If coal is here to stay, so are credible threats of 'calamitous changes' to our life-style

By Shankar Sharma* 
"Coal is here to stay despite India's ambitious renewable energy goals", says a PTI report. But the same report has failed to acknowledge the fact that credible threats of calamitous changes to our life-style, and the growing threats to early extinction of mankind are also here to stay, and that the same can escalate with the passage of each year with such a common but unfortunate frame of mind in our authorities.
One can only wonder whether there is no one in our governance structure who can think beyond today and beyond the business as usual (BAU) scenario of high GDP growth rate, and foresee the near future for our children and grandchildren on the basis of a plethora of global scientific reports, which have elaborately highlighted the perils of continuing with the BAU scenario.
What is worrying is the grand silence or indifference of most sections of our intellectuals, media and law makers on such credible threats. It will be highly unfortunate if we, as a welfare oriented society, ignore our own associated responsibilities to our own families, children and grandchildren. 

 It is also sad that few media houses, which are seen as carrying some articles on the topic, are seen as failing in undertaking due diligence in such reporting, and in asking relevant questions of critical importance to our people.
But why is it so hard for our bureaucrats and political leaders to learn from the associated developments and alternatives from around the world?

• Tokyo will require new homes built from 2025 to have solar panels
• Power to the people: the neighbours turning their London street into a solar power station
• "Like riding a bike:" First big battery in Australia's biggest coal grid enters full production

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*Power & Climate Policy Analyst, Karnataka