question_answer 10)

What are the environmental consequences of the increasing demand for energy? What steps would you suggest to reduce energy consumption?

Answer:

(i) Burning of fossil fuels to meet increasing demand for energy causes air-pollution. (ii) Construction of dams on rivers to generate hydroelectricity destroys large ecosystem- which get submerged under water in the dams. Further, large amounts of methane (which is a greenhouse gas) is produced when submerged vegetation rots under anaerobic conditions. In order to reduce energy consumption: (a) Fossil fuels should be used with care and caution to derive maximum benefit out of them. (b) Fuel saving devices such as pressure cookers etc. should be used.  (c) Efficiency of energy sources should be maintained by getting them regularly serviced. (d) And last of all, we should be economical in our energy consumption as energy saved is energy produced.