Original Content
Category
EcoBeat Staff – With Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to quintuple India’s original solar energy generation commitments from 20 GW (enough to power 4 million homes) to 100 GW by 2022 and a $20 billion investment to cover a fifth of that plan from the Japanese SoftBank Corporation, the subcontinent’s solar market is looking increasingly optimistic. Yet, many are wondering how a nation with 4 GW of capacity in 2015 will manage to increase capacity by more than 3,000% in just 7 years time.
Energy Deficit at Peak Hours in India
In short, India offers massive potential for private sector investors. With a population of 1.25 billion people, 300 million of whom have no access to electricity (compared to the US market of 318 million total) and a 3.6% energy deficit at peak hours of the day, the country is home to arguably the largest untapped market for solar development on the globe. A report by Tata Power states that demand will grow by 5.2% annually between 2014-2024, further increasing the need for new power sources. Adani Power, Reliance Power and SunEdison have already bought in on the government’s plan, committing $5 billion for solar power plants in India.
Even in the midst of these optimistic plans for solar development, India’s government has failed to make any international commitment to decrease greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years. In the past, India’s government has indicated that its key policy priorities are economic development and poverty alleviation. Therefore, many are concerned that the new power generated from solar will not be used as a means of offsetting emissions, but rather as a solution to bring electricity to 20 million of the 300 million people in the country who currently lack it, while use of coal, diesel and other fossil fuels will continue to expand at large.
This is a promising sign compared to where India was just a year ago, but further pressure must be applied to the Indian government leading in to the COP21 this fall if this is to have any true impact.
Read More
June 25, 2015 •
Featured, Original Content, Recent, Trafficking, Wildlife •
Views: 933
EcoBeat Staff – Rhino horns are one of the most valuable substances on the market in China and Vietnam due to their supposed health benefits. On average, just a singular pound of rhino horn can fetch a price of $30,000 according to the International Business Times. A report
June 24, 2015 •
Agriculture, Farming, Food & Nutrition, Original Content, Recent •
Views: 834
EcoBeat Staff- You don’t need a big yard to get inspired about gardening! Green space in your home can have many benefits and edible garden goods are no exception. The biophilia hypothesis states that humans evolved to spend time in nature and that we seek green space. This can explain why
June 24, 2015 •
Climate, International Action, Original Content, Recent •
Views: 952
EcoBeat Staff – Emissions from energy production account for nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gases being released into the environment. Projections from the United Nations Development Program anticipate 6-8 billion additional energy consumers by the year 2100, further complicating plans
June 24, 2015 •
Energy, Original Content, Recent, Renewable Energy •
Views: 799
EcoBeat Staff – One of the key arguments against wind turbines, aside from the fact that some consider them an eyesore, is that they kill birds. Studies, such as one by two federal scientists and Wallace Erickson of environmental consulting firm West Inc., have found that 214,000-368,000
June 23, 2015 •
Climate, Extreme Weather, Original Content, Recent, Wildlife •
Views: 1262
EcoBeat Staff – Tbilisi floods this past weekend caused at least a dozen deaths and extensive damage to the city’s infrastructure. June to August is generally the dry season in the capital, which is located 1,200 feet above sea level, making this type of weather event completely
June 22, 2015 •
Original Content, Recent, Technology, Water •
Views: 1160
EcoBeat Staff – Clean water is fundamental for survival, yet as many as 783 million people worldwide do not have access to it. According to The Water Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on providing training and financial support for sustainable water development projects in
June 21, 2015 •
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Food & Nutrition, Original Content, Recent, Water, Wildlife •
Views: 581
Eating Invasive Species image source: mjwinoz CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons EcoBeat Staff- There’s a new eating craze in town, and it’s aimed at eliminating invasive fish species. In an effort to find innovative (and delicious) solutions, chefs
June 21, 2015 •
International Issues, Original Content, Recent, Water •
Views: 1013
EcoBeat Staff – Ocean currents are forced in different directions depending on a number of factors, including temperature patterns and the landforms that they flow around. At certain points where these currents converge, massive spinning phenomenon, known as gyres, form. One of five such
June 20, 2015 •
Energy, Fossil Fuels, Original Content, Recent •
Views: 605
EcoBeat Staff – Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been praised by many economists and energy experts in the United States as the key to an energy-secure future. While many scientists have been concerned with the implications of injecting large amounts of brackish water, (saltwater that
