MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Despite the rising carbon footprint of Digital technologies, the same technologies are likely to be crucial to any move to a low-carbon world. Elaborate.
GS III – Science and Technology
Introduction:
- The digital transformation has brought many benefits that also have a positive impact on the fight against climate change and reduce CO₂ emissions. However, the production, use and data transfer of digital devices causes more CO₂ emissions than one might expect. These emissions are summarised under the terms “digital CO₂ footprint” or “digital carbon footprint”.
Rising carbon footprint of Digital technologies:
- Each action we perform online has an environmental impact, every time we send an email, use the Internet or social media, a small amount of carbon is emitted.
- Digital technologies are responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and its energy consumption is increasing by 9% a year.
- The internet emits 1.6 billion annual tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The communications industry will represent 20% of all the world’s electricity consumption by 2025
- More than 50 million tons of e-waste were produced in 2019 alone, a number that’s expected to rise by 8% each year.
Digital technologies to offset carbon emissions:
- As per Exponential Climate Action Roadmap, digital technologies could already help reduce global carbon emissions by up to 15% – or one-third of the 50% reduction required by 2030 – through solutions in energy, manufacturing, agriculture and land use, buildings, services, transportation and traffic management.
- The real game-changer will be electric and driverless cars and trucks. Driverless vehicles will accelerate a shift in the traditional business model of vehicle ownership towards mobility and transportation as a service.
- This means fewer people will own a car, instead ordering shared rides from driverless electric vehicles or catching a driverless bus.
- Industry players say artificial intelligence, for example, could help make electric transmission grids more efficient.
- Blockchain technology could allow concerned citizens to track corporate carbon emissions.
- The use of satellites can be further enhanced in monitoring environmental changes including activities such as illegal logging, mining and waste dumping, at sea or on land.
- Online meetings (zoon calls), work from home has already reduced the commute to office and travel for business. These have reduced significant amount of emissions.
- Next comes 5G, AI, IoT and drones, which all depend on connectivity and open up completely new opportunities. With the right policy frameworks and strong climate leadership, these technologies will be instrumental to moving society towards a circular and lean economy, focused on growing service value while reducing waste and pollution.
Conclusion:
- Only digital technologies move at the speed and scale necessary to achieve the kind of dramatic reduction in emissions that we need to see in the next 10 years. Over and above this, e-waste that is being generated must be recycled and reused to reduce the emissions from toxic metals. Taken together, this will require nothing short of a global economic transformation and climate leadership at all levels from cities, countries and corporations.
Q2. ‘Self-denial’ is at the core of many problems that one faces both in their personal and professional lives in the present times. Discuss.
GS IV – Ethics-related issues
Introduction:
- Self-denial is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to distressing situations — but staying in denial can interfere with healing oneself or the ability to tackle challenges in day today life.
- Refusing to acknowledge that something is wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety. We can be in denial about anything that makes us feel vulnerable or threatens our sense of control, such as an illness, addiction, eating disorder, personal violence, financial problems or relationship conflicts. But this is harmful for our well-being, as problems needs to be acknowledged before they can be solved.
- If a person is in denial, they are trying to protect yourself by refusing to accept the truth about something that’s happening in their life. In some cases, initial short-term denial can be a good thing, giving the time to adjust to a painful or stressful issue. It might also be a precursor to making some sort of change in our life. But self-denial has a dark side.
When in denial, we tend to avoid difficult situations:
- Won’t acknowledge a difficult situation.
- Try not to face the facts of a problem.
- Downplay possible consequences of the issue.
Examples of self-denial and the harm they can be as follows:
- A college student witnesses a violent shooting but claims not to be affected by it.
- The partner of an older man in the end stage of life refuses to discuss health care directives and wills with him, insisting that he’s getting better.
- Someone periodically misses morning work meetings after drinking excessively the night before, but insists there’s no problem because the work is still getting done.
- A couple are ringing up so much credit card debt that they toss the bills aside because they can’t bear to open them.
- In situations such as these, denial might prevent one from getting help, such as medical treatment or counselling, or dealing with problems that can spiral out of control — all with potentially devastating long-term consequences.
Solutions to self-denial:
- Honestly examine what you fear.
- Think about the potential negative consequences of not taking action.
- Allow yourself to express your fears and emotions.
- Try to identify irrational beliefs about your situation.
- Journal about your experience.
- Open up to a trusted friend or loved one.
- Participate in a support group.
Conclusion:
- Awareness regarding self-denial and the consequences must be acknowledged. Mental health is very important in the modern times and the stigma associated with seeking help from experts must be removed. We must find healthy ways to cope with the situation rather than trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.
