Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 62

(electric or fossil fuel) for sugar, textile, automobile, chemical and other industries is colossal and so are the billowing poisonous fumes and gushing toxic effluents from mushrooming fast industrial growth.
E. Cook in 1975 gave elaborate calculations about growth of daily energy consumption per capita in K Cals-' day' from Paleolithic to present era. The Paleolithic man 106 years ago needed only 2000 units of energy for his requirements then and that was food only. In middle Paleolithic era 10% year ago the need doubled to 4000 units because of requirements for other domestic purposes, building shelter etc. In early Neolithic period 104 years ago the energy requirement increased to 12000 units with break up of 4000 for food, 4000 for domestic needs and 4000 for agriculture and cottage industry. By end of middle ages about 600 years ago the energy need was 26000 units (6000 for food, 12000 for domestic purposes, 8000 for agriculture and industry). The early industrial society 100 years ago consumed 77000 units (7000 for food, 32000 for domestic needs, 24000 for industry and agriculture and 14000 for transport). The energy consumption level of modern technological society in 1970 rose to 230000 Kcals- day' (10000 for food, 66000 for domestic consumption, 91000 for industry and agriculture and 63000 for transport). It may have by now crossed 300000 Kcals' day!.
Industrial emissions, effluents, wastes and their impacts:
Most of the energy needs are met by burning fossil fuel, the oil and coal. The thermal power stations are highly polluting and generally work on 40% efficiency. They need huge quantities of water and the heated water thrown back in water bodies damage the eco-system. Since the combustion of coal or oil is never complete, lot of harmful, gases the carbon-di-oxide, carbon-monooxide (a very toxic gas), sulphur-di-oxide, nitrogen oxide etc. damage the environment. The acid rains are result of sulphur-dioxide, reacting with water in atmosphere. Thermal power stations produce huge quantities of fly ash, the disposal of which is yet a
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