CSS Forums - Award Winning Essay

[B][SIZE="6"]Economic Growth and Environmental Conservation[/SIZE][/B]

Essay competition conducted by: Asian Development Bank

Submitted by:MUHAMMAD YASIR
Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan
Reg # 20042763 Stage-III

[B]INTRODUCTION[/B]
All biological lives need a supply of external energy. Most Plants are capable of photosynthesis, some bacteria employ natural sources of chemical energy. Many other organisms require different types of energy to grow. Beyond this biological need of humanity, technologically advance societies have increasingly weaken in their dependence on external energy for production of many manufactured goods. Where this technological advancement is a wonderful convenience of modern life in particular, there it allows people to live under a diverse condition of climate, in general. Increasing level of human comforts result in increased dependence on external energy. Conversely, this increased dependence on external energy sources goad to such means of energy sources, which are harmful for the environment.
This is what we are going to discuss and to explore such facts, which do or do not affect and create hurdles in environmental conservation besides to achieve a sustainable development. The discussion will address particularly from the perspective of Pakistan.
We will discuss the economic growth, means of energy production adopted by Pakistan along with issues by which environmental conservation suffered. In the end the discussion will be concluded accordingly.

[B]ECONOMIC GROWTH[/B]
Economic growth is a continuous increase in production and consumption of goods and services. Economic growth is an unquestioned symbol of progress. It is a consequence of an increase in the product and services and per capita consumption. Economic growth is primary goal of many governments including Pakistan. “Provisional estimates show that the country’s long-term growth momentum remains intact, with real GDP growth exceeding 6 percent for the third successive year.”
State Bank of Pakistan

In order to maintain and run the economic growth to the right path government of Pakistan is taking measures by increasing the capital expenditure. Growing economy of Pakistan requires more energy for producing manufactured goods. Keeping in view this increasing dependence on energy government is expanding its energy production capacity by developing new sources. To meet this future requirement government has decided to construct new dams namely, BHASHA, KALABAGH dams etc. These new dams have two fold benefits to economy of Pakistan; on one hand these dams would increase the energy production capacity of Pakistan and effective utilization of water on the other.

[B]ENERGY REQUIREMENT[/B]
As the studies shows that future energy requirement rising due to increasing dependence of energy: -
“Developing countries in Asia alone will see energy demand increase by over 150 percent in the period from 2000 to 2030. This growing demand for energy reflects a growing demand worldwide a higher standard of living.”

In the light of above quotation, the demand of energy has a continuous uprising trend. Therefore, each and every country, including Pakistan, is trying to produce more energy to meet future requirements and to avoid energy shortfall.

[B]SOURCES OF ENERGY[/B]
Now the means of energy sources of Pakistan and their possible outcomes will be discussed.
Presently Pakistan is producing energy through various energy sources, which includes: -
1- Thermal Power Generation
2- Hydel Power Generation
3- Nuclear Power Generation

[B]THERMAL POWER GENERATION[/B]“WAPDA’s Thermal Power Generation is mainly based on generation of power from its Steam Turbo-Generators, Gas Turbines (simple as well as Combined Cycle Units) installed at different Power Stations located in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces. Indigenous Gas & Coal is the main fuel whereas Furnace oil and HSD are also used as alternative fuel.”
Water And Power Development Authority of Pakistan

[B]Environmental Controversy[/B]
Thermal power plant burns the fuel to create steam, which turns a turbine, which in turn, generates electricity, waste heat and pollution. The burning of these fuels leads to release the pollution into the atmosphere. Some of these by products contribute to the pollution through radiative forcing and leading to global warming, and rapidly increasing cost of unfavorable weather. Other pollutions are also persisting.
Extraction of fossil fuels can result in extensive environmental degradation, such as the strip mining and mountaintop removal of coal. The drilling and transportation of petroleum can result in accidents that result in the despoliation of hundreds of miles of beaches and the death or elimination of many forms
of wildlife in the area. The ash, the waste of coal using power station, pollutes the environment as well, until disposed off properly.

[B]HYDEL POWER GENERATION[/B]“As a consequence of partition of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent in 1947, India and Pakistan became two independent sovereign states. Hydel generation capacity of only10.7 MW (9.6 MW - Malakand Power Station & 1.1 MW - Renala Power Station) existed n the territory of Pakistan. With the passage of time, new Hydel Power Projects of Small nd Medium capacities were commissioned.”
Water And Power Development Authority of Pakistan

[B]Environmental Controversy[/B]
Hydel Power plant involves building a dam across the river. The dam creates a location here desired pressure and flow of water is used to turn turbines, which drives a electric enerator and this is how electricity is generated. The erection of a dam may affect the aquatic ecosystems surrounding it. The environment affected by the dam is very wide, altering areas numerous miles upstream and downstream. For example, many birds rely on low tides to unearth mud flats, which are used as feeding areas.

The amount and the quality of water down stream may be affected, which affects plant life both water and land-based. People living nearby the dam have to migrate to other location; because a river valley is being flooded as a result the fertility of earth may be lost. Flooding submerges large forests. As the plant life decompose, it release methane gas.

[B]NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION[/B]
“PAEC is successfully operating two nuclear power plants with third one upcoming, has 33 years of safe operating experience at its credit and plans to build more plants in the coming years to contribute to the energy requirements of the country.” Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)

[B]Environmental Controversy[/B]
Nuclear power station produces heat by the reaction of uranium inside a nuclear reactor. The reactor uses uranium rods, which are split in the process, releasing large amount of energy. The heat released heats water to create steam, which spin turbine in turn to produce electricity. The waste produced from the nuclear fission of uranium is poisonous, and extremely radioactive. Moreover, the long-term disposal of the long-lived nuclear waste causes serious problems, it remains dangerous from one to three thousand years (unless the spent fuel is reprocessed).
The operation of an uncontained nuclear reactor near human settlements can be disastrous, as shown by the Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine (former USSR), where large areas of land were affected by nuclear fallout. Members of the public are hesitant about the safety of nuclear power.

[B]SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT[/B]
Now the core issue of sustainable development in Asia and the pacific will be discussed. Developing countries like Pakistan need to maintain a consistent development in all industries to survive in current and future challenging scenario of the world. Sustainable energy development is the ongoing effort to provide prolong, continue and accessible energy resources through knowledge, skills and constructions. When Utilizing energy from primary energy sources and converting them into ever more convenient
secondary energy forms, such as electrical energy and cleaner fuels, both emissions (reducing pollution) and quality (more efficient use) are important. The long-run sustainability of a steady economy of Pakistan requires its establishment at a size that does not breach environmental and economic capacity during expected or unexpected supply shocks such as deficiencies and energy shortages.

[B]CONCLUSION[/B]
There is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and the environmental services underneath the human economy (for example, pollination, decomposition, climate regulation), Economic growth may impact the physical and biological environment in many ways, including the liquidation of natural capital, pollution, and climate change and sea-level rise as a function of greenhouse gas emissions.
Declines in environmental quality and loss of biological diversity are not easily assessed in conventional economic models, which typically regard ecological consequences as “externalities”.
The economic growth and environmental conservation cannot go together. There is always a risk for environment and will increase besides the increment in energy development technology.

[B]BIBLIOGRAPHY[/B]
1- Mobil
[url]http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Newsroom/SpchsIntvws/Corp_NR_SpchIntrvw_RWT_200406.asp[/url]
2- Water And Power Development Authority of Pakistan
[url]http://202.38.50.35/htmls/power-index.html[/url]
3- Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
[url]http://www.paec.gov.pk/paec-service.htm#NU[/url]
4- Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Many facts and figures are collected.
5- State Bank of Pakistan
Third Quarterly Report for FY06
[url]http://sbp.org.pk/reports/quarterly/FY06/third/index.htm[/url]