Which is the lesser evil?

Damned if you do, and more damned if you don’t. That is the kind of situation facing renewable energy globally. Even as we know that fossil fuels are depleting, forget bad for the planet, we also know we simply cannot do without energy. Increasing quantities of that, as aspirations and reach grow. Renewable is where we need to turn to, but while this is a clean, plentiful source, it is not without problems. These include technical, operational ones too but above these is the environmental opposition. Ironical actually, as these are also about eco-preservation.

Take wind farms. From accusations of noise pollution that even lead to heart attacks, to causing death of many birds by the turning blades, wind energy has seen some bitter opposition.

Environmentalists have pointed to how the wind currents ‘stolen’ by wind mills are crucial for navigating birds. Optimum locations atop hills have had naturalists oppose projects that mar the scenic beauty. It can be understood once you have a look at some of these projects. They do strut across the land ruthlessly. Aesthetically, they are a no-no. But, it depends on how you look at it. To some it could well be objects of simple technological wonder. To energy starved village it could be ‘god-sent’.

Solar PVs also demand large spaces to account for any substantial energy. Large arrays spread across expanses are again seen as a blot on the landscape.

But by far, the loudest cry has been against hydel plants. They submerge vast tracts of land, take away people’s homes and livelihoods, and of course, ‘tamper’ with the natural flow of rivers. This is so whether it is river Teesta in India, or the Amazon in Brazil or the Yangtze in China. The latest in big, river engineering projects is the Severn Barrage tidal project that will see a dam straddle the Severn Estuary connecting English and Wales coasts. What will be the damage to the estuary? For now, the builders claim that there are none.

An interest example of river engineering that has bounced back is that of Kushiro river in Japan. Parts of the river were straightened out to industrially develop areas around and prevent flooding. But new think on ecological angles have now realized the damage to a crucial wetland of the river which was being dried out in the process. So now the authorities are ‘putting the curves back’ on the straightened river! Critics see it as a mere public works job creation.

Similar was the case with the Mississippi across which a series of levees were built to avoid flooding. As recent as this year the river broke through one of the levees leaving seven dead. In a realization that the levee system is washing away precious sediment , running into 24 sq metres of land, into the sea a $50 billion project now intends to let it flow out of the levees in certain places.

What should one make of the river linking project touted in India – lifting water from the Ganges over 450 metres, to deliver 60,000 cusecs of water across 2640 kms at Rs 5,60,000 crores cost!
So, should we tamper with rivers to provide water or energy? But then where do we get all the energy we need, to grow our crops, to travel, to build homes and all the gadgets we depend on? Nuclear? But then, remember the waste problem.

It boils down to choosing the lesser evil or the milder toxin!

Perhaps run of the river projects with not much storage should be the option. The sites could be selected so that there is not too large a tract of river in between the point of diversion and rejoining. Perhaps in areas where submergence causes loss of forests, the company should be made to do some mandatory compensatory planting well before time so that by the time the project is commissioned, the trees are in good health.

Or maybe the time has come to go all out for off shore wind farms. Or..? Or...?

We don’t need to wait for a time when renewables will totally replace fossil fuel energy. It can be done in a piecemeal manner. If overhead solar PV panels fitted on rooftops of houses could cater to all the lighting, that alone would take a load off the grid. Tesco’s HSC centre at Whitefield in Bangalore has placed a windmill on the terrace and that takes care of the reception room lighting.

There are choices aplenty for various scenarios. It only takes some visionary policies that propel the energy demand in this direction.

Who will bell the cat?