Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR MINERALS: AN APPRAISAL FOR GLOBAL ENERGY CRISES AND CONSERVATION OF NON- RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES AND MINERALS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

S.K. Gupta

Abstract

The natural mineral resources are not infinite and hence it is impossible to support an exponential increase in population on a finite resource base.The same is true for energy derived from mineral and fossil fuel resources.Very recently, the developed & developing countries have encountered the effects of energy shortages for the first time, including increase in the prices of energy and products produced from petroleum. Nearly 85 percent of the total energy consumed today is produced from coal, natural gas and petroleum, with small amounts of hydropower and, more recently nuclear power and other non-conventional sources. Some basic strategies for energy conservation and brief information about the consumption of various energy sources by different industrials as well as by domestic sector is given with their conservation option.The basic strategy discussed in this paper can be applied to the entire spectrum of energy consuming sectors.The policy of conservation is founded on the concept that mineral resources are one-time indispensable assets. If these are not exploited now, these will neither grow in quantity nor perish, and will remain intact for the prosterity for ever.