Fossil Fuels Finite Resources

Finite resource
The fossil fuels are likely to be completely depleted in 50 years at current consumption rates. This cheap energy which we obtain from the sub surface planet earth had taken millions of years to form but mankind is likely to exhaust this vital resource in a span of 150 (1900- 2050) years. The Middle East which has the world's largest reserves is depleting its resources. When these countries oil wells run dry they will revert back to biblical times! The cost of petroleum products have increased twofold in the last four years. India is gripped with acute shortage of electrical power and the situation is likely to worsen. Cleantech/ Greentech are the only logical saviours of the future mankind. One of the primary reasons for inflation and rising cost of products and services is mainly due to increasing cost of fossil fuels. Whatever hikes one gets from Pay Commission it cannot match/ catch up with the galloping costs of energy. The rising cost will materially affect the purchasing power of everyone and more adversely those whose incomes are well below the poverty line.

Cleantech
The concept of "clean" technologies embraces a diverse range of products, services, and processes that are inherently designed to provide superior performance at lower costs, greatly reduce or eliminate environmental impacts and, in doing so, improve the quality of life. Clean technologies span many industries, from alternative forms of energy generation to water purification to materials- efficient production techniques. The term "clean technology" describes technologies developed by biological, computational, and physical scientists and engineers that enable more valuable use of natural resources and greatly reduce ecological impact, although this may be only one of a technology's benefits. The impact of clean technologies in areas of agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation and water will have profound effect the world over in the coming years.

ESM Policy
Advocate, prescribe and practise clean/ green technologies. One of the immediate measures that come to our mind is use of energy efficient bulbs in our homes. The additional cost of bulbs alone will pay for itself by savings in electrical power within a year. There are ever so many methods, all that one has to do is to "google" and get a list of things you can do to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Clean Energy Technologies

Vox Populi Appeal to Commander- in- Chief

Dear Madam President,

As Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, you would be greatly concerned about the decline in their morale, particularly in the lower ranks (PBOR- personnel below officer rank) and middle level officer ranks upto Colonel (and equivalent). They are the backbone of the Defence Forces and bear the brunt of the worst conditions.

The recent 6th CPC has ignored the case placed before it by the Services HQ to undo and alleviate the many years of financial hardship suffered by the Armed Forces, particularly that endured by the PBOR and junior and middle level officers upto the rank of Colonel (and equivalent).

The CPC recommendations in its Report has many anomalies and is a total ‘muddle' as far as the Defence Forces are concerned. They applied a ‘management approach’ rather than a ’leadership approach’ in their thinking because of a reliance on members with a management background, but no ‘leadership’ experience. The members of the CPC did not know even the basics of how to lead men and women into battle in the most fearful and hazardous conditions and to even lay down their lives.

The haemorrhage of middle level officers through chosen premature retirement and the disincentive that this provides for entry of the best candidates in to the Officer training academies will lead to a rapid further decline in military morale, leadership, efficiency and fighting capability.

As Head of State this will cause you much concern and I trust that you will direct your PM and Government to reconsider the representation by the Service Chiefs, more thoughtfully.

Yours faithfully

Col Maurice Abel (Retd)

Comments: The Service Chiefs are under immense and intense pressure of the Government to toe the official line. The bureaucracy exploits the individual weaknesses of Higher Command of the Defence Forces. RM personal intervention alone will yield results. The present ratio of highest paid to lowest (COAS: PBOR) is almost 10:1, this ratio needs to be prudently tailored to 5:1, else the morale of troops will continue to deteriorate.

Army needs to learn

Does the country deserve the type of Armed Forces that we have inherited in our country today? A conversation between OSD at the Directorate General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence and me would perhaps provide a realistic answer to the question.

I was wounded in war and was posted to the Directorate General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence in 1973 immediately after a year’s hospitalization to enable me to get an ear surgery done at the Army Hospital Delhi, which had been damaged during the war. The facility for microsurgery of the ear was available only at the Army Hospital Delhi Cantt then. Immediately on posting, I was directed to meet all officers of the directorate to get to know the charter and working of the organization as a part of induction training and familiarization. I came across a Director rank IAS officer Mr Menon who was positioned as the OSD War Widows cell. He informed me that he has been positioned at the DGR in addition to his own duties in the Ministry to coordinate provision of Gas Agencies to War Widows and Petrol Pumps to the war wounded officers. On a query he told me that the gas agencies and petrol pumps, which were allotted for the purpose, were not adequate to meet the requirement and they have been distributed even before he joined the organization. He had nothing more to distribute to the applicants on the waiting list. There was a long waiting list and the applicants were regularly visiting the DGR hoping for the miracle to happen. On a query as to what was he doing about it now, he told me that he spent about an hour or so in DGR every day and was just passing time at the cost of his main job. He also informed me that there was no chance of getting any more Gas Agencies or Petrol pumps for allotment, as it was too lucrative a business to be given away to these categories of people. I grew curious and asked him why then was he here. “I am here just to enable the government to tell the Parliament that a Special Cell has been created in the Ministry to look after the welfare of the war widows and the war wounded,” replied the officer. Till I left the organization in 1976, no more gas agencies or petrol pumps were allotted barring two ladies who had personally met Mrs Gandhi and got gas agencies allotted to themselves.

It is unfortunate that the genuine spirit, the National pride and interest of the Servicemen and the Ex- Servicemen have not been recognized by the political and the administrative system in the country. The people for obvious reasons are mute spectators to the whole issue. It is therefore, apparent that the Servicemen and the ESM need to strengthen themselves through the available methods, within the political system and the system of governance in the country. This needs to be done urgently for the benefit of the future generations of Servicemen. If the Servicemen and ESM expect the system to deliver, they are mistaken.

Brig V Mahalingam (Retd)

We thank Brig PT Gangadharan (Guards)for sending us the thought provoking article.

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