Fortnightly News Bulletin (August 17, 2012) ========================================
Monsoons. They have been sung paeans to, written and talked about in prose and poetry, and endlessly ruminated upon. In a year which is reeling from the effects of another uncertain monsoon, Down To Earth brings you a unique perspective -- a selection of writers and thinkers from various fields penning down their views, opinions and knowledge... Later in the month, CSE goes to Kolkata with two of its latest publications: formal releases of 'Into the furnace' (the green rating report of the Indian steel industry) and 'Excreta matters' (the 71-city analysis of India's water-sewage management) will happen in the city of joy, accompanied by panel discussions on both the topics. Read on for the details and much more this fortnight... ======================================================================== To subscribe to this newsletter, or any of our other newsletters, please click on http://cseindia.my2.in/cseindia/?p=subscribe To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just click http://www.cseindia.org/content/please-enter-your-email-id-unsubscribe-cse-newsletter If you have any questions or concerns about newsletter subscription, please contact Vikas Khanna at vi...@cseindia.org ==================================================== EDITORIAL: Powerless and lost by Sunita Narain ====================================================== The power blackout in northern India on two days should not be dismissed or misjudged. Analysts are jumping to conclude that the crisis was foretold. They blame delays caused by environment and forest clearance procedures and demand winding down the regulatory framework so that we can re-energise ourselves. Their other favourite whipping horse is ‘free’ electricity to farmers, which is said to be crippling the state electricity boards. These explanations are naïve and mistaken. India’s power sector does need urgent reform, but first we need to know what to fix. Firstly, data analysed by the Centre for Science and Environment clearly shows environmental clearance is not an obstacle to power infrastructure. In fact, the pace and scale of clearances given to power plants are a jeopardy for the environment. In the five years preceding August 2011, 267 thermal power plants adding a total of 0.21 million megawatt (MW) were cleared—capable of more than doubling the current capacity. It is also incorrect that green clearances are holding up India’s coal production. Clearances have been readily given. But the problem is that Coal India Limited is a monopoly player and sits on 0.2 million ha of mine lease area, including 55,000 ha of forestland. Its reserves are some 64 billion tonnes, but production lags at only 500 million tonnes per annum. As a result, every power producer wants a private coalmine and forests can be dug and destroyed. Secondly, the matter of ‘free’ power to farmers needs more enquiry. The recent Report of the High Level Panel on Financial Position of Distribution Utilities, headed by former auditor general V K Shunglu, finds huge anomalies in data used to estimate 20 per cent usage by the agriculture sector. For instance, Jammu and Kashmir, where transmission and distribution losses (T&D) are as high as 70 per cent, estimates that farmers use 28,000 units per pumpset; in Rajasthan too, where losses are high, farmers consume 11,000 units per pumpset. But Tamil Nadu, with lower T&D losses of 15 per cent, shows just 5,300 units used perpumpset. The panel concludes that states hide inexplicable power losses in farmers' accounts. There is, thus, no reliable estimate of power used by farmers. However, it cannot be argued that agriculture should get ‘free’ power. There is no doubt that farming needs to be energy-efficient, and that ‘free’ power adds to the mindlessness in resource use. But if farmers must pay for power, then the government must account for its price in the cost of food. Currently, India is caught in a double bind. We need to procure large quantities of foodgrains to meet the needs of large numbers of people. The government must keep food production costs as controlled as possible. But input costs—labour and energy—are increasing. The minimum support price—which has seen a much-needed increase in recent years—does not keep up with this cost hike. So, farmers lose out. Free energy to farmers is not the question. The price of growing food in a globalised and subsidy-distorted market is. So, why the power crisis? The reasons are deeply systemic and extremely worrying, First, there is no doubt that supply is constrained. In the past some years,governments have built power infrastructure at a feverish pace. But without much thought. As a result, today, India produces more electricity than previous years, but all this comes from coal-based thermal plants. Between April 2011 and June 2012, according to the Central Electricity Authority, hydro—needed as peaking power—was down by almost 9 per cent because of poor rainfall and low water flows. Gas-based generation fell by 20 per cent in the same period. Starved of raw material, power plants operated at m 47 per cent efficiency—compared to the projected 90-100 per cent. So, raw material supply for all kinds of power (not just coal) is an issue. Hydropower needs water as raw material, not concrete structures on rivers. Currently, states have the perverse incentive to call for bids for projects—regardless of whether these will generate energy or not. Arunachal Pradesh has, for instance, tendered out some 54,000 MW of hydel power—every stream in the state has been sold to one company or the other. The situation is not very different on the Ganga or other rivers. There is no assessment of availability of the water needed for energy generation, let alone crucial functions like ecological flows. Natural gas-based power with advantages over coal— it is environmentally cleaner and quicker to install—is also badly stuck. Reliance Industry, another monopoly, is sitting on reserves and not drilling fast or enough. It wants revision of tariffs and will not play ball till that happens. Supply is one constraint. The more serious issue is our inability to pay for power. This is not just because power utilities are so inefficient that they cannot recover bills or keep track of their energy supply. It is also because energy cost is already high in India and will get even more expensive, and so even more inaccessible for the poor. In this situation, how will we work through our energy future? Let’s discuss this next fortnight. Post your comments on this editorial online at http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/powerless-and-lost ======================= MORE FROM DOWN TO EARTH ======================= - Cover Story: Capturing the monsoons In a year in which the monsoon has played truant, Down To Earth invited a cross section of writers to unravel its myriad aspects http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/capturing-monsoons - Special Report: Contaminating millets There is disquiet over government scheme to wean traditional millet farmers on chemical inputs http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/contaminating-millets - Special Report: Fall of golden fibre An inefficient industry is marring prospects of jute, paving way for plastics http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/fall-golden-fibre - Special Report: Out of option Solar becomes lifeline for power-starved Bihar, but cheap and inferior equipment dominate market http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/out-option - Special Report: The rift valley With no income options, Ghangharia residents want forestland for hotels http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/rift-valley - Special Report: Health Act faces hurdles Centre drafts guidelines to regulate clinical establishments; Indian Medical Association resists http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/health-act-faces-hurdles - Features: Land of discord Origin of the relentless strife in Bodoland lies in a series of blunders, right from colonial times http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/land-discord - Science and Technology: Carbon smart Algae can help check rising carbon levels in the environment http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/carbon-smart - Science and Technology: Silk route to preservation Protein in fibre can replace expensive ways to store drugs http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/silk-route-preservation - Science and Technology: Avoid the din Constant traffic noise can increase risk of heart attack http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/avoid-din - Science and Technology: Under stress Biodiversity at risk in protected forest areas http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/under-stress - News: Reservoirs losing capacity Floods hit power projects in Himalayan states; plans for more raise safety concerns http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/reservoirs-losing-capacity - News: Northern power grid on the blink States were cautioned more than 400 times against overdrawing electricity http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/northern-power-grid-blink - News: Wind loses speed Sector shows poor performance; government says it is a short-term phenomenon http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/wind-loses-speed - Column: Patently Absurd God’s Invincible Laddoo http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/god-s-invincible-laddoo Down to Earth magazine on iPad !! Down to Earth magazine is now available on your iPad too. For more information and ordering please visit us at : http://www.magzter.com/IN/Society-for-Environmental-Comm/Down-To-Earth/Technology/ Down To Earth is also on Google+. Please "+1" at https://plus.google.com/106293307783638713083 Down To Earth is on Facebook and Twitter. Do follow us, share, comment, and discuss and stay in constant touch with our reporters on www.facebook.com/down2earthindia and twitter@downtoearthindia. =========================== Web DTE =========================== - Blogs: Civil society & politics http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/civil-society-politics - Blogs: Will diesel subsidy help farmers tide over drought? http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/will-diesel-subsidy-help-farmers-tide-over-drought =========================== On India Environment Portal =========================== FREE ALERT SERVICES ON THE India Environment Portal (IEP) IEP team regularly identifies and sources new studies and reports on environment and development. To remain updated, do subscribe to this free service http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/rss Also subscribe to the exclusive Daily Environment News Service here http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/daily-news-bulletin/rss Contact: Kiran Pandey (kiran@cseindia,org, kiran...@gmail.com) -------------------------------------------------------------- New on the Renewable Energy Portal - Photo essay on the 'Solar Trick' A number of solar mission projects are operational only on paper. The government has decided to act tough with 14 companies which did not commission their solar power projects in time (http://re.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/solar-trick) --------------------------------------------------------------------- CSE Photo Library presents a selection of photos on environment and development by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain http://www.flickr.com/photos/csepictures/sets/72157628728282841/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/csepictures/sets/72157628849514621/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- India Environment Portal is now on Facebook and Twitter. Do follow us, share, comment, and discuss and stay in constant touch with us on http://www.facebook.com/pages/indiaenvironmentportal/228015872817 and http://www.twitter.com/indiaenvportal For more details or any assistance, contact Kiran Pandey at ki...@cseindia.org, kiran...@gmail.com.nd not what you do not know. Don't expose your ignorance before others. ============================================= LEARNING WITH CSE Courses offered by Anil Agarwal Green College ============================================= Orientation workshop on solutions to pollution and mobility crisis for liveable cities For grassroot actors/groups passionate about clean air and sustainable transportation issues Date: August 30 - September 1, 2012 Last date for application: August 20, 2012 Course content - Pollution challenge of urbanisation - Public health challenge - Understanding air quality, trends and monitoring challenges - Challenges of mobility management - Strategies to scale up public transport and design multi-modal integration - Bus sector reforms - Making cities walkable and promoting non-motorised transport - Parking policy as a congestion reduction strategy - Funding public transport - Vehicle technology and clean fuel roadmap - Gaseous fuel programmes – an opportunity to leapfrog - Challenges of in-use vehicles and transit traffic - Vehicle inspection system in India and ways to improve it - Customised case studies and field visits Please visit http://cseindia.org/content/orientation-workshop-solutions-pollution-and-mobility-crisis-liveable-cities For details, please contact: Priyanka Chandola Right To Clean Air Campaign Centre for Science and Environment 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area New Delhi – 110062 Tel: +91 - 11 - 29955124 +91 - 9810414938 (Mobile) Fax: +91 – 11 - 29955879 Email: priya...@cseindia.org ----------------------------- Managing Information in the Digital Age: Training Programme on Library, Information Management and Web-based Outreach Date: September 11-14, 2012 Last date for application: August 25, 2012 Course content - Planning and managing resource centres in the digital age - Sourcing information (print/electronic, internet for research) - Organising Information: Classification & Indexing (including digitized resources) - A primer on managing audio-visual resources (films, photos, Cds, etc.) - Digitisation and e-documentation of news clippings, articles, reports and documents - Building contact databases - Knowledge creation and dissemination (Information Services/Products) - E-mail for outreach (mass mail using open source s/w) - Online presence : reaching out through the web - Potential of social media and web 2.0 for information dissemination and communication Course details: http://www.cseindia.org/node/1653 Register online: http://www.cseindia.org/node/997 NOTE: Few fellowships for participants from South Asia available. For details contact: Kiran Pandey Prgramme Director-Information Management Phone: +91 (011) 29955124/125 (Ext. 287) Mob: 9968767698 Fax: +91 (011) 29955879 Email: kiran...@gmail.com, ki...@cseindia.org ------------------------------------------------------------- Training Programme on Advanced Rainwater Harvesting For civil engineers, architects, urban planners, environment consultants, NGOs, students and academicians Date: September 11-13, 2012 Last date for application: August 31, 2012 Course Module: - Managing India's water future: Past, Present and Future - Water auditing and water efficient fixtures - Technologies of rainwater harvesting and water conservation - Harvesting city's water endowment through water sensitive designs (including waterbodies) - Policy framework for rainwater harvesting, water conservation and waterbodies For details contact: Sanyukta Dasgupta Email: sanyu...@cseindia.org/sanyukta.dasgu...@gmail.com Mobile: +91 - 8826849773 ================================= UPDATES FROM OUR PROGRAMME UNITS ================================= - CSE events in Kolkata On August 31 and September 1, CSE is releasing two of its key reports in Kolkata: green rating of the Indian steel industry and Excreta Matters, its water-sewage analysis. For more information on these, contact the following 1. Sanjeev Kumar Kanchan at of the Green Rating programme at sanj...@cseindia.org 2. Nitya Jacob of the Water programme at ni...@cseindia.org ----------------------------------------------------------------- - CSE's South Asian media briefing on climate change The annual media meet, open to journalists from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, is scheduled this year on November 16-17, 2012. For details, please check http://cseindia.org/content/south-asian-media-briefing-workshop-climate-change-2012 To apply, just write to Papia Samajdar at pa...@cseindia.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Third National Research Conference on Climate Change Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru November 3-4, 2012 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Researchers from all over South Asia are invited to send in abstracts. Submissions should be sent to i...@icrn.in by September 14, 2012. Abstract submission deadline: September 14, 2012 Acceptance notification: October 1, 2012 Details: http://cseindia.org/content/third-national-research-conference-climate-changeor write to Indrajit? ---------------------------------------------------- - The Environment Health Bulletin http://www.cseindia.org/content/environment-health-bulletin-may-2012 Please subscribe to it http://cseindia.my2.in/cseindia/?p=subscribe -------------------------------------------------------------- - ICRN website launched The Indian Climate Research Network (ICRN) a collaboration of CSE, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru has launched its website, www.icrn.in. The website is currently accepting registrations. Researchers can now register online with us. There is a host of information on the website, including research papers, research funding announcements, forthcoming meetings and conferences and jobs. You will also be able to download ICRN’s newsletter, which has two separate policy briefs on clean development mechanism and mangroves. Join us to establish India’s only network dedicated to the Indian climate change research community. ----------------------------------------------------------------- - RainWater Harvesting Technical Support Every Friday between 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, CSE provides detailed technical guidance to interested individuals, RWAs and institutions to implement rainwater harvesting. This technical assistance is provided at CSE’s office at 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi. For details, see http://www.cseindia.org/content/catch-rainwater-solve-your-water-problems ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Technical advice: Decentralised wastewater treatment systems Every second and fourth Friday, meet our experts at CSE, 41, Tughlaqabad Institutional Area for guidance on planning and designing these systems. For details, contact Deblina at debl...@cseindia.org or call her on 9899596661. ==================================== The CSE Store ==================================== Into the Furnace: The life cycle analysis of Indian iron and steel industry The latest publication from CSE -- a report of the green rating of one of India's key industrial sectors. For details and to order, just go to http://csestore.cse.org.in/books/environment/into-the-furnace-1.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Food as toxin “All substances are poisons; the right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy.” Modern food regulation is about determining what is that right dose in our daily diet. How is food safety defined? What are the global systems that regulate food safety? What does ‘Acceptable Daily Intake’ (ADI) mean? Why do we have to accept pesticides in our food? If you are also troubled with questions like these and some more, you are not alone. It concerns the health and well being of every family, and that's why we did a careful in-depth research and came out with this revealing new book, which will give you all the answers. For more details please contact us at c...@cseindia.org. ================== About this e-mail ================== You are receiving this newsletter because you have asked to be included in our list, attended a CSE event or requested information. CSE is an independent, public interest organization that was established in 1982 by Anil Agarwal, a pioneer of India's environmental movement. CSE's mandate is to research, communicate and promote sustainable development with equity, participation and democracy. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________