Save the Planet: Encouraging Renewable Energy Sources in Bangladesh

Energy is crucial for the transaction of Bangladesh’s economic development. For the continuation of its smooth process environment sustainability is must. The world is going into a period of environmental threat as the atmosphere is changing and the need of saving the earth from its adverse effect is given importance. As a part of this world every country and government should emphasis on the issue of environmental sustainability.
So what Bangladesh government can do to save the environment with environmental concerns in its energy demand sect is a challenging one to decide and go with it. Should government stop the current fossil fuel plants or reduce the dependency on it by focusing on renewable energy sources? Is it viable to go with the current flow of development or going to hamper the course?
Why Fossil Fuel Projects are Dangerous for the Environment:
Fossil fuels are rock-like, gas, or liquid means that are scorched to generate power. They include coal, natural gas, and oil, and are used as an energy source in the electricity and transportation sectors. They’re also a leading source of the world’s pollution and global warming.
Fossil fuels specially coal based energy production plants are contributing more GHG (Green House Gas) compared to other fossil fuels. On the contrary renewable energy sources like solar, wind energy if used for power generation it would be environment friendly and also has the capability to meet the energy demand as well.
According to scholars Fossil fuel based power plants are adversely affecting the climate change. The main points they are introducing includes:
• Power plants emitted waste and water and their discharge in the nearby rivers affecting the eco system of the river, as a result fishes and other water species are dying.
• Used coal also Bangladesh government had to import from India or China and it is also reflecting the cost issue besides environmental issues.
• The risks related to employees and the locals also another concerning issues, as from fossil fuel plant whether it is coal based or oil any accident can cause disastrous effects.
In Bangladesh earlier this year Matarbari power projects construction inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through video conference from Ganabhaban. This coal based power plant site includes six endangered species including birds and reptile’s. Ultra-supercritical technology used by the plant would and Its cooling water that would be discharged into the sea would affect the environment.
Why should Government Think About Renewable Energy Sources:
When it comes to the point of governments initiatives to encourage renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuel based one some points could work as pioneer like:
• Fossil fuels are not abundant and it has certain limit, so government should think about alternate sources to produce energy.
• Fossil fuels takes millions of years to produce and it is not refined and this factor also enhances the dependency to foreign partners.
• The environmental adverse contribution is also there in the use of fossil fuels.
Why Renewable Energy Should Be Encouraged:
• Renewable energy like solar energy could be a possible alternate of fossil fuel based energy sources as they are not going to expire.
• Wind energy and solar energy based energy source would also help to generate employments.
• The marine based renewable energy otherworld’s the wave energy could be a source of new generation energy with the enhancement of blue economy.
So we can argue the pros and cons of fossil fuel energy sources as well as renewable energy sources. Fossil fuel energy sources are prominent in nature in the field of energy security worldwide and Bangladesh is also not an exception. As a country with natural gas Bangladesh does not have enough technological advancement to use this with less GHG contribution to the environment.
And in terms of renewable energy, the government initiatives are much needed as in Bangladesh the practice of using solar energy as alternate energy source is implementing through private companies in a limited way as it is quite expensive. The governments initiatives are the prime in Bangladesh to develop renewable energy sources.
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