Role of science and technology for sustainable future

Role of Science and Technology for Sustainable Future Dr.SS Verma, Dept. of Physics, SLIET, Longowal (Punjab)-148106

1. Sustainable Future  Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  A vision of a sustainable future is when citizens are concerned enough about the environment that they want to make a difference.  It will happen when diverse groups from industry, environment, schools, service clubs, business, governments & the public come together and work towards a common vision of sustainability for our communities - balancing the needs of human and natural systems.  No doubt, the sustainable use of science and technology can prove beneficial to achieve this mission.  We should protect environmental resources (air, water, soil) for their purity and social system (culture, values, ethics) for coming generations as we have received from our ancestors or better than that.

2. What we got from our ancestors?  Our ancestors, when able, passed on their wisdom about how to live in harmony with nature and with the society to the younger generations. They received some useful culture, skills, gods, myths, norms, and advice from their parents, added their own tweaks and adjustments from their own experience and the wisdom of the local elders, and passed them on to their children.  Today's pathway -whatever and whenever they were initiated, most of these reflect pattern of our life, custom etc.

3. What we got from our ancestors?  Therefore, they are our guidelines to lead our life with dignity and value culture (viz., honesty, dedication, sincerity, feeling of togetherness, patience, sharing) along with clean air, pure water, enough food for need and above all they told us to protect and live with nature.

4. Difference between past and present lifestyles  Although there is a definite difference between past and present lifestyles, the difference between these two concepts may differ according to income, access to modern facilities, equipment, education, and lifestyle making use of modern facilities and technological inventions.

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 The key difference between past and present lifestyles is that the past lifestyle can be described as a simple, traditional, home-based lifestyle with a selfsufficient economy and simple tools.  Present lifestyle, on the other hand, is complex, efficient, comfortable, and modern, highly technological, and is based on a profit maximizing production economy.  We can compare and contrast the Past and Present Lifestyles under many different areas such as attitudes, feelings of people, and thinking capacity of people, food habits, clothes, housing, transport, use of tools and machinery, education system, economy, etc. Just for a comparison: Past Lifestyle

Present Lifestyle

Attitudes and feelings were more peaceful and complex since they did not have any complex economic, social or political problems. People were intelligent despite the lack of technology.

Most of the technological innovations we use today are a result of their intelligence.

People in the present are more educated, open and free to express their opinions. The complexity of their lifestyles has made their feelings and attitudes more complicated. The thinking capacity of people has widened. Even a person with limited thinking capacity has the ability to improve it with education, access to books, magazines, and the internet Many people don’t have time for religion.

With the advancement of technology, people have begun to question about religious concepts.

People have turned the agriculture into a mass scale production including machinery, technology, chemicals, etc.

Industrial based economy Production of clothes has become more complex. Style, trend have become important factors.

There are equal education opportunities.

Technology has given more access to educational resources.

Complex machinery and tools are made of different metals and alloys. Many machines work using electricity With advancement in technology, transportation has become much wider and easier; there are a variety of vehicles to travel on land, air, and water.

Different materials are used to create houses of various structures and shapes in various places.

Religion was a major part of their lifestyles. It dictated their whole lives.

People were dependent on nature to gather food. Agriculture was simple and traditional.

Agricultural based economy People used simple clothes made out of natural products.

Not everyone had the opportunity to educate themselves.

People used tools made out of wood, rock or animal bones. Simple metals were also used later.

People used animals and simple vehicles like carts for transportation.

People lived in caves, simple huts made of mud, wood, and stones.

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5. Problems of present lifestyle Industrial Pollution (soil, water, land) Soil pollution Water Pollution

Types:  Acidification of the soil  Salinization of the soil  Agrochemical pollution  Industrial soil pollution  Urban soil pollution Causes:  Industrial Pollution  Deforestation  Needle-leaf a forestation  Poor irrigation practice  Urban activities  Solid waste  Burning fossil fuels Effects:  Poor crop output  Unstable chemical composition  Loss of ecosystem and biodiversity  Effect on Human health  Contamination of water sources

Types: Point and Non Point  Point refers to the pollutants that belong to a single source.  Non Point on the other hand means pollutants emitted from multiple sources Causes:  Industrial waste  Sewage and waste water  Mining activities  Marine dumping  Accidental Oil leakage  Burning of fossil fuels  Chemical fertilizers and pesticides  Leakage from sewer lines  Radioactive waste  Leakage from the landfills  Human &Animal waste  Underground storage leakage Effects: The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills organisms that depend on these water bodies.  Death of aquatic (water) animals  Disruption of food-chains  Diseases  Destruction of ecosystems 3

Air Pollution

Types: Primarily air pollutants are a direct result of the process and can be caused by primary sources or secondary sources (SO2).

Secondary pollutants are the ones that are caused by the inter mingling and reactions of primary pollutants (smog) Causes:  Burning of Fossil Fuels  Agricultural activities  Exhaust from factories and industries  Mining operations  Indoor air pollution  Effects:  Respiratory and heart problems  Global warming  Acid Rain  Depletion of Ozone layer  Eutrophication (affects aquatic life)  Effect on Wildlife

6. Industrial Pollution (some statics):  In India, coal is the bulk of primary energy contributor with 56.90% share equivalent to 411.9 Mtoe in 2016. India is the third top coal producer in 2013 with 7.6% production share of coal (including lignite) in the world.  About 70-75% of total power generated in India is produced by coal thermal power plants. At present, there are 151 coal/lignite based thermal power stations in India. About 300 million tones of coal (65% of annual coal produced in India) are being used by thermal power plants. The generation of fly ash in the country was about 40 million tones per annum during 1993-94 and the utilization at that time was just ~3% (~1million tones per year).  A World Health Organization study of 1,600 urban centers found India has 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities.

7. Deforestation (some statics):  Of the 14,000 sq km of forests cleared over the past three decades in India, the largest area was given to mining (4,947 sq km), followed by defence projects (1,549 sq km) and hydroelectric projects (1,351 sq km).  Over the last 30 years, forests nearly two-thirds the size of Haryana have been lost to encroachments (15,000 sq km) and 23,716 industrial projects (14,000 sq km).  Currently, up to 25,000 hectares of forests – 250 sq km, or more than twice Chandigarh’s area – are handed over every year for “non-forestry activities”, including defense projects, dams, mining, power plants, industries and roads.  Of 14,000 sq km of forests cleared since 1980, 6,770 sq km were planted anew, or afforested.  India’s forests now cover 701,673 sq km, or 21.34% of the country, compared to 640,819 sq km 29 years ago 8. Use of Inorganic fertilizers (some statics):  There is no scientific evidence of declining soil/ corp productivity from judicious use of chemical fertilizers. However, indiscriminate and imbalanced use of fertilizers coupled with low addition of organic matter over the years may result in nutrient deficiencies. There is also the possibility of contamination of ground water due to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers, particularly in light textured soils, that has consequence on human health if used for drinking purpose.  Government is recommending soil test based balanced and integrated nutrient management through conjunctive use of both inorganic and organic sources of plant nutrients to reduce the negative impact of chemical fertilizers.

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 The sales i.e. total quantum of all chemical fertilizers( like Urea, DAP, MOP and NPK) used for agricultural purposes (figures in lakh metric tones-LMT )  The sales i.e. total quantum of all chemical fertilizers( like Urea, DAP, MOP and NPK) used for agricultural purposes (figures in lakh metric tones-LMT ) 9. Use of Inorganic fertilizers (some statics):  42% of India’s districts use 85% of its chemical fertilizers.  from the beginning of the green revolution, the committee observed that decadal growth rate of agriculture has significantly decreased, from 8.37 per cent in 1960-70 to 2.61 per cent during 2000-2010.  The current growth rate will be unable to feed the country’s population by 2025.  The situation is grimmer in major agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana  The crop-wise usage pattern of fertilisers is highly uneven. They are used most in potato, sugarcane, cotton, wheat and paddy. Fertiliser use in some crops is more than double the requirement.  India’s uses more fertilizer (kg/ hectare) than the US. 10.Solid waste (some statics):  Annually, Asia alone generates 4.4 billion tones of solid wastes and Municipal Solid Waste comprise 790 million tones (MT) of which about 48 ( 6%) MT are generated in India .  India generates 1,00,000 metric tonnes of waste per day.  Large metropolis such as Mumbai and Delhi generate around 9,000 metric tonnes and 8,300 metric tonnes of waste per day, respectively.  Waste generation rate in Indian cities ranges between 200 - 870 grams/day, depending upon the region's lifestyle and the size of the city.  About 19 billion tones of solid wastes are expected to be generated annually by the year 2025  The per capita waste generation is increasing by about 1.3% per year in India 11.Burning fossil fuels (some statics):  The primary energy consumption in India is the third biggest after China and USA with 5.5% global share in 2016.  About 70% of India's electricity generation capacity is from fossil fuels.  Fossil-fuel emissions in India continue to result largely from coal burning with India being the world's third largest producer of coal.  Coal contributed 87% of the emissions in 1950 and 71% in 2008; at the same time, the oil fraction increased from 11% to 20%.

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 India’s carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by 5.2% while China’s decreased by 0.7% in 2015.  In 2013, India's net imports are nearly 144.3 million tons of crude oil, 16 Mtoe of LNG and 95 Mtoe coal totalling to 255.3 Mtoe of primary energy which is equal to 42.9% of total primary energy consumption.

12.Water pollution facts (some statics):  Fourteen billion pounds of garbage, which is mostly plastic, is dumped into the ocean every year.  The Ganges River in India is one the most polluted rivers in the world with sewage, trash, food, and animal remains.  About 700 million people globally drink contaminated water.  Aquatic animals face an extinction rate of five times more than that of terrestrial animals.  Over 30 billion tons of urban sewage is discharged into lakes, rivers and oceans every year.  According to UNICEF, more than 3,000 children die every day all over the world due to consumption of contaminated drinking water.  Water pollution is one of the biggest killers in the world, affecting over 100 million people.  Lack of proper sanitation in water leads to diseases like cholera, malaria and diarrhea.

13.Traffic jams and pollution (some statics):  A criminal wastage of time, resources  India loses billions of rupees to traffic jams. Rs. 60, 000 crores can be lost every year, including fuel was  India’s Silicon Valley (Bangalore) losing 600 million working hours a year to congestion, costing it 37 billion rupees (over $500 million) each year in lost earnings  Almost half of all drivers spend more than 12 hours a week stuck in their car  Snarling traffic jams can leave cars crawling at under 5 kilometers an hour — making it almost faster to walk than drive  Traffic congestion has also led to an increase in the number of accidents on the roads  Assuming that you are in a jam six times in a week, you spend Rs.108 more than you would otherwise  In May 2015, Delhi witnessed a traffic jam on National Highway 8 that spread over 20km and lasted for more than 4 hours 6

14.Garbage dumps (some statics):  India is on its way to becoming the largest producer of rubbish in all the world  Every Indian generating 1.01 pounds a day in 1999, which is more toxic and less biodegradable, containing as it does more plastic and electronic waste.  The Energy and Resources Institute estimated that waste generation in the cities of India will increase five-fold by 2047.  India’s urban population of 429 million citizens produce a whopping 62 million tonnes of garbage every year. Out of this, 5.6 million tonnes is the plastic waste, 0.17 million tonnes is the biomedical waste, 7.90 million tonnes is hazardous waste and 15 lakh tonnes is e-waste.  A staggering figure of forty-three million tonnes of Solid Waste is collected annually, out of which only 11.9 million, that is 22-28% is treated, while about 31 million tonnes of waste is left untreated and dumped at the landfill sites.  Researchers say India pumps around 0.6 tonnes of plastic waste into the oceans annually.

15.Air pollution (some statics):  The 2016 Environmental Performance Index ranked India 141 out of 180 countries  Delhi has earned the unenviable distinction of becoming the most polluted city on Earth  pollution surged so high that some monitoring stations reported an Air Quality Index of 999, way above the upper limit of the worst category  United Airlines canceled its flights to India’s capital because of poor air quality  Visibility was so bad that cars crashed in pileups on highways and trains had to be delayed and canceled  The airborne particles and toxic chemicals that make up the smog have choked the 19 million residents of the metropolitan area  The severity of air pollution is so much that life expectancy among Indians on an average reduces by 3.4 years while among the residents of Delhi it reduces by almost 6.3 years  According to the 2016 EPI, more than 3.5 billion people – half of the world’s population – are exposed to unsafe air quality which also includes 75% of India’s population  Air pollution is linked to diseases and infections that kill around 600,000 children under five years of age per year  A study even shows that about 2.2 million school children in Delhi are growing up with irreversible lung damage which they will never recover 7

 The number of premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution is projected to increase from three million people globally in 2010 to a global total of six to nine million people in 2060  The number of cases of bronchitis is projected to increase substantially, going from 12 to 36 million new cases per year for children aged six to twelve and from 3.5 to 10 million cases for adults  Total welfare losses due to air pollution in India amounted to more than $500 billion (8.5% of country’s GDP) in the year 2013 (381% increase from 1990) 16.Food adulteration (some statics):  Food adulteration has been greatly increased during last couple of years.  Along with basic food grains like rice and wheat, and spices like ‘chillies’, ‘black pepper’, ‘turmeric’ etc. packaged water and bottled soft drinks are also in the area of adulteration.  Government officials tested various foods in their laboratory over the past 5 years indicated that ‘milk’, ‘ghee’, ‘edible oils’, ‘pulses’, ‘mineral water’ etc. were being adulterated creating worry among common people as well as health officials.  Milk, generally known as one of the major nourishments of the human body, but in reality, milk is being adulterated with ‘urea’, ‘detergent’ etc. crossing the permissible limit – which is 700 particles per million.  Rice is being adulterated with small ‘grains of stones’ to increase the overall weight per kilogram by unscrupulous retailers.  mustard oil is adulterated with crude ‘rice bran’ oil  A food sample report says that Punjab is in the top position regarding food sample failure in India. The sample failure rate in Punjab was 22% in the year 2011, and the statistics reached 44% in 2015.  Quantity of failed samples of ghee, ice cream was 23% in the year 2011, which increased to 45% this year.  Items like ‘supari’, ‘pan masala’ and ‘gutkha’ had an abnormal state of ‘adulteration’ as 66% tests failed in 2012 and 23% in April 2015.  Local packaged water was being ‘miss-branded’ in huge number of cases after removing of bacteria and projected as ‘mineral water’ with no required ISI or BIS authentication.  Almost all food items are adulterated with materials which are not only cheat in terms weight, cost but are harmful for health and are also carcinogenic

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17.Electronics (some statics):  The global quantity of e-waste is expected to touch 49.8 million tonnes by 2018 from the current level of 47.8 million tonnes  The top three Asian countries with the highest e-waste generation in absolute quantities are China (6 million tonnes), Japan (2.2 million tonnes) and India (1.7 million tonnes)  India is emerging as one of the world's major electronic waste generators, posing grave concerns to public health and environment alike.  India fifth largest producer of e-waste  India’s e-waste growing at 30% annually  India discards roughly 18.5 lakh tones of electronic waste each year  computer equipment accounts for almost 70% of e-waste material, followed by telecommunication equipment (12%), electrical equipment (8%) and medical equipment (7%). Other equipment, including household e-crap account for the remaining 4%.  India has surely emerged as the second largest mobile market with 1.03 billion subscribers  With more than 100 crore mobile phones in circulation, nearly 25 per cent end up in e-waste annually  India’s ‘production’ of e-waste is likely to increase by nearly three times, from the existing 18 lakh metric tons (MT) to 52 lakh MT) per annum by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 30%.  A mere 1.5% of India's total e-waste gets recycled due to poor infrastructure, legislation and framework which leads to a waste of diminishing natural resources, irreparable damage of environment and health of the people working in industry.  Over 95% of e-waste generated is managed by the unorganised sector and scrap dealers in this market, dismantle the disposed products instead of recycling it.  About 80 per cent of e-waste workers in India suffer from respiratory ailments  In India, about 4-5 lakh child labourers in the age group of 10-15 years are observed to be engaged in various e-waste activities, without adequate protection and safeguards in various yards and recycling workshops 18.Social changes (Unemployment, disease, crime, hunger) (some statics):  Social changes which have been increasing in intensity or coverage throughout the 20th century particularly after Independence, constitute the disturbing features of the present Indian society and have generally turned out to be serious problems.

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 Such features are increasing (now explosive) population, increasing disorganization at all levels, crass materialism coupled with religiosity but without morality, increase in sophisticated crimes and socio-economic crimes, etc.

Crimes  Crimes against women up 83%, but conviction rate hits 10-year low  As many as 39 crimes against women were reported every hour in India, up from 21 in 2007, according to Crime in India 2016 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)  A total of 48,31,515 cognizable crimes comprising 29,75,711 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 18,55,804 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were reported in 2016, showing an increase of 2.6% over 2015 (47,10,676 cases).  Delhi UT reported the highest crime rate (974.9) under IPC crimes followed

by Kerala (727.6) against national average of 233.6.  A total of 8,97,171 cases of offences affecting the human body were reported which accounted for 30.1% of total IPC crimes during 2016, out of which causing simple & grievous injuries due to rash driving (3,48,914 cases) accounted for maximum cases i.e. 38.9% followed by cases of causing death by negligence (1,40,215 cases) and grievous hurt (89,039 cases) accounting for 15.6% and 9.9% respectively  A total of 30,450 cases of murder were reported during 2016, showing a decline of 5.2% over 2015 (32,127 cases).  Personal vendetta or enmity (5,179 cases) was the motive in highest number of murder cases followed by property dispute (3,424 cases) and gain (2,270 cases).  A total of 88,008 cases of kidnapping & abduction were reported during 2016, showing an increase of 6.0% over 2015 (82,999 cases).  A total of 72,829 cases of offences against public tranquillity were registered under various sections of IPC during 2016, out of which rioting cases accounted for 85.1% of total such cases.  Majority of cases under crimes against women were reported under ‘Cruelty

by Husband or His Relatives’ (32.6%) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (25.0%), ‘Kidnaping & Abduction of Women’ (19.0%) and ‘Rape’ (11.5%).  In percentage terms, major crime heads under ‘Crime Against Children’ during 2016 were kidnapping & abduction (52.3%) and cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (34.4%) including child rape.

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 A total of 44,171 juveniles were apprehended in 35,849 cases, out of which 41,826 juveniles were apprehended under cases of IPC and 2,345 juveniles were apprehended under cases of SLL during 2016.

Unemployment  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) sees India's unemployment rate rising to 3.5% in 2018  According to ILO's latest report, the number of jobless in the country will increase to 18.6 million in 2018 and 18.9 million in 2019, against 18.3 million in 2017 Hunger (Key facts about hunger in India)  India home to 23.4% of world’s hungry, 51% women are anemic: UN report  India is home to the largest undernourished population in the world  14.5% of our population is undernourished  190.7million people go hungry everyday  21.0% of children under 5 are underweight  38.4% of children under 5 years of age are stunted  1 in 4 children malnourished  3,000 children in India die every day from poor diet related illness  24% of under-five deaths in India  30% of neo-natal deaths in India Diseases  Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death In India for more than two decades fuelled by unhealthy diets leading to high blood pressure and the buildup up blood fats (plaque) inside the walls of the arteries, inactivity, obesity and smoking.  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including pulmonary hypertension, occupational lung disease, and interstitial lung disease, cause irreversible damage the airways and other lung structures to lower breathing capacity are on rise.  India accounts for 2.8 million of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases globally, according to the World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2016.  Diarrhoeal diseases are one of the biggest causes of under-5 deaths, killing between 800,000 and one million children, hospitalizing 900,000 and causing 327,000 visits to clinics each year 19.What we are leaving to our successors?  From the above mention statics in few of the segments towards sustainable future, we can understand that what we are going to leave to our successors.

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 Are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and an ailing environment?”  Our natural resources are not only precious, they are invaluable. Man has been so much engrossed in his progress and prosperity; he does not have time to see the irreparable damage that he is doing to the health of planet earth.  We will be called highly selfish generation, if we don't preserve the natural resources and our culture for the future generations.

20.What we need to give to young generations?  A world where the predominant environmental, social and economic ethos based on a deep regard and consideration for one another and for all life on earth.  The young people of today will be able to enjoy our rivers and our wilderness in the same way that we have and that, decades from now, they'll still be able to say that these natural features contribute greatly to the quality of life.  It is our responsibility to bequeath a healthy and prosperous planet.  There is plenty on Mother Earth to fulfill every ones need but not greed.  We must follow the principles of sustainable development.  Let's take care of our planet and use the natural resources wisely and economically.  Let's stop exploiting the Mother Nature in the excuse of development or progress.  The essence of all the efforts towards sustainability or sustainable development is to reduce and lessen the wasteful consumption and inevitable impacts that led to the demise of great generations and summoned the present and future generations.  21.Role of Science and Technology

Science & technology  Development  Comfort + productivity  Sustainability in question?

22.Role of Science and Technology towards sustainable future  The last decade has witnessed the emergence of an array of increasingly vibrant movements to harness science and technology (S&T) in the quest for a transition toward sustainability.  Focusing on the dynamic interactions between nature and society, with equal attention to how social change shapes the environment and how environmental change shapes society.

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 Creating knowledge and understanding through science equips us to find solutions to today’s acute economic, social and environmental challenges and to achieving sustainable development and greener societies.  Not only is technological innovation booming, but it is rapidly shifting towards sustainable solutions.  Most promising technologies have a clear environmental and social focus, such as  energy-efficient water purification  enhanced nutrition to drive health at the molecular level  carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion  precise drug delivery through nanoscale engineering  organic electronics and photovoltaics 23.Air Pollution solutions  Use public mode of transportation, de-congestion, fly-overs, metros, high-speed trains, wide road network, use of unleaded petrol, taking off old vehicles from road, using cycles, car free days (odd even formula), walking for small distances  Understand the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle  Emphasis on clean and renewable energy resources (wind and solar energy)  Conserve energy (use energy efficient devices e.g., CFL & LED), smart lighting controls  Using clean technologies (electrostatic precipitators, filters, cleaners, renewable energy, green construction, green R&D, smart grid and energy efficiency)  Reducing the use of green house gases and ozone depleting hydroflorocarbons (HFCs) 24.Waste management  Government at national at state levels have taken many initiatives towards waste management  Dispose it according to its classification in a dust bin  Let the polluter pay  Implementation of waste treatment technologies  Solidification/stabilization and incineration to treat hazardous wastes generated by various industrial units  Proper landfills for waste disposal  Using waste as a resource (as co-fuel or co-raw material in manufacturing processes) 13

 Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF)  Development of smart cities where Civic bodies have to redraw long term vision in solid waste management and rework their strategies as per changing lifestyles. T  There is no spare land for dumping garbage, the existing ones are in a critical state  Precaution is better than cure (Reduce the wastage) 25.Electronic Devices  inventory management  production-process modification  volume reduction  recovery and reuse  Going for sustainable product design (use of biodegradable materials)  Utilize technology sharing  Options for upgrading electronic items to the latest versions rather than buying new equipments 26.Surveillance  Surveillance technologies has also been introduced such as internet surveillance, CCTV surveillance, telephone and e-mail  Closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras serve many functions and are used in both public and private settings.  The prevention of personal and property crime is among the primary objectives in public space.  Use is increasing day by day  For instance, Delhi has about 1,79,000 CCTV cameras installed around the city, out of which 4,000 have been placed by the Delhi government, and the rest by private agencies.  Mumbai—in the first phase has already installed 1,381 cameras at 434 locations and manages through a Command and Control Centre.  Petty crimes like snatchings have been brought down by 50% in areas like Chandni Chowk since 2014  Patna will soon boast of a smart surveillance system under which at least 200 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed in the city to ensure better law and order

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27.Transportation  Commercial traffic clogs city streets, contributes to pollution, and drives up the cost of doing business  By improving fuel economy we can get the same mileage while generating fewer emissions. Something that is achieved by making engines more efficient, vehicles lighter and bodies more aerodynamic.  The cheapest and simplest way to lower the carbon intensity of a passenger kilometer is to stick more people in the vehicle.  Biofuels electrification is the most important pathway to low carbon transport.  Electric cars using low carbon power have footprints less than half that of the best hybrid  There are lots of interesting innovations occurring in the electrification of rail, motorbikes, scooters and bikes.  When it comes to carbon emissions bicycles are pretty cutting edge 28.Agriculture  The goal of sustainable agriculture is to meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Going for organic farming  Improving agriculture practices and seeds  Practitioners of sustainable agriculture seek to integrate three main objectives into their work: a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. Every person involved in the food system—growers, food processors, distributors, retailers, consumers, and waste managers—can play a role in ensuring a sustainable agricultural system.  Growers may use methods to promote soil health, minimize water use, and lower pollution levels on the farm.  Consumers and retailers concerned with sustainability can look for “valuesbased” foods that are grown using methods promoting farm worker wellbeing, that are environmentally friendly, or that strengthen the local economy.  Both conventional and newer technologies, in particular related to biotechnology, information and precision farming techniques, are global businesses 29.Water management  Finding a balance between what is needed by humans and what is needed in the environment is an important step in the sustainability of water resources.

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 To avoid a global water crisis, farmers will have to strive to increase productivity to meet growing demands for food, while industry and cities find ways to use water more efficiently  Conserve water at every use  Managing water use by people , industries and agriculture  To stop the wastage of water and polluting water resources  Using sprinkle irrigation schemes  Water cleanliness from sea water  Use of water sheds and rain water harvesting  Using natural climate cycle for crop sowing without much dependence on ground water  Towards sustainable future What should be done?

30.Scientifically & Technologically  Popularize Science and Technology to strengthen Scientific temper among the masses  Leading towards knowledge and innovation  Leveraging scientific knowledge in the management of the environment and natural resources  Fostering policies and capacity-building in science, technology and innovation (STI)  Contributing to disaster preparedness and mitigation  Building capacities in the basic sciences and engineering for the use of renewable energy  Technological devices should be used judiciously without their overuse and misuse 31.What I can do?  Sustainability may sound something that requires a complex approach and strategy from “the above“, however, an individual is not as helpless as it may seem at a first glance  Every individual counts in the transition to better sustainability and reduction of resource consumption  Individuals are now the only hopes to save the environment and maintain the sustain development and make the earth best place for future generation  So called small steps taken care every day individually will make a big contribution towards sustainable future 16

 If there are separate waste containers, make sure to sort your waste and dispose it properly  Save electricity by turning off appliances when not in use – and use energy friendly light bulbs  Turn off the light when they are not in use (one unit energy saved is equivalent to one unit being generated)  Take advantage of the natural light  Do not misuse and waste food, water, paper etc.  Use cycling/walking for small distances and plant trees  Follow the policy of reduce, re-use and recycle (3R) the resources. Each reused and recycled item significantly reduces the pressure on non-renewable resources as well as helps reduce waste pollution  avoidance of chemicals in gardening and agriculture as well as in your home  Artificial fertilizers, pesticides and in the end, cleaning agents have a devastating effect on the environment as well as on human health 32.What others should do?  As a society, we have to recognize and understand the detrimental effect of our actions on the natural environment  We all have to come together to determine what kind of future we would leave to the next generation  Actually the concept like ‘one world’, ‘global family, should be common features of ‘common mankind’  We should use but over use and misuse of technology should be avoided  Governments, planners, scientists, engineers, users: all should put their best efforts at every level towards a sustainable future 33.Thanks for listening with a hope that I and you will contribute towards sustainable future so that coming generations will enjoy the life on Earth as we have enjoyed

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