Good Work Pays...

What's the advantage of using clean, environment-friendly fuel?

Yes, of course, you protect your environment by cutting down on harmful gas emissions.

However, that's too obvious to write something about. But, what if you get paid for using clean fuels such as solar energy?! That's what this is all about!

A Kyoto protocol mandate requires the member nations to reduce their emissions of 6 major greenhouse gases. The alternative to reducing their own emissions is to investigate and promote reductions by other developing nations.

Here is where the benefit is. The energy conserved by using, for instance, solar power and the resultant low (or no) CO2 emission is now quantified and are certified to be traded as Carbon Credits or Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

So if you are an institution that uses clean fuel, you can gain CERs and can trade it with an institution which is on a lookout for ways of complying with the protocol.

A Gujarat based firm, Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd., which has installed solar steam cooking systems, is about to enter into a emission reduction purchase agreement with the German Government for the sale of CERs worth 5.5K tonnes till 2012 for 12 euros a tonne.

Another German travel Agency, Atomsfair has introduced the concept of issuing carbon-neutral tickets to its travelers. The idea is that the CO2 emitted during the travel is compensated by supporting such environmental-friendly projects such as that of Gadhia.

It's good to know many religious institutions such as Thirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Sringeri Mutt etc actively use solar power for large volume cooking. A host of educational institutions is also engaged in this, for instance, Sathyabhama in Chennai.

But the question is, how good is it that a developed nation continues to emit all harmful gases, but promotes reduction in other countries?!

On a second thought, is it like looting a temple and then paying off a small portion of it as a donation for the temple renovation fund?!

OK, you can read more about this in 'The Hindu', dated 26 Dec 2005.

But it's nice to know that there are some allowances for doing a good work.

Not very sure if this will be my last post for this new year, if so, I guess it's nice to end this year's posts with something as good as CER initiatives.

Wish you all a great, pollution-free, healthy years ahead!!