Last week, Pakistan witnessed a significant milestone in its energy transition as the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD launched its brand of electric vehicles in the country. This event signals a shift in Pakistan’s transportation landscape and serves as a reminder of the broader global movement towards cleaner energy solutions.
The event is more than just a business story; it reflects the urgent need to replace fossil fuels as source of energy with sustainable alternatives.
Energy lies at the core of the climate crisis. Our current reliance on fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—is driving the planet’s temperature to dangerous levels. The challenge of replacing these energy sources with cleaner alternatives is the greatest task humanity has ever faced.
For most of history, humans relied on wood as their primary energy source. It wasn’t until the 18th century that we began burning fossil fuels in significant quantities. This shift, which began in England, powered the Industrial Revolution. The immediate effects were evident—cities choked with smoke, leading to millions of deaths annually from air pollution. However, the more insidious problem lay with the invisible carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
When we burn fossil fuels, we release vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. For instance, burning a gallon of gasoline produces about 22 pounds of CO2. This gas traps heat that would otherwise escape into space, initiating a warming process that has now brought the concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere from 275 parts per million (ppm) before the Industrial Revolution to about 420 ppm today.
In the mid-20th century, scientists began developing solar panels, initially for use in space. At first, these panels were prohibitively expensive, but over time, their costs have dropped dramatically. Similarly, wind power has become more affordable as engineers have built larger, more efficient turbines. Battery technology is also improving, making it easier to store energy for times when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.
This is in stark contrast to fossil fuels, which become more expensive as easily accessible deposits are depleted. Where oil drillers once struck “gushers,” they now have to extract oil from deep beneath the ocean or from tar sands, a costly and environmentally damaging process. Today, renewable energy is often the cheapest source of power available, even before considering the immense economic cost of climate change.
Despite the advantages of renewable energy, the transition away from fossil fuels is happening too slowly. One reason is inertia. Our global infrastructure is built around fossil fuels. There are over 1.4 billion vehicles on the world’s roads, most of them running on gasoline or diesel. The network of refineries, pipelines, and gas stations that keep these vehicles running is vast and entrenched.
Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a promising alternative. They are quieter, have fewer moving parts, and are often superior to their gasoline-powered counterparts. Yet, it could take decades for gas cars to disappear entirely, we don’t but we are not left with that much time if we are to address climate change effectively. And while governments are beginning to promote EVs and subsidize their purchase, more concerted action is needed to phase out fossil-fuel-powered cars and other transporting infrastructure.
Inertia, however, isn’t the biggest obstacle. The most significant barrier to change comes from vested interests. Fossil fuel companies and the nations that depend on them for revenue have a lot to lose if the world transitions to renewable energy too quickly. For them, the shift to renewables is a disaster because it could strand their remaining stocks of hydrocarbons—oil, gas, and coal—rendering them worthless.
These vested interests wield enormous power. ExxonMobil was once the world’s largest company, and nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia derive most of their wealth and influence from fossil fuels. In the United States, the Koch brothers, major oil and gas barons, have been the biggest political donors in history. This influence has allowed the fossil fuel industry to delay action on climate change for decades.
As far back as the 1970s, oil companies like ExxonMobil knew about the dangers of global warming. Their scientists accurately predicted the rise in temperatures we’re seeing today, and company executives believed them—so much so that they started building drilling rigs higher to account for rising sea levels. Yet, instead of warning the public, the industry hired public relations experts to cast doubt on the science of climate change, a strategy that delayed meaningful action for nearly 30 years.
Despite these efforts, the tide is beginning to turn. A growing citizens’ movement has pushed institutions to divest from fossil fuels, making it harder for these companies to raise capital. Activists are blocking pipelines and coal terminals, slowing the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.
The shift to renewable energy won’t be without challenges. Mining the minerals needed for solar panels and batteries comes with its own environmental costs, and there will be debates over the aesthetics of wind turbines. However, renewable energy offers a more democratic energy future.
Sun and wind are available everywhere, unlike fossil fuels, which are concentrated in a few places, often giving undue power to those who control them. For the nearly billion people who still lack access to modern energy, renewable sources offer a cheaper, faster solution than traditional fossil fuel infrastructure.
The idea that we can produce energy by simply pointing a sheet of glass at the sun is nothing short of miraculous. In rural areas, such as parts of Sindh, people are experiencing the benefits of this new technology—refrigeration for the first time, light for evening study, and more. This technology, if deployed widely and quickly, could help slow global warming and give humanity a fighting chance.
We stand at a critical moment in history, one where we must stop burning things on Earth and instead rely on the energy from the sun. This is our best hope for a sustainable future. As the launch of BYD’s electric vehicles in Pakistan demonstrates, the technology for a cleaner, greener future is already here.
It represents not just an advancement in transportation but a beacon of hope in our battle against climate change.
Embracing such innovations wholeheartedly is key to mitigating the climate crisis and ensuring a livable planet for future generations. The BYD launch serves as a powerful reminder that we have the tools we need to make this transition—what we need now is the will to use them.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
The writer is a civil servant with deep interest in the oil, gas and climate change issues
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