Small steps in fuel conservation can make a big change

-Faraz Rahman

Before we start, why precisely, do we need to conserve fuel? It is because of

the simple physical law of conservation of energy. There are many kinds of
energy, but fuel is the only source of energy we can harness. And theyre
limited in quantity. To elucidate, suppose, we take 100 ml of water which has
a temperature of 348 K (75 C) and leave it in a room where the temperature
is 298 K (25 C). Is there any way of collecting the total heat lost to the
environment and making the water hot once it has cooled down?
Unfortunately, the second law of thermodynamics says no. As energy in
usable forms, is dissipated to the surroundings in less usable forms, hence
any source of energy we use, to do work, is consumed and cannot be used to
perform work again.

Certainly youre aware that most of the conventional sources of energy e.g.
petroleum are non-renewable, and requires eons to form. For most of human
history, wood was the most common source of thermal energy. Energy of
flowing water (hydro) and wind was also used for limited activities. The
development and exploitation of coal as a mass source of energy made the
industrial revolution possible. Industrialization increased the quality of life
and made globalization possible. Energy consumption being the buzzword in
developing economies, it also caused the global demand for energy to grow
at a tremendous rate. This yearning was satisfied by fossil fuels. But, the thing
is, they will end up as just fossils if we continue using them at the current
rate. Our technological innovations were designed specifically for these
resources. Alternate sources were explored, but as to why we continue to use
fossil fuels for most of our energy requirements remains unknown to mankind
till date. Oil and gas dominate our lives, and their decline will change the
world in radical and unpredictable way (a Second great depression, maybe?).
As the scramble to control oil intensifies, you may have to bid your current
lifestyle goodbye.
What we really need to do is improve energy efficiency and develop in full
scale renewable and alternative energy using the one resource we have in
abundance our creativity. Consider solar energy; a nigh inexhaustible source
(estimated lifespan of the Sun: 4.6 billion years).The estimated time for fossil
fuel reserves to end is 60 years. Even finding a field the size of Gwahar in
Saudi Arabia, by far the worlds largest (said to have another 125 billion
barrels) would only meet the demand for 10 years. Unconventional sources
like tar sands and shale (crude alternatives) may only slow the production
decline. On the other hand, an everlasting source of energy is right above us.
Another major source is wind energy, clean and green. A very alternate and
unconventional source is nuclear energy, which according to the famous
equation E=mc^2, produces 10 million times the energy obtained from the
combustion of one atom of Carbon.

Prudent use of fuel can aid in conserving fuel. For close proximity fuel
consuming conveyance shouldnt be used. Rather, walking or cycling is
preferred. Carpooling (or using cab sharing platforms like Uber), besides
helping save a lot of fuel (and money), also helps in reducing traffic
congestion. Decreasing energy consumption at homes by steps like cutting
back on air-conditioning, turning off extra lights, sorting your recyclables and
developing a positive attitude towards larger, national interventions (like
implementing energy efficiency standards) can make a big difference. Share
of energy resources in India is 67.1% for fossil fuels and 30.8% for renewable
energy. Though per capita energy consumption in India (about 1075 kWh) is
the lowest among BRICS nations, we still need to meet global energy
consumption standards. Choosing vehicles which are a good mix of fuel
efficiency and performance can make a big difference in the long term. We
need to promote and adapt to newer and alternate energy resources. The
belief that environment oriented behavior is a sacrifice needs to change. Not
all of the potential solutions are futuristic, expensive or exotic. The right
combination of saving energy and investing in new forms will pay dividends
for the world.