Hope and wisdom in 2011

Plant life in a small pool on a rock face

The year 2010 started inauspiciously with the failure of the climate talks in Copenhagen in December 2009. Fortunately, the Cancún Adaptation Framework, that resulted at the end of the year, will hopefully enable actions that are already being undertaken in many vulnerable developing countries to get further impetus and support.

The year's Human Development Index (HDI) was full of good news and celebrated the fact that over the past 40 years average life expectancy rose from 59 to 70 years, primary school enrollment grew from 55 to 70 percent, and per capita income doubled to more than $10,000.

However the report cautioned “the main threat to maintaining progress in human development comes from the increasingly evident unsustainability of production and consumption patterns. .... The continuing reliance on fossil fuels is threatening irreparable damage to our environment and to the human development of future generations.”

The warning bells set ringing about plummeting populations of tropical species as humanity's demands on natural resources go sky-rocketing to 50 per cent more than the earth can sustain. The 2010 edition of WWF's Living Planet Report shows that our demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 and we're using the equivalent of 1.5 planets to support our activities.

In northern Ireland all it took was a thaw in icy conditions that caused water pipes to go burst leading to a water shortage like never before. With three million people affected by the floods in Pakistan during the first week of August, the year was also the warmest one on record.

Breakthroughs came in the field of materials like graphene and carbon nanotubes in generating cheaper energy. Ultracapacitor research took energy storage a bit closer to the ideal. However, the technology much banked upon by the coal industry - CCS – was shown to be costly and requiring more space than realised.

Efficiency of the solar cell crossed 40 percent. Photovoltaic module prices, plummeted by about 30 percent over the past year thanks to an oversupply of modules and the rise of low-cost Chinese manufacturers. The smart grid caught the fancy of developing countries like India, China and Brazil. While China has committed huge finds for the same, Indian utilities are still looking at pilot projects.

India forged ahead in nuclear power – two French reactors worth $10bn are expected to be built at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. The clean energy "cess" announced by the Indian government has raised the price of each ton of coal by Rs. 50. India also announced a voluntary goal to reduce its carbon intensity by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels. New regulations announced by the Indian government reward the renewable energy producers not only for the generating power but also for preventing emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The first set of projects under India's ambitious National Solar Mission went under the hammer in 2010. Meanwhile, the market for clean energy products likes solar lanterns, clean stoves, small-scale hydropower, saw a surge.

The business as usual scenario saw coal production rise in 2010, with new coal-fired power plants taking off in China, India, and the United States.

The energy demand continues unabated. Emissions too. Human race is inching towards a climate catastrophe, but refusing to take adequate action. Change was mostly the result of government action. Will the individual initiate action in the coming year? Remains to be seen. But hope remains. That energy and water will be conserved. Wasteful ways curbed. Recycling become a part of life. That we take cognizance of the gift of life on this beautiful planet and mend our ways. Happy, wise new year to you all.