Wednesday 1 October 2014

Solar Versus Hydro Power in India?


It is interesting that the recently elected Indian PM is apparently a solar power enthusiast (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/30/-sp-narendra-modi-india-solar-renewables-energy), although there have been reservations about where he proposes to site them. It is also the case that India is still currently increasing its extraction and use of coal. Given this development, does it suggest that there might be a toning down of the drive to generate hydroelectric power by, for example, damming major rivers in places like Sikkim? Certainly, solar power can be a lot cheaper that hydroelectric (one must also note that the concrete used in dam construction is a major generator of atmospheric carbon dioxide- a so-called 'greenhouse gas'). I suspect, however, that all means (renewable and non-renewable) are likely to be employed to feed India's voracious appetite for electricity. Certainly, economic 'growth' appears to be the obsession. As we are going to Sikkim again this weekend, we might be able to obtain an update.

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Some of My Favourite Pictures of Lepidopteran Larvae

Caterpillars of moths and butterflies from the UK and India