Exn.Dr.M.B.Nirmal on solutions for Global warming

I first met Mr M B Nirmal many years ago when I was a freelance radio host on All India Radio's Madras B station in its Youth and English Language Broadcasting sections. He had just founded his organization, EXNORA at the time, and it received the enormous attention that it richly deserved - in a country where everything related to living in urban environments was falling apart at the seams, Mr Nirmal offered a simple, voluntary solution that appealed to many. I remember being impressed at the time - that said, I doubt that anyone guessed that this would become a movement that would inspire civic minded people and governments alike all over the world. Mr Nirmal worked for an Indian public sector bank back then, but he would soon leave it to pursue his personal dream of making Chennai, then an overburdened city, more livable. Over the years, I lost touch with him as I went to work in different parts of the world before eventually moving to the USA. However, he had become a powerful phenomenon and remains one of the most inspiring figures in India, to repeat a word that I have no substitute for. I would also hear about him from close family sources - my father was a Rotarian like he is, as is one of my cousins who worked with my father. And, another of my cousins was the Indian representative of a US based foundation that supports social entrepreneurs, and which found it worthwhile to support Mr Nirmal's work. And then, of course, there was the very positive focus from the media on him and his work for me to gain more news from.

It was by sheer chance that I was able to reconnect with Mr Nirmal via Facebook, some nine years after I had moved to the USA (and perhaps twenty five plus years after my brief interview on MAdras B) and it has been very positive resuming touch with him. It is the mark of a great person that he does not forget whoever he comes into contact with, and, it was a pleasant surprise to me that Mr Nirmal remembered me, my cousins and my father on the basis of a short two line message that I sent him! And, of course, it has been wonderful being in touch with him since, I am what I call an "Agmark Chennai-vasi," as I was born and raised in the city that Mr Nirmal works so hard to convert into a model for the rest of India and the world to follow! You never leave home, as the old saying goes, and though I have not been back in a long time, it has been wonderful getting good news and hearing about the progress of a great movement that started in a small way and that has visibly transformed everyone it has come in contact with in a positive way.

Mr Nirmal's organization, ExNoRa, has a very nice website which I would invite my readers to visit. There cannot be a better site to view from what is a "Clean India" blog. The video that I have linked to over here would show anyone who does not know Mr Nirmal and his work why he is such a wonderful inspiration to many to do good work in making the living environment in India better.

A Fantastic New Project in India

Stadia are places that consume a lot of energy - the lighting, the large television screens and the people, their refreshments that must be transported in etc all add to the amount of energy used and the costs. But they do serve a very important social purpose - sports bring people from different nations together and promote friendship between nations (including those that might be politically hostile to each other) and they also promote a positive sense of identity between the citizens of a nation, supporters of a particular team and more. By extension, sports keep people who may not otherwise be inspired to exercise to participate in games at their own personal level, encouraging people to become fitter by getting them off their couches and outdoors from inside their homes to breathe in fresh air. All very laudable, and worthy of support.

So when a piece of news like this comes to us via Inhabitat, a leading blog on environment friendly architecture, there is a reason for all Indians to feel proud. I am not sure if this Solar Powered Piezo-Electric stadium is the first of its kind in the world, but, if, indeed it is, then India is to be hailed for a world first. Even if it is not, it is something to be proud of because, in a sports crazy country like India where energy costs are high and where most parts of the country receive more than 300 days of sunshine in a year, this is an example that will be replicated. A fantastic beginning to say the least and one that I hope will also be replicated across the region in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc where sports are as big a draw.

And, of course, if you like this post, you might want to subscribe to Inhabitat at I also list it among the blogs that I enjoy reading right here.

Iceland Set to Help India Use Geothermal EnergyT

The Smart Planet blog has this very interesting story about the tiny nation of Iceland offering India help in developing Geothermal Energy at 340 locations in the country. My old friend the Kodaikanal based artist Eddie Joseph has been a regular visitor to Iceland where he paints and works on the fishing fleets every summer and he and I have had many a conversation in the past about this little country that he loves. I do think that this would be a good area for the Government of India to look at - India has a huge requirement for energy and if geothermal energy can be harnessed at 340 locations in the country, it could be vastly better than sending Indian money overseas to import coal or oil. May this incentive succeed!

Jairam Ramesh: India Cannot Pollute its Way to Prosperity

As someone who has long watched India's politicians and who has had a particular interest in environmental policy in India, this blogger is continuously encouraged by the current Minister for the Environment, Mr Jairam Ramesh and his practical approach towards the environment in India. The Straits Times quotes the minister as saying that India cannot pollute its way to prosperity - thank you for pointing this out, Minister! These days a lot of specious argument coming from some vested quarters suggests that dirt and prosperity somehow go together. Thank you for opposing their propaganda with facts. As a huge country with a lot of people living in close proximity to each other, India does have terrible problems with environmental pollution especially in its cities. As prosperity spreads to the rural areas, this is a matter of concern across the country. There is a need to ensure that development and progress takes place and that this happens while the environment is preserved and kept clean for enjoyment by everyone. With care, this can be done. Please keep up the good work!

Taking Cycling Several Leaps Ahead

My close friends know how much I enjoy reading Low tech Magazine - there are few free resources on the internet that give as much information for those interested in forgotten technologies from the pre automobile era. This particular piece on Velomobiles (basically cycle cars)is one of the best that I have read in a long time. And the potential for a country like India is massive - India has a huge bicycle manufacturing sector, labor is cheap in India and there is a huge interest in cycling. I do think that an entrepreneur could tie up with one or another of the European companies designing and manufacturing these Velomobiles and build them for sale both in the local market and for export and offer them at far lower prices than they are sold for at the moment.

Think about it - speeds close to those at which cars drive in India with no need to fill any tank up - ever. No batteries to charge and you just get in and pedal away whenever you feel like it.

Gujarat Looks Hard at Tidal Power

Gizmag, one of my favorite websites, has this entry about a 50 MW tidal power plant going up off the Gujarat coast in western India. The company building the plant, Atlantis resources Corp, is a British company which has been working on tidal power since 2002. As an old seafaring power, Britain has been at the forefront of tapping the energy available from the sea, both offshore wind and tidal power. Add the old relationship between India and Britain and this looks like a positive beginning for the future. As I have long said, India has an extremely long coastline all along which offshore wind and tidal power could be tapped. Gujarat is just one of the many coastal states. Hopefully, other states that are along the Indian coast will follow this example as well. There is a pressing need for India to generate power - it is perpetually at a deficit as far as power generation is concerned - and what better than to use what it has available in abundance off its own coasts?

Congratulations to the Gujarat State Government for its foresight and to Atlantis Resources Corporation for their pioneering effort in India! May they succeed way beyond their own expectations!

An Excellent Forbes Piece on Solar Power in India

When Blackstone invest $ 300 million in Moser Baer's solar projects in India, they know that there is money to be made.

There has been considerable positive news coming out about the rush to tap solar power in India. And nothing looks at the business better than scrutiny by business magazines - these are, after all, magazines that look at where money is being made and where the potential exists for wealthy people to make even more money. And that illustrates something that this blog has been talking about for a long time: that there is money to be made in clean energy.

The plus is that India is beginning to understand this. I hope that other countries in South Asia, all of whom share India's climatic conditions, also recognize this fact.