Prof D Chandrasekharam

while the COP 18 is debating on New policies and 450 policy to contain the temperature at or below 2 °C by promoting renewables, the traditional players are equally promoting other measures to achieve the same goal……2 °C by 2020 by CCS technology. The coal and oil giants are pumping in money for CCS technology and as on today 52 million tonnes of CO₂ has been sucessfully captured and stored. Oil companies are using this for EOR and increase their returns on ROI, coal companies are energizing their new operations by opening new coal fields and supporting mega thermal power plants. The nuclear lobby is not sitting back but pushing their technology inspite of recurring disasters. This game will continue and will keep the common man guessing. Solar pv players are fighting tooth and nail to keep their ancillary industries live and assuring millions of jobs protected while the big players are busy en-cashing the solar pv idea to grab large chunks of land for future generation (not for power but for kith and kin). The geothermal lobby is caught in the crossroads debating whether to support 100 renewables or stay in the mid line like the drilling industries that is caught between the oil and gas (shale) fences. Out of the > 7 billions, only a small fractions are scientists who are able to think and reason out the truth behind renewables, conventional and unconventional energy resources. This situation will continue perhaps till 2020 or 2030. Geological time scales are large hence these decades will not make any deference to the global climate scenario. It took millions of years for the oil, gas and coal to form which we are enjoying…perhaps if not the same but shorter time span will take for these resources to decline. Whether human race will stay to witness this change is a question. Human race is young and short lived. Species vanish and human are no exception before the nature. Coal continue to dominate global power generation Between 2000 and 2011 there is a 52% jump in coal based power generation across the world. Recently reports states that there is a small dip in coal usage due to gas (shale gas) usage, one has to really asses how much gas in the “gas: Unlike solar pv, CCS need no great technological inventions. It is already there. only slight modification is needed. No great material like minerals and water is needed for this modification. The world energy sector consumed about 583 billion cubic meters of water in 2010 and by 2030 consumption will increase by 85%. In addition, water is needed to feed the population and support agriculture. Fresh water cannot be wasted to clean panels in desert regions. Developed countries located near ice caps can afford to do this but not countries around the equator. we need several “Kilimanjaros” around the equator to support solar pv.