More nuclear energy means better chances of building a carbon-neutral nation by 2070. Yes, that’s true! This issue was discussed during a meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in line with the promise by the honorable Prime Minister of India last year in Glasgow COP26.
The Indian government announced on 14th November 2022 the long-term strategy it is going to adopt to transition India to a low-emission nation. The strategy will comprise expanding India’s nuclear power, producing green hydrogen, and increasing the quantity of Ethanol in petrol.
Environmental minister of India, Mr. Bhupendra Singh Yadav, gave a reaction on the strategy and mentioned how this recent decision aligns with India’s goal of achieving a “net zero” or carbon-neutral nation by 2070- a promise made by Mr. Narendra Modi in 2021 Glasgow conference.
This news while creating a ray of hope for many has also created confusion in many minds. Hence, it is imperative to understand what nuclear energy is, how nuclear energy is helpful for our economy and environment and how India’s performance is in the respective matter.
In simple words, nuclear energy is present in the nucleus of an atom. The energy needs to be first released from the atom to generate electricity hereafter. Not to forget, whether it is space exploration, criminal investigation, agriculture, or medical treatment, nuclear energy powers our lives in many incredible ways. Let’s discuss its usage in detail and know how they are essential for a strong economy.
1. Providing electricity – The Fission process also known as the splitting of atoms produces nuclear energy. The generated heat from the process produces steam which in turn is used by turbine generators to produce electricity. According to the expert opinion, electricity produced by nuclear energy is not only low cost, and reliable but also releases zero carbon emissions.
2. Increasing growth in agriculture – Nuclear energy is helpful in ionizing radiation to food. This improves the quality and safety and extends the shelf life of the food by reducing or killing bacteria and microorganisms present in the food. Milk pasteurization and fruit Cannings and vegetables are some of the common methods where nuclear energy via ionization is necessary.
3. Medical treatment – The field of medicine requires radioactive material to look into the body parts and know how they are functioning. Whether it is checking a kidney stuck in the urinary bladder or destroying diseased tissue, nuclear energy is quite important in diagnosing and treating severe health problems.
4. Creating jobs in important sectors – Nuclear technician, nuclear engineer, and medicine Physicist are three major job options in the nuclear field. Additionally, each nuclear plant employs at least 500 employees for the respective power plant. Not to forget, a single power plant can operate for up to 80 years hence giving jobs to generations. And when building a nuclear power reactor, the employer can employ at least 5000 workers.
Last but not the least, the reason which has made nuclear energy a major part of India’s long-standing strategy of making India a carbon-neutral nation.
Nuclear energy is a sustainable form of energy that has the full capacity to replace fossil fuel plants for the electricity generation process. As per the experts, nuclear energy can decrease pollution equivalent to removing one-third of total cars running on the road.
Electricity generated through nuclear energy can save our mother earth from more than 470 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. This number is said to be equal to 100 million passengers traveling via roads.
India is doing well when it comes to performance in the long term – low emission Development strategy framework. A total of 195 countries (participants of UN climate agreements) are obligated to submit the long-term document in 2022, however, only 57 including India have submitted it
till now portraying a passion towards a greener ecosystem and responsible behavior of the country.
Mr. Yadav concluded his speech by mentioning that all the important steps (technological developments and global cooperation) are taken keeping in mind the notion of energy access, energy security, and employment – the major components of Aatmnirbhar Bharat.
Sustainable Development Goals – A way to a Green World
Leave a Reply