SunCorp - indiacentric

Less than 1,700 tigers left in the wild now

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:45:00 +0200

The preliminary tiger estimate submitted by the Tiger Task Force to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a fortnight ago reveals that the majestic feline is more endangered now than it was in the last estimate in 2001-2002.
If the controversial pugmark method had accounted for 3,642 tigers in the country four years ago, the refined methodology approved by the Tiger Task Force and executed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India indicates that there could be less than 1,700 tigers in the wild now.
The preliminary estimate submitted on November 1 to the PM by the member secretary, National Board for Wildlife, shows that the central India has lost more than half of its tiger population due to poaching and habitat fragmentation. From a robust 1,233 cats, it is now down to 461.

For example, if Madhya Pradesh boasted 710 tigers in 2002, the numbers have drastically come down to 300. The percentage of decline in Chhattisgarh is alarming. If there were an estimated 227 tigers four years ago, there are a mere 26 now. Maharashtra too has lost more than half of its population (from a viable 238 to a vulnerable 103). Rajasthan, which forced the Union government to constitute the Tiger Task Force after tigers vanished from the Sariska and Ranthambore reserves—is left with 32 cats as against 58 in 2002.
    With the estimate for central India—done in three phases—being disappointing, conservationists are concerned that the figures for most of India, which is to completed by December 2007, could be even worse.
    The NTCA and WII have drawn the PM’s attention, urging him to address the sourcelink situation on a priority. They have attributed the decimation to fragmentation of habitat. “The assessment reveals fragmentation of forest connectivity around source population—tiger reserves and protected areas and forest areas outside protected areas. This indicates that they hardly have any viable tiger population. This calls for addressing the source-link situation on a priority,’’ the National Board for Wildlife says.
    Though the central India estimate is alarming, the Karnataka forest department is confident its tigers are safe in its reserves. “Though the WII is yet to release the figures for Karnataka (401 in 2002), we are confident that we have a viable population,” said chief wildlife warden I B Srivatsava.

Growing India

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:35:00 +0200

The US economy is expected to slow down in 2008, sending markets the world over, including India’s, into a flutter. Oil is close to $100 a barrel and the subprime crisis cloud has not blown over. What are the possible consequences for India? Rupee appreciation is set to increase, as a weak US economy and easy interest rates spur capital flows into India. A stronger rupee will continue to neutralise some of the increase in oil prices. However, exports are likely to be hit by a strong currency and weak demand. Should India be worried?
    India’s current account deficit, now about 2.1 per cent of gross domestic product, is unlikely to worsen, as remittances, now about $27 billion, have never been affected by slowdowns in the world economy. Merchandise exports are expected to come to terms with a rising rupee and grow at 12-15 per cent in the medium term, even as services exports no longer rise at 30 per cent per annum. However, India’s best bet against the inevitable ebbs and flows in the world economy is to generate internal demand.
    India is better placed to do so than China. Its foreign trade accounts for about 35 per cent of its gross domestic product, against 80 per cent in China’s case. India’s growth took off in the Tenth Plan period (2002-07) when savings and investment picked up dramatically to cross 30 per cent of gross domestic product. The private sector accounts for about 75 per cent of capital formation, a trend that can be sustained if the government continues to create the right conditions.
    Investment in education is necessary to sustain growth, in view of the skills shortage in industry and services. The Eleventh Plan proposes to increase spending on education from 7.7 per cent of the central plan outlay to 19 per cent or Rs 275,289 crore. Skill creation would transfer about 50 million surplus people out of agriculture to industry and services and enhance farm productivity. A $500 billion investment in infrastructure through public-private partnerships would address supply bottlenecks and generate a stream of incomes. Apart from capital infusion, higher output per unit of labour and capital used can alone sustain long-term growth. This, rather than short-term market and currency movements, should concern our policymakers and entrepreneurs.

Diwali Greetings from SunCorp

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:10:00 +0200

On this festival of lights and prosperity, we at SunCorp wish one and all a "Very Happy Diwali"

Enemy of the People

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:10:00 +0200

Bandh and hartal have no place in a democracy

   It’s only a month since the Supreme Court took the Tamil Nadu government to task for its stance favouring a bandh in the state. Early this week, the chief minister, transport minister and a few bureaucrats were issued contempt notices by the court to explain their conduct. Bandhs, according to the apex court, are a no-no in a democracy. But the message seems to be lost on our politicians. West Bengal has seen two hartals on two consecutive days last week, the first one called by SUCI and the next by Trinamul Congress. In Kerala, political parties have been competing to call hartals. The state has had 30 hartals this year, including two in the last one week. Opposition parties in Bihar forced a bandh in the state on Friday.
    So, how do these parties escape the wrath of law despite merrily violating the spirit of the Supreme Court order? One, no one calls a bandh these days, they declare a hartal. Two, they claim that people voluntarily participate in the shutdown. But bandh and hartal are the same in practice and political parties hold out the threat of violence to keep people off the roads and shut down shops and offices. Courts have indeed seen through this ploy but, clearly, more needs to be done.
    A bandh is not the same as a strike called by a labour union. When a union ballots for industrial action, it is the particular site of action, say the factory concerned, which is affected, whereas a general strike threatens a total shutdown of society. The general strike was invented in the late 19th century as a revolutionary tool to overthrow existing social and political orders. There is no role for such action in a liberal democracy where numerous platforms are available under the Constitution to debate public causes and express dissent.
    In extreme situations, when the democratic order itself is suspended by a government in power, political parties could resort to bandhs. That is certainly not the case in West Bengal, Kerala and Bihar. And, it is all the more ridiculous for parties that hold office to call hartals. Who do they intend to overthrow? Is their elected government the target? A general strike by a party in office is tantamount to declaring its inability to govern. You can’t eat your cake and have it too.

Whether Noisy or Noiseless, Crackers are Noxious

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:00:00 +0200

Light-Based Fireworks May Reduce Noise Pollution, But They Poison The Air Just Like Sound-Making Ones.

If you are planning to reduce the din on your children’s and neighbours’ ears this Diwali by buying your kids some noiseless, lightbased firecrackers, then take note: though you may be reducing noise pollution, you may not be helping control air pollution.
    While there has been a concerted effort over the past few years to reduce noise pollution by opting for lightbased fireworks, the authorities have not paid attention to the poisonous contents of both noisy or noiseless crackers, according to Sumaira Abdulali, founder-president of the NGO Awaaz Foundation.
    Sample this: following Diwali celebrations last year, Awaaz conducted tests of air pollution at Wadala and discovered huge amounts of metals in the air. There were large quantities of Respiratory Particulate Matter (RPM) of aluminium, sodium, copper, zinc, lead and potassium in the air (see box).
    Even the practice of leaving the city during Diwali is no remedy, because the RPM can stay in the air for weeks, doctors said.
    “This metal content in the atmosphere is due to the combined effect of both the light-based and sound-based firecrackers,’’ said Abdulali.
    While the authorities have cracked down on noise levels by specifiying decibel levels for fireworks and having a 10pm noise deadline, a similar crackdown on poisons in fireworks is yet to materialise. The government has yet to come out with guidelines for the permissible limits of metals in crackers. Abdulali said she asked the central government’s explosives department for details under the Right to Information Act about the permissible limits of metals in crackers. “The department gave an evasive reply, saying giving the information would violate proprietary rules,’’ she said. Such rules protect the commercial interests of private proprietors, like fireworks manufacturers.
    Activists said that every sparkler or ‘anar’ (fountain) that is lit poisons the air and all who breathe it due to the noxious metals released. Noiseless crackers like sparklers emanate a white light because they have a large amount of aluminium, while the green
    colour in an ‘anar’ is due to
    a large amount of copper it contains. “Each colour that a lightbased cracker emanates is due to the metal content that forms one of its basic ingredients,’’ said Abdulali. Common noisy crackers—like sutli bombs, Laxmi bombs, phatakra strings and rockets—also pollute the air.
    Most disturbing is the increase in the atmosphere of heavy metals like lead. Studies show that the heavy metals remain in the atmosphere for long and then get oxidised before entering the food chain through vegetables and fish.
    “Mumbaikars think they can escape the pollution by leaving the city for a few days, but they do not realise they will be eating food laden with metals,’’ Abdulali said.
    “Firecrackers have noxious elements like lead and cadmium and generate fumes like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are hazards,’’ said Dr Hasnain Patel, who has a done a five-year study on the impact of heavy metals and toxic fumes. He said that apart from allergies and respiratory ailments, metals also damage the
    nervous system.

Medical practitioners said there is little awareness about the health hazards of crackers. “There is a 25% increase in asthma patients at OPDs after Diwali. Air pollution rises to 6 to 10 times and the after-effects last for weeks,’’ said Dr Pramod V Niphadkar of St George Hospital. The Asthma and Bronchitis Association of India has requested the public not to burn large anars, chakras or other crackers on staircases and balconies and in small lanes. “Also, reduce the number of crackers burned,’’ said Niphadkar.
AIR SCARE
The Awaaz Foundation Found the following levels of Respiratory Particulate Matter per cubic metre in the air after last Diwali:
Aluminium: 111.08 nanograms/m³ (Causes Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, reduced mental capacity and memory)
Potassium: 19.05 nanogram/m³ (Kidney failure)
Copper: 3.52 nanograms/m³ (Liver problems, epilepsy)
Lead: 3.46 nanogram/m³ (Heart ailments, stroke, haemoglobin levels, affects mood of children)
Zinc: 17.39 nanogram/m³ (Not too harmful, can cause dietary problems) Sodium: 92.06 nanograms/m³ (Not very harmful)

Light-up for a bright Diwali

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:50:00 +0200

As the festival of lights gets under way next week, most of the big purchases like electronics are likely to have been made already. It is now that the attention becomes focussed on the little items of worship and decoration that in fact reflect the true ethos of Diwali. Here is a quick sample of the decorative items available this season.
Oil lamps: Families in Kumbharwada continue to churn out the little earthen diyas that were once the hallmark of Diwali celebrations in every Indian household. However, during the past few years the market for traditional oil lamps has been overrun by the hybrid avatar. Brightly coloured diyas encased in bandhni and lined with pretty beadwork are available for as little as Rs 10 apiece. Some are filled with wax while others are cast in the traditional mould and require oil and a handmade wick.
    Available in sets of four and five, the bigger ones cost Rs 70-95. “We just sold our biggest candelabra-style diya for Rs 195,” says Anil Sharma, whose Hitesh Store in Lokhandwala, Mumbai is well stocked for the Diwali shopping festival that is under way in the locality. However, the flame scorches the fine material and the white beads that line the rim of the diya, making it unfit for repeat use. Candles: Floating candles are the flavour of the season. No longer is one required to pour oil into a diya or wipe a possible spill afterwards. On the reverse side, this takes away some of the ceremony of the Diwali rituals.
    Retail stores sell jelly-type floating candles for anywhere from Rs 45-165 for a set of four. Traders at the wholesale market in Mumbai’s Masjid Bunder claim that the popularity of floating candles is gradually creeping up on that of regular diyas.
    Interestingly, once these pastelcoloured candles are placed in a bowl of water and lit up, the ambience becomes more romantic than devotional. “During Lakshmi pooja, the simple earthen diya serves as a reminder that the goddess represents purity, peace and prosperity rather than just wealth and opulence,” says a traditionalist who discovered this fact and went back to the good old ways.
Lanterns: Paper lamps or kandeel are on the way out. This is the unanimous verdict in shopping bazaars across Mumbai. First the classic pentacle gave way to the bulbous design, then the string of inexpensive fairy lights demolished the kandeel altogether. It was also the inconvenience of having to install a bulb on the outer edge of the window or balcony— to hang the lantern over—that precipitated its end. “No one wants the trouble of calling in an electrician to fit a temporary light connection for Diwali and then dismantle it. Lights come with an attached plug that can be simply connected to the nearest switchboard,” says a retailer, who has only two designs to show this season.
    In any case, some shops along Mahim-Matunga sell these—a regular kandeel costs Rs 35 while a double-storeyed lantern comes for Rs 75.

Lights: By far the most popular option during Diwali, decorative lights are available at all electrical stores, pedigreed or not. Eighty per cent of the designs comprise small or big flowers made of fabric with slim or round bulbs in their little hearts. Attractive chunks of glass, almost like icecubes embedded with coloured bulbs, are a recent favourite.
    However, most of these Chinese lights fail to work after one season, if not sooner. Use-and-throw is the mantra here too. Their short-lived glory is the reason these fairy lights are available cheap. A string of 80 regular bulbs costs a mere Rs 50, while 50 LED lights that are vaguely said to “last longer”, cost Rs 125. A web of net lights—essentially long, flat bulbs cast in strings of wire—is available for Rs 150. None of these comes with a warranty or the promise of repair, even for a cost. “No electrician is willing to put in hours of labour to repair a complicated product like Chinese lights,” says Amit Patel of Skilful Electricals, one of the five prominent light stores in Lokhandwala Complex.
    The colourful zero-watt bulbs made in India, which can be bought for Rs 7-9 apiece, may not make as pretty a picture but they do last longer. Moreover, in this case, one need only replace the faulty bulb, whereas in the Chinese series of lights, the entire string stops functioning once a single bulb gives way.
Rangoli: These days stickers do well for those who cannot spare the time or effort to draw out a floor design with powder the traditional way. Auspicious motifs like Om and the Swastika and the footprint of Goddess Lakshmi are crafted in big and small sizes to be stuck on the threshold of the home as well as inside. A small print costs Rs 5, whereas a large sticker that spans about two feet and incorporates all the requisite symbols of Diwali, is available for Rs 35.
    The five-rupee rangoli stencils come one step closer to the real thing, though. All one must do is, sprinkle the coloured powder onto the floor through the holes in the sheet of paper. A beautiful lotus or Swastika emerges when one lifts the sheet.

Centre plans to reward states that follow green policy

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:15:00 +0200

Even as India tries to resist attempts from the developed world to impose emission caps, going green seems to be firmly on the government’s agenda. In a significant move expected on Friday, the government is expected to ask the 13th Finance Commission (TFC)—a constitutional entity to recommend sharing of taxes between the Centre and states—to fuse the challenges of ecology management and environment protection in development policies.
    More important, there are indications that the government may incentivise the measures designed to protect ecology and the environment. Taken together with the plan to introduce user charges for power and water, the move will mark the greening of the country’s fiscal management.
    According to the constitution, the Centre has to set up a finance commission to decide on the tax-sharing formula every five years. While recommendations other than the sharing formula are not binding on the Centre, the move to include ecology in the terms of reference of the TFC is being seen as the result of a growing recognition of the threats emerging from climate change and unsustainable growth.
    Although officials were unwilling to share the details, sources said the panel, which will be constituted if the cabinet approves the move on Friday, could go to the extent of suggesting rewards for states which follow a green policy or promote schemes that minimise environmental damage.
    The rewards can be in the form of a higher share in the divisible pool of central taxes or grants.
ECO LOGIC
The govt is set to ask the finance commission to marry fiscal management with eco awareness
Move prompted by global warming and unsustainable growth
States that promote eco-friendly schemes will get a higher share of central taxes or grants
Centre also plans to get economists to vet financial viability of irrigation and power projects User charges for irrigation projects on the cards
New Delhi: The Centre plans to reward states that minimise environmental damage. The 12th Finance Commission had recommended incentives for states committing to reduce deficit to a prescribed level and the recommendation has already been implemented by the Centre.
    The move is significant and reflects the desire to combat the threat emerging from climate change even as the country continues to fight off western evangelism to force mandatory cuts through its gullet. The last finance commission had also suggested a Rs 10,000 crore allocation to reward states that maintained higher green cover at the cost of their economic development. But the move in the works goes much farther.
    While the TFC would be set up over the next few weeks, the panel is expected to submit its report by October 2009 to enable the government to implement its recommendations from April 2010. Among a host of agenda items for the TFC, the Centre also intends to seek an assessment by the panel of economists on ensuring the commercial viability of irrigation and power projects, and services offered by PSUs and government departments through various methods, including levy of user charges.
    While the government has often spoken about higher user charges for services offered by its departments, irrigation projects have not always been part of the agenda. The move could have stemmed from depletion of ground water, thanks to free power being offered by states like Punjab. Levy of charges on companies tapping ground water has also been debated in recent months. In fact, the finance ministry, which has moved the note, is according the same treatment to environment as it is giving to goods and services tax, a common tax to be levied by the Centre and states.

India Inc turns to smart energy

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:40:00 +0200

The corporate sector is designing innovative products and programmes to improve energy efficiency, cut costs and counter global warming.

One of the most frequently used key combinations to log off a PC is ‘Ctrl+Alt+Del’. But every time we do this and walk away, the computer remains on and consumes energy, resulting in wastage of both money and power.
Not just that, the power consumed by your PC also adds to global warming! A 65 watt power processor in a computer consumes about 234 KW power if it works for 12 hours a day for 300 days. If there are an estimated 15 million PCs in India, then it could result in consumption of 35.25 terra watts of power a year— which means a whopping 4,92,748,000 barrels of oil to produce that amount of energy.
This is just one aspect of the energy crunch facing India. According to the Central Electricity Authority, at the current annual generation capacity of 1,35,000 MW, there’s a shortage of nearly 10% and it will only get worse. No wonder that the corporate sector is opting for intelligent power usage. Companies are designing innovative products and programmes to increase energy efficiency and cut costs.

INDIA INC STEPS IN
For example, IBM has integrated energy conservation into its environmental management system since 1974. Between 2000-2005, it reduced PFC emissions by 58% and made the technology available to others in the industry. In India, they launched Intelligent Energy Campaign last year and Project Big Green in June 2007. ‘‘The initiative includes new products and services for clients to sharply reduce data centre energy consumption, transforming the world’s business and public technology infrastructure into ‘green’ data centres,’’ says Reji Kumar Pillai, head, energy and utilities, IBM India.
    Statistics show IT data centres consume 15 times more energy per sq ft than a typical office building and, in some cases, may be 100 times more energy intensive. According to IDC, expenditure on power and cooling in data centres is growing at eight times the rate of expenditure on hardware. So ‘‘green teams’’ of energy efficiency specialists, as set up by IBM, is a step forward. Similarly, AMD India makes sure the PCs in its offices are switched off, screen savers are not used and ACs are fitted with thermostats that modulate temperatures. ‘‘The company also uses PowerNow in its server processors that helps reduce energy consumption of the server,’’ says Deepanshu Sharma, GM Marketing, AMD India.
GREEN GRID
In another initiative, a consortium of IT giants like AMD, Microsoft, Dell, Sun, IBM et al, have set up The Green Grid — a platform for IT professionals who aim to cut power consumption in data centres. It offers solutions and suggestions on the best practices available.
    ‘Green’ buildings is another concept fast gaining popularity. Commercial buildings are responsible for at least 40% of energy use in most countries. Industry estimates say ‘green’ buildings can save up to 50% energy, 35% of water usage and improve employee productivity by up to 10%. Adds Manoj Mathur, regional head, Trane India Ltd which helps make ‘green’ buildings, ‘‘Better usage of heat from the building can also be done. For example, in the process of cooling buildings, a lot of heat is wasted. This heat can be captured and used for a wide range of applications, like water heating etc.’’ The commonly-used incandescent bulb too wastes up to 95% of its energy on generating heat — only 5% goes into producing light. This at a time when the global demand for energy is expected to grow 53% by 2030 — 70% of this demand will come from China and India alone.
    S Venkataramani, head, lighting division, Philips Electronics India, says, ‘‘In India, 18,000 MW power is used for lighting purposes alone annually. A study done by MAIT-Emerson Network Power (India) on network power downtime reveals... India Inc could be losing over Rs 22,000 crore in direct losses due to poor power quality and operating environment related downtime. This is estimated to be around 2.2% of the gross output of the total industrial and service sectors.’’ Now, Philips India is in the process of creating an ‘‘ecosystem’’ comprising industry bodies, governments and NGOs and education institutes to break down the barriers against adoption of energy efficient lighting. It’s promoting compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) that save energy by 80%. ‘‘That’s a saving of Rs 500 and 84 kg of CO2 per lamp per year,’’ says Venkataramani.
    None of these initiatives will work unless there is collaboration by all concerned. As Pillai says, ‘‘For intelligent energy solutions to succeed, there must be a concerted and collaborative effort by industry, government and consumers; no company or organisation can do this alone.’’ Recognising this, the corporate world seems to have taken up the challenge of balancing both market needs and environmental priorities.

The Ape In Us

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:20:00 +0200

The photograph said it: Men and women, seemingly belonging to the educated middle class, mimicking monkeys as Andrew Symonds walked out to bat in Mumbai on Wednesday. Four spectators, including a woman, have since been arrested on charges of harassment and misbehaviour. BCCI officials have sought to underplay the incident. Prior to the Mumbai incident, spectators in Vadodara targeted Symonds in a similar manner and that city’s police chief, without a trace of irony, said they were invoking Lord Hanuman. For the lord’s sake, let’s not be apologetic about rotten eggs in our midst.
    Of course, not all Indians are racist, but there are many who openly display racial prejudices. They should be told in clear terms that there is no place for such behaviour in a liberal democracy. Australian bloggers have said they will take the cue from our fans when India tours Australia in December this year. That too is unacceptable, because racism, whatever the provocation, is uncivilised. Cricket Australia officials should take the threat seriously, since the South African as well as English teams had accused Australian fans of racism in the past.
    Is there any reason to believe that the racist acts in Vadodara and Mumbai were simply hostile antics, as BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has claimed? No, especially since the target all the time was Symonds, who is of West Indian origin. Yes, he was smashing Indian bowlers all over the park. But so did Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting. Even bowlers like Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg, who exposed the limitations of Indian batsmen, were not harassed. We wonder if the boors who saw a monkey in Symonds realised they were insulting one of the finest one-day players of all time, an all-rounder any team in the world would be proud to have in their ranks. The real ape — though apes may object to this — is the one who has not evolved into understanding that everyone has a right to respect and dignity irrespective of ethnicity and skin colour.
    Indian cricket fans are changing. They increasingly resemble football fans in European stadiums. Cricket, for them, is a carnival where ribaldry and raucousness have a free run. As long as it’s clean fun, it’s fine. But these fans are representative of a society which secretly admires fair skin. Just look at our matrimonial adverts. Many sociologists and political activists also say caste prejudice among Indians is nothing but racism. So, let us not be in denial, but recognise the malaise.

Green signal for India

noreply@blogspirit.com (SunCorp) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:15:00 +0200

n awarding the Nobel peace prize to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore, the Nobel Committee recognised climate change as the most serious problem affecting human security. In awarding it to Gore, the committee recognised his efforts to put climate change on the political agenda. In awarding it to IPCC, it recognised the institutional framework that collects, collates, and assesses the available science. In awarding it during the leadership of Rajendra Pachauri, it sends a strong message — the future of the climate problem lies in countries like India.
    Why? The problem cannot be addressed unless all countries participate and especially the big ones. At present 170 countries are participating in climate treaties. However, the momentum has slowed down since the US has withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol. In 1996, the US made its acceptance of quantitative greenhouse gas (GHG) targets dependent on developing countries like India and later tried to co-opt these countries through bilateral agreements.
    While everyone recognises that at a per capita level the emissions of the latter are low, the sheer size of total emissions makes it critical to include the three largest emitters. However, the US tendency to unilateralism sets a dangerous precedent. If China and India join the US and go unilateral as large powers are often tempted to do, the climate policy regime will collapse risking the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable who are located mostly in developing countries as the Delhi Declaration of 2002 emphasised.
    Indian foreign policy rhetoric has not changed much. In 1989, at Noordwijk, the government argued that it may be counterproductive to lay down targets for countries which are still striving to raise the living conditions of their masses. While preparing for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the government argued that the developed countries are primarily responsible for the emissions, that developing countries need to fulfil developmental needs first and that the North should transfer resources to the South in order to accelerate the response to climate change. In June 2007, Pranab Mukherjee reiterated this position in Hamburg. The question is: Will not the impacts of the problem itself reduce the prospects for economic growth and poverty alleviation?
    Developing countries are justified in their anger with the North about not having kept its side of the bargain. Climate change agreements are based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, for which the North should take action and show leadership. The North should make technologies and financial assistance available to the South for the South to develop sustainably. If the more debilitating consequences of climate change are to be avoided, global emissions of GHGs must peak in 2015.
    With the US making its policy conditional on steps taken by key developing countries, there was a crisis of leadership. Developing countries want the North to take the first steps on emission cuts, while the US clings to technological solutions to bail them out of serious impacts. EU is moving ahead with a unilateral,unconditional target,in the hope of breaking this deadlock. However, without followers the problem will continue unabated and the risks for the 150 or so developing countries may be quite devastating.
    India is taking a number of measures, China may be ahead. It has a national energy intensity target which it has divided among the provinces and is setting up a reward system for officials down to local level that recognises their contribution to environmental issues. While both China and India are leveraging international resources through the Clean Development Mechanism and the Global Environment Facility, this will not be enough to make more than a small dent in their energy policy. At the same time comprehensive solutions for countries like China and India are not likely to be found in the West.
    The Nobel prize brings with it the responsibility for India to unleash its huge intellectual capital and mobilise all social actors in a small sustainable development revolution.