India wants the world to recognize it as a nuclear and emerging economic power but does not want to take the responsibility that comes along with it. This is seen in the ongoing climate negotiations where the Indian position is no different from that of developing countries and China. This position is based on historic emissions of the developed countries. India, the developing and less developed world, countries that form the non-Annexe 1, do not have binding carbon emission targets as laid down in the Kyoto Protocol. This has lead the United States of America and others to not ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nicely summed up India’s position when he stated that India’s per capita emissions will always be less than that of developed nations.
This stance which India held for almost 2 decades was in muddy waters a few days earlier. A letter from Mr. Jairam Ramesh the Indian Minster for Environment and Forests to the Prime Minister states that India should no longer toe this line and should break from the G 77 developing country ranks and take on emission reduction targets. The letter went on to suggest that this be done without any counter guarantees of finance and technology.
Politicians (both from the ruling party and BJP), and civil society groups saw the suggestion as detrimental to India and to other developing countries. Even though not much has been made public from this letter one does discern a ‘out of the box thinking’, which takes a relook at India’s international stature in and outside these talks.
The recently concluded UN climate talks in Bangkok saw the G77 countries staging a walk-out. Negotiators were trying to find ways to get countries including the US to accept binding targets this lead to fears that developed countries were trying to dilute their emission responsibilities in the new climate pact due in December. The need for a global climate compact is a no-brainer however it needs a leader to step up to the plate. Though the US sees itself as a world leader it has effectively destroyed the Kyoto Protocol and may just do the same in Copenhagen.
Jairam Ramesh saw this debilitating vacuum in the ongoing climate negotiations and proposed India take up pole position. This suggestion would have done many things -first it would have recognised India’s technical prowess, second it would have coerced the US and others to play game and alienated the Chinese and mostly importantly there were political and economic reasons for such a proposition clearly elucidated by Ramesh earlier ‘We are not doing the world a favour; rather we are doing ourselves a favour by undertaking these actions'.
Estimates from ASSOCHAM suggest that from July, 2008 to February, 2009, average annual CER from CDM projects grew by 20.92% from 218,345,930 to 264,022,976 respectively. However at the same time Indian companies are earning CERs through technical innovation, for example the Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur has installed a Top Pressure Recovery Turbine to generate electricity replacing power from a coal powered thermal plant. Their Clean Development Mechanism Project Design Document Form states that approximately 66.68 GWh of electrical energy per annum will be generated which would lead to a reduction of 60,811 tonnes of CO2 per annum, which is the expected amount of annual CERs. According to the annual report of ITC, the ITC Sonar hotel in Kolkatta is the only project in the building sector that is earning CERs. There are other innovations that are reaching the lay person. TataBP and New Delhi Power Limited (NPDL) are planning to install solar panels on residential rooftops in Delhi which will be connected to the grid, this will not only generate power but provide additional income to households if they choose to sell the additional power to the grid.
Mr Ramesh saw the climate negotiations as a real opportunity for India to make a global mark. The new position suggested by the minister embarrasses developed countries to better their emission targets because the suggestion is being made by a poorer country. India would have become the ‘gold standard’ and provided relieve to developing nations who till date have not been very successful in forcing the developed world to reduce their emissions. A few weeks earlier the minister acknowledged that the Indian position is not favoured by small island states and others thereby recognizing the uncertain future the small island states face and the traditional role India played being non-conducive to the talks. His new suggestion indicated that India was in a position to do something more and provided a direction on how it intended to go about it
The new stance was a diplomatic barb against the Chinese who have been very active against India in the past months. The minister’s proposal would have isolated the Chinese internationally as they do not want to take emission commitments - a major reason for the failure of the Kyoto Protocol. This shows a high level of maturity in dealing with the Chinese who have found ways to constantly unsettle India. In dealing with China in such a manner India shifts focus to its positives while directing international pressure on the Chinese for its bull headedness. The proposal which would have plugged the flaring nostrils of the dragon has been nixed and the elephant has got into a warm embrace with the dragon.
A recent Maplecroft study states that between 1980 and 2008 the mean annual natural disaster economic loss was 1600 million dollars for India. An Oxfam study predicts that there will be a 9 to 13 per cent of loss of GDP by 2010 due to climate related disasters. The recent few months have seen India swing between droughts and floods. A lack of water in reservoirs and rivers not only threatened agriculture but power generation faced a dip. Then in October floods destroyed paddy in Andhra Pradesh, submerged the hydel power station in Srisalem, while also rendering over 1.80 lakh people homeless in northern Karnataka.
The suggestion made by the minister is path breaking and commendable because it sees the threat of climate change and the opportunities that come from mitigating it; these include improving the Indian economy, making it climate resilient and enhancing India’s position internationally.
Mr Jairam Ramesh had made the first step and it should have been taken further. However shortsightedness on the part of those who claim to speak for equity and for the rest of political India ensured that India remains like the veritable Indian crab.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Kaminey – Or the Art in Stammering.
So, I haven’t seen the current bollywood blockbuster ‘Kaminey’ but its all over the news that the hero of the hour Shahid Kapoor has done a great job in playing the part. He has a double role and the best part is that diction is not a prerequisite. One of his roles requires him to stammer and the other to lisp.
The problem with stammering is that it takes too long to say something and the problem with lisping is that one does not quite understand what the lisper is saying. So when one goes to watch Kaminey should one be prepared to sit for a very long movie (considering the time taken by the stammer to speak) or sit close to the speakers or to the screen to carefully hear the lisper speak or to read his lips? It seems that the time for this bollywood flick is the same as any other flick coming out from this side of the wood and no one seems to be complaining about the inarticulateness of the actor.
So one question is whether Shahid has really done justice to his roles of a lisper and a stammer? The other question is whether Indian audiences really appreciate good acting? Well, the fact that there are a quite a few acting awards instituted by different companies/magazines giving the same award to different actors shows that the Indian populace really have no idea of what good acting is (being an Indian I don’t know either). So answering the former question now, if the movie has a stammer and is of the same length then he hasn’t done justice to the art of stammering.
But, the good thing is that stammering has got into the mainstream. In flicks the character who stammered had the time he did because he needed that time to say the lines. The case of the stammering lawyer in ‘my cousin vinny’ is a case in point. The stammerers usually provided comic relief in bollywood flicks, just as a cross in the cleavage indicated the vamp turned sacrificial lamb.
So, even though Shahid was faking it, twice at that, he finds himself in the news, getting pats in the back and lugging trunks full of money to the bank. Which means that those who really stammer have a chance to get into the really big screen, directors are always looking for ‘naturals’ stammerers can raise their hands and stammer their way to the bank. Stammering and lisping may become the next big thing in the fashion and media bazaar and could even help relationships as one could spend more time ‘whispering sweet nothings’ and understanding them.
The problem with stammering is that it takes too long to say something and the problem with lisping is that one does not quite understand what the lisper is saying. So when one goes to watch Kaminey should one be prepared to sit for a very long movie (considering the time taken by the stammer to speak) or sit close to the speakers or to the screen to carefully hear the lisper speak or to read his lips? It seems that the time for this bollywood flick is the same as any other flick coming out from this side of the wood and no one seems to be complaining about the inarticulateness of the actor.
So one question is whether Shahid has really done justice to his roles of a lisper and a stammer? The other question is whether Indian audiences really appreciate good acting? Well, the fact that there are a quite a few acting awards instituted by different companies/magazines giving the same award to different actors shows that the Indian populace really have no idea of what good acting is (being an Indian I don’t know either). So answering the former question now, if the movie has a stammer and is of the same length then he hasn’t done justice to the art of stammering.
But, the good thing is that stammering has got into the mainstream. In flicks the character who stammered had the time he did because he needed that time to say the lines. The case of the stammering lawyer in ‘my cousin vinny’ is a case in point. The stammerers usually provided comic relief in bollywood flicks, just as a cross in the cleavage indicated the vamp turned sacrificial lamb.
So, even though Shahid was faking it, twice at that, he finds himself in the news, getting pats in the back and lugging trunks full of money to the bank. Which means that those who really stammer have a chance to get into the really big screen, directors are always looking for ‘naturals’ stammerers can raise their hands and stammer their way to the bank. Stammering and lisping may become the next big thing in the fashion and media bazaar and could even help relationships as one could spend more time ‘whispering sweet nothings’ and understanding them.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Ticking to Tock.
The way time has come to be measured has evolved over the ages. Actually the way we ‘look’ at time is not only a measure of technological advancement but also a measure of the distance between us and nature. From looking up at the sun, to having giant constructions whose shadow would indicate the hour, to having sand pass through fine apertures, all showed the silent progress of time. Until things turned mechanical then time began to tick and tock. But technology came full circle with the advent of the digital clock which is as silent as the passage of time.
But the question is what makes these instruments tick? Do they understand their relevance; do they know how much they have impacted our language? Do they want us to show our gratitude; if yes, how? If only they could tock! They would answer questions like whether they appreciate being used in terms like ‘sands of time’, whether they like to be linked to unknown people, tide for example - ‘time and tide wait for no man’. Or whether they like to be used as a threat ‘ - - - the clock is ticking’.
Strangely, time which denotes a passage is used for a beginning or an end – ‘its time to - -’, ‘its high time’. But what is worse is this instrument, its working and measure which has never asked anything of anyone, is extremely unassuming and whispers past us is being used to suggest future calamities and potential threats. A ‘population time bomb’, ‘AIDS time bomb’ or ‘xyz is a ticking time bomb’ all signify a potential future peril which has got nothing to do with time per say except for the fact that things could have been better if ‘we went back in time’ or ‘stopped the progress of time’. However, man in his ingenuity has been able to transform a potential threat into an instrument of death and destruction. A ‘time bomb’ uses an explosive that detonates ‘when the clock strikes - - -’ thus life which is a linear natural progression of time from birth to old age suddenly becomes a pawn in the unwilling hands of time. The phrase ‘when your time comes - -’ which is supposed to alleviate the suddenness of an incident or to give courage before an act gets a whole new meaning.
There is one clock that is quite undecided where it wants to go; the ‘doomsday clock’ has gone back and forth between 11.43 pm and 11.57 pm since its inception in 1947, the only instance where a clock can tick forward or backward depending on mans activities.
But the question is what makes these instruments tick? Do they understand their relevance; do they know how much they have impacted our language? Do they want us to show our gratitude; if yes, how? If only they could tock! They would answer questions like whether they appreciate being used in terms like ‘sands of time’, whether they like to be linked to unknown people, tide for example - ‘time and tide wait for no man’. Or whether they like to be used as a threat ‘ - - - the clock is ticking’.
Strangely, time which denotes a passage is used for a beginning or an end – ‘its time to - -’, ‘its high time’. But what is worse is this instrument, its working and measure which has never asked anything of anyone, is extremely unassuming and whispers past us is being used to suggest future calamities and potential threats. A ‘population time bomb’, ‘AIDS time bomb’ or ‘xyz is a ticking time bomb’ all signify a potential future peril which has got nothing to do with time per say except for the fact that things could have been better if ‘we went back in time’ or ‘stopped the progress of time’. However, man in his ingenuity has been able to transform a potential threat into an instrument of death and destruction. A ‘time bomb’ uses an explosive that detonates ‘when the clock strikes - - -’ thus life which is a linear natural progression of time from birth to old age suddenly becomes a pawn in the unwilling hands of time. The phrase ‘when your time comes - -’ which is supposed to alleviate the suddenness of an incident or to give courage before an act gets a whole new meaning.
There is one clock that is quite undecided where it wants to go; the ‘doomsday clock’ has gone back and forth between 11.43 pm and 11.57 pm since its inception in 1947, the only instance where a clock can tick forward or backward depending on mans activities.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Indian Nuclear Plants Secret Fuel
Now the secrets can be unveiled
Buried underground, for years sealed.
Indian nuclear power plants use a different matter
Not ending in an ‘ium’ but still a heat generator.
It looks no different and thus comes as a shock
Containment dome et al, but what is, is not.
Renewable energy it is touted to be
Tis true it is mined and harnessed differently.
The containment dome protects the energy source -
Windbags that generate hot air in variable force
Dr Homi Bhaba was the first when he did decree
8000 MW of Nuclear energy by Nineteen Eighty.
43500 MW by 2000 predicted the AEC
That was in 1969 without a nuclear plant generating energy.
The nuclear power plants now produce electricity
On windbags that promise 20,000MW by 2020.
Buried underground, for years sealed.
Indian nuclear power plants use a different matter
Not ending in an ‘ium’ but still a heat generator.
It looks no different and thus comes as a shock
Containment dome et al, but what is, is not.
Renewable energy it is touted to be
Tis true it is mined and harnessed differently.
The containment dome protects the energy source -
Windbags that generate hot air in variable force
Dr Homi Bhaba was the first when he did decree
8000 MW of Nuclear energy by Nineteen Eighty.
43500 MW by 2000 predicted the AEC
That was in 1969 without a nuclear plant generating energy.
The nuclear power plants now produce electricity
On windbags that promise 20,000MW by 2020.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Understanding nuclear parlance
One could say that the advance of technology has lead to the progress of language. Language has had to evolve, learn new forms of contortions to accommodate what science is discovering and technology is developing. Language has happily explained the origins of the universe with just two words ‘Big Bang’, while technologies like email, SMS are now used as verbs.
Every industry generates words, terms and phrases that identifies it. The Nuclear Industry is no different, terms like ‘going critical’, ‘heavy water’, ‘light water’, ‘fission’ paint a picture of a monster straining to break free.
Besides these terms there are some phrases that are used on specific occasions – like a nuclear accident. These expressions are used by nuclear experts and people in power when there are demands for information and a call for clarification, not that the phrases provide information or clarify the situation. They obfuscate, are patently constructed to ensure that no information can be sourced though it all with the hope that by not enlightening the public things will settle down to blissful ignorance.
Usually when a nuclear accident occurs there is deathly silence from the nuclear power plant operators and the government. This is because they not only are grappling with the situation but also are trying to put together words that will ‘make everything seem all right’. However even though no two nuclear accidents are the same the phrases and quotes that are given during this period have remained constant over time and place.
The first peep that comes out from an official is that ‘everything is under control’. This could be an obvious attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone; it could also be an expression of shock and incredulity of those unwilling to accept the situation. The nuclear operator would have also informed the local authorities and the Emergency Control Room operated by the Department of Atomic Energy (in India). The operator and government get into the act now. When they begin to realize the gravity of the situation the next statement is bandied out which is ‘radiation is minimal’ which in fact acknowledges the gravity of the situation but attempts to play it down. The second day of the incident would have got the press a little more interested and there would be reporters snooping around the area. The PR department of the nuclear facility or agency hired would now be working overtime in damage control - the next statement would be something to indicate that there is actually no risk and that everyone knows the drill, so the press statement would have the term ‘exposure was within safety limits’ . The value of this statement lies in that there are no radiation figures, the information actually gives out nothing except an acknowledgement that there has been a leak and some people have been exposed. There would be reports by now about risks to workers, environment and people unfortunate enough to be living in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant which would result in statements like ‘risk is slight’ and ‘no immediate cause for concern’. This is as near a confession as one is going to get from the government and nuclear operator. The next step after this would be evacuation.
Fission is not an easy thing to control, research has found that more complex the technology more is the chances of accidents. There have been innumerable articles and books that correlate complexity of technology to accidents. Charles Perrow in his book Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies has argued that normal engineering approach to safety fails because the complexity of a system makes failures inevitable.
In almost every country the nuclear industry is the spoilt brat that has grown into an indolent uncaring adult living off others. If society asks the parents about the adult everything is done to protect the brat lest their method of parenting is questioned. With such incidents the government stands exposed of endangering the lives of its people and wasting tax payers money; therefore does everything it can to hush things up.
However, there are times when such incidents reach the Parliament and a question is asked about the safety standards in nuclear power plants. Agence France Presse in November 21, 2002 quoted Vasundhra Raje, the Junior Foreign Minister’s as saying in the Parliament ‘There is absolutely near total compliance by all these plants... There is no question of compromising (the) safety of workers at nuclear plants." There couldn’t have been a greater attempt at obfuscation than this, that too in the hallowed halls of the Indian parliament. What does ‘near total compliance mean? And why is there ‘near total compliance’ and not full compliance?
Today there is a search for new symbols words and phrases that would warn people 5000 years hence not to approach entombed nuclear waste and facilities. This is because language would have changed to a great degree. This search is an obvious recognition of the longevity of the problems that nuclear energy creates. With the current numbers of nuclear reactors and the promise for more it is certain that one will get the opportunity to hear these phrases at regular intervals. The symbols that will be placed for future generations will not tell the story of generation that used a dirty technology as vividly as the piles of highly dangerous radioactive waste it leaves behind.
(I sent this for publication and got silence - thats why i have a blog)
Every industry generates words, terms and phrases that identifies it. The Nuclear Industry is no different, terms like ‘going critical’, ‘heavy water’, ‘light water’, ‘fission’ paint a picture of a monster straining to break free.
Besides these terms there are some phrases that are used on specific occasions – like a nuclear accident. These expressions are used by nuclear experts and people in power when there are demands for information and a call for clarification, not that the phrases provide information or clarify the situation. They obfuscate, are patently constructed to ensure that no information can be sourced though it all with the hope that by not enlightening the public things will settle down to blissful ignorance.
Usually when a nuclear accident occurs there is deathly silence from the nuclear power plant operators and the government. This is because they not only are grappling with the situation but also are trying to put together words that will ‘make everything seem all right’. However even though no two nuclear accidents are the same the phrases and quotes that are given during this period have remained constant over time and place.
The first peep that comes out from an official is that ‘everything is under control’. This could be an obvious attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone; it could also be an expression of shock and incredulity of those unwilling to accept the situation. The nuclear operator would have also informed the local authorities and the Emergency Control Room operated by the Department of Atomic Energy (in India). The operator and government get into the act now. When they begin to realize the gravity of the situation the next statement is bandied out which is ‘radiation is minimal’ which in fact acknowledges the gravity of the situation but attempts to play it down. The second day of the incident would have got the press a little more interested and there would be reporters snooping around the area. The PR department of the nuclear facility or agency hired would now be working overtime in damage control - the next statement would be something to indicate that there is actually no risk and that everyone knows the drill, so the press statement would have the term ‘exposure was within safety limits’ . The value of this statement lies in that there are no radiation figures, the information actually gives out nothing except an acknowledgement that there has been a leak and some people have been exposed. There would be reports by now about risks to workers, environment and people unfortunate enough to be living in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant which would result in statements like ‘risk is slight’ and ‘no immediate cause for concern’. This is as near a confession as one is going to get from the government and nuclear operator. The next step after this would be evacuation.
Fission is not an easy thing to control, research has found that more complex the technology more is the chances of accidents. There have been innumerable articles and books that correlate complexity of technology to accidents. Charles Perrow in his book Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies has argued that normal engineering approach to safety fails because the complexity of a system makes failures inevitable.
In almost every country the nuclear industry is the spoilt brat that has grown into an indolent uncaring adult living off others. If society asks the parents about the adult everything is done to protect the brat lest their method of parenting is questioned. With such incidents the government stands exposed of endangering the lives of its people and wasting tax payers money; therefore does everything it can to hush things up.
However, there are times when such incidents reach the Parliament and a question is asked about the safety standards in nuclear power plants. Agence France Presse in November 21, 2002 quoted Vasundhra Raje, the Junior Foreign Minister’s as saying in the Parliament ‘There is absolutely near total compliance by all these plants... There is no question of compromising (the) safety of workers at nuclear plants." There couldn’t have been a greater attempt at obfuscation than this, that too in the hallowed halls of the Indian parliament. What does ‘near total compliance mean? And why is there ‘near total compliance’ and not full compliance?
Today there is a search for new symbols words and phrases that would warn people 5000 years hence not to approach entombed nuclear waste and facilities. This is because language would have changed to a great degree. This search is an obvious recognition of the longevity of the problems that nuclear energy creates. With the current numbers of nuclear reactors and the promise for more it is certain that one will get the opportunity to hear these phrases at regular intervals. The symbols that will be placed for future generations will not tell the story of generation that used a dirty technology as vividly as the piles of highly dangerous radioactive waste it leaves behind.
(I sent this for publication and got silence - thats why i have a blog)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
L K Advani and footwear
Sitting on pedestal, enroute to his cherished seat
Advani looked down and saw no shoes on his feet
‘How unclean,I put my foot in the mouth frequently’ said he
‘From Babri to Jinnah to kandahar that’s what I leave to posterity’.
There was no glass slipper for he was no Cinderella
But in the crowd there was one kind fella
Who though luckless and ignored by the BJP
Threw L K Advani a slipper for free.
Advani looked down and saw no shoes on his feet
‘How unclean,I put my foot in the mouth frequently’ said he
‘From Babri to Jinnah to kandahar that’s what I leave to posterity’.
There was no glass slipper for he was no Cinderella
But in the crowd there was one kind fella
Who though luckless and ignored by the BJP
Threw L K Advani a slipper for free.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Financing climate change
Twill get cold in summer
And rain clouds will fill desert skies
Fingers then point at things like the Hummer
As people mouth plaintive why’s.
Money does Pandora’s Box open
tis cause of climate change too
Sippin’ a coke with bags full of shoppin’
Energised by coal, but out of view
The high incomes and easy loans,
through energy created by subsidised coal
Fuel larger cars and bigger homes
And on the climate they take their toll.
And rain clouds will fill desert skies
Fingers then point at things like the Hummer
As people mouth plaintive why’s.
Money does Pandora’s Box open
tis cause of climate change too
Sippin’ a coke with bags full of shoppin’
Energised by coal, but out of view
The high incomes and easy loans,
through energy created by subsidised coal
Fuel larger cars and bigger homes
And on the climate they take their toll.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Air travel
Promise hangs heavy in the air
In a space where people mill, sit or stare
Conversations between departures and arrivals now on hold
Raising latent desires to break from the fold.
Announcements collide and fill the room
Resulting in emotions of relief, hope, joy and gloom
Time trickles by, everyone seems aware
A 2 hour trip is becoming an unending nightmare
A confident voice guides people to gate number three
I leave the sorry faces who ask ‘why not me?’
I promise my return is going to be by train
Waiting is what makes speed all in vain.
In a space where people mill, sit or stare
Conversations between departures and arrivals now on hold
Raising latent desires to break from the fold.
Announcements collide and fill the room
Resulting in emotions of relief, hope, joy and gloom
Time trickles by, everyone seems aware
A 2 hour trip is becoming an unending nightmare
A confident voice guides people to gate number three
I leave the sorry faces who ask ‘why not me?’
I promise my return is going to be by train
Waiting is what makes speed all in vain.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Indestructible
The prognosis was not very good
I staggered out, dying for a cigarette
I am indestructible
I have lived a full life
Killing different parts of me
I am indestructible
I never saw a glass half empty or half full
I always had a bottle at hand
I am indestructible
The future was never of interest
I never heard of a tomorrow
I am indestructible
My circle of friends is large
It is true that ‘all the world is a stage’
I am indestructible
I staggered out, dying for a cigarette
I am indestructible
I have lived a full life
Killing different parts of me
I am indestructible
I never saw a glass half empty or half full
I always had a bottle at hand
I am indestructible
The future was never of interest
I never heard of a tomorrow
I am indestructible
My circle of friends is large
It is true that ‘all the world is a stage’
I am indestructible
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