Opinion

S L Rao: Behind the attacks on Pachauri

04 Feb 2010 |

Prof S L Rao

| Business Standard

The anti-climate change lobby is using the flaw in the IPCC study to condemn not just the Teri chief but the idea of climate change itself.

For the first time, Indians are experiencing an organised, systematic and vicious attack by powerful and well-funded lobbies in the developed world. These lobbies are aiming to diminish the perception of the impact of global warming and climate change on our common future, and the consequent need to change our lifestyle. Such lifestyle changes will damage the future of many industries, so there are vast resources and stakes in continuing present consumption styles.

Challenge of climate change, post-Copenhagen

01 Feb 2010 |

Dr R K Pachauri

| The Hindu

Are the world and human society in general ready and willing to take action on critical issues that require a major change in the manner in which we produce and consume goods and services?

The science of climate change is now well established. This is the result of painstaking work of over two decades carried out by thousands of scientists drawn from across the globe to assess every aspect of climate change for the benefit of humanity. The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was produced in the year 2007, and highlighted, on the basis of careful observations extending over a long period of time, that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level.” It was also stated clearly that most of the “observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations. It is likely that there has been significant anthropogenic warming over the past 50 years averaged over each continent (except Antarctica).”

Understanding the climate row

26 Jan 2010 |

Dr Leena Srivastava

| Financial Chronicle

A lot has been said in the media recently, and on unaccountable blogs, about the error in the IPCC report on the melting of the Himalayan glaciers. The IPCC has put forward a statement to \"regret the poor application of well established procedures in this instance\" and have assured the world of their \"commitment\" to ensuring the level of performance required in the future. As a coordinating lead author in the Third Assessment Report, I can affirm that the IPCC’s processes and guidelines are very carefully drafted and followed. Beyond this, the element of \'human error\' always remains. Even the ministry of environment and forests in its State of Environment Report 2009 has said that the \"… Himalayan glaciers could disappear within 50 years because of climate change….\" The IPCC has an opportunity to update its statements on this issue as well as reflect new knowledge that has emerged, and will continue to do so, in its Fifth Assessment Report.

Gentle winds of change

19 Jan 2010 |

Dr R K Pachauri

| The Asian Age

Today is January 19, exactly a month since the conclusion of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Copenhagen. Beginning with the 13th COP, which was held in Bali in 2007, expectations had been raised that by the time the Copenhagen meeting was to take place, the world would have a firm and binding agreement on climate change — one that would effectively meet the global challenge being faced today — as it is an issue that will certainly get much more serious in the future.

However, with the slow pace of negotiations and the prospects of a binding agreement becoming increasingly elusive, this outcome seemed very distant a few months before Copenhagen.

Firm up energy ties with B’desh

12 Jan 2010 |

Dr Leena Srivastava

| Financial Chronicle

India rolled out the red carpet for the prime minister of Bangladesh and prime minister Manmohan Singh was, rightly, lavish both in his praise and promise of opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. Undoubtedly, Bangladesh is a less developed country than India, with a per capita income that is just 60 per cent that of India’s relatively low figure and a ranking of 137 on the human development index compared with India’s marginally better 126.

However, apart from a shared history and culture, Bangladesh is key to India’s ability to access its own resources in the north-eastern states of India as well as those beyond in Myanmar. The fact that India lost out to China in developing and accessing Myanmar’s hydrocarbon resources was well covered by the media. Myanmar also has large hydropower resources of nearly 40,000 mw of which less than 1,000 mw has been developed.

Sustainability, an academic model

01 Jan 2010 |

Dr R K Pachauri

| Higher Education, The Times of India

CAPITALISM AND THE role of private enterprises are being questioned worldwide following the current economic slowdown. There is widespread consensus that a lack of effective regulation in the private sector coupled with unethical decisions taken by corporate leaders has triggered the economic downturn. Consequently, today the necessity of sustainable business models is being acutely felt. In consonance with this need, higher education is actively trying to accommodate these models.

NEED OF THE HOUR Sustainability should become the guiding principle of businesses. We can no longer undermine its value by comprehending it as an abstraction that merely harbours theoretical concern. Sustainability is rapidly becoming an internationally acknowledged framework for economic welfare and application of social sciences.

With regards to climate change, the fourth assessment report of the [PCC has proved scientifically that warming of the planet is unequivocal and most of the warming that took place in the last 50 years was due to human action. So it is important to \'understand\' the source of these actions. By \'understanding: I mean an analytical understanding of human behaviour, actions and acquired instincts. Social sciences should gradually adopt a sustainable approach towards \'learning\' the dynamics of society and face the challenge of \'educating\' thoughtless human reflexes through the curriculum.

UNDERSTANDING WISE A sustainable educational format is likely to be the fulcrum that will finally hold a range of disciplines together. To understand the dynamics of sustainability, it is important to understand that irresponsible energy consumption is leading the world towards geopolitical risks and supply constraints. Besides, conventional fossil sources of energy generate carbon emissions that has a detrimental impact on the climate. Therefore, for a sustainable future, it is important for mankind to switch to clean and renewable sources of energy.

Considering this backdrop, renewable energy studies and applications merit widespread attention. It is important that students are trained in the theoretical and practical aspects of renewable energy and energy management. Programmes in this domain should be structured to enable students to tackle practical problems of design. Moreover, they should be equipped to develop industrial applications and conduct academic research. Courses should go beyond imparting knowledge not only in renewable energy technology and implementation but also in synergetic sectors of energy decision-making such as energy economics and energy conversion technologies.

Integrated energy policy in a limbo

29 Dec 2009 |

Dr Leena Srivastava

| Financial Chronicle

In the last week of December 2008, the Union cabinet approved the salient features of an integrated energy policy for India put up by the planning commission on the basis of a report prepared by an expert committee constituted for the purpose. The draft policy contained several rational and oft-demanded features, including the encouragement of competitive behaviour, the provision of a level playing field between the private and public sectors, transparent and targeted subsidies, a focus on energy efficiency and demand management, promotion of renewable energy through production-linked incentives and a major focus on biomass-based energy.

India and China are the most decisive factors

16 Dec 2009 |

Mr Sakarama Somayaji

| The Financial Express

‘Climate change’ is the buzz word today. According to reports of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is enough scientific evidence to prove that the matter is serious and needs immediate global action. As the Copenhagen Conference has started, every international leader is keen to be in the centre of the talks on climate change. However, one thing remains unclear—who will do what and by when, to save the planet from global warming.

India and China are the most decisive countries, not only because of their size and hence the capacity to contribute to the climate change, but also because of their current growth rate. In the next two decades, these two developing giants are supposed to reach a stage where other developed countries stand today. The large investments flowing into these countries carry huge social and human costs. Projects often involve involuntary resettlement, mostly of poorer groups, with its potentially impoverishing impacts. In the fast-track race for development being currently pursued, it is critical that the interests of people displaced in the process are adequately protected. Development-induced displacement, resettlement and rehabilitation will be a major challenge for both the nations in pursuing their developmental goals.

The Copenhagen conundrum

15 Dec 2009 |

Dr Leena Srivastava

| Financial Chronicle

The news media has been full of the controversies surrounding the climate change summit at Copenhagen. Prime space and time has been accorded to the stand-off between members of India’s negotiating team as also to the stand-off between the developing and the developed world; within the developing world and within the developed world too! There seems to be a complete breakdown in negotiations.

Why are the governments of the world in such an unprecedented situation? The answers probably lie in the increasingly undeniable and threatening findings of science (the leaked e-mail exchanges notwithstanding), the numbing and desperate moral responsibility arising from the knowledge of the impact of current decisions and negotiating skills on the future existence of millions and balancing the above with a narrowly defined — both in terms of geographical and time scales — task of protecting national interests.

A place in the sun

07 Dec 2009 |

| Business Standard

Given India\'s large geographical spread and ready availability of sunshine, solar energy could be the answer to our energy shortage.

The average intensity of solar radiation received on India is 200 Mw per sq km. With a geographical area of 3.287 million sq km, this amounts to 657.4 million Mw. However, leaving aside land being used for agriculture, forests, housing and industry etc, only 12.5 per cent of the land area (amounting to 0.413 million sq km) can, in theory, be used for solar energy installations. Even if 10 per cent of this area is used, the available solar energy would be about 8 million Mw, which is equivalent to 5909 mtoe (million tonnes of oil-equivalent) per year. TERI estimates show that the country’s total commercial energy consumption could increase from 284 mtoe in 2001 to 1,727 mtoe in 2031 in a ‘business-as-usual’ (BAU) scenario. In that scenario, the available solar energy would be more than three times the estimated commercial energy consumption in 2031.