Dale Syphers, Divya Gupta, and Sree Padma Holt
The subject of our teaching panel, “problems, agitations and solutions” is producing electricity. We look at the problems of using conventional sources such as coal to produce electricity and its effects on the environment. Using the case of India, one of the leading economies of the world, we discuss the country’s energy crisis, its high dependence on coal, and the implications that it has on global carbon emissions.We discuss the reasons for people’s resistance for setting up new coal plants. This discussion gives an overview of the agitations taking place in India with a close up look on a few case studies. Then, we turn to the discussion of solutions such as eco-friendly alternatives for the production of electricity. These technologies are cost-effective at present, and we give a glimpse of what the future technologies hold. We will discuss the role of both technological solutions and political solutions, as both are necessary to have any true effect on future carbon emissions.