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CSE's Fortnightly News Bulletin
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An e-bulletin from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India, to our network of friends and professionals
interested in environmental issues. Scroll to the bottom of this page for information on how to unsubscribe.
INSIDE: - Ecological distemper: Hazards of synthetic colours - Ballia administration does little to combat arsenic menace - Regulating 'world-class product makers' (Editorial) - Bhutan's GNP: Gross National 'Happiness' - News, analysis, perspectives in Down To Earth magazine - CSE Training: Documentation and information management
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Latest in science and environment news
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Ecological distemper: Synthetic colours are a mishmash of chemicals, pollute the environment and pose serious
health hazards.
Read this article online >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=1
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Analysis: Dark zone endures
Arsenic contamination of water has crippled many people in the district of Ballia (UP), but the local administration
fails to take viable measures to combat the problem. Worse, the administration refuses to admit that there is a
crisis
Also read: - Against arsenic - More arsenic (Down To Earth archive, Sept 15 issue)
Read these articles online >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in
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Regulating "world-class product makers" (Editorial)
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This last fortnight, after two disparate experiences, I came to realise there is not much difference between colas
and cars. Let me explain how.
A year ago, we released a study on the cocktail of pesticides we found in all soft drinks brands. We argued the
pesticides were in the soft drinks because there were no regulations for these drinks in the country. Nobody had
defined what the 'safe' limit for pesticide residues were - ergo, what could be legally allowed in these drinks - and
so nobody checked for the toxins we found. The study created an absurd history of sorts: it brought Coca-Cola
and PepsiCo together on a common platform (the global myth is they don't work well together). In harmonious trill,
the soft drink giants defended their products, saying these met "the best global standards". It has also led us, for
the past year, to take up the issue of regulation.
Over a year now, we have been engaged in a committee, set up by the Bureau of Indian Standards, to formulate
standards for these products. The process, which includes the two soft drink and industry associations, has been
contentious and downright nasty. To cut a long story short, in the latest round of sparring to finalise the draft
standards, the companies argued-as they consistently have been - that there was no need to regulate their
products so far as pesticide residues were concerned. They were confident they were meeting all standards - real
or imaginary - and that we should "trust" them.
The other sticky point was the nature of the standard itself. We insisted these products must meet global
standards. But companies and their spokespersons in the industrial associations cried foul: tough standards, they
said, will destroy Indian companies. This poor country is full of poorer companies. So any talk of protecting public
health through stringent quality standards related to toxins, like pesticides or heavy metals, even micro-bacterial
contamination, is a conspiracy to destroy their competitive advantage.
We countered. If there was no investment in cleaning up our food products, then nobody had the right to
contaminate them. If we are too poor to regulate pesticides in our food, we cannot be rich enough to allow the use
of these modern pesticides in our country. Poverty is no excuse for murder. The issue, we countered, is to develop
a strong regulatory system that protects public health and can be used to defend the quality of Indian food and
standard-setting processes worldwide.
Secondly, and more simply, this standard merely concerned two of the world's largest companies; there were
virtually no small soft drink manufacturers that had not been bought over, or gone out of business. I asked: How
can you giants hide behind the spectre of small manufacturers to plead your case?
Let's now turn to cars. This week, we also reviewed the introduction of the lambda measure - an oxygen sensor
that ensures the highest degree of effectiveness of the catalytic converter and the lowest exhaust emissions in a
vehicle. The government of India has introduced new norms to check emissions from on-road vehicles, effective
from October 2004. In this notification the government, weak as it always is before industry lobbies, does not make
lambda mandatory. It is up to city governments to implement.
We want lambda introduced in Delhi. But, as usual, industry is belligerently opposing it. Why? General Motors sums
up their sulk: "We have not given any specification of lambda value for our vehicles as this was not a requirement
so far". Lambda is not part of the type approval certificate, the global giant says, and so we cannot give you the
lambda measure we follow. But, says this giant, we confirm our products are built to high standards. Sounds
familiar, doesn't it? The Coke-Pepsi line of defence: we do not measure pesticides because you never asked us to,
but we know we are clean. Trust us.
But trust we cannot. For the Automotive Research Association of India - the premier facility based in Pune - has
found to its horror that, of the 23 brand new cars it has tested, as many as 9 did not pass the lambda test. In
other words these cars, once sold, would run on roads with a faulty air-fuel mixture, leading to a sub-optimally
performing catalytic converter. Let's cut the techno-jargon: they will pollute, period, and nobody will be the wiser
for it.
The question that emerges from the connection I made is: why is industry against regulation? It cannot be done in
India, they say. Why? The cars sold in India are branded and advertised as global cars, made by global companies
with global quality standards. The lambda measure was introduced way back in 1993 in Europe, even earlier in the
us; it has been introduced in Hong Kong and in the Philippines. In all these countries, if the vehicle that comes for a
pollution check does not meet the lambda range, it fails the test.
So, why not in India? The automobile industry has no answer. Other than: we are the best and if the lambda fails,
it is not our fault. Just like a Coke-Pepsi favourite: pesticides in the bottle are not our fault. What can we do if
there are pesticide residues in the groundwater we use? Poor us.
Let us be clear. In this globalisation of unequals, the poverty of countries is becoming the biggest excuse for the
mother of all frauds. We will continue to be sold "world class products" by "world class" companies thriving in poorly
regulated environments. In other words, we will deserve the industry we get because we deserve the government
we get. Poorer us.
- Sunita Narain
Read the complete editorial online >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=2
Write to the editor: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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From Gobar Times
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Getting high on hues
Imagine living in a world without colours! Eating food without colours. A Holi without colours...stuff that nightmares
are made of. Right? Colours make up our lives. But when have you last thought about colours. Where do they come
from.how are they made.who makes them? Find out...
Read more >> http://www.gobartimes.org/index.htm
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Environment and Poverty
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Poverty catalyst: Bhutan shifts from Gross National Product to Gross National Happiness
The Himalayan nation's developmental strategies are now based on the novel but little understood concept of Gross
National Happiness (GNH)
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Download: Improving unsustainable Western economic systems
Frank Dixon, managing director of an investment research firm, explains why the GNH concept is a step forward.
Visit >> http://www.cseindia.org/programme/pov-env/pov-env.htm
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Also in Down To Earth magazine
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News: High hoopla
Meet on sustainable development of the world's small island states turns out to be a fiasco
Read this article online >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=3
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Feature: We did our bit
CSE volunteers recall working amongst the tsunami-affected in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
Read full article >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=4
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Debate: Rhinos can live with tribals
But in Kaziranga, forest officials have no respect for their needs and customs
Read this article online >> http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover_nl.asp?mode=5
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Events
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Training on library, information management and documentation (New Delhi, March 8 -11, 2005)
This programme is meant for documentation and information managers of NGOs, voluntary organisations and
corporates; individuals and students
Sample course content:
- Information management: Concept and significance - Information sourcing - Information services and products - Basics of a digital library - Development and management of an audio-visual library
Last date for receiving nominations: February 28, 2005
For more details, contact Kiran Pandey < [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
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CSE employment alert
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Software developer: Hands-on experience of ASP, ASP.net, Visual Basic, Databases (SQL/Oracle/ MySQL). Must
have thorough knowledge of SDLC. MCAs/BEs with 2-3 years' experience, and good communication skills are invited
to apply.
For details >> http://www.cseindia.org/aboutus/joinus/joinus_openings.htm
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CSE films on climate change
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Climate change affects everything - water resources, agriculture, food security, human health and more. To
understand the potential impact and dangers of climate change, CSE brings you a set of 21 must see films that
give viewers a panoramic perspective on all major issues.
Some of the films are: - The Greenhouse Effect - Save The Ozone Layer: Every Action Counts - Oceans and Climate Change - Changing Climates : The Future - Emission Impossible
View complete list >> http://csestore.cse.org.in/store_popups/water_pac.pdf
Get it >> http://csestore.cse.org.in/store1.asp?sec_id=4&subsec_id=20 (Absolutely secure gateway)
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