Hillary-Didi Touched the Hottest Topics: Energy Poverty/ Water Scarcity

Yes there was the standard push for FDI retail (bad idea for India growth) and outsourcing (good idea for US growth), but the true critical subject matter was mentioned as a basis point of creating sustainable economy with India's neighbors and evidence of the increasing reality that politics as usual will not carry us through the transplantation from conventional economy to sustainable. The issues of water and energy on the lips of Hillary and Didi, and on such a high profile platform is a bellweather of things to come.

Regarding water scarcity and conflict, Secretary Clinton said: "We have to do a better job of trying to find a win-win solution for everybody because the alternative will be perhaps worst than conflict, leading up to dislocation, destabilisation, refugee flows, famine and other kinds of problems that we are seeing in places like north Africa." "We have to work together in the international community," she said.

For perhaps the first time publically Clinton acknowledged what conservationists  and economists have been predicting for years: "... we know from working on our own projections what will be the hard issues in future unless water issues are properly dealt with,"

The reality is that there continues to be an ever shrinking bubble of economies that because of their uber-infrastructure remain able to maintain the status quo despite massive shifts in climate and natural resource security. In these economies, the conventional wisdom that technology has outgrown the need for nature and its resources, some going so far as to deny the very existence of a problem. And in fact, as is human nature, as long as the AC is running at home in office all seems well.

However, at the frontlines of climate change and sustainable economic development, a story is slowly unfolding and not carried by mainstream media. Throughout India, and specifically in the south, the story of India Inc. is changing complexion ... it's five minutes to midnight and Cinderella's coach is still out about town living a hapless dream. The two rents in this reality are a widespread power-poverty and a rapidly and potentially irreversible water security crisis. 

For those in India, this article only highlights the present reality and crisis for not only Bengal but throughout India...for those in the U.S. with a more limited world view of the coming escalation of power poverty, this may come as an eye opener of the new normal - in the cases illustrated below-in south India.

The question really becomes "Does the conventional definition of 'development' really apply in terms of the necessity for a sustainable economic and political model? Are we all therefore 'undeveloped' or 'under-developed' until these issues are rectified and power and basic necessities are sustainable?

 This year, city is hottest summer destination

A Selvaraj TNN

Chennai: It’s that time of the year when Chennaiites pack their bags to visit their native places in the state. But this summer they have chosen to stay put in the city; otherwise, it would mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire in the season of power cuts.
    Even while cursing the two-hour power cut in Chennai, residents take solace that it is much better than in some other districts, where power supply is disrupted for up to 12 hours a day. In fact, relatives from other parts of the state are thronging the homes of residents in the city.
   

 “My children never miss visiting their cousins in Salem but the moment I told them that there would be no electricity there, they wanted to cancel the tickets. I’ve asked my sister in Salem to come over with her family,” says Sudha Mani of Nanganallur.
 

   A Ponmani Thangam, an employee of Canara Bank in Tirunelveli, has come to Chennai to visit relatives and, well, get away from the “land of constant power cuts,” as she puts it.
    “At my place, we wake up early because of the heat. We are lucky to have power supply for an hour in the morning. We have an inverter, but the few hours of supply are not sufficient to charge it,” she says.
 

    Maheswari, a revenue department employee in Coimbatore, has gone a step further. “I have appealed to the higher officials in Chennai seeking a transfer to the state capital. My son can’t stand the heat,” she says. K Manikandan, a school teacher from Tuticorin, says he will spend a couple of weeks in Chennai, “where you at least know when there will be a power cut”.
 

   President of the Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association A Afzal says many buses from Chennai to other towns in the state are plying with at least 15% of unoccupied seats. “Usually our buses run full, but not this year,” he says.
 

    Many people who travelled to other parts of the state have got back before schedule.
  

 Summer travellers to hill stations, however, are happy. “People are asking for details of trips to Ooty and Kodaikanal,” says Afzal.
    selvaraj.a@timesgroup.com 

 

THE HEAT IS ON

Govt report sees 4 degree rise in temperature in 10 years

Nitin Sethi TNN

New Delhi:  If the freakish cool weather across India has lulled you into forgetting about the dangers of global warming, here’s a reality check. In a report to be submitted to the UN in a few days, the Indian government has said alarming climatic changes are taking place in the country and projected even more serious trends for the future — including a 4 degree Celsius rise in maximum temperatures in some parts as early as the 2020s.

    The report says that more than three out of four weather stations across India had witnessed an alarming rise in intensity of rains (over 24 hours) in the period between 1980-2009.

    It says intense warming was witnessed between 1998-2007 and the intensity has been rising since the 1970s. The mean temperature during winters have risen by 0.7 degree Celsius and post-monsoon mean temperatures by 0.52 degree Celsius in the last 100 years. The mean temperature in India rose by 0.2 degree Celsius every decade between 1971-2007 with minimum temperatures rising more than maximum temperatures, which increased 1.02 degree Celsius in 100 years. 

Number of rainy days on the decline: Report
New Delhi: In a report to be submitted to the UN in a few days, the Indian government has said alarming climatic changes are taking place in the country.
    While the trends show evidence of warming, there is, however, no conclusive proof that these are linked to human-induced climate change.     The most alarming findings in the report are the predictions it makes based on scenarios that greenhouse gas emissions would continue to rise unchecked over the coming decades.      Projections show that total monsoon rainfall could rise between 9-16% by the end of 21st century. By that time, annual mean temperatures could rise by 3.5-4.3 degree Celsius with 1.7-2 degree rise taking place as early as 2030s.      The report says the number of rainy days could decrease but 

rain could become more intense – thereby causing more damage – almost all across the country.

    Both the minimum and maximum temperatures recorded in a day will rise, according to the findings. Areas in Rajasthan and Kutch could see more than a 4-degree rise in maximum temperatures by as early as 2020s. A similar rise could take place in more than half the country by 2080.     Night temperatures are projected to rise by 4.5 degrees across a large part of the country by 2050 and the jump could spread to almost the entire country by 2080.     The frequency of cyclonic storms could decrease with time but the intensity with which they wreak havoc will rise, according to these simulation models.
    

Separate studies have been conducted to measure the impact of increasing GHG gases on water availability in river basins and on agricultural productivity. The government assessment notes, “Water scarcity levels will be crossed in Cauvery, Mahi, Sabarmati and westflowing rivers of Kuch, Sau and Luni, while Ganga, Tapi and Narmada basins will hit water stress limits.”

    The report says, “Ganga downstream, Brahmaputra and Surma-Imphal show high vulnerability to climate change in the northern and eastern basins.” Ganga upstream and Mahanadi will also become vulnerable by 2070, it says.
  

  Two different measures are used to quantify the net impact on water basins – the yield of water and the evapotranspiration from river basins. A majority of rivers show increasing precipitation, with exceptions such as Brahmaputra, Cauvery and Pennar.

Fair Use Notice: This post contains copyrighted material that has not been authorized by the copyright owners. PGI believes this educational use on the Green Eye Web-blog constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.) If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Fair Use notwithstanding we will immediately comply with any copyright owner who wants their material removed or modified or wants us to link to their web site which we routinely do as a business practice notwithstanding.

PRESS RELEASE: WBO: KEYNOTE SPEECH by BAMBOO ICONOCLAST: DAVID SANDS, AIA LEED AP

PRESS RELEASE:

THE FUTURE OF BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION

What We Need to Do Now

By David E. Sands, AIA LEED AP

In the midst of a recession there has and continues to be a green construction boom. Sales of green homes in the US has continued to rise when conventional construction has been flat. The opportunity for the growth of bamboo construction has never been better. There are a number of actions that need to be taken for bamboo to fulfill its potential as a building material in Europe, the US and other developed countries. The first is taking leadership in education as to why bamboo should be used for construction. This is particularly true in Europe and the US where there is no history of bamboo construction. The primary educational focus should be on the protection of native forests, and on the reduced need for mining to produce steel and concrete that the increased use of bamboo for construction affords.

The focus of the green standards for construction that have been developed has been mainly on energy conservation. In the US 90% of the energy used during the life of a building is from operations. However the materials used in a building have a much greater environmental footprint than simply the energy used for production and placement. Steel and concrete are both extractive industries and the use of wood for construction results in deforestation. At the same time to expand the use of bamboo beyond tropical areas it is very important to design for minimum energy use over the life of the buildings as exemplified by the Passivhaus Institut in Germany and the work of Zeri in Scandanavia. Our goal should be to create buildings which produce more energy than they consume.

For each acre of bamboo properly put into production for construction material many acres of trees can be taken out of production, eliminating the loss of cover and the erosion that would have been associated with the harvesting of those trees. When the avoided deforestation is taken into account the carbon stored by building with bamboo is effectively nearly doubled. More research is needed but the case can and should be made for using bamboo to address the most pressing issue of our time – global climate change. In the World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok I presented a strategy for using bamboo for carbon sequestration. In the educational process, there is no substitute for direct personal experience, in this case for being able to visit a bamboo building. This leads to the second action needed which is establishing model projects. 

The Hanover pavilion produced by Zeri and designed by SimonVelez is a good example and there are others in Europe already. My company, Bamboo Living, was able to build in the US prior to the completion of our national building code standard by working with local building officials. We brought Dr. Jules Janssen from Eindhoven University in the Netherlands to Hawaii to educate the local building officials about bamboo construction. Also as we completed each step in developing the standard we provided the latest information to the local building officials to review and provide feedback. This was essential to the development of our ICC standard as ICC wanted data from engineers working with the material. It also allowed us to generate the funds needed for the building code standard which took us seven years and significant expense to complete. Perhaps a similar approach can be taken for Europe through a creative collaboration between the public and private sectors and interested universities. Our team is certainly interested in being part of such an effort. From my perspective the first step is to find the client who is willing to be the pioneer. This leads us to the next issue of understanding who will buy bamboo buildings. Unless there is a market and that market is developed bamboo construction remains only a nice idea. In the US we have found that the people interested in building with bamboo tend to be from the group defined as the “cultural creatives” and as the LOHAS consumers. They are highly educated and values driven. 

To grow the bamboo construction opportunity in Europe, as we have been doing in the US, the considerations of this group of people need to be addressed. Their considerations revolve around the values that drive them. They care about the environment and social justice. How can they be assured that they are buying a green product? There is an apt analogy with the growth of the organic industry in the US and Europe. What was needed in the US to take organic food into the mainstream was the development of an organic standard that the buyer could feel assured met their personal standard. The development of the USDA Organic label was that necessary step. We could similarly establish a standard for bamboo that assured environmental principles were upheld in the growth, harvesting and manufacturing and that fair trade practices were adhered to throughout the supply chain. Glues and finishes should meet stepped goals for both performance and “greenness” similar to the CAFE standards used in the US to promote ingenuity with regard to environmental performance in the automobile industry. Sadly, organic food in the US is often associated with elitism. A goal of the bamboo construction industry has to be democratization. Bamboo should be not only the preferred environmental alternative but also the affordable alternative to conventional construction. This will need to come through scaling and new product development both of which we have been working on assiduously.

An additional consideration for Europe that needs to be addressed is that the climate of much of Europe is not conducive to the commercial cultivation of bamboo. This means shipping bamboo to Europe from other places. Shipping then becomes part of the environmental equation when considering bamboo for construction. A study done at Eindhoven University considered bamboo from Central America as opposed to steel, concrete and two types of sustainably grown wood for a bridge construction project. Even with the shipping between hemispheres bamboo had a much lower embodied energy than the other building materials. Further research and education of the public is needed along this line. Bamboo could become an alternative to extractive industries as an export for developing African countries. A consideration we often face in the US is a perception that bamboo is invasive. We educate our potential clients about the difference between monopodial and sympodial bamboos (runners and clumpers) and we have stuck with clumping species for our supply. If a monopodial is being used then a proper management plan has to be implemented and the public educated about it.

For bamboo construction to be widely accepted new products need to be developed that meet developed country standards for construction durability, performance and appearance. This can come in the creative use of poles and in the development of engineered bamboo products. We have gathered a think tank of global leaders and formed a new company, Bamboo Intelligence Global, to implement the technologies and strategies we have been developing. As a company we are pursuing an integrative approach that benefits all stakeholders from farmers to homeowners and look forward to sharing more about our efforts in the future. Our website is www.bamboointelgobal.com. Please join us in our efforts.

There are a number of opportunities for further research regarding bamboo construction. In loading tests done at IIT in Delhi, unlike steel and concrete, bamboo did not fail catastrophically. This could be a valuable area for further research as it defines the value of bamboo for construction in earthquake prone areas. Also with proper fireproofing the use of bamboo could be significantly expanded to compete with steel and concrete in midrise construction applications. For example we have been working with one technology that

encases bamboo in a cold ceramic.

Bamboo for construction is close approaching a tipping point. We have been seeing that in the US and I believe it is true for Europe as well. It will be through the concerted efforts of the people here and others like you that we can reach that point soon and begin to maximize the potential for bamboo in construction. This is a wonderful game where everyone wins including our beautiful little Earth. Let’s win this one for our home planet.

Fair Use Notice: This post contains copyrighted material that has not been authorized by the copyright owners. PGI believes this educational use on the Green Eye Web-blog constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.) If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Fair Use notwithstanding we will immediately comply with any copyright owner who wants their material removed or modified or wants us to link to their web site which we routinely do as a business practice notwithstanding.

Things you can learn Riding an India Metro Bus: Gender Bias & Development: The Importance of Swag Regressive Econometrics

Regression analysis is a statistical tool for the investigation of relationships

between variables. Usually, the investigator seeks to ascertain  the causal effect of one variable upon another. To explore such issues,
the investigator assembles data on the underlying variables of interest and employs regression to estimate the quantitative effect of the causal variables upon the variable that they influence. The investigator also typically assesses the “statistical significance” of the estimated relationships, that is, the degree of confidence that the true relationship is close to the estimated relationship.
We have all heard the well worn phrase that India ... 'land of contradictions.' The more accurate is that it is a land of multidictions. Some of the best and worst examples of society's compassion and lack thereof occur everyday, in every corner of India. It is a target rich environment for any CSR professional or 3BL designer. It is a society that on one hand traditionally reveres nature and humankind, and on the other contains inhumane and deeply seeded abusive conventions re same. The business environment with its decade of meteoric rising development, complete with an all-costs fixation on breaking 10% annual GDP, has reflected moments of innovative and 'deep-ethic' CSR, but moreover resulted in an overall strategic disregard for basic human and natural capital resources and services. Although the government and policy is often blamed and complicit, it ultimately comes down to the failures of the business ethic that drives the economic growth we (perhaps mistakenly) call 'growth and development.'  In this extreme environment, where so much is in need of improvement, PGI formed its ethos and gained unparalleled expertise and vision. In honor of our own fifth year as a network organization, we will focus on some of the critical philosophies our our mission statement. Starting with the two most critical: Woman Equality and Energy Poverty. They are far more entwined than you may think.

In this installment we reflect on the art of paying attention. As 3BL planners and CSR professionals we must be accustom to becoming sensitive to the econometrics of various factors in the environment. Sometimes rapid societal changes can be explained by hidden macro shocks. This requires the use of active attentive regressive analytics. Practicing this as much and as often as possible makes ones forensic skills greater and thus a better 3BL designer.

Genuine 3BL and CSR requires critical analysis but it requires a curiosity for causation. Not always having the time or resources to engage an empirical study, an objective swag analysis of known factors should be employed. Standard regressive analytics such as participatory GIS is a tool that allows the professional to keep their eye on the ball so not to miss the story that is unfolding all around. It is something that the founders of PGI have made part of the business model and its business ethic. For example, Sand County Almanac is required reading for our new consultants and network members. (It's best read while traversing the ECR, the 'King's Highway' in Upper Assam and sitting standstill in India's Big 6 urban traffic.) We must always take a look around to remember what's at stake and what's important. It is this constant reading and quest that has continually honed our consultancy. Our goal is to follow the CSR need, and combat lip-servicing greed. This premise collectively led us to organically focus our 3BL business models and led us to pro-woman-Co-Op-ag-business, food security, land ethic CSR and most recently the realization that nearly everything from gender inequality to social-education gaps can be traced to energy poverty. Sounds strange but its undeniably true.

It's all too much to distill into one installment, and frankly we enjoy much more putting our models into practice on the ground than speaking in platitudes. But what can be said as we rapidly approach our fifth anniversary (and Rio+20 is that 'it works'. There is another way. 3BL is real. We have been to the promised land and we have seen lives transformed because of our models performing to spec in India. We have met some of the most inspirational people the world has to offer, and we are positive the green revolution will be won or lost based on the weight of India's minds. This is no exaggeration. This is not a statement made to curry favor of Indian readers. This is true whether you are in Paris, France, Paris Texas or Parrys Corner, Chennai.   India is huge and growing. I am not speaking in terms of economic prowess. I am talking about weight of consumption, weight of waste, weight of energy required to maintain its status quo.

The traditional attachment that is core to the traditional Indian and vedic ethic is the Land Ethic that Leopold and Steiner tried to implement in their day. Neither had such a following as they do now. They are notably unheard of in India, which is ironic in the case of Steiner.  Decades later and just now realizing they were right and we nonetheless remain on the same road to perdition.  Ufortunately the weight of minds in India have likewise ignored the sage advice of tradition and harmonics in favor of the same hollow promises of the consumerist economy. But this time, on the mind bending scale of a consumer base of 1+ billion, the thought of which leaves MNCs breathless in anticipation and the rest of us facing the grim reality of being drown in a mountain of disposable razors. Be sure that the first to suffer will be and always are the women and children, who due to inequality and malnourishment are the first victims of everything from rising petrol prices to newly minted drug resistant viruses.

This critical component of what makes us human has probably never been written about more succinctly and beautifully as the legal writing of Justice Rubello of Bombay High Court as he addressed the complexity and contradiction of adoption law in India. He found the single citation that sums up our present status as a human race:

We are guilty of many errors and faults

but our worst crime
is abandoning the children,
neglecting the fountain of life.

Many of the things we need can wait.

The child cannot.

Right now is the time his bones are being formed,

his blood is being made,
and his senses are being developed.

To him we cannot answer “Tomorrow”

His name is “Today.”

-Gabriella Mistral

So how can the subject of human ethics and our inalienable obligation as CSR professionals be answered on a bus. Well, it will comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me well that I noticed something interesting on the bus¹ today. Something telling as it relates to social adjustment to shocks, and something about dealing with statistics in India.

For years I've daily taken the 21D bus to PGI's Parrys, Madras office. Through my western eyes it looks like something from Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlet, but that bucket of Ashok Leyland bolts charges up and down Marina Drive daily like a champ. Inefficient, dirty, rugged, used and abused are some good descriptors of 21D. She sits 48 and the Tamil board at the front of the bus says 24 can stand so 72 is supposedly her max...her 100%. Of this 100% the gender split is 60% women/40% men. Of the women, most are in school uniforms or get off at the half dozen centenarian universities along Marina Boulevard. This always made me feel good that our future may end up in the hands of these young ladies. Alas, if so, there's still hope for the human race.

Things happen in India in waves. Opinion and social habit moves in similar fashion and because of the sheer number of citizens, in spectacular fashion. When the bus fair doubled a few months back, the bus operated at 80% occupancy...I assume as some form of protest...or perhaps while the usual occupants checked out light rail, bike-pooling or otherwise breaking out the calculator to figure out efficiency ratios. (Indians love to do these kind of calculations from top to grass roots, which is part of their innate cultural sustainability ethic.) Eventually within a week 21D came back to 100% occupancy, for reasons I can only fondly speculate.

Last week, petrol was notched up 3 more rupees, the third hike in six months and reports now have India petrol (gasoline) prices as the highest in the world bar none. http://www.mypetrolprice.com/petrol-price-chart.aspx 

This, in a country where the middle income household GDP can be less than a lakh ($2000) per annum or at the opposite end of the spectrum, in league with the top billionaires in the world. For India's huge 400 million and growing 'middle class' three more rupees per liter, on increasingly crowded roads, hits the household economic equation rather hard. Particularly in light of the number of dual income families that have come into being over the past four or five years.

So to my point, since the petrol hike 21D has been operating at a very uncomfortable 120% occupants. I could write an entire installment on what that extra 20% does economically to the public transport system infrastructure and efficiency, but there is something far more important to note. Here it is:

The gender split is now 40% men and 80% women. Yes, in India, most things do not sum neatly into 100%. If you come to India to do business and do not understand this, then either don't come, or better yet (ha) call PGI.

So here;s the SWAG: The extra 20%, (after a quick toe ring count) are married working women, (and a quick sari fabric check) middle to upper middle class. They are the set that has to now been seen tooling to and from work on a variety of shiny 'scooty' mopeds. (The new symbol of India's development, the two motorized bike family.)  

So what can be gathered with (less than scientific) common sense logic is that there has been a shock (price of petrol increase is the obvious one), that some household adjustment had to be made (decrease weekly household petrol consumption cost) and the woman has been 'elected' to absorb the shock. Whether it can be seen as a positive (more humans taking public transport) pales in comparison with the more disturbing and continuing trend of women being the sacrificial lamb of economic and ecologic shocks. I use the bus example as an example of paying attention to the world in the way that we must, and testament to the many shocks that societies absorb that lead societies to shift behavior. The troubling part is that the absorption and shifts are seldom if ever equal.

The male of the species assures that the female and child is the buffer in order to preserve the male 'standard of living'. If anyone would like to debate this, I'd warn that I and others at PGI have a mental inventory of first hand examples that make this bus exercise trite. Horrific and inhumane examples of shocks resulting in women and children being thrown into the abyss in the name of 'development' and social 'integrity.' The status of the gender is no doubt improving and recent laws that give women rights to alimony in divorce and abandonment cases are long overdue but welcome. Today's times of India reported that the mother-not the father- is the priority and first named in guardianship cases. (This is dear to me personally, as I had to insist to my advocate and Court that my wife's name be included in the pleadings for the adoption of our son.)

In fact, professionally, we at PGI advocate that development that is not sustainable and 3BL is not development. The 'developed' world is developed on a myth that is proving itself an illusion. The transitioning world is not developing unless if follows a new model and create a new inalienable ethical and equality based delivery system of development. And for PGI and our network, we have come to use the woman and the child as the measure of sustainability in the environment. When the land-human-gender factors are all in balance, then and only then can we ascribe the model is healthy. The testament of same is reflected in the smile and confident twinkle of a mother's eye and the glow of her healthy children.

We looking forward to seeing you all in Rio in June so we can share and shape a vision for the future through economic models that make sense and accounts for every stakeholder no matter the strength of voice to demand a share.

-Frank Costanzo

Peerless Green Initiatives

See also:  http://www.firstpost.com/india/a-crying-shame-the-battered-baby-girl-syndrome-272221.html

1At PGI we ask that all our network members use the public transportation system where-ever available. Some of us including myself have converted our automobiles to LPG and are attempting to do some CSR for organizing a recycled cooking fuel and bio-gas filling station for diesel and CBG respectively. The interesting co-benefit of public transport is that it gets us closer to the social ground and infrastructure requirements where shocks are better felt than in the AC confines of our comfy cars and homes.

Fair Use Notice: This post contains copyrighted material that has not been authorized by the copyright owners. PGI believes this educational use on the Green Eye Web-blog constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.) If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Fair Use notwithstanding we will immediately comply with any copyright owner who wants their material removed or modified or wants us to link to their web site which we routinely do as a business practice notwithstanding.