Fossil fuels – rather their derivatives – that now power world’s most automobiles will not last forever. If that is a distant warning, it is probably time to wake up to the grim reality. But the other danger of fossil fuels is the emission of toxic gases from vehicles who use them. The misery is multiplying, what with massive number of new vehicles taking to roads everyday.
You may say the new ones pollute less, because they emit virtually no toxic gas. Agreed, but as new vehicles add to more and more jostling for road-space (especially in a congested city like Kolkata with just 7% road-space), the ensuing stagnation means that the old ones are left with more time to belch out toxic gases.
Clearly therefore, the solution is to try several things together so that their cumulative effect brings a permanent solution from the menace. The first is of course to build new roads, flyovers, and suchlike to permit smooth vehicle movement. The second is to build overhead rails on large thoroughfares on which will run small coaches on electricity. Kolkata must also have expanded metro network. It’s overdue.
This bus runs on soybean biodiesel in US (Picture source)
The third and perhaps the most ideal longer-term solution will be to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. Researchers are working on that for quite some time. And now, it seems some of their efforts may at last start bearing fruits. Use of biodiesel is one such. A 52-seater school-bus running on biodiesel is slated to travel on Kolkata roads from today.
Biodiesel is an admixture of diesel and biofuel, which is an extraction of from plants like jatropha, honge, jajoba and karanjiain. Many Indian states have already made big headways in making biofuel popular and accessible for use. We’re at last fortunate that the local government here has risen from slumber and is doing things that ought to have started long time back.
Let’s hope there’s some earnestness on the part of powers-that-be to make our lives less and less dangerous.
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