TRUE OPTIONS TO A ZERO CARBON ECONOMY

Carbon emissions like CO2 in the atmosphere form a blanket, trap heat  and result in warming of our planet. All actions and deeds of our civilisation for ensuring prosperity and comfortable life to humanity require burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas for energy in our means of transport, electricity generation and supply, industrial processes, residential and commercial buildings lead to formation of a blanket of these emissions contributing heavily to global warming. Similarly felling of trees for various industrial uses as well as for increased demand of cultivable land for ever growing population reduces the capacity of natural CO2 cycle so very essential for maintaining its balance on our globe.

We all have been a witness to the increase in temperatures during the last 50 years or so and even if carbon emissions are allowed to be stagnant for the next 50 years, earth will be hotter by a minimum of 2degree Centigrade.This could be real catastrophic for the mankind as it threatens about 40% of world population living within 100 Kms of oceans as the sea levels will rise because of excessive melting of snow in glaciers and permafrost land regions.

No doubt that an attack on reducing global warming has to come on many many fronts as is clear from the following pie chart describing the contribution to carbon gases in the earth's atmosphere.

Contributors to  Carbon gases in earth's atmosphere

The effect of these heat trapping gases will impact health of the people, fresh water supply sources, oceans, ecosystems and temperatures in a big way and poses a threat to the very existence of life on planet earth.A concerted effort by humanity is needed to bring down these heat trapping gases by at least 80% by mid century through all measures big and small to avoid this imminent catastrophe staring at us because of indiscreet use of technologies and practices in quest for the so called betterment of life and prosperity.

Resorting to power production through clean technologies, green transportation and managing forests and agriculture with particular accent on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation etc.. But a big contribution can come from energy efficiency boosting named as hidden fuel worth 100's of billion by the International Energy Agency and it can be a real game changer.