As electricity demand in India escalates and, with supply depending largely on fossil fuels plus some hydro power and nuclear energy, concerns have arisen about carbon dioxide emissions contributing to possible global warming. Attention has thus turned to renewable sources of energy. This seminar will focus on the use of solar thermal technologies in particular (with some heat storage) that have great potential in sunny climates like that of Rajasthan, India. With government encouragement to utilise wind and solar technologies, their costs have come down and are now in the same league as the increased costs of fossil fuel technologies due to likely carbon emission charges on electricity generation from them. This seminar will review the progress made so far in this area and prospects for the future.

Mr B K Mruthynjaya is the Director of the Clean the Mind and Green the Earth - A Global Initiative Project of the Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University in Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India. He is also the National Coordinator of the Living Values: An Educational Programme for the Children of the World supported by UNESCO and UNICEF. He is an experienced lecturer and researcher in the field of capacity building, environment, and human capital development. He has visited several universities nationally and internationally and delivered lectures on various socio-economic development and environmental issues in India. Recently, he has been felicitated by International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), USA, Commonwealth Association for the Education and Training of Adults (CAETA), UK, the Global Open University in Milan, Italy and the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand for his lectures.