life.

With the advent of human life on this Earth, men have been interfering in balance of nature. That was the time when goddess of knowledge had not bestowed them with the world’s powerful and useful weapon, Knowledge. By the dint of knowledge they pierced the chest of earth, won the altitudes of sky and left the fish behind in gigantic oceans. As the wheel of time moved around we uncovered many secrets of nature including fossil fuels.

With the discovery of fossil fuels the whole world revolutionised as it was Aladdin Magic World. Men used that energy very lavishly, thinking that it is renewable source of energy. He used industries, cities, agriculture, transportation and defense, leading to advancement in every phase of life. We use energy to produce electricity as fuel in industries, in homes, in transportation (vehicles, trains, aeroplanes, space shuttles etc), in defense. World’s only super power USA uses about 40per cent to 50per cent of world’s fossil fuels. Worlds emerging economies India and China are using coal and petrol very lavishly. Transport is the major factor for usage of petrol and diesel. World’s 80per cent of electricity is produced through coal, petrol and gas and remaining is produced through nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy, Geo thermal energy and tidal energy.

Men have established monster like industries, factories, and gigantic means of transportation, heavy chemicals and biological weapons. All these dangerous things have made our nature on the core of extincts. They emit hazardous gases like sulphur-Dioxide, carbon-Dioxide, lead oxide, carbon-mono-oxide, including acids which corrodes our buildings like termites such as sulphuric acid, carbonic acid etc. Above discussed gases are fatal for our life and hundreds of people each day suffers from skin and eye diseases, lungs and skin cancer. When these gases goes up it destroys ozone layer (a protective layer which protects us from ultra violet rays of Sun), resulting in a hole which has been made at Antarctica. They also work as green house gases as they trap sun’s rays under earth’s atmosphere resulting in global warming. Scientists are agreed that if this global warming would not nip from the bud then we will have to pay for it by extinctions of many creatures and plants, through floods, snowfalls, cyclones and rainfalls. The system of nature and weather will be sixes and sevens. In some regions there will be rainfalls and some places will be barren. It would also cause melting of glaciers. According to some reports the melting of ice has boosted up to 20per cent as compared to natural process. It would endanger many species like polar bears, fox, seals, fish, and other species which are dependent on oceans and seas. Many hazardous and biological weapons are creating bundles of complications in nature. They are making our nature polluted by emission of various gases and chemicals which can prove fatal for wildlife. The uses of pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers, discharge of chemicals wastage and rubbish contribute very richly towards water pollution. These useful compounds when go into water, creates apt situations for growth of algae, which absorbs most of oxygen from water, thus resulting in lack of oxygen in it. That affects the marine life.

Observing all above circumstances we have to think about our coming generations and future of our earth. I am not a great writer or geologist but the way situation is dramatically changing, puzzles my mind. Using the world’s resources lavishly we have forgotten the fact that they will be get extinct, because they are non-renewable resources. I think we need to innovate our energy technologies by utilising renewable resources like wind, solar and geothermal energies. If we will not conserve our resources then I am watching the rainy days of our planet. Therefore think again that what are you doing and what to do now. Sun is the main source of energy and daily we get hundreds of thousands of mega joules of energy but it is shame to us that this free gift of nature goes to waste. But I am glad to know that some developed countries are taking interest in such energy sources but I want to emphasise that this free cost energy should be utilised by developing countries because they can not afford millions of rupees and specialists. I agree that this is new and quite expensive technology for short term, if we use it for long term then it will be cheap because it is everlasting fuel and great thing is that it is free of cost. Pakistan is lucky to have all blessings of nature like snowfall, rain, cold, hot, mountains, deserts, plains, plateaus, glaciers etc. Thar is of paramount importance in terms of sunny days as through out the year sun scorches there and it is a suitable place for installation of solar plants. NGOs can play a vital role for promotion of such energy resources.

Another easy source of energy is wind power. Pakistan, as discussed above, is lucky to have enough wind to run turbines. Wind plants are gaining enough attention by people. European countries have already started to utilise it. About 20per cent of energy is gained by it in Denmark. Wind plants can also be installed over oceans and Pakistan has a wealth of oceans in Karachi and Gawadar than why government is not paying any attention to it. Actually winds blowing near sea shores have great magnitude; they can also be used to cope with problem of increasing energy demands. We can also generate tidal energy. In Bahrain, there is a building, Bahrain World Tower, which gets its one fourth of electricity by installing wind turbines on the walls of building. They have done so much and we are living in the pre-historic manner. What kind of deficiency we have? According to Quaid-e-Azam, “Nature has given you every thing and foundation of your country has been laid. It’s upon you to utilise these things in an appropriate manner.” So, why don’t we act upon his advice? Sorry for lecture but it was crying need of hour that whole nation should unite to work out their problems, instead of blaming on others.

Third source of energy is geothermal energy. It is a new technology and is obtained from the lap of earth. It is a steam which is produced naturally due to high pressure and temperature at core of earth. That steam can be utilised to run the turbines. But it is sorry to say that only 1per cent of world’s electricity is produced by it. Ireland produces whole of its energy by geothermal energy. This has a tremendous potential to give us ultimate energy source. It is also used in California, USA.

If these things are not adapted on large scale then they should be done on small scale, means we should install solar panels and wind turbines in houses and buildings because a Tsunami starts from single wave.

    WAYS TO CUT OFF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

 As the environment is affected by human activities like deforestation, pollution, global warming and extinction of wildlife. Therefore we should take active actions to block them. I have some suggestions to contribute for the betterment of environment, which are given below:

Ø   Use those means of transportation which don’t emit hazardous gases such as bicycle. If you don’t use bicycle then avoid traveling in personal vehicles if you have public transport.

Ø   Use natural fuel like animal dung. Through these organic fuels methane can be produced which can be used for cooking purposes. It (methane) can be obtained by reaction between bacteria and organic substances in dung.

Ø   We can reuse plastic bottles, cups and bags. We can sell papers and cartons, which can be processed to make them paper again. It would save lots of energy, money and time as well.

Ø   Use water in an appropriate manner and in small quantity. Don’t waste water because only 2.8per cent of total world’s water is drinkable. Analysts predict that the future wars would be on food and water. Therefore please think again.

Ø   Use natural fertilisers instead of chemical fertilisers.

Ø   Save energy as possible as you can. Use power saver electronic devices.

Ø   Use cloth bag instead of plastic bags for shopping.

The above described energy resources are new to us but nature has blessed us with them. If we will not think now then it would be too late. The day is not far when history will repeat itself. Men will travel on animals as done in past centuries, burn wood instead of gas, have to do every work by hands, get deprived of easy and convenient source of electricity, in precise way we will go in caves again, so think again.