Green Tech
Energy acceSSIBILITy IS a major issue across much of the developing world . Around the globe , almost 4 million people die annually because the only power sources available are extremely harmful to their health . These sources are used for common daily tasks that can be easily taken for granted , such as cooking and lighting one ’ s home .
While this is a serious and pressing matter , it ’ s just the tip of the iceberg .
It ’ s estimated that nearly a billion people , mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia , lack basic energy accessibility . In India , this is a major problem , as a third of its citizens — 400 million out of its 1.2 billion — are without power .
While the problem is staggering , India isn ’ t willing to let the current crisis turn into a future nightmare . Though oil and gas make up much of India ’ s energy profile , the country is turning to solar to solve the problem .
Trying Not to Get Left in the Dark When it comes to powering India , one thing is for certain : maintaining the status quo isn ’ t going to work . Demand for energy is increasing
Despite the nighttime brilliance of cities such as Mumbai , 400 million Indians don ’ t have access to energy
dramatically and outpacing supply . In 2012 , a massive blackout left 700 million without power in India — the worst blackout in the modern times . 20 of the country ’ s 28 states were without power and India was temporarily plunged into chaos .
While this blackout was a massive event for India ’ s energy infrastructure , living without access to energy is a daily reality for many rural Indians .
In a video produced by
18 September 2014