Our Concern For Survival

Our concern is or should be only for our survival !

With lesser problems and suffering in the near and long future,

To this effect,

We have to start thinking about our environment and how we have been affecting it adversely.

Causing great harm to our eco-systems and biodiversity.

We have to seriously reconsider mass wastages in the following industries :

1. Gold Mining Industry

The sheer amount of water consumption in Gold mining industry. (Apart from all other environmental costs involved in it.) Since it is a non-essential industry, humans absolutely do not require additional gold for their survival - all the billions of tons of water consumption in the gold mining industry is a wasteful consumption.

Humanity's ages-old Long love-affair with Gold can lead to humanity's own demise when water scarcity issues begin to hit the world. This inconsiderate diversion of planet's scarce and valuable water resource for a useless commodity which can neither be eaten nor help sustain life in any useful / meaningful way is (should be) a crime. 

2. Steel Industry

Even though 40% of all steel that is currently manufactured is recycled steel, the remaining 60% comes from fresh mining and extraction of more resources. 

The steel mining industries also uses outrageous amount of water. 

Steel industry sustains urbanization (new constructions), automobiles industry and various type of industrial application products and kitchen appliances.

Automobile sector being one of the major consumer of steel as a raw material. The drive and fierce competition for EVs (Electric Vehicles) has led to more and more exploitation, resource depletion and environmental costs even when benefits of such transition will only be realized in a period of 10 - 15 - 20 years. 

The mining for lithium-ion batteries itself is costing the environment a great deal (apart from human health compromised in violation of labour laws for mine workers).

3. Fossil Fuels

The material that the world uses for solar is not perfect for optimum use at present. 

Only 20% of all solar energy hitting Photovoltaic modules (PVs), or solar panels is converted into electricity. 

While the sun provides us with 10,000 times more energy hitting the planet's surface than what is used by the world, this all-important resource largely remains untapped. 

Other renewable energy options such as Wind turbine and Ocean turbine have many challenges and very limited in scope.

Hydro Electric plants also remain limited in scope and expansion. Solar energy is the only source we can harness. 

The research in making materials from organic waste crops residue to make future solar panels that capture more energy and creates no toxic waste unlike the PVs having a lifespan of 10 - 20 years, is a great hope for the planet. 

Coal mining and use of coal for thermal power generation to meet 70% of world's total power needs at present, has to be phased out. 

Oil cannot be phased out easily in comparison as all the transportation and logistics of the world is run on oil. Even if the world takes phasing out oil seriously, it will take 25 years to phase oil out completely.

- Anuj Chugh