ABSTRACT
Energy planning in India has so far shown little concern for the environmental effects of energy production, conversion, transportation and use. Burning fossil fuels and biomass-based fuels introduces large quantities of Carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which is a potential contributor to the warming of the global atmosphere by infrared radiation absorption. Coal is the largest single source of CO2 emissions in India. According to trends, about 60 per cent of commercial energy consumption in India is derived from coal. Although utilization is such that the end product is CO2, direct use of coal in combustion processes is about 60 per cent. The forests play a crucial role in the global cycling of carbon and forestry may rescue humanity from the lurking dangers of global warming. When trees are cleared or harvested, the carbon they contain, as well as the fraction of carbon in the underlying soil, is oxidized and released into the air.
