PRELUDE

Renewable and Non Renewable Energy

Renewable resources are those resources which we can continuously extract for long periods of lime.
Most of these, resources are replenished within a certain period of time such as trees. Wind and Rain
happen seasonally and do not get depleted and hence considered renewable. Any change in climate may
affect the cycle however it is not going to happen in a large scale in the immediate future.
Some resources which are not easily replenished and take millions of years to reform are considered non
renewable resource. These are thus finite resource. Most of the mined elements are Non renewable
materials. The two primary types of non renewable materials are Minerals (Aluminum, Iron ore etc.) and
Fossil Fuels. However among the non renewable materials we have to differentiate between the metal
ores and fossil fuels. Iron ore etc., - are not a full finite resource. This is because our requirement of Iron
is not so high and the ores available is sufficient to last us for long periods of time. Also these minerals
once extracted are available for long periods and can be recycled, for example an aluminum frame doesnt
get damaged easily and if damaged the aluminum can still be reused by recycling.
Thus these minerals are not going to be exhausted in the immediate future. However the fossil fuels case
is not so, this resources is extracted in huge percentages and is used within a short period of time. 1 liter
of Diesel can be used within a few minutes by a truck. Thus the scale of extraction of this resource and
the time scale within which it is used are such that this resource gets exhausted very easily. The primary
fossil fuels are Coal Oil & Natural Gas, and among these we use Oil the most and at the fastest rate.
But this is one resource which creates a huge impact on our lives- In fact the necessities of our
dependence on this resource is the subject of discussion in our prelude
Human Needs for Physical Sustenance
We can identify 7 needs of physical sustenance out of which 5 are sourced by physical means by
expending energy. These 5 needs are (Food, Water, Shelter, & Movement). We will analyze our
dependence on Fossil fuels specifically oil, for our basic needs.
Fossil Fuels and Basic Needs
The human population has been exploding in the past few centuries and the lifestyle and comforts of the
people have also, increased during this period. The improvement in the material lifestyle has been,
through the improvement in technology. However the primary impact has been in the case of food
production. Also the connectivity of the materials and products also increased during this period. This
was the basic reason for sustaining the population. Famines and epidemics which reduced the populations
at different stages became a thing of the past. Now even if there is a crop failure there will not be a
famine since food can be transported from surplus areas to these regions. Also the number of people
needed for cultivation has drastically reduced and improved irrigation reduced occurrences of famines.
Now our current system is the result of technological advancement, however this technology is fueled by
a Limited resource which is the fossil fuels specifically oil.
Here we will analyze the impact of Oil in sustaining our 5 basic needs sourced by physical means by
expending energy.
FOOD
Our current population is expanding. The World population is now- 7.147 Billion, and is expected to
cross 8 Billion (800 Cores). The current level of food production needs to be sustained and increased with
the growing population. The current level of food production is not possible without factory farming and
intensive agriculture- which makes heavy use of fertilizers, Pesticides and farm machinery. The fertilizer
production depends on fossil fuels especially Natural gas and Pesticide production depends on Oil as raw
material input. Also all the Industrial Scale farm machinery depends on Diesel fuel for its operation.
Now the food we eat are produced kilometers away, for example for Kerala almost all of the food comes
from outside the State, Rice form Andhra Pradesh / Tamil Nadu, Vegetables form Tamil Nadu, Fruits
from as far away as Uttar Pradesh, and even form Thailand and Indonesia. Thus the food that we have
travels Hundreds of Kilometers (Food Miles) before it reaches us, and most of this travel is done by
consuming Oil (a fossil fuel).
This is the case with all places. However this is also a reason for the elimination of famines since a crop
failure in Tamil Nadu may be compensated by rice form Andhra or Thailand or Indonesia. However the
important fact is our food security greatly depends on OIL.
WATER
Our water infrastructure depends on Electricity for Cleaning and Transportation via the Pumping systems.
Still a good portion of water is transported via water tankers which run on diesel. The case is more serious
in areas where desalination plants provide most of the water needs. Desalination plants consume
considerable amount of energy to convert sea water to potable water. The water needs in certain parts of
Indian and cities are increasing and even we are establishing desalination plants which depend heavily on
fossil fuel. We will soon see our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity and thus this will indirectly
connect our water source to the availability of fossil fuels and oil
SHELTER
House is a dream of every individual; we depend heavily on fossil fuels for our home construction. In fact
any construction depends on Fossil Fuel. All heavy machinery in construction is operated using Diesel
Oil. The Raw Materials for construction, Brick, Stone, etc are mined and processed using Oil run
machinery. The Transportation of these construction materials to the building site uses Diesel Run trucks.
For the case of Kerala the Marble comes from Rajasthan, The amount of Oil used in the installation of
Marble is hence high. Thus our needs of Shelter depend heavily on Oil.
Also in cold places we may use heating which is directly using Gas / Coal a fossil fuel. Similarly we use
Air conditioners which use large quantity of electricity, and a good portion of this electricity is generated
using fossil fuels

MOVEMENT
Our transportation needs are heavily dependent on Oil; our personal Cars Run on Oil, Public
transportation system running on Buses uses Diesel. Thus our movement is heavily dependent on Oil.
Thus our basic necessities of Life depends heavily on the use of fossil fuels and especially and critically
on Oil. As for India we do not have any indigenous Oil Sources and is dependent totally on foreign
countries for our oil needs meaning our countries physical sustenance.
Now we come to the BIG QUESTIONS
What is our current dependence on this resource?
We depend heavily on Fossil Fuels, 70% electricity Generation from fossil fuels. 70% energy needs
(transportation and heating needs) met by fossil fuels. 90% of transportation needs are met by Oil. Of the
10% met by Electric Mode i.e. Electrified Railway line we again depend indirectly on fossil fuels as 70%
electricity needs are met by fossil fuels.
Thus our life now depends on steady supply of Oil.
Fossil Fuel- How much is available?
Without going into details the list here is of current available reserves of Oil. This is to imply that there is
a specific limit for the Oil resource. This is a heavily used resource on which our lives depend and this is
going to be finished in a certain period of time.
So the next question, when and will it be a sudden or gradual end.
Fossil Fuel- How long can we keep using this?
This question depends on the usage levels and production level and availability. A mathematical model
was constructed to systematically estimate this, and this model is called Huberts peak Theory curve.
This model was developed by studying the Oil production from several Regions, and he used it to predict
the Oil production from the United States. Huberts Model correctly predicted the US oil production will
peak between 1965and 1971, and hence his model is accepted and tested and accurate.
His model is now used to predict the World Oil production considering the currently available reserves
and projected oil demand. And this model predicts the Oil production is going to peak between 2015 and
2030 and is going to reduce gradually with the resource completely depleted by 2050.
However finding of more Oil reserves can extend this period. But then again it will only extend and not
be a permanent /sustainable solution.
Here is what some of the people involved with Oil exploration and extraction has to say.
Which Means
Soon we are not going to have Food, Water, will not be able to travel and build houses. Hence we are in a
precipice and we have to do something if we want to make our future survivable. We have a very valuable
resource which is going to last only a small period of time, so we have to use it judiciously and build a
foundation which will be on resources that will not be finished in a short period instead will be available
for longer period of time.
Fact related to change in lifestyle
The proportion of people living in cities is now 50% of total population and is expected to rise to 70% of
total population.
So we have to act smart in this situation, and put our foundation strong and make ourselves sustainable.
The focus is to change some of our activities, without having to forgo the comforts that we enjoy, but
make us healthy and a sustainable civilization. For this we focus of generating sustainability with four
basics Food, Water, Movement, and Energy (Electricity & Fuel)
We have to start building our foundation on sound policies and this section is of the presentation details
some of the new technologies being developed for this some policies and management techniques applied
to build this foundation. Also these refer to activities being undertaken along the developed countries.
SUSTAINABILITY
With this we have to redefine what we really mean by development, and thus sustainability is defined as
Development that meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
Thus we have to plan our development with respect to this target
Gandhiji in his book Swaraj Details that, India will be truly independent only when India is frees itself
from the Economic Influence of the West/Rest of the World. Sustainability will be the path to realizing
his dream.
First I will details some of the Technologies and developmental activities that are undertaken at the
national level, in order to develop the necessary Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future. The second
Section of Sustainability deals with making each Household sustainable working up to the community/
village and up to the State, National and possibly International Level.
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
The Infrastructure Development that should be undertaken at the National and State (Federal) level to
achieve sustainability will be our first topic of discussion. Let us start with Energy, since it is the most
important resource that we are obtaining from something that is going to be exhausted soon.
Thus the focus is to shift from Fossil fuels, i.e. Oil and Coal to Renewable, Hydro, Wind, Solar, Biomass,
Geothermal, Wave/ Tidal Energy etc.
We have a lot of renewable energy sources, But the issue is they are availability is spread out over wide
areas, also their availability is irregular, and far away from the areas of human population, and hence is
not economical in the business sense. However if we factor the issue of the finite and infinite nature of the
two types of resources it becomes hugely economical. Hence in order to harness these Non renewable
resources government has to take the initiative, and provide proper policy and initiatives to invest and
shift our Energy Portfolio from Fossil Sources. That is we have to increase the percentage of Electricity
and Energy produced from Renewable Resource to 100% soon. The government policies should be such
as to discourage the use of the fossil fuels and incentivize the development of Renewable sources.
Going step by step- Improve efficiency of current use of energy by penalizing inefficient use, incentivize
the capacity addition of Renewable forms of energy, such as Solar, Wind etc. while undertaking Hydro,
Geothermal projects.
Energy Carrier
Here I will introduce the difference between energy source and Energy carrier, and give an idea of how
we use energy. An energy source is something form which we derive energy, Fossil Fuels, Hydro, Wind,
etc. However the energy that we have in the energy source is not in the directly usable form, Hydro and
Wind are Mechanical forms of energy, Solar energy is in Radiation form, and that too these different
forms of energy are available not at the point where we want the energy application (Heating , cooking,
Running a pump/ motor etc). Fossil fuel contains chemical energy but that too is not possible to apply
directly in many point of use, such as for a small pump, or our Ceiling fans. So in order for us to be able
to use it practically and easily these different forms of Energy sources are transformed into another
common energy form Electricity and this electricity is such a form that we can use it easily in our homes
and for many applications. Thus this Electricity acts as an Energy carrier, since the purpose of
transforming our energy sources to electricity is to transport it to the point where we want the application
such as a pump fan, mill etc. and be easily use it there.
Most of our practical applications are met by energy in Electric form. However this has certain
limitations, for example we cannot store electricity easily and hence we cannot use it as a transportation
means or where we want to have a large energy application in a remote are we will have to pull a electric
line which may not be feasible.
One main area where we use an energy source directly is for movement, i.e. in Cars, Trucks, Tractors/
Farm equipment and Heavy Machinery. These applications are run with Fossil fuels directly and we
cannot easily replace these applications with that of our most widely used energy carrier electricity.
Hence we have to look for some other form of energy carrier that can replace fossil fuels in these
applications.
In this regard the most promising energy carrier to replace this is considered to be hydrogen. Hydrogen is
abundantly found in earth in sea water and we can use electricity to electrolyze and produce hydrogen.
(Hydrogen can be produced by passing Electricity through water and disassociating hydrogen and oxygen
molecules in the water), If this electricity is produced from Renewable sources such as Solar Hydro Wind
etc. we and then have all the activities conducted now to be powered totally from renewable source.
This is how the World is thinking now. I will discuss some initiatives taken in different part of the world
to shift to this method. In coming Slides and this shift is termed as Hydrogen Economy

Sustainable Transport
Movement is one area where we depend heavily on Oil. 90% of transport infrastructure runs on Oil and
this is the reason for rise in inflation every time the Oil price is increased. Hence this is a sector where
sustainability ha prime importance.
In transport infrastructure we have to first develop those modes which is the most efficient and the most
promising infrastructure for this is the Water Transportation. Goods can be economically transported over
water efficiently and safely.
Here we have to shift our transport mode from Energy source fossil fuels to Energy carrier, Electricity or
Hydrogen. We already have proven electric modes of Transportation, Electric Railways, for long distance
goods and personal transportation, Metros and Monorails within Cities, and Trams etc.
For personal transport the promising options considered are Electric and Hydrogen Cars. However before
the technology is available the initiatives taken are, to live in such a manner as to reduce the use of cars,
Live close to the Work place so to be able to (Walk or Cycle to work) / use the Electric mode of Public
transport go to work or use a combination of these. The concepts linked to these are Satellite Cities and
Twin Cities.
Hydrogen Economy
We already discussed about the use of hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in applications which cannot be
replaced by electricity, one of these is for Cars, Trucks and Heavy Machinery.
Now we live in Hydrocarbon Economy, However it is not just the availability of fossil fuels that, is the
reason but a whole infrastructure and industry to support this in the form of refineries, Pumps, Oil
transportation infrastructure such as Oil tankers and Pipelines etc. In order to shift to the hydrogen based
economy we need to start putting the infrastructure from production to supply systems.
Many countries in the world have already started the work on this infrastructure. European countries are
the most advanced, Ice land a small country plans to be the first one to shift to a Total Hydrogen
Economy.
For a Hydrogen economy we will need infrastructure to produce hydrogen from renewable sources, and
Infrastructure to Store and Transport it to the point of use. Storage and transportation of hydrogen is the
most considered issue than production.
Here is a Novel concept experimented in Germany for Hydrogen production. Hydrogen Challenger is the
ship you see now. And this ship was a former tanker. However this tanker is now fitted with a Vertical
axis wind Turbine (wind mill) which you can see. Now this tanker will go the area where there is
maximum wind and station there. When the turbine operates electricity is generated which is then used to
hydrolyze sea water and produce hydrogen. This hydrogen is stored in the tanker and when full it returns
to the port to unload the hydrogen.
Safe transportation of Hydrogen is a problem however Pipe line infrastructure is an Option. Hence
hydrogen can be transported Via Pipelines and for this we have to establish a Pipe line infrastructure.
Sustainable Agriculture
Next we have to secure our food source; here we look at sustainable agriculture.

In the agricultural front, we have to reduce the use of Fertilizers without affecting productivity. Hence
corresponding agricultural developments and research should be done to be able to improve the soil
without need for fertilizers. Also in most cases Fertilizer application is much higher that that is needed
and hence we have to reduce it to make it appropriate.
However we will still need Fertilizers. Here we have to develop alternate methods where Fertilizers can
be developed form Hydrogen instead of Fossils. Also Farm machinery should be shifted from being Oil
fueled to Hydrogen Fueled.
Sustainable Water Use
Water is one of the most important resources needed for sustaining life. Water resource need to be made
sustainable- Our current level of activity has made water sources contaminated. We have to immediately
stop the contamination and where it has occurred should be reverses by initiating cleaning programs.
Also water transport infrastructure should be so developed not have dependence on Oil for water
transportations, i.e. laying pipelines and reducing need of water transport.
Here also we should take measures to use water judiciously.
We have touched on the infrastructural levels where the government should take the initiative for
development. Now we will move on to see what we as individuals and as a community can do to protect
the environment.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING
For an endeavor like this to be successful we have to start form the base to lay our foundation, and our
base as a Nation and Civilization starts at the Household. Here we will see what measures we can do as a
Household and then work our way up to Communities and National level.
The first thing is educating our people of the need for sustainability.
For this I think our organization is the best machine to execute this task.
First let us talk about our House, because since a household is the foundation of our society, we should
start our efforts form there building up, thus laying a strong foundation to achieve our aim.
Here we will look at some of the technologies that can be incorporated into the household or home which
can reduce the requirement of Energy, Clean Water, and the amount of Waste coming out of a house
compound. Some or all of the technologies that is researched and propagated as part of the sustainable
initiative are actually what was already in use in olden times but became obsolete with the advent of new
lifestyle. However since the population before the advent of oil boom was fairly sustainable, when we try
to make ourselves sustainable in the current scenario, the practices followed then become very much
relevant and practical.
However we have to improve the old practices, incorporating new technologies and making is as much
advanced as possible to adapt it to our current lifestyle.
Now as people with the intention to bring about sustainability into our society the first thing that we need
to put in a scale of measurement to check how much sustainable we are. A measurement scale is
necessary because this is what will help us to see how far we are form total sustainability and how much
we need to go to achieve it. This will make our approach systematic and standardize the application of
what we are trying to do.
If we look at the Europeans, the reason why they are able to develop faster than others is because of this
systematic approach and standardization. We as Indians are very innovative people but our drawback is
that we are not able to utilize our innovation in an effective manner. We are not able to replicate our
innovation systematically and keep reinventing the wheel rather than sharing the knowledge. The
Europeans come here to study management models implemented here (Dhabawalas of Bombay, are
supposed to have a management structure which has almost zero error which even the most advance
management models are not able to achieve of the same number of operations), but it was the western
business schools who came here to conduct the study of their operations and they systematically recorded
their business model. We have to innovate to be able to replicate our models in a similar manner for our
needs.
Coming back to sustainability, so we have to set up standards for measuring sustainability in our society,
for homes, buildings, cities, agriculture & industries- LEED is such a measurement tool used in United
States, other countries too have such measurement tools, BREEAM for UK, CASBEE for Japan, and also
we have a version of LEED, LEED India applied in India. This is to just give an introduction to what is
happening in other parts of the world.
The Different levels of Sustainability are
Sustainable Home- Incorporate features sustainable features in the house
Zero-energy building- Produces energy equal to that which it consumes
Energy-plus-house (living building) Produces more energy than it consumes over the course of a
year, i.e. it is like a tree.
The ultimate case that of a living building is like a tree as it gives out energy rather than using
energy, and may be give out food, thus will become an asset to society rather than a liability,
An interesting thing about sustainable process are that they are cyclic rather than linear, example our
seasons, from which we get rains, sun cycling between day and night and between seasons.
SUSTAINABLE HOMES
Our Approach with this is to design our homes and incorporate into our home technologies that will,
Reduce our energy consumption by adopting technologies that will reduce the amount of Electricity and
energy consumed. Generate energy and electricity where possible form within the compound of our house
such as solar wind etc. Reduce the amount of clean water used, by reusing completely the dirty water that
we generated such as treating and reusing it for watering plants etc. Try to treat our water within our
house itself, and try to convert it into fuel / manure. Try to grow at least a portion of our food by recycling
our waste water and food waste. Try to use sustainable materials for constructing our houses, rather than
materials which are mined causing ecological damage to our forests and water sources.
So now let us go into the household level and see some technologies that can be incorporated into our
lives. Also here I would like to bring together a practical consideration, if we are going to ask people to
for too much of their time & effort / if we ask people to make a big change in their lifestyle and part with
the comforts they enjoy now -they will in all probability resist and what we try would not be taken very
seriously. Hence the approach is to introduce systems which will operate without any disturbance to the
current life style of the people, and would not require people to forgo their comforts, rather make it more
enjoyable and comfortable for them. At the same time it will give them some added benefits encouraging
them to become sustainable.
Also the feasibility of the technologies and the adaptability depends a lot on the climatic factor and here
in gods own country we are blessed with the best climate to make ourselves sustainable.
Sustainable Homes, Comfort Control
One of the primary sources of Electricity consumption by homes is for comfort control, i.e. for Healing of
the homes in cold areas and cooling the space is hot climates. For us the latter that is cooling during the
hot climate is the major issue. Nowadays the number of air conditioners in homes is increasing and for
houses with Air conditioners the electricity consumption is considerably higher many times more that the
other houses.
The idea is to reduce our electricity consumption for houses for cooling but still be able to cool the
building. What you see here is a low energy method of cooling. The maximum energy consumption
occurs at the compressor of the A/C and the approach here is to use a low energy consuming alternate for
cooling. Normally the temperature several feet below the ground will be cooler than at the surface. In this
design a coil of pipe is installed below the earth where the temperature is very low, and a coolant is
passed through the coil. The coolant cools to a low temperature when passing through the coil below the
earth and when it comes out is of low temperature. Now this low temperature coolant is passed through
the Fan coil Unit of the AC and it cools the Air, Thus we replace a High energy consuming compressor
with a low energy pump. Now instead of burying the coil in Earth we can also submerge it in a pond if
available/ may be the well.
Sustainable Homes, Renewable Energy,
If we take the area within the compound of our house we have a certain amount of energy that can be
harnessed directly from the Nature, and these include energy form the sun falling on these area and the
wind power. However the wind power will not be as high as in the commercially harnessed areas. But if
our building structure is high enough we can install small wind turbines which can operate in the limited
wind available in our locality. Similarly solar panels are another field where we have an opportunity to
harness energy.
But the issue with this renewable energy available within our compound is the intermittent nature. The
electricity may be produced in periods when we are least using it such as solar electricity is produced in
day time while we may be using the energy at night. So is the case with wind power. Hence we will need
to install costly energy storing equipment such as batteries to store the energy. Also if our production is
higher the cost if batteries also goes up.
However this can be solved if the government policy allows us to link our electricity generation with the
public grid thus allowing us to pool the energy in the grid. This will eliminate the need to have energy
storage facility at our house but government policy such as Double Metering and Net-metering is needed
to provide this possibility and make such initiatives viable. Thus the government policy and support is
necessary to promote the sustainability initiatives.
There are means to harness the solar and wind energy without having to convert it to electricity. Examples
of such applications are solar water heater and solar cookers. However the ease of use of these
equipments is the primary disadvantage.
Sustainable Homes, Water use
The next most important resource considered is water. We are abundant in water but this is not the case in
most places. Hence water is a very important resource we need to conserve as we have seen. The first
thing to do is to reduce the use of clean water. Nowadays people are using potable clean water for
activities such as watering of plants which does not require clean water. Here we introduce some
technologies for this purpose, to utilize water more efficiently.
Household uses clean water for many purposes, such as cooking, cleaning washing, bathing, Toilets/
Closets, car washing, watering plants etc. the quality of water after using for each activity is different. The
waste water from different activity is therefore classified in two categories, Grey Water and Black Water.
Grey water is water form activities like washing clothes, washbasins, showers, etc. and contains only soap
and minimum waste. If this water can be easily reused with minimum cleaning for purposes such car
washing/ watering plants. The water form kitchen can also be recycled if we dont use heavy chemicals in
kitchen and too much oil is drained out.
The Option for treating grey water is to use a of the shelf treatment system which consist of a filter to
clean out the soapy water. If the intention is to use the water only for watering plants the grey water can
be treated naturally using something called as a wetland construction. Wetland is nothing but a
construction with certain plants grass growing in it. Then the water is filtered out of the wetland this water
is then reusable for garden watering. However it is not recommended to send the water without any
treatment to the plants.
We already have black water treatment facilities and these include, our septic tank if we eliminate the
grey water flowing into the septic tank we will greatly eliminate the need for the large septic tanks or the
septic tank getting filled fast. Also we will reduce the need for water for watering plants. Automatic
irrigation systems can also be used to eliminate the maintenance effort needed form the occupants
Sustainable Homes, Waste
In a Home waste is always generated, especially food and organic waste. This organic waste has lot of
potential, and if not handled properly will be a hazard to the occupants and to the community. In our case
this has already become a hazard and hence the government is taking initiatives to cover it. We will
review on the technologies to use the waste.
There are two ways to treat the organic waste- convert it into manure for the gardens, convert it into gas
and manure. For this we need to have standard small scale units that are usable for the individual homes.
The waste is converted into organic manure that can be then applied to gardens.
Sustainable Homes, Gardens
Maintaining a vegetable patch will go a long way in making full utilization of the waste water systems
and waste processing systems, and will use the treated waste water and waste to generate food. Gardens
can be installed as Roof Gardens, Vegetable Patch or if sufficient space is available as Forest Gardens.
Sustainable Homes, Integration
The Water treatment systems, Waste processing systems, and the Gardens, Roof Vegetable Gardens /
Vegetable patches etc, can be integrated into a complete eco-cycle. This cycle is shown in this slide. Here
the waste water is treated into water for irrigating the Vegetables and Food waste is treated into manure
for the vegetable patch, form this we receive vegetables for the household consumption thus forming a
complete cycle.
However an important thing to note with all the system is the lifestyle of the occupants. In our current
system all the occupants are having a busy lifestyle however there will be a limited number of people who
would not like to have these systems in their homes. However if we ask the people to spend a lot of time
tending to these systems, it will in all probability will discourage them from taking up the initiatives.
Hence the importance for these systems to be standalone, i.e. we have to automate these system as much
as possible to eliminate the need of daily attendance by the occupants. This will make our system a much
more appealing one and help in adopting sustainability.
Hence Integration should introduce Automatic irrigation systems to maintain the system.
Sustainable Homes, Aquaponics
Here we introduce a fairly standalone unit that can provide food for the occupants without consuming
much water or needing maintenance. However, the capital cost may be high, and energy input is
necessary, however if this can be linked with the renewable energy production sources, we can have
standalone unit. These units will be useful for homes with limited space available around it.
Aquaponics system runs in a closed cycle, and produces both fish and vegetables as food. The word
Aquaponics is a combination of Aquaculture, cultivating fish and Hydroponics, cultivating plants in water
without the need for soil. Fish produces Ammonia as waste, and the primary nutrient required by plants is
Nitrogen, which can be applied in the form of Nitrates.
In an Aquaponics system, we have three organisms, Fish, Plants (vegetable) & bacterial growing inside
the system and in roots of plants. The fish produces Ammonia, which will accumulate in the water in fish
tank. If the ammonia concentration in the water in fish tank increases it is toxic to the fish and the fish can
die. The water in the fish tank is circulated continuously through the roots of the plants within is held by a
medium such as gravel. Now throughout the circulating system, plant medium and roots of the plant there
is a bacteria growing. This bacteria will breakdown or convert the Ammonia into nitrate compounds,
which will then be easily absorbed by the plants meeting its nutrient needs. The water is then oxygenated
and returned to the fish.
The only input to the system is in the form of fish feed and we get both vegetables and Fish for use as
food and it is both fresh and without any pesticide use.
Active research on Aquaponics system is being undertaken at Agricultural Research center at Nandiyode.
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
We have seen some of the technologies that can be incorporated as part of sustainability, and initiatives
that can be undertaken in this regard. We now look at initiatives that can be undertaken on a community/
village scale. Most of the items mentioned in or considered with the household scale can be scaled up to
the level of a village or community scale. Also in order to make several of these projects in the home
scale feasible and economically viable a community level support infrastructure is necessary.
The best support that can be lent to the individual scale is to support the home scale renewable energy
projects, the drawback of installing home scale solar panel and wind turbines is that the output from these
sources are not consistent. These inconsistencies can be addressed by proper policies at a community or
village level. These include, a micro grid concept and community scale energy storage systems. The
public Electricity infrastructure should be upgraded and Integrated with the home energy projects. Also at
the village and ward level energy storage systems can be installed and separate metering and rating
systems can be maintained.
On the community scale larger Renewable energy projects can be undertaken which can then directly be
fed to the grid and used by the community as a whole. Similarly the initiatives undertaken at the
community scale can be protection of water sources, ground water sources, and local streams. Normally
water flowing into the local streams is not treated and the streams remain polluted or without water.
Hence treatment of water entering streams should be undertaken. This can be executed by undertaking
construction of wetlands along the banks of the streams so that water from the urban areas entering the
stream is treated naturally.
Similarly Waste originating in the community scale form community markets, hotels etc can be treated by
installing community scale biogas processing plants or waste treatment systems. A community scale
biogas system can be used to generate electricity.
The waste processed into manure and also treated water can be consumed by community scale gardens. In
Europe the concept of community gardening is widespread. Here government land or privately leased
land is allotted to individuals or more often to garden clubs formed by a group of individuals. These clubs
or individuals then cultivate the plot with vegetables, or fruits. But in allotment gardens commercial scale
cultivation is not allowed and people cultivate for own consumption. Hence starting of such green clubs
will be a strong initiative to bring the people in the community together and educate them about the need
for sustainability at the same time improving their life and making it more active and healthy.
In order to make this successful, a government level initiative is necessary, especially the local self
government level, and support from the federal system
Also the initiatives can encourage people to come together and share resources, encourage cycling and
similar options.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES
Sustainable cities scale similar initiative to city scale. Such as waste treatment and sewage treatment
plants to clean water. However the focus of City level sustainable administration is to provide policy and
infrastructural support for the sustainability initiatives undertaken at the Village/ Ward and home level.
The infrastructural support shall be like support the Renewable initiatives by taking up large scale energy
storage facilities. Allow the city level grid to make smart utilization of energy produced by the homes and
wards for use by offices and commercial establishment and requiring less energy to be purchased from
external sources.
Other initiatives shall include maintaining green spaces, agricultural plots within the city to reduce
pollution, undertaking greening of the city.
In the travel front it is the city administration which can bring out the maximum initiatives. These would
be developing infrastructural facilities for public transportation, Metros, Trams, Monorail & giving
concessions for Green vehicles, such as Electric Cars and Hydrogen vehicles. Also the government should
initiate policies to encourage carpooling, to reduce traffic and encourage cycling and pedestrianization for
its citizens.
Sustainability Initiatives
At the national level large scale sustainability initiatives need to be undertaken. Also Large scale research
to develop sustainable technologies which can be implemented at community and home level can be
undertaken by national governments. The National government shall also be instrumental in making
sound policies to encourage sustainability, Developing Large Scale Renewable Energy Projects,
Improving connectivity between regions using Railways/ Water ways or similar sustainable method
transportation systems and so on.

Sustainability Measurement
As discussed earlier measuring sustainability is necessary to implement sustainability, and we should
have a proper scale of measurement to measure sustainability and determine our progress in this regard.
Sustainability Benefits
Globalization is seen by some as a coming back of imperialism while some view it as something which is
empowering people. By achieving sustainability we will be empowering ourselves to be free from any
imperialist tendency of globalization and corporatization. Being able to meet our basic needs of food,
transportation, water and home in a self sufficient and sustainable manner our dependence on global
corporate organization for our food, water and transport needs will be reduced and eliminated and we will
be free from the influence of these. In our current system a war in the Middle East will increase our
inflation,- shoot up the prices of essential commodities (food), increase the cost of our transportation and
make our lives even more unaffordable. Also decisions taken by Oil barons and Oil corporate executives
drastically affect our life and we really have no control over it, all we do now is protest over their
decisions and sometimes they may yield to reverse it. However the fact remains that we are at their
mercy, or at the mercy of those political powers that control them.
A permanent means of achieving freedom from the clutches of these corporations and Imperial powers to
become sustainable, once we become self sufficient in our basic necessities we will no more be under the
influence of these foreign powers and Gandhijis Dream Poorna Swaraj will be fulfilled in a peaceful
manner and we will be really free. Our future generations will then be able to build on the foundations
that we lay and improve their lives in a sustainable manner.
SUSTAINABLE EQUATES TO SURVIVABILITY
Several of our movies depict an apocalypse and where we have anarchy with all resources depleted and
the human race moving toward extinction. Sure with the end of the resources those communities who fail
to be sustainable will surely perish.
But as humans with the ability to innovate and adapt will surely adapt to be sustainable and is not going
to perish. However those communities who will wake up to the reality earlier will be able to do this easily
and without much effort and hardships or tragedies and those which will fail to adapt early will have to do
it the hard way. So it is our choice to decide which path to take.
Here is some of the bright future that some people have conceptualized where we will be. I hope we will
make the future for our generations to come a brighter one, and we will have a sustainable India. LET US
START THE MOVEMENT FOR THIS NOW.