Creating Clean Energy Society Through Environmental Envoys

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. The quote from Mahatma Gandhi reflects insufficient natural resources of our earth — if human explore our natural resources excessively. The earth was created in a balance condition such as chemical formulas in a state of equilibrium — once the left side has risen excessively, it would interfere with the balance condition of the right side, vice versa. The condition is similar to the existing energy today.
Recently, the need for fossil fuels has increased multiplied in many countries. With the population growing and industries thriving, the world is experiencing enhancement energy demand. In fact, the reserve of our fossil fuels today is getting decreased. This happens because the alternative energy resources cannot meet the necessary amount of energy demand. Fossil fuels currently set for 80 to 90% of global energy consumption. For the upcoming decades, they will remain as vital energy sources. The International Energy Agency predicts global energy demand set to rise by 40% by 2030, and that 77% of this growth will be met by fossil fuels (ISES, 2011).
Fossils fuels are categorized into nonrenewable energy resources because it took million years to form and it can endanger the environment. This means that the energy that we use today came from the formation of fossil fuels years ago and once they are all used up, we may need to wait it for another years to form. The rise of using fossil fuels is also followed by the increase of carbon dioxide emission as a major product of fossil fuels combustion. This is one of the substantial disadvantages of fossil fuels in the environment and responsible for the increased temperature of the earth — known as global warming. Therefore, air pollution issues will remain unless technological solutions are found or fossil fuel is replaced by an alternative energy through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
In Indonesia, the use of fossil fuels has been reduced gradually by industries. One of the utilization of an alternative energy comes from cement industries. They replace coal as the main fuel to an alternative energy resource which come from rice hulls. The industries supply their monthly raw material needs from agricultural waste around the industry areas. Since Indonesia is the country with agricultural sector as the largest occupation and income, utilizing agricultural waste, especially from rice hulls, gives a great opportunity for cement industries who want to change their main fuels into a renewable and clean energy resources in order to get cheaper energy supply and overcome the lack of adequate fossil fuels in the future.
On the other hand, many communities in Surabaya, the second biggest city in Indonesia, have already started to build their own bio-gas reactor in a small scale. Surabaya government engages public figures, environmental envoys, and Non-Government Organization (NGO) to take a part in the every process related to mechanism of sustainable city program. One of the interesting programs is converting organic waste into bio-gas. Surabaya government is also currently running a bio-gas project utilized from final disposal (TPA Benowo) in order to be distributed to the community who live around the landfill (mongabay.co.id). These movements seem quiet modest for a metropolitan city scale, yet perhaps in the next few years there would be more environmental envoys and communities who create alternative energy resources.
What is the role of young generation in creating a clean energy society? Youth participation could have a significant impact in creating environmental improvement. Not only through their environmental friendly behavior which could influence families and friends, but also their active role in communities and organizations. Young generation can act as agent between government and local inhabitants. They will help city government to deliver the values of protecting the environment to the society. One of the challenges of our society today is lack of environmental awareness. This approach will facilitate the socialization process between city government and local inhabitants through a grassroots movement. (AFN)
Reference
International Student Energy Summit (ISES) report. 2011. Vancouver, June 9–11.
