Table of Contents
UPSC PRELIMS 2017
Consider the following statements:
- Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries.
- The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER IS B
- In 2012, the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States, along with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), came together to initiate efforts to treat short-lived climate pollutants as an urgent and collective challenge.
- Together, they formed the Climate & Clean Air Coalition to support fast action and deliver benefits on several fronts at once: climate, public health, energy efficiency, and food security.
WORLD’S FIRST
- Germany now has a hydrogen fuel cell-powered train, which is a world’s first.
- The trains are officially called as Coradia iLint, and these will operate in northern German towns.
- This is the first time in the world that commercial trains being powered by hydrogen-based cells have gone into use for passengers.
NEW TRAIN
- The train was manufactured by Alstom, which is one of Europe’s largest railway manufacturers and the service officially started on September 16.
- The Coradia iLint has been built in Salzgitter, Germany and relies on fuel cells which will convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity.
- The idea with these hydrogen based trains is to move away from diesel based systems, which cause more pollution emissions.
NOTES
- The trains are low-noise, zero-emission and can reach speeds of up to 140 km per hour, according to the company.
- For now, the trains will only operate on 100 km of line running between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude, though they are capable of running longer distances.
- These will replace the current diesel fleet on the train line and help reduce emissions.
NOTES
- Alstom plans to deliver a further 14 Coradia iLint trains to the network by 2021.
- Hydrogen is seen as a low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel, which ensures that the trains are environment friendly. • Each train costs $7 million. (around 50 crore rupees)
IMPORTANT FOR GERMANY
- Air pollution has become an increasing problem in Germany, with nitrous dioxide causing over 10,000 premature deaths in 2016.
- Alstom is optimistic that the Coradia iLint trains will catch on, with on a focus on making non-electrified train lines more environmentally friendly.
BATTERIES
- Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen.
- This conversion process only emits steam and water, thus producing zero emissions. Excess energy produced is stored in ion-lithium batteries on board train.
STEPS TAKEN IN INDIA
HYDROGEN ECONOMY
The hydrogen economy is a proposed system of delivering energy using hydrogen. In the current hydrocarbon economy, transportation is fueled primarily by petroleum. Burning of hydrocarbon fuels emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants.