Water: Waste Not, Want Not !

Location of steel plants is generally decided upon the proximity to two most important resources – iron ore and coking coal. Surprisingly, the third one – water which is emerging as critical resource is not always given proper consideration. Water scarcity is flaring up often as a serious crisis in several parts of India despite floods ravaging the country for decades. Industrialization has worsened the situation as power and steel plants spring up which are water guzzlers.
Now that India is poised to emerge as the second largest steel producer in the world attaining 180 million tones of annual production by 2016, the crisis of water is going to aggravate with 3-4 mega projects of 6-12 million tones capacities along with dozen of smaller capacities being put on the anvil.
The states rich in iron ore deposits having wooed investors for new steel projects are in an unenviable position. The case of the state of Jharkhand serves best to exemplify. It was reported that 11 companies including Tata Steel and Jindal Power and Steel Ltd have applied to draw water from Subernarekha which has the flow of 1520 million cubic meter (MCM) water against the demand of 1667 MCM. Officials said that nearly 329 MCM is being drawn from the river for irrigation, 220 MCM for potable water and 150 MCM for industrial use.
Indian steel industry’s water usage is abysmally poor. For producing one tonne of steel, according to CSE, steel companies in India use 10-80 cubic meter water where as US plants use only 5-10 cubic meter water. Moreover, approximately 80-85 per cent fresh water used in steel making in India is discharged as effluent although over 90-95 per cent water used for steel making in USA is recycled.
Steel is necessary for development but water is essential for life. For sustainable development, the steel industry in India would have to learn to conserve water and use new technology to minimize its use just as it struggles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight global warming and protect the environment. India’s quantum jump in steel production from 51 million tones to 180 million tones will call for celebration only when the scarce water resources are judiciously used without triggering social conflicts and causing miseries to millions of common man.
It may be recalled that someone had perhaps rightly warned “The Third World War would most probably be fought over water”. Let not steel industry be the villain of piece!

Glossing Over Climate Change

An opinion poll conducted by a leading newspaper asked the poser - 'Neither our policy makers understand nor care about climate change'. Pat came the response from the readers; 93% agreed whereas only 5% disagreed with it. Interestingly, the newspaper carried the same day a photograph of a group of school children staging a street play on global warming. The message from the events is clear. The politicians do not put their hearts into such mundane issues as they are obsessed with much more serious matters like how to expand their respective vote banks. Climate change can take care of itself whereas they have very limited time to feather their own nests before the edifice built by severely compromising social and national interests crumble because of their own infightings. There was one more shocking news relating to increasing pollution in cities. Despite directions from the Supreme Court to take measures to curb pollution, the city of Kolkata is chocking due to a lax administration and the city has a maverick Transport Minister who fires salvos unfailingly whenever courts deliver any judgement putting restrictions on the irresponsible and undisciplined public transport operators. It is reported that the mandatory emission tests of vehicles averages a mere 14% for 1.3 million vehicles belching their polluting fumes at will throughout the city. No wonder, Kolkata city has the highest incidence of lung cancer in the country. If only our policymakers understood that they are as much susceptible to health hazards caused by high pollution, they would perhaps divert their attention from power games to climate changes and fighting pollution which will benefit common man.

Look Out! Your 'Carbon Footprint' Is Showing

The catastrophic effects of global warming have started sinking gradually among people all over the world as more and more irrefutable scientific evidences pour in. Greenhouse gas emissions mostly consist of carbon dioxide have been identified to be responsible for playing havoc with the global climatic change. Hard facts are pointing fingers at developed nations to be worst offenders for contributing recklessly to global warming due to their extremely high level of carbon dioxide emissions compared to the developing nations.
Data pertaining to the year 2004 published in newspapers are found to be fully in line with the above inference. The carbon dioxide emissions in million tonnes for the year country-wise are: USA - 5912, UK - 580, Japan - 1,262, Russia - 1,685, China - 4,707 and India - 1,112.
If the total emissions data are unsavoury for the developed nations, the picture is even more revealing about individuals of different countries. Those who live in large houses, occupy big office spaces, travel by cars and planes frequently and use more electric power for air-conditioning and heating are the ones contributing more dangerously to the cause of global warming as in such cases more fossil-fuel burning is warranted giving rise to higher carbon dioxide emissions. A person using bicycle or public transport and living in small house, lighting his house by CFLs and travelling by trains instead of planes would be a 'green' hero whether he or she adopts such a lifestyle by choice or compulsion.
So, even in the developing countries, there are offenders albeit those belonging to the richer classes whereas the poorer masses have to bear the brunt of global warming despite their 'green' lifestyles. Such awareness among the 'haves' and 'have-nots' is bound to ignite social dissention just as striving to usher in change in carbon footprints of the rich is going to be a Herculean task. Global warming , however, cannot discriminate based on the economic or social status while punishing the inhabitants for ravaging the environment.
After all, Death is the greatest leveller, is it not?

Global Warming: Dubious Ways For A Noble Cause

It has finally dawned upon people all over the world that the apocalyptic disaster due to global warming can no longer be wished away and it is waiting as sure as death to strike the Planet Earth. With resigned acceptance by people and media coverage, the awareness about the lurking danger is fast spreading. The initiatives of Al Gore's Life Earth have already resulted in big musical shows in Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, London and Hamburg drawing huge crowds. More are being planned all for the noble cause of fighting global warming. Tens of thousands of music lovers thronged the venues in their cars with the aim of fighting the menace and added more greenhouse gas emissions instead. It turned out to be a case where the remedy is worse than the disease. Moreover, with celebrities like Madonna championing the cause, the effect could just be the opposite. Her 'carbon footprint' (with limousines, private aircrafts and luxurious lifestyles in tow) is not going to inspire the common man even as fans in these concerts have been reportedly urged to sign a seven-point pledge designed to change behaviour and put pressure on political leaders in every country.
But fans love to imitate the lifestyles of their favourite celebrities. So, those, like me, who want the whole business of fighting global warming to be serious one, would raise eyebrows at yet another well-publicised campaign titled 'Global Cool' which is being kick started by Hollywood star Sienna Miller with Bollywood superstar Amitava Bachan. The ostentatious wedding ceremony the superstar Amitava recently arranged for his son-actor Abhishek must have caused equivalent to a few thousand times 'per capita' greenhouse gas emissions. Unless the idea is merely to create media hype for the campaign, it is doubtful if any actual benefit would be bestowed to the cause by choosing such dubious ways.
Yet another striking example of celebrities being drawn to the bandwagon is that of Salman Khan. The actor was arrested for killing rare birds while on a film shooting spree in Rajasthan and the case is still under trial. How can such a person inspire the general public to protect the environment? Let us neither pay lip-services to fighting global warming nor make it a farcical musical soiree.

Changing Lifestyles to Fight Global Warming

"The threat of climate change is real and unless we alter our lifestyles and pursue a sustainable model of development, our future will be at peril."
You must have read it - the message was given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to his 1.1 billion countrymen on World Environment Day. That he finally turned his attention to the imminent global crisis is surely a consolation to many even as other nations have already taken several measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In my post 'Global warming: Challenges for The Corporate World', I had touched upon a few steps the corporate world can embark upon to save the planet Earth from unimaginable devastation due to climate changes. As individuals, we too can fulfill our social responsibility in this war against global warming which ironically has been brought about by man himself by his lifestyles with no thoughts spared for the damages they cause to the environment. Experts suggest changes in lifestyles can defer and reduce the severity of global warming. Some of them are:
1. How you go from place to place
The least damage you can cause to the environment in going short distances is to walk down. Cycling may the next best thing to do. For longer distances, public transport should be availed. In case cars are to be used, let the fuel-efficient small cars using bio-fuels be the natural choice and certainly not big cars or limousines which are fuel-guzzlers. Similarly, train journeys will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions several times over compared to plane travel.
2. What are your food habits Organic foods and vegetables should be part of your menu as without use of fertilizers and pesticides, these are eco-friendly. For those having preference of non-vegetarian food, it should be admitted that the environment gets unduly burdened to support the animal livestock.
3.The way you live in your home CFL lighting saves energy by 80% and should replace all lighting by incandescent bulbs. Saving energy is the best way to save the environment. Even using showers instead of buckets of water for baths is a luxury one better avoids for fighting global warming.
4. Keep the family size small Since man is directly and indirectly polluting the environment, less population will automatically bring down greenhouse emissions. So smaller the size of the family, the more 'green' will be its carbon footprint.
Can we really bring about such radical changes in our lifestyles? Perhaps it would need all sincerity and commitment on the part of every individual to make an impact on the environment. It would be indeed a daunting task in a world whose privileged class does not want to sacrifice anything for the sake of benefiting the masses - the empty rhetoric of politicians notwithstanding. Will they ever set examples for others by practicing what they love preaching? The swanky offices and homes of ministers and MPs, the convoys of cars used often for every occasion by them, the traffic snarls (read more pollution) their movements cause are just a few examples to show where a beginning can be made for emulation by others. But that sounds like a pipe-dream.
Is it not?

Global Warming: Challenges For The Corporate World

As a thumb rule, a company's image is generally dependent upon how much profit it makes. While buying stocks or just for maintaining brand loyalty, the public views the company from this angle alone. However, traditional yardstick of profit to rate companies may soon become outdated. After its six years of painstaking research by 2000 experts by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the three successive reports have bluntly put the steps needed to be taken urgently if the climatic catastrophes are going to be kept in abeyance if not averted altogether. Progressive corporate houses that are conscious of their social responsibility are already trying to do their part and watch their carbon footprints. Such concerted actions are the need of the hour to mitigate the serious problems likely to strike mankind.
Modern offices are swanky and spacious illuminated brightly by incandescent lamps. Bosses occupy office rooms whose sizes seem to match their egos than anything else. If the offices are designed to allow more natural light and use energy-efficient lighting, there would be lot of saving of power which in turn would bring down greenhouse gases. Such buildings should provide solar panels to meet its own power requirements even if partly. Companies having residential colonies can go for central air conditioning which can supply air to the houses. A small community town is reportedly getting ready in Florida having such a facility. Some corporate bigwigs, however, may develop cold feet to such measures which in a way try to clip their wings.
Contrary to popular belief, automobiles cause more pollution than factories. Instead of travelling by individual cars, if the public transport is used by employees of companies, then there would be significant reduction in greenhouse gases. The corporate tradition to provide cars of sizes to executives commensurate with their hierarchical positions is unjust in a world fighting global warming as bigger cars are fuel-guzzlers. The cavalcade of cars often seen whenever the top bosses travel may be good for ego trips but is outrageous from the point of becoming carbon neutral.
Executives of progressive companies frequently go places. They fly in and out to save time. Unfortunately, air transport causes many fold greenhouse gas emissions than train travel. Although train journey is slow, it should become the unenviable choice for the sake of fighting global warming. Some airlines offer free tickets for frequent fliers for their business growth. There are many instances when executives of large corporate houses get more interested in availing the free tickets than doing justice to the purpose for which the flying is undertaken. Such schemes may be very attractive to individuals but they leave dubious carbon footprints.
As the awareness grows about causes for greenhouse emissions and measures for its control, everyone is going to watch with alacrity how carbon offsetting is being made by individuals as well as corporate houses. Carbon footprints may soon be the new bottom-line for companies.

To Fight Global Warming Or Not To ...

Horror scenarios of global warming are no longer being brushed aside as mere flights of imagination of some over-zealous scientists. After the publication of two successive reports submitted by UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC), people in general all over the world have belatedly become aware of the fast approaching Doom's day. It has now dawned upon everybody that this man-made crisis can only be somewhat mitigated by man-made solutions. The present war-cry is to cut down greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible so that even if action is taken now, the impact would be felt after decades.
As a simple measure, the use of energy-efficient fluorescent lamps (CFLs) instead of the conventional incandescent lamps can reduce carbon dioxide emissions drastically. According to the UN draft report, this change alone will reduce a billion metric tonnes of carbon gas emissions and will save $122 billion by the year 2020. The benefits are simply awe-inspiring and nations are getting ready to jump into the bandwagon.
Unfortunately, every change is accompanied by some pain or the other. Even before the awareness about the above energy-saving measures spreads and among the masses, the conventionalists are taxing their brains on how to stall such changes. Their contention is that use of energy-efficient lamps may enhance mercury contamination unless their manufacturing and disposal are handled with utmost care as these lamps contain highly toxic mercury in them. While no one should overlook the need of caution to be exercised, there is a risk of vested interest spreading misinformation especially among poor and illiterate masses in developing countries to pour cold water on such useful products.
Among the two evils of global warming and mercury contamination, while global warming is threatening to wipe out life from the planet Earth, mercury hazards which can become life-threatening sporadically must be minimised by adopting safe handling and disposal methods. It appears as though man is caught between the devil and the deep sea. But my survival instincts prompt me to take on global warming first and after taming the demon go after mercury hazards.

Carbon Credit At Risk of Getting Discredited

'Carbon credit' has so far been touted as a practical scheme of fighting global warming. Simply stated, it is intended to reward 'carbon credits' to those who bring down greenhouse emissions by adopting appropriate measures. Those who exceed greenhouse emissions would have to buy 'carbon credits' for offsetting.
The whole business of fighting global warming this way appeared too simplistic to me. My apprehension that the rich nations would be exploiting the poor nations by their unrestricted greenhouse emissions with the help of carbon credits bought from the poor nations was sounded in my post 'Carbon Credit As Sops Saps Poor Nations'. It said:
"... GHG emissions, unfortunately, do not affect selectively but pervade everywhere. So the rich as well as the poor will suffer unimaginable losses in the long-term and we will be leaving the planet in much less habitable condition for the future generations.What a ghastly scenario!" After reading a news report in The Times of India titled 'British firms use India prop to pollute', I feel reassured that I was not wrong in harbouring such apprehension. It quotes Mary Taylor - a green activist saying
"It is really perverse. It allows western companies to continue polluting while handing over large amounts of money to a company in India, which itself produces large amounts of green house gases."
Companies earning millions of dollars by encashing carbon credits and investing the profits in projects that contribute to global warming should not be allowed to put an air of 'holier than thou' in the corporate world while for the poor masses, it would be be out of frying pan into fire.
Is it not?

Appalling Apathy To Alarming Global Warming

If my last post was on indifference at the national level to the impending crisis due to global warming, the present one based on an news in Economic Times titled 'Doomsday's here. Almost' touches upon the apathy at international level.
The writing is on the wall that man-made greenhouse emissions might trigger massive extinction of life on Earth in near future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), after its six years of painstaking research by 2000 experts, has warned in its first report of rising global temperatures and sea levels. "The Earth would heat up between 1.8 centigrade and 4 centigrade by the end of the century, and upto 6.4 centigrade at the poles which heat up twice as fast around the equator. Melting ice has led sea levels climb 17cm in the 20th century and at the rate of 31cm per year since '93."
The irony is that the climate changes will affect the poorest regions in the world that are least responsible for production of greenhouse gases. As if to rub salt to injury, the worst offender nation USA which produces 25% of global emissions has been apathetic to joining Kyoto Protocol that has united all nations with few notorious exceptions to fight out the catastrophe. Perhaps, such attitudes and past actions on the part of some rich nations prompted Pope Benedict to write in his first book "Rich countries bent on power and profit have mercilessly plundered and sacked Africa and other poor regions and exported them the cynicism of a world without God."
The hapless millions of the developing nations which are being punished for the wrong-doings of others would find solace to know that the US Supreme Court has now declared global warming a serious and urgent problem in its first ever ruling on the subject. With ice-caps perilously melting in the polar regions, I hope the offenders' hearts would also start melting at the misery of the poor millions. As part of their retribution, massive assistance to the needy to mitigate the situation is called for.
Better be late than never!

Is Anyone Listening To Warning On Global warming?

After a long time, I found today's newspaper headlines screaming "Himalayan Meltdown only 20 years away ..." truly newsworthy. Usually, this space is taken up by news relating to cricket World Cup or such banal issues like government's ban on TV channels for committing obscenity or hike in bank loan rates. As if, these things deserve more attention than the apocalyptic scenario of impending global warming.
According to an UN draft report by its climatic panel, the glaciers in the Himalayas will melt away affecting hundreds of millions of people. The draft technical summary warns "If current warming rates are maintained, Himalayan glaciers could decay at very rapid rates shrinking from 500,000 square kilometres to 100,000 square kilometres by 2030s. In Africa and Asia, millions would go hungry due to damage to farming and water supplies. In lands close to the equator, declining crop yields would leave hundreds of millions unable to grow food".
The whole world is slowly waking up to the stark reality and several community measures are being taken on a war footing to ward off the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. In Sydney, they switched off incandescent lights and air-conditioners to conserve power and thereby collaborate to fight global warming.
Our leaders here are seized with more pressing things like election in UP, Supreme Court ruling on OBC quota etc. Of course, they are far-sighted enough as far as their vote-bank politics are concerned and would rather be interested in expanding their own fortunes than worrying about shrinking Himalayan glaciers by 2030s. By then, it would be too late to rectify their Himalayan blunder!

Children Take The Lead In Fighting Global warming

Today global warming and its apocalyptic effect on the planet Earth is no longer viewed by the scientific world as distant scenarios but is a hard reality facing the entire human race. It is, however, shocking that masses still live in the illusion that it is not going to affect their lives even as clinching evidences like shrinking icebergs in Arctic or Antartic regions as well as other serious climatic changes are regularly reported. A recent report of Reuters said "13% Americans have never heard of global warming, even though their country is the world's top source of greenhouse gases".
If this is the state of affairs with the nation of richest economy and high literacy, the awareness among people in India having poor literacy is obviously very low. There is a ray of hope, however, to the looming crisis. It has been possible to spread the awareness unexpectedly through animated films and movies for kids. Movies produced abroad like Ice Age: The Meltdown for the children dealing with global warming was a big box-office hit.
Children in India can also play a very effective role in spreading the awareness among people. They should learn subjects such as global warming, environment and pollution compulsorily at the high school level. In all interviews and examinations for recruitment, each candidate must satisfy the selectors that he has the minimum required knowledge about global warming. Thus awareness about global warming will go up and that is how a beginning can be made to fight it. How I wish it happened yesterday!

Kudos For India's War Against Global Warming

India's current rapid economic growth is drawing increasing attention from far and near with projections released by reputed agencies that it would dislodge Japan from its third rank by 2032 and USA from its second rank by 2050.
A more deserving achievement by India, however, I feel, is its highest reduction in green house gas (GHG) emissions (which have been responsible for global warming) among the developing nations Brazil, Mexico, China and Chile. As per Kyoto protocol, these nations including India, though not bound to reduce emissions, have been encouraged to adopt measures and at the same time earn 'carbon credits' which are tradable globally so that those who cannot achieve reduction in emissions could buy such 'carbon credits' for offsetting. As per a report, India tops such a list with 155 projects registered out of a total of 492 followed by Brazil 88, Mexico 77, China 37 and Chile 14 projects. Some more projects are awaiting registration. It has been estimated that it may finally bring 350 million 'carbon credits' which on a conservative basis would generate a whopping $3.5 billion by 2012.
It has been like killing two birds in one shot. In my post

Ah, Plant Trees And Get Tax Concessions!

You may be thinking that it must be a joke. I, too, accepted the news appearing in Economic Times with a pinch of salt. It says the government or more precisely the ministry of Environment and Forests is contemplating to offer tax concessions as incentive for afforestation. Before you start imagining that your personal tax liability will be somewhat reduced if only you planted trees as per the scheme, let me reluctantly pour cold water on your hope clarifying that the whole scheme of things is for the industry.
Be that as it may, I see a ray of hope of such afforestation scheme bearing fruit as no other palliatives worked better than tax concessions for the industry. The appalling deforestation has been largely the result of rapid industrialisation. Industries polluting air, water and land have been held responsible for the impending catastrophe arising out of global warming. Though belatedly, nations have agreed to abide by Kyoto protocol which offers incentives by way of carbon credits for reducing mainly carbon dioxide gas emissions, many are yet to take initiatives as they find that the benefits accrue only on long term even as spending on emission control measures has to be made initially.
I think this new scheme of giving tax concessions when implemented will get good response because of the indication given by the officials that the compensation could be in the form of land tax concession or providing relief from land ceiling. The ministry, as reported by Economic Times, is proceeding on the premise that the country's forest and tree will cover one third of the geophysical area by 2012.
The irony in the scheme has not been lost. Since industry has been the culprit that has played havoc with nature, it is now being made to undo the colossal damage to the environment. It is a classic example of the saying 'sow the wind and reap the whirlwind'.
Is it not?

Global Warming Raises Finger At The Cattle

The poor cow - now is at the receiving end. For ages, man has enjoyed pouring scorn on donkey so much so that the English language makes liberal use of such expressions like 'He is an absolute donkey' or 'The bridge won't be ready for donkey's years.But I was startled to read about a UN report saying the dumb cattle is responsible for global warming. I always thought that among animals, cow serves the man best. Its milk is nutritious for the child and the old alike. Its meat is relished by those who include such animal protein in their food. Its hide is an excellent raw material for leather shoes, bags and belts. Even its excrement has lot of uses - as a manure and fuel of the poor. The blow given by a report of otherwise independent and non-partisan United Nations is too devastating.
The Times of India reported "The increasing world population,a new UN report warns, would lead to further increase in the number of livestock as demand for meat and milk increases and that would mean emission of more greenhouse gases. Not only that. Cattle are also a major contributor to land degradation and pollution of water, the report says. The livestock business, the report says, is among the most damaging sectors to the earth's increasingly scarce water resources, contributing among other things to water pollution from animal waste s, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilisers, and the pesticides used to spray feed crops.
Global warming is a stark reality which is threatening to cause unimaginable damage and loss to the entire population if drastic measures are not taken. That is why nations are jointly trying to fight the menace by Kyoto protocol and carbon emission reduction mechanisms. If cattle indeed are the culprit, we cannot think of a similar carbon trading to reduce their contribution to global warming.
One of the possible ways to reduce their greenhouse emission is to go for their zero-growth population. The good news is that non-vegetarians are gradually turning vegetarians all over the world. Then the meat demand may not rise proportionately with the increase of human population. Substitutes for dung used as manure and fuels may be eventually found. But I cannot think of a world where milk would become a rare commodity. Even as the we are reminded of the apocalyptic end caused by global warming, the very thought of living in a world of perpetual milk famine is equally distressful for me.

Carbon Credits As Sops Sap Poor Nations

The good earth cannot take any more. With reckless deforestation and wanton industrialisation necessitating rapid transportation of men and materials by automobiles causing carbon dioxide emissions ceaselessly, the die has been cast. Global warming is a stark reality now which cannot be wished away any longer. The changing and unpredictable weather all over the world has been serving as a constant reminder of nature's wrath against human excesses.
Now the death-knell has been sounded by the former Chief economist of World Bank, Mr Nicolas Stern, as appeared in Econmic Times, who has warned that 'the impact of global warming on world economy can be as apocalyptic as that of the Great Depression of the 1930s'. He minced no words to depict the horrifying scenario by saying "in the absence of significant cut in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), the world economy will shrink by 20% in the decades to come. The rising temperature leading to floods may also displace about 200 million people globally."
The irony has not been lost in the report by raising his finger against industrialised countries as the worst offenders of carbon dioxide emissions. Contrary to the popular belief due to misinformation campaign, India and China have been absolved of customary charges of causing global warming. There is already a system of rewarding and punishing parties depending upon their share of reducing or increasing carbon dioxide emissions. I think carbon trading as prevalent now is not a fool-proof control to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It is just a way of giving sops to the nations which are able to earn carbon credits by reducing GHG emissions so that the cash-rich nations can continue to do the damage by paying penalty in being the credits.
Already as per a survey 'Voice of the People,2006'conducted by Gallup International and TNS, FDIs are perceived by the majority to help the rich only rather than the masses. In the name of economic development, new mega projects are coming up mostly in developing countries. The damage to the environment and the misery of millions who are routinely displaced as a fallout of these projects will more than offset the so- called benefits of employment generation and raising standards of living. GHG emissions, unfortunately, do not affect selectively but pervade everywhere. So the rich as well as the poor will suffer unimaginable losses in the long-term and we will be leaving the planet in much less habitable condition for the future generations.
What a ghastly scenario! What do you say?