The creation of Pakistan does not seem to be as big a miracle as its survival and persistance for the past 60 years. With ever increasing predicaments, from wars to dissection into two pieces, from military coups to assassinations of democratic leaders, from mishandling of the juidiciary to the suicide bombings, the world is talking of the splitting of Pakistan yet again. Energy crisis is just one big problems the nation is facing today caused by a wide gap between the energy demand and supply. Adding to the flour crisis, there has been a threat to many other industries getting shut down.
The biggest contributor to the energy production all over the world is coal (average upto 40 per cent). China produces 75 to 80 per cent of its energy from coal while India produces 55 per cent, US 50 per cent, Germany 48 per cent, Australia 45 and UK 35 per cent.
According to Geological Survey Of Pakistan (GSP) the total coal reserves in Pakistan are estimated to be around 185 billion tonnes out of which 175bn tonnes are in Thar desert. These reserves according to the survey are enough to meet the energy demands for hundreds of years. Very surprisingly Pakistan produces only 0.7 per cent of its total energy from coal. Not only that, the cost of energy production from coal is far less than that of gas. Rs 2.4/kWh from gas as compared to Rs 1.3/kWh from coal. This apparently little difference could save billions of rupees.
I hope our policy makers besides saving their seats realise that this whole crisis is self created and we have a big stock of energy lying in our own backyard.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Right and wrong
"Give me a sacred verse, and I can prove both divine will and biological evolution wrong and right. Or give me one of our founder's speeches, and I can prove he was a believer and a kafir."
Uzma Aslam Khan, The Geometry of God
Now some people have really got that ability. Through twists and turns and verbal artistry they can make you believe what THEY want. On the other hand some things are really ambiguous and can be interpreted in both ways lets say the religious scripture. The way we are brought up, we are made to see things from one angle only. Like 'This is right and you have to follow this.' While spending a little time thinking, a number of meanings can be made out. What meaning a person deduces depends on his thinking boundaries and his own benefits. A teacher of mine used to say 'Quran is like a tree; a fruit-seller will look at it for its fruit, a carpenter values its timber, a gardener is concerced with its aesthetic aspect and a scientist will consider its biological processes.' While the same tree can be a hurdle in someones way, lets say for constructing something or to get some sunlight.
Experiencing the extempore style of debates, I found that an equal number of logics and arguments can be brought up in favour of and against the motion. And that really opens your mind up and compels you to think from other points of view. Half of the times you have to prove a point in which you, yourself do not believe and that is when you realise, 'O, I never thought of it like that before.' Now that makes me think that is there no such thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH? Can nothing be said with absolute certainty? And in the first place does absolute truth really exists?
Uzma Aslam Khan, The Geometry of God
Now some people have really got that ability. Through twists and turns and verbal artistry they can make you believe what THEY want. On the other hand some things are really ambiguous and can be interpreted in both ways lets say the religious scripture. The way we are brought up, we are made to see things from one angle only. Like 'This is right and you have to follow this.' While spending a little time thinking, a number of meanings can be made out. What meaning a person deduces depends on his thinking boundaries and his own benefits. A teacher of mine used to say 'Quran is like a tree; a fruit-seller will look at it for its fruit, a carpenter values its timber, a gardener is concerced with its aesthetic aspect and a scientist will consider its biological processes.' While the same tree can be a hurdle in someones way, lets say for constructing something or to get some sunlight.
Experiencing the extempore style of debates, I found that an equal number of logics and arguments can be brought up in favour of and against the motion. And that really opens your mind up and compels you to think from other points of view. Half of the times you have to prove a point in which you, yourself do not believe and that is when you realise, 'O, I never thought of it like that before.' Now that makes me think that is there no such thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH? Can nothing be said with absolute certainty? And in the first place does absolute truth really exists?
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