MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Green hydrogen holds the promise of fostering industrial growth while also reducing industrial pollutants. The advantages of employing green hydrogen are contrasted.
GS III – Environmental Conservation
- Green hydrogen is described as hydrogen created when water is divided into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. Green hydrogen is significant in the fight against climate change because it can replace fossil fuels in sectors and uses that have historically been more difficult to decarbonize, in addition to its potential as an energy storage technology. By 2030, India intends to produce more renewable hydrogen than any other nation at five million tonnes.
The use of green hydrogen has the following advantages:
- Decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors: The profound decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors is based on the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, which is a relatively recent phenomenon. This includes sectors like iron ore, steel, fertilisers, refining, methanol, and maritime shipping that generate large amounts of CO2.
- Supports the creation of renewable energy: The electrolysis of water to make hydrogen can support the widespread generation of renewable electricity. The price of renewable energy will also go down, which will cut the cost of creating hydrogen and make it more competitive.
- Less reliance on oil imports: Green hydrogen can help India lessen its reliance on oil imports while simultaneously helping the nation’s labour market.
- Easily storable: The intermittent nature of renewable energy, especially wind energy, contributes to grid instability. Green hydrogen can store a lot of energy. Hydrogen that has been saved can be used in fuel cells to produce energy. As a result, hydrogen can support grid stability by acting as a means of energy storage.
- With its ability to be turned into power or synthetic gas and used in business, industry, or transportation, green hydrogen has a flexible nature.
- Green hydrogen is a reliable and consistent source of energy for industrial processes since it may be locally stored. This improves energy independence and lessens reliance on the electrical grid.
- produces oxygen as a byproduct: One kilogramme of hydrogen creates eight kilogrammes of oxygen as a byproduct. Experts claim that the oxygen produced can also be used profitably for industrial, medical, and environmental purposes to enhance the environment.
Moving forward:
- The government must support both short-term and long-term policy choices for cost reduction if green hydrogen is to be cost-competitive with alternatives.
- India might be a magnet for domestic and foreign investment in green hydrogen. A mission secretariat can reduce financial risks and expedite project approval for green hydrogen.
- India must collaborate with other significant economies to develop rules for a green and sustainable hydrogen economy. Since there are no globally recognised frameworks, private industry groups rather than formal international processes are driving efforts to set rules and standards.
- Green hydrogen is a novel technology, therefore anyone considering using it or producing it needs to learn more about it and develop their skills. It is crucial to present evidence of the advantages, security, and practicality of green hydrogen across a range of settings and sectors.
- India has a unique opportunity to control the global hydrogen energy ecology. Recognising the promise of green hydrogen, the government earlier established a national green hydrogen mission and a green hydrogen strategy. Consequently, green hydrogen could play a significant role in assisting India in achieving its objectives of becoming energy independent by 2047 and Net Zero by 2070.
Q2. India’s efforts to protect endangered species take an ambitious step with the introduction of Project Cheetah. Examine whether restoring extinct species is necessary in this case.
GS III – Environmental Conservation
- India’s Project Cheetah was started as a cheetah relocation initiative, seven decades after the last cheetah died out in the country. As part of the plan, the animals are being moved from the forests of South Africa and Namibia to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
The following justifications are used to back up the introduction of Project Cheetah:
- The introduction of wild cheetahs into Kuno National Park is a step towards diversifying India’s biodiversity. The spotted cat will promote the preservation of biodiversity.
- Restoration of the Ecosystem: To increase the conservation value of cheetahs across the country, the goal for translocation also aims to establish vast open systems across the landscape and restore grasslands. It will also enhance ecosystem processes including soil moisture retention, carbon sequestration, and water security, which will have a positive impact on human survival in many ways.
- rise tourism: The existence of charismatic and iconic animals may result in a rise in tourism, which will benefit the local economy and generate employment. In India, this would boost ecotourism and open up new development prospects.
- Increase genetic diversity by reintroducing extinct species to the environment. The long-term survival and adaptation of species, as well as the health of ecosystems, depend on genetic diversity.
- Predator rehabilitation takes time, but the effort in India is moving better than expected, according to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which is assisting the Indian government with the reintroduction of cheetahs to the nation. Fifty years after the start of Project Tiger, the tiger population has now formally surpassed the historic threshold of 3,000. As a result, the project’s success can only be evaluated in the long run.
The following arguments are in opposition to Project Cheetah’s introduction:
- Many wildlife and conservation experts who have condemned the proposal believe Kuno National Park may not be a suitable environment for hosting a sizable population of cheetahs. This is due to the fact that in order to move freely, cheetahs typically require extensive habitats that span thousands of square miles. The estimated area of Kuno is less than 500 square miles.
- Critics have brought up the cheetahs’ spatial and habitat ecology requirements as well as the risk for conflict with humans and other carnivores like tigers and leopards during large-scale distribution.
- Inadequate scientific analysis: The cheetah is the only known case of an animal species disappearing in India due to factors related to humans. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct scientific research on the ecological connections between habitat composition, habitat quality, and demography in order to ensure the sustainability of cheetahs and their prey.
- Negative consequences on the species: Species that are transported across continents could feel anxious and stressed out, and they might have a hard time adjusting to their new surroundings. As an illustration, consider the numerous deaths among the cheetahs that were moved.
- Resources are scarce: Given the scarcity of resources for development in India and the generally poor track record of such programmes, the restoration of the cheetah could be considered as an expensive indulgence and useless endeavour.
- A long variety of initiatives, including the historic reintroduction of cheetahs in India, have been implemented to assure sustainability and environmental protection. The key challenges must be overcome, and the species’ long-term survival must be preserved, for the effort to be successful.
