India could become home to the largest solar array on the planet, but it will take more than $4 billion.
The country made the initial step this week to request a $500 million World Bank loan to help finance the first phase of a solar plant in Rajasthan that would produce 4 gigawatts (GW) of energy. India's department of economic affairs is evaluating the proposal, according to Indian business magazine, domain-b.com. If approved, the World Bank would then consider loaning $500 million of the project's $750 million first phase.
Six Indian companies have created a joint venture for the project. They believe the country has the potential to deliver a nearly unfathomable 5,000 trillion kilowatt hours of solar energy.
Plans call for a 30-square-mile farm that would be larger than New York City's borough of Manhattan, according to Nature science journal.
When India's central government launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in 2010, the country had less than 18 megawatts (MW) installed. Now, it has about 2.2 GW. The JNNSM aims for 20 GW by 2022.
“India must see itself emerge as the worldwide leader in harnessing solar energy involving technologies for centralized power generation, as well as millions of small, decentralized applications,” said Rajendra Pachauri, director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi.
Chandra Bhushan, deputy director-general of the Center for Science and Environment, sees more value in the smaller approach, spreading solar energy throughout rural areas in the country instead of at the proposed site near the border of Pakistan.
“We don’t think this should be the way to go ahead,” Bhushan said. “Feeding 4,000 MW into an already leaking grid where 20 percent of electricity gets wasted in transmission and distribution losses and [most of it] ends up feeding the urban centers makes little sense."
Bhushan added that less than 50 percent of Indians who live in villages have access to electricity.
Called an ‘ultra mega' project by the consortium, the proposed plant would help reduce India's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4 million tons per year, according to Parimita Mohanty, a fellow at TERI.
In January, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reported that the country had added an additional gigawatt to its solar portfolio in 2013. India also received $5.5 million in aid from the European Union’s (EU) Indo-European Cooperation on Renewable Energy program to jumpstart its offshore wind industry.
Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES page for more related news on this topic.
Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!