India's Solar Energy Push - Wall Street Journal Video

Canada Offers Green tech to India - Will Any Indian Businesses Bite?

I know that the USA has a singularly bad record of doing business with India especially in the field of Green technologies despite the US Exim Bank offering vast amounts of money to Indian businesses that would like to license the immense amount of technology that American companies have developed. Many American companies couldn;t care less what happened in a neighboring county, leave aside what happens outside their state. with that attitude, they are unlikely to bother about India. And it is the same in India despite the US Exim Bank offering loans denominated in rupees in India through several major Indian banks.

Now Canada, the USA's smaller but extremely aggressive neighbor, has stepped in and is trying to offer green tech to India. Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, a man who I personally think is as sleazy as politicians can get, but more of that later, is in India at the moment along with a delegation of Ontario businesses offering the latest in Canadian tech to Indian businesses according to this article in The Hindu: http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/04/stories/2009120456371800.htm

Canada does have some phenomenally good companies offering a wide range of technologies with applications that could make a huge difference if Indian businesses were to adopt them. I love Toronto as a city and am always amazed by the energy that it displays. I do wish that the province of Ontario would dump McGuinty, but then I don't like most politicians and he is not the only one I would like to see dumped by the electorate. As my grandmother, the great Savitaben Kamdar used to remind me when I was a boy, even dead snakes have their uses. I am happy to confer the status of a useful "snake" on Mc Guinty, as he has done something that culd be useful both for Canadian as well as Indian businesses.

One Indian State Gets it - Why Can't the Rest Too?

After the huge Solar Thermal powerplant that is being supported by the Clinton Foundation, the state of Gujarat now plans to build a tidal power plant according to the London Times: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6935567.ece
Considering India's long coastline, I have argued for a long time on my other blog, Showing Fossil Fuel the Fist, that India needs to look at tapping tidal power all along its coast. Some coastal states are highly advanced like Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Gujarat, others like Orissa have immense resources but are underdeveloped. Instead of wasting money on fossil fuel based powerplants, the free power of the waves could be harnessed to offer clean energy to the coastal states in a big way. And, if offshore wind is harnessed (the British are world leaders in both tidal power and in offshore wind energy) I do think that a lot of the terrible pollution that affects much of India could be curbed.

There's nothing like a good example - Gujarat is setting one. Now, how about some good, friendly competition between the coastal states?

Opportunities as Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama Meet

As the much watched meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama goes on, most of the discussion is about political and strategic issues in South Asia. This is important, no doubt, but I fear that the potential for a much more fruitful interaction between the USA and India is being squandered. India is currently working on a huge expansion of its infrastructure and the Indian government has done a good job of working with foreign companies to try and bring new technology into India. Sadly, and I do not know if politics or local issues are responsible for this, some of the most innovative companies in the world - all from the USA, Japan and Europe - are not doing much.

I am referring to small companies like Thermasave Inc http://www.thermasave.us/ which have the technology to not only make homes virtually earthquake proof and much cheaper than the brick and cement methods being used right now, but to also make the homes very energy efficient and in less need for cooling or heating depending on what the climate is where they are built. There are several US and Canadian companies that have found ways to use algae to consume sewage and other waste and convert it into biodiesel. A Texas company has the technology to convert sewage into the equivalent of gasoline using a catalytic process. There are several innovative designs for small and large solar cookers and water heaters that are vastly more advanced than anything currently sold in India. And more.

The USA is going through a difficult economic crisis at the moment. A collaboration with India would make things work for both countries - India has a market and it is bleeding from spending money on importing oil, gas and coal. Many of the US technologies are absolutely new and need to be refined and fine-tuned. India has hundreds of thousands of engineers graduating from its universities every year. A collaboration between both countries could make an enormous difference as far as advancing the new and fast developing technology of utilizing renewable energy is concerned. Just think of it as an extension of the software and services collaboration between the two countries to a much bigger sector - the US can certainly pitch new products that come out of such an association to the world. I hope - and I shall admit that I am not a fan of either Barack Obama or Manmohan Singh - that both these men will look at potential economic benefits from extending US-India co-operation to the infrastructure and energy sectors. Both countries have everything to gain from this. And nothing to lose.

Excellent News from India - A Big Thumbs Up for these Barefoot Solar Engineers

I am grateful to Dr Mayraj Fahim for http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/09/indias-barefoot-solar-engineers-are-building-a-brighter-future/#this link from Inhabitat, a blog that I love following.# Orissa is among one of India's poorest states and Kalahandi used to be among its poorest regions some time ago. The thrust to provide solar powered lighting to this beautiful but impoverished state is especially welcome. The dedication of the "barefoot engineers" who have chosen to go into the villages and train people in using solar lighting is also something to be commended. This is an example of Indian progress in one region of the country that needs to be made available to other states that may contemplate similar, or, as is often the case in India, conventional (and destructive and expensive) solutions instead.

Let's hope for the best and look for more good news like this in the future!

If Colombia Can do This, Then Why Not India?

The New York Times has this inspiring article about a COlombian aristocrat who has founded a unique agricultural community there: Article Link.India has excellent relations with Colombia and desertification etc are major problems in India. How difficult would it be for the Ministry for External Affairs to send someone along some scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture to observe and later implement these ideas in India?

Let's hope common sense works - if first world models are a bad thing, then we now have a third world model to work with.

The Sad State of Farmers in Bundelkhand

I am grateful to Dr Mayraj Fahim for sending me the following link from ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/International/drought-poverty-force-indian-farmers-sell-wives/story?id=8599840 I know that some would find this story sensationalist in a sense, but tragedy is not something new as far as India is concerned. Yes, there is a lot that is breathtakingly beautiful and adorable in the country of my birth, but despite all attempts by some of the most resourceful people in the world to try and improve their lives, environmental disasters of the kind that have struck Bundelkhand cannot be addressed by common folk by themselves. Wells are being drained at an alarming pace across the country and as concrete covers the land without any provision being made for rainwater to seep underground, the water table keeps falling year after year. Pesticides that are banned everywhere else are used both to kill insects and by severely indebted farmers to commit suicide.

I have only one question - when will the government wake up and work on a comprehensive agricultural policy to try and support the 70% of the population that is dependent upon the land for its livelihood? The more this gets delayed, the more tragedies of this kind will continue to occur.

Taking the Fight to the Global warming Hypocrites

Wherever there is a good cause, there are always some crooks out trying to profit from it. I have posted on my Renewable Energy Blog as well as clashed with some of the drum beaters for the extreme Left on the big blogs like Treehugger about the Cap and Trade fraud that is being offered by political crooks like AL Gore as a solution to combating climate change due to human activity. I have received a link courtesy Dr Sekhar Raghavan, an eminent scientist and strong activist against Greenhouse Gas emissions from India which looks at the Cap and Trade farce with a humorous eye - please check out

www.cheatneutral.com

If it is possible to reduce pollution by paying someone else to pollute less while a paying polluter continues about his / her merry way, this website suggests that the same should be possible with marital infidelity. It is funny and a good way of pointing out the fraudulent way to a grim attempt by powerful politicians out to extract as much money from a major global problem as they can.

Dr Raghavan is a former Deputy Director of the Meteorological Survey of India and when someone of his stature opposes an overwhelming fraud like Cap and Trade, it is something that we need to take most seriously. I am grateful to him for not just offering his expertise to support my non-expert suspicions, but also for the very good humored way in which he has done this. Thank you, sir!

Coastal Cleanup Day - Sep 19th

I have a concept paper from Ms Kamla Ravikumar, a good friend of this blog and a dedicated activist, about the Chennai response to "Coastal Cleanup Day" which is celebrated worldwide on Sep 19th. It is always gratifying to see this kind of grassroots activity take place and while some criticize it for the fact that it takes place just once a year, I personally think that this is still immensely important as more and more people are exposed to the dirt that we sometimes unknowingly send into our beautiful seas. Celebrating one day a year to voluntarily clean up even a small portion of our coast is very positive in that it shows many of us what we could do to reduce activity that causes pollution from our side. This can have a snowballing effect and lead to greater advantages year after year as the momentum from celebrating a "clean festival" is kept up.

Please check out Kamla's paper and try and volunteer to help. I really miss my beautiful city of birth in times like this and wish I were back in Madras Nalla Madras again! Thank you very much, Kamla.

CONCEPT PAPER WORLDWIDE “COASTAL CLEANUP DAY”(CCD) ON 19TH SEP 2009 ALONG TN COAST



INTRODUCTION: The Coastal Clean up Day( CCD) is an Annual Volunteer Event Worldwide to cleanup the Coastal Areas, especially the Beaches and educate the children and the coastal population and thus Protect the Fragile Environment along the Coast and show Community Support for Shared Natural Resource of Coastal Habitat
AIM: to participate in CCD and Cleanup the stretch of coast between Ennore Port and Mahabalipuram along the Tamil Nadu Coast (a length of 64 KM ) upto the nearest coastal belt road with Diverse Environmental Issues and Coastal Activities and with a view to ensure Local Participation and educate them , under the overall aegis of the Ocean Conservancy, USA(www.oceanconservancy.org) Indian Maritime Foundation (IMF) at Pune. (www.indianmaritimefoundation.com )

PLAN: The proposal is to Cleanup the above Coastal Stretch and Educate Local Population and School Children from 0630 hours to approx 1000 hrs on the World CCD on Saturday the 19th Sep 2009 in Eight Blocks as follows:

Sl Block From To KMs
(a) 1 Ennore Sattangadu 9


(b) 2 Sattangadu CPT/Cooum N 8



© 3 Cooum S Adyar R N 6


(d) 4 Adyar R S Valmiki Ngr 8


(e) 5 Valmiki Ngr Cho Art Vill 8


(f) 6 Cho Art Vill Muthukadu N 8


(g) 7 Muthukadu S Kovalam 8



(h) 8 Kovalam MB Puram 9


An estimated 1000 volunteers(apart from local public) will be mobilized by the Nodal Agencies for the CCD under the aegis of the IMF, both from within and outside their organizations.


EXECUTION: The Detailed Planning and Methodology will be given to the Nodal Agencies by the IMF atleast a week before the event , based on the Ocean Conservancy, USA Model WorldWide, so as to Collect Garbage, etc from the Sea Coast in Bags and their Proper Disposal through the Local Corporation/ Town Panchayat/ Civic Authorities. The IMF will supply the Kits for Collection as well as the Appreciation Certificates to Team Leaders and Participants, to be funded by the Sponsors, who will get due Publicity. A Pre Event Press Conference will be held at Chennai by the IMF around 12th Sep 2009 with all Concerned Nodal Agencies and Civic Authorities to Highlight the Movement’s aim of keeping our Coastal Belt Clean and Preserve our Coastal Heritage. Nodal Agencies will Disseminate the details of the achievements to the IMF by AM 19 Sep 2009 for Post Event Coverage by the Press/ Media(both Print and Electronic). The Vice President IMF will debrief and Chief Guest will present Certificates to the Team Leaders at a Function on the Evening of 19th Sep 2009. IMF/Nodal Agencies will involve the Locals as well as the School Children in their Areas for Effective CCD

SPONSORS: The IMF will invite Sponsorships with due publicity) for the CCD Movement from Renowned ‘Green’ Corporates to cover the Costs of the Event. The Estimated Cost of Conducting the CCD for the stated Coastal Stretch(64 SKM) is Rs 5,00,000.


6. CONCLUSION: The CCD will not only help to clean the coastal belt, but will create awareness and educate the public and the school children to value our coastal heritage. The event will be covered by the Media and the next issue of the IMF magazine “Seagull” will carry writeup on the subject. Depending upon the experience and success, the movement under the IMF will be enlarged to longer coastal areas in future in different parts of the coastal states.




(Prepared by Rear Admiral K.R.Srinivasan, AVSM,IN(Retd) Former Chief Hydrographer to the Govt of India and Vice President, IMF, Chennai Branch)

Drained Away - The Hopes of Ambattur residents And Their Hard-Earned Money

I have this piece from my friend Mohanakrishnan about the travails of Ambattur residents who have been waiting for drainage services that they paid for a long time ago. A lack of drains means something dirtily simple - sewage cannot be removed efficiently. And this means that the ambition articulated by this blog, "Clean India," is affected. Here is Mohan's post verbatim:

Quote [In 1999 Sathyanathan residing in Ambattur paid Rs.7500/- to the municipality for a drainage connection along with hundreds of others. He is still waiting. The Ambattur municipality laid the foundation stone for the project in March 2001 during the previous DMK regime. It is one of the longest delayed projects of the present government. The municipality collected Rs.8.14 crore from 11500 households but has not even completed 50% of the work till date.

Though resident associations staged road-rokos and filed applications under the Right to Information Act (RTI) the response has not been satisfactory. According to the municipality the contract was awarded to Nagarjuna Constructions who began work in November 2004. The contract was terminated in 2007 as they quoted 120% above the estimate for the balance work. The project was then handed over to the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). They could have given it to them initially itself.

CMWSSB is citing the following reasons for delay in completing the project. 1)Monsoon (?) I heard that India is facing a severe drought. Can a few drops of water trickling down intermittently be construed as a monsoon? 2)Elections 3)Change of location in pumping and lifting stations 4)Public objection in some areas 5)Change in alignment of the Chennai by-pass.

The municipality on the other hand has taken up another drainage project at a cost of Rs.155 crore to be implemented under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. Let us hope that this too does not drain away.] End Quote.

I wonder whom the hapless Ambattur residents need to lobby to get what they have paid for?

Please Sign This Petition Against the Elevated Expressway

I have posted about the proposed ELevated Expressway at Chennai which is certain to cause vastly more harm than solve any problems. The environmental group fighting this good fight has a petition that I would request everyone to sign at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/abandon-the-elevated-highway-and-save-chennai-beaches

Kindly pass this link on to as many people as possible as well. These people need all the help that they can get.

Excellent Opinion Piece in "The Telegraph" on the Indian Middle Class and Emissions

Visitors to this blog are aware of the view here on what emissions mean to India. The simple fact is that if emissions are a lifestyle issue as the Government of India insists, then it must work tor educe them quantitatively, because increasing emissions means that more Indians breathe in the filth generated by their vehicles and powerplants and are forced to drink badly contaminated water as well. "The Telegraph," one of this blog's favorite newspapers, focuses on this view but in significantly more detail at: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/deannelson/100008408/indias-middle-class-must-cut-its-hot-air-emissions/
Let me reiterate what I have been saying for a long time:

- Emissions mean an unhealthy living environment, and if this is a lifestyle issue, then there is a need to reduce dirt in the water, air and soil in order to make people's lifestyles healthier

- Unhealthy living conditions mean greater expenses when people fall sick, and this means a loss overall compared to living in a clean atmosphere and without any health issues that re related to pollution of any kind

Yes, you could draw several more similar conclusions, but these are the two main ones and the article referenced here describes this extremely well. Hopefully, someone in government in India is listening.

Chennai Low on Livable City Index

The New Indian Express has a damning piece about Chennai being ranked very low among Indian cities as far as livability is concerned: http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Chennai++low+on+livable+city+index&artid=amW5opISZ/M=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=chennai,+livability&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ= The study carried out by an international ratings body, Mercer, considered several different aspects before giving Chennai its record low rating.

With several "Master Plans" coming up every ever so often, I wonder if the authorities would now tighten their belts and work seriously to ensure that there is genuine improvement instead of mere lip service to making this grand old city better? If they want the co-operation of the public, there are enough people who would be more than willing to oblige. Chennai-vasis are among the most educated people in India and their support could always be counted on to make the city a better place.

More Media Coverage of the Elevated Expressway Protests

This is an article from The New Indian Express detailing the protests against the proposed elevated expressway: http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Elevated+expressway+opposed&artid=WD1e5b5MvNU=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=Kalakshetra&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ= In considerably more detail than the report in "The Hindu," this second piece in a prominent Chennai newspaper is good news, indeed.

The Hindu Reports on the Protests Against the Elevated Corridor

I have received the following link from the Coastal Protection Group which is dedicated to monitoring "development" along the beautiful Chennai coast: http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/31/stories/2009083158430200.htm The report on the recent protests that were organized are very to the point. Additionally, there is a presentation that could be downloaded from: http://www.sipcotcuddalore.com/reports.html that should interest those who are interested in alternative solutions to this very vexing issue.

The Coastal Protection Group inserted 18,000 pamphlets into newspapers and distributed them to the public at the various beaches in their drive to get information across. This is incredible work and I would request friends who are in the USA and elsewhere in India who support this group, to please follow this campaign which I shall be writing about here. Please also pass this information on to as many people as you can. Thank you!

Uranium Pollution from Coal Fired Powerplants in India Deforms Children

I have received this utterly frightening link from Dr Mayraj Fahim, a local government expert who has very kindly been sending me a lot of very useful material that I have utilized on my Renewable Energy Blog in the past: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/30/india-punjab-children-uranium-pollutionNow, I have a second place to use this information and it worries me that this is what I have to do. As India buys up huge amounts of coal from foreign countries (and this includes Coal India Ltd buying up mines in several other countries including the USA) and there is a steadfast refusal by the Government of India to co-operate with other countries in reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions citing lifestyle reasons, our children are ending up sick, and weak. The children in Punjab whom this article talks about, had 60 times the safe uranium limit in their bodies as observed by German experts.

While I understand that India is a country that is starved of power because of generation shortages, I wonder if this whole business of coal fired powerplants is the way to go? If anyone else has more information about similar issues near other powerplants in India, I would appreciate the information.

Climate Change Will Cost the World £300 billion a Year

The Telegraph quotes the UN in saying that climate change will cost the world £300 billion a year, significantly more than had been earlier estimated. While I do understand the hypocrisy of nations that demand that poor nations like India do more about this, I wonder if anyone in government in India has thought about who would be worst affected by this huge cost? Certainly not the world's wealthy nations which have all the money that they need to combat this menace. The world's poor are going to get shafted the worst - and India, with the world's largest Below the Poverty Line population of any nation, is going to be hit hard.

A terrible thought, but one that is certain to show itself as true. To check out the Telegraph piece, please go to: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6099963/Climate-change-will-cost-the-world-more-than-300-billion-say-scientists.html

The Sad New "Development" of an Elevated Expressway Along Chennai's Beautiful Beaches

A popular joke, when I was a boy, was that no one really knew which was the "longest" beach in the world, while school textbooks listed Chennai's Marina as the second longest beach in the world. Longest or not, the beach has many lovely memories for me as well as for most people who remember it before the shores became littered with sewage from the Cooum and the sands covered with litter. When I was a boy, my father owned a Triumph convertible and we would drive along the almost empty road at night past Fort St George and all the way upto the Gandhi statue before turning back homewards to Broadway where we then lived in George Town. The "new" lighthouse that is across the road from the All India Radio station didn;t exist back then, and the old lighthouse which is inside the High Court compound, was a beautiful sight to look at at night. As children, we would stand up inside the running car to imitate politicians who stood up in bigger convertibles to wave to their audiences before we fell back laughing at our little humor onto the seats - yes, those were times when no one had even heard of seatbelts and cars didn;t even have radios, the latest innovation in home entertainment was the then new spool recorders, and there was no television in India.

But you could see the stars in the sky at night back then, and as children, we would look up and try to identify the various constellations in the days before light pollution blanked them out altogether. And the air had a salty smell to it from the sea breeze which set in every evening. There was no pollution rendering the whole place stinking of rotting sewage and untreated vehicle exhausts. When we walked on the sand, there were always shells that we could pick. There was sea life in the waters of the Bay of Bengal before the sewage killed it all off. Which brings me to the dirty mess that the place was, seven years ago when I last left India and since when I have not returned - Beach Road now resembles any other overcrowded road anywhere else in India.

But there is worse to come and I have a couple of e-mails from Ms Kamla Ravikumar, a Chennai based environmental activist, which I would like to reproduce ad verbatim:

Hi Mehul,

Just to keep you posted about a new problem facing citizens of Chennai.The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authorities(CMDA) have proposed a new Elevated Expressway which will start at the Marina beach ( near the light house) and go all along the shores ... via the Adyar Estuary, Theosophical society, Besant nagar beach and other beaches.

This expressway has been proposed to ease traffic and enable vehicles to move faster.

ABOUT THE ELEVATED EXPRESSWAY
1. The Highway runs through and disrupts fishing habitation and livelihood. upon completion, it will have run through 14 fishing villages. Like the Ramanathapuram Pamban bridge, which drastically impeded fisheries by restricting space for beaching of fishing craft, and taking over beach space, the elevated highway too will impede fishing.
2. The project is being slipped in through subterfuge, as it does not find mention in any of the draft masterplans circulated for consultation.
3. The project runs through ecologically sensitive areas -- Adyar Estuary, sandy beaches and the nesting habitat of Olive Ridley turtles. Adyar Estuary is critically polluted, and is desperately needing restoration. The degraded mangroves of the estuary have a chance of surviving if care is taken. The estuary is an important bird feeding ground, and was even declared a bird sanctuary by the Tamilnadu Government. The Estuary ought to have been classified as CRZ 1 by the GoTN. It has been classified as CRZ 3 despite concerns raised by the Ministry of Environment & Forests. Olive Ridleys are a species included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act and deserve the kind of attention that tigers get. The Ridleys will be affected by the construction, and permanently thereafter by the light pollution from the highway. Ridley hatchlings are highly light sensitive and get disoriented with light pollution, resulting in mass mortalities as they head confusedly away from the sea following the lights.
4. Construction debris will be dumped -- even temporarily -- on CRZ 1 areas. Construction workers' colonies will be constructed in this area. As is the practice when housing migrant workers, no facilities for hygiene and sanitation will be made available leading to more pollution.

A lot of citizens have raised their voice against this elevated expressway.A major seminar has been planned on 30th August at the Kalakshetra auditorium.

I am attaching a poster that is being circulated for this meeting.

As a resident of Besant nagar I am actively involved and deeply concerned.

Kamla


And:

A lot of activity is going on in Besant nagar.One resident has donated his compond wall for publicty...we are getting all the children together to write messages on the wall against this elevated highway.

Their generation will have no beach front if the highway comes up....so the awareness campaign starts with them.I will send you images of the kids and their writings on the wall.

Kamla

Please be in touch with this group and help them in whatever way you can. I shall regularly post whatever information that I receive from them. They need all the publicity to fight the very powerful and wealthy vested interests that have a stake in building this new expressway.

The Reason Why I Started a Second Blog

For some time, now, my old Renewable Energy Blog has attracted both friends and support that I am grateful for. I started that blog in order to look at how to wean people off fossil fuels in as many different ways and in as many different places as possible. I routinely get support from some old friends and from people whom I have not met, but who have been always enthusiastic about supporting my work, and whom I consider friends whom I have not, so far, met. One thing that kept coming up through the year and a half that my old blog has been online has been issues that are of a broader significance than Renewable Energy alone. Let's face the facts - India, the country of my birth, is a mess environmentally speaking. And things are getting worse despite the best efforts of some hard-working, decent activists who have been doing their best to try nad make things better. This blog, again a non-expert one like my Renewable Energy Blog, is as much a tribute to the efforts of these good people as it is an attempt at highlighting both the good and the bad from an environmental standpoint.

There will be a difference here, though. While my older blog is and will continue to be a personal effort, I have invited some friends to participate on this blog along with me. Whenever they accept my invitation, they will be welcome to participate here. If they don't, for some reason, I shall still appreciate their help as I am grateful for at my other blog. I cannot stress enough how much support I have got from dedicated people from India and elsewhere.

Now, let's go and look at making the air, the water and the soil of that great nation of India cleaner. The Indian people deserve this and every little bit helps!