The 'Other' Energy Crisis and Economic Development: The Role of Noncommercial Fuels in Indian Subsistence Agriculture (Fuelwood, Biogas, Household Production Resources; India)
Kotamraju, Pradeep
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70759
Description
Title
The 'Other' Energy Crisis and Economic Development: The Role of Noncommercial Fuels in Indian Subsistence Agriculture (Fuelwood, Biogas, Household Production Resources; India)
Author(s)
Kotamraju, Pradeep
Issue Date
1985
Department of Study
Economics
Discipline
Economics
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Economics, General
Abstract
A neglected aspect in the study of energy and economic development in LDCs is the role of noncommercial fuels, such as fuelwood, dung and crop wastes, in the subsistence household's decision-making process. This dissertation has attempted to redress this deficiency and in the process fill the gap between studies on discussing and evaluating the impact of oil crises on LDCs and those on different energy technologies and systems. Moreover, this study serves as a useful introduction to the 'other' energy crisis. The latter for many subsistence agricultural economies is the energy crisis and is defined simply as the growing scarcity of noncommercial fuels. Finally, the importance of this dissertation stems from a recognition of the 'other' energy crisis and its subsequent impact on development and policy. The major thrust of this dissertation has been to analyze, assess and evaluate the dimensions of, and solutions to, the 'other' energy crisis in India. While relying mainly on descriptive statistics, obtained from different village and household energy surveys, correlation analysis and multiple regression techniques are also used. The major conclusions are outlined below.
First, using household production theory, it can be shown theoretically that noncommercial fuels, used basically as a source of cooking energy, could be incorporated into a rural subsistence household's labor allocation, production and consumption behavior. Second, while Indian consumption of noncommercial fuels is determined by the socio-economic conditions in the rural subsistence household, the supply and mix is dependent on the ecological and agricultural resource base and use in and around villages. Third, if the chief aim of energy and economic policy is to provide a smooth transition from noncommercial to other fuels, particularly in an era of uncertain fossil fuel availability and cost, 'new' energy technologies and systems in India have met with limited success, and sometimes failed in this regard. Finally, this dissertation throws out the implication that an analysis of all rural energy problems and their subsequent solutions must begin with a serious understanding of the rural subsistence economy and farming systems.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
