A recent fuel explosion occurred in Jaipur, India. A pipe line leak set fire to about 50 000 kilolitres of diesel fuel. The ensuing fireball released 1.82e15 Joules of energy.
Grasslands have a net primary production of about 850 grams per square metre per year or 6.5e6 Joules per sqsuare metre per year.
The accidental explosion wasted the annual energy capture of 2.8e8 square metres (27934 hectares) of grassland. This is the total net primary production of the city area (200 sq.km.) were it all grasslands.
Can we afford to release this energy in this way?
