Hi Urvashi,
 | |
| Act now to protect the forests | |
Reliance on coal was one of the factors responsible for the blackout [1] last week. Power plants fed by coal produce a fixed amount of energy and are incapable of meeting a sudden increase in demand for more energy. This contributed to the grid collapse. [2]
We’ve lost Rs 10.67 lakh crores in a coal scam,[3] perhaps the biggest scam ever. Now the Government wants to destroy more forests in Central India to get more of coal.
You should ask the PM to end our complete dependence on coal by stopping all new coal block allocations and forest clearances until the coal scam has been investigated and there is a clear demarcation of areas that shouldn’t be mined.
Forests in Central India have about 35% of the country’s 1700 wild tigers.[4] There are leopards, elephants and other wildlife too. These forests are a means of livelihood for thousands of communities. Coal mining will endanger all of them.
Unlike coal, solar produces more electricity during summer, which is when we need it most. A mix of different electricity generation techniques will make the grid more stable and secure. Small-scale solar and other forms of renewable energy don’t even need to be supplied via a centralised grid system.[5] People can produce their own electricity; remote villages in Bihar are already doing this.[6] With different decentralised energy sources such as wind and solar, there will be less dependence on the grid, and collapses will be less likely. The forests will also be safe.
You should ask the PM to end our complete dependence on coal by stopping all new coal block allocations and forest clearances until the coal scam has been investigated and there is a clear demarcation of areas that shouldn’t be mined.
We need to get a 100,000 signatures asking the PM to protect the forests by October. Here’s why:
- The PM is hosting a United Nations Convention on Bio-diversity in October.
- We’ll give him this petition in front of the entire world at this conference.
- A 100,000 people asking the PM to save the forests, when he’s discussing conservation with the entire world, will put pressure on him to make a commitment.
- Protecting forests will no longer be a fight between ministries. It will be a commitment made to the world, and not fulfilling it will hurt the reputation of the PM and our country.
Let’s get together and save the forests, the tigers and the homes and livelihoods of those who depend on the forests.
Thanks!
Brikesh Singh
Greenpeace India
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Sources:
- India blackouts leave 700 million without power, The Guardian, July 31, 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/31/india-blackout-electricity-power-cuts - Change power generation configuration to stabilise the grid, Center for Science and Environment,
http://cseindia.org/node/4411 - CAG coal mine report: Govt lost Rs 10.67 lakh cr by giving 'undue benefits' to firms, Business Standard, March 22, 2012.
http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/cag-coal-scam-report-upa-government/1/23419.html - Indian coal mining a threat to tigers, Greenpeace warns, The Guardian, August 3, 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/03/indian-coal-mining-threatens-tigers - Power crisis and grid collapse: Is it time to think different, small and local? www.moneycontrol.com, August 3, 2012.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/mentorade/starting-up/power-crisisgrid-collapse-is-it-time-to-think--739976.html - Govt to promote eco-friendly energy in Bihar, Times of India, July 10, 2012.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-10/patna/32617042_1_solar-power-solar-plants-power-plants
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