It’s Getting Hot In Here

Cross-posted from:  What’s with the Climate?

The Environmental Defense Fund in collaboration with IETA and the Pew Charitable Trusts hosted an event today at the 14th Conference of giving an “update on Federal Affairs.”  Those present included representatives from several high-level committees within the US Congress including Sarah Levinson from the office of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Alexandra Teitz from the office of Congressman Henry Waxman, Peter Rafle-Senagte from Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, Jo-Ellen Darcy, representing the Senate Finance Committee, Jonathan Black representing the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee and Chris Adamo representing Michigan Senator Stabenow.  Though all signs point to hope of the US mobilizing in a positive direction (how could they not?), there is a sense that there will be a lot on the new administration’s plate as far as financing of projects is concerned.  The question then is, will the bold ambitions of the Obama Administration live up to their promises as the US debt and financing for massive projects like Healthcare also hang in the balance?  Or will the climate agenda finally, get the priority?  Continue reading ‘Signs of Hope from the US?’

Representatives of civil society from every continent gathered in Mamallapuram , Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India, are trying to come to consensus on the role of Equity in the climate debate. Since the beginning of the debate on global climate change, equity and climate justice have played a major role in cementing the gridlock between the global North and South on who should be sharing more of the “burden.” The network that has for decades tried to provide the forum for civil society groups from around the world, the Climate Action Network (CAN), is grappling with this issue as the time line for the next global deal nears (Copenhagen in December 2009).

All are in agreement that Kyoto did not work and the world cannot risk having another deal come out of the United Nations Conference in Copenhagen which is as ineffective (in the US) if not weaker than the Kyoto Protocol.  Representatives of CAN-Europe have recently stated that they’d like to see this as a more positive dialogue and are calling it “effort sharing” as it is a shared effort to protect our common future.

Can we put all our development issues in the climate basket?  Are we being inclusive of all voices in the climate dialog?  How can we get over the hurdle of who is at fault for climate change and therefor who must take action? Are we running around in circles in the debate on how to finance adaptation?  Is two degrees more important or a separate debate from the “right to development” for developing nations?

One after another, delegates from Kenya, Malaysia, Australia, India, the Netherlands, the United States, and many other nations voiced their opinions.  The aims of this CAN Summit are pure and simple:  getting beyond the known areas of consensus to the real “problem areas” and figuring out how as a network of international civil society groups we can achieve consensus on those areas.  For if we cannot be united as civil society, how can we help achieve consensus at the United Nations?

A presence not gone unnoticed during this conference thus far are youth from the Indian Youth Climate Network.  A network that is barely seven months old is providing the platform to engage eager youth from the subcontinent to get engaged in this international debate and provide a youthful non-governmental angel to the visitors from abroad.  This is part of a larger vision to take Indian youth representatives to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP14) in Poznan this December as part of the “Agents of Change” program.  Most importantly, this is an attempt to train the next generation of climate leaders from India to become engaged in this debate.

With a few more days left the question on the back of everyone’s minds is whether or not the group of civil society groups from around the world will manage to put up a more united front to take on the challenges the governments convening at the UNFCCC will throw at them.

“In a complete reversal of international trends, new cars in India are spewing more greenhouse gases than older models, pushing up emissions in Delhi alone by 72% in five years (2002-07), the Centre for Science and Environment said on Monday, releasing its analysis of emission data accessed from the Automotive Research Association of India.” (Times of India, 03/06/08).

Fuel guzzling cars hit the road in Delhi with fuel efficiency having dropped for post-2005 models even with engine sizes having remained the same. This in the back drop of 1,000 vehicles a day being added to the streets of the capital and a strong negative media campaign to scrap the much needed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system launched this April. The BRT when completed would cater to approximately 80% of the city’s commuters (including pedestrians and cyclists). For the first time, connections are being drawn between the rise in the number of cars and not just particulate emissions, but also carbon emissions.

May 28th, 2008: Delhi’s youth and young professionals convene for the first ever, Delhi Youth Summit on Climate (DYSoC) to debate the fate of the city’s developmental future in the backdrop of a climate constrained world. Here everything from water supply to waste management, and energy & transportation to new urbanism were discussed. Solutions from the youth were drafted into a Delhi Youth Charter on Climate. Youth and young professionals from all over the National Capital Region (NCR) and from many other cities including as far away from Hyderabad and Chennai descended on the capital and broke out into working groups to debate the solutions. Insights were also given on the role of youth in policy making and how to move forward with the charter for effective action. Over 150 participants including observers from various NGOs were present and the atmosphere was charged with positive “can-do-ism.”

The real question is whether or not youth can take effective action for change in a society so riddled with a “youth should have the same views as their elders” attitude. This is something the nascent youth movement on climate change in India will hopefully be able to indirectly address. After all, with the nation being 75% below the age of 35, it is the future of the youth that is being negotiated by the elders. It’s time their say is taken into account. One thing is for sure: increasingly the connections between rapid development and climate change are being made in a nation that is still struggling to come to terms with per-capita emissions (1/20th of the US per-capita emissions) and its own growing responsibility in this global challenge.

The draft Delhi Youth Charter on Climate can be found here: draft-delhi-youth-charter-on-climate

By Govind Singh

A few months back, two young Indian environmentalists felt the immediate need to bring together the youth and youth based groups all over India - working on the issues of climate change, environmental equity and on the path to development in a climate constrained world. They went around figuring out the best ways to do this, attended seminars-workshops-conferences, got trained by Al Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri, went out of their way to learn, teach themselves and get involved with a lot of people and organizations all across the country. They also teamed up with other like minded youth, notably with an Indian residing in Australia and went on to launch the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN)!

The IYCN now, has called for one of its first - the Delhi Youth Summit on Climate (DYSoC) on the 28th and 29th of this month at the residence of India’s first Prime Minister Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru, less than a mile away from both the President’s House and the Parliament of India.

With the ”Come Create History, By Writing the Future” tag-line, DYSoC 2008 attempts to bring together the youth of Delhi (between 18-30 age group), from different backgrounds and from all parts of the city to discuss, debate, share concerns, raise issues and find innovative solutions to the pressing problems being faced by the city at present, that would only get worse owing to climate change.

DYSoC was envisioned for the fact that Delhi, the seat of power of the world’s largest democracy makes little mention to climate change in its Master Plan 2021. At the same time, the city is very much under construction in an attempt to become a “world class city”, and a lot needs to be done to incorporate mitigation and adaptation to the changing climate today, lest it maybe too late tomorrow. And the youth, the future citizens and leaders of the country and its capital, need to have their voices heard to ensure their policy perspectives are incorporated in the plans of the decision makers of the city. For it is the youth that will inherit the city (and the Planet) from the present generation.

People from all over the country are moving into the capital for the Summit. The event is itself being sponsored by a lot of organisations viz., Fountain of Development Research & Action, LEAD India, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library The Climate Project - India, South Asian Youth Environment Network (SAYEN)/UNEP, Delhi Greens and the YP foundation. Every attempt is also being made to keep the event’s Carbon Footprint to a minimum. Shortly after the event, on 5th of June: the World Environment Day, Delhi Greens - the Delhi Wing of IYCN will be carrying out tree plantations in an attempt to make the event Carbon-neutral. The two day DYSoC event will conclude with a draft Delhi Youth Charter on Climate that will be presented to the Environment Secretary, Govt. of NCT of Delhi at the end of the second day.

The next IYCN event will be the Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change (IYSoCC) in the city of Hyderabad. IYCN has members from all over the country and has been highlighted by the Indian media on more than one occasion. The thumbnail on the left is the news clip from the Hindustan Times: a leading Indian newspaper.

…or so the media has us all believe.

About two weeks ago, the Government of Delhi, India unveiled the much hyped Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), previously popular here as the High Capacity Bus Corridor (HCBS) and the construction for which had been on for the last few months. The little under 6 Km BRT stretch that is now completed and is being trial run came at the cost of some lives (accidental deaths) and at the reported cost of about 3,000 heritage trees of Delhi. The dedicated bus lanes invited mixed reaction from the public; with the car users complaining about having to spend more time on the road now than before and the bus riders being annoyed with the bus-stands being displaced to the middle of the road. Poor design and lack of coordination between different stake holders further worsened the situation. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, the media has taken on itself to narrate the “failure of BRT story” with much fervour.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Delhi is the brainchild of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi’s Traffic Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP) and has been executed by RITES Ltd., a Govt. of India enterprise. The Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS) a “special purpose vehicle” set up by the Govt. is supervising the Project. Clearly then, the Project does not have a single master: probably leading to the mess. The BRT stretch now requires over 70 traffic marshals, 35 traffic policemen and 20 transport department officials for enforcement.

However, it is not just poor planning and lack of coordination that is leading to the mayhem on the corridor. The people using the corridor are to be equally blamed. While the authorities are trying their best to ensure people drive in the lanes meant for the type of vehicle they are using, motorists are violating every rule in the book. The cycle lane is the worst hit and sees more motorcycles, scooters and auto-taxis than cycles. The BRT needs a disciplined traffic to work best, and Delhi unfortunately does not relate much to the latter. Halting on the road to take a call, changing lanes without signaling, over-speeding and jumping signals isn’t something too uncommon in the city. In fact, it is this very discipline now required to maintain on the road, that has been irritating many.

Apparently, the media has initiated a “scrap BRT campaign” of its own! Ever since the first trial run, images and footage of cars waiting forever, motorcycles scattered around the signals, pedestrians not knowing where/how to go; have been put up on the front page/prime time by several media houses. What is unfortunate is that the media seems to have ignored the large number of people who have benefited from the launch of the BRT. While some 1.2 lakh people using their personal vehicles may facing problems and hating the BRT, more than double this number of people using buses have not complained. Rather, they have not been heard.

To gain some experience, I myself took a ride on the entire strecth of the BRT. It felt good, the journey was much speedier and the same bus that used to crawl on the road was at a speed that would not have ever been possible without the corridor. The new low floored buses that have been around for some time added to my pleasant experience. Minus the AC, the experience came pretty close to what it feels when one travels in the Delhi Metro!

Next day, I took my car on the same route, got stuck at all signals - with an empty lane on my left - that had buses zooming pass by me. Then, I realized why all the irritation, disgust and hatred was for!

By Govind Singh, New Delhi

The time has come to worship the black rocks beneath our soil. India needs approximately 160,000 megawatts of electricity in the coming decade to be able to sustain its phenomenal growth rate. Conveniently enough, we have one of the largest coal reserves in the world. Unfortunately Indian coal is not of good quality as it has a high ash content. Much of our coal fields are also under developed (perhaps we should be thankful for this as these resources lie beneath our dwindling forests and tiger habitats) which makes us import from places like South Africa and Australia. That aside we know that coal will continue to play a major role in India’s economic growth and development for the coming decades. And as the government tries to rapidly electrify the entire nation by 2012 (as currently 500 million people are without access to electricity in rural areas) the need for power supply expansion is obvious. Add to that the fact that every urban center experiences power outages affecting business and agriculture both it is not surprising that we are seeing the approval of finances for Tata’s 4,000 Megawatt “Ultra Mega” Power Project at Mundra port in Gujarat.

The estimated cost of this project is $4.2 billion and the International Finance Corporation, part of the financing wing of the World bank is footing $450 million of that (Rs. 1,800 crore). This in conjunction with the Asian Development Bank ($450 million), Korean ECA ($800 million), “local banks” ($1.5 billion), and “an equity component” of $1 billion. The beneficiaries are expected to be the industrial and agricultural users along with 1.6 crore domestic households. The juice will be zapped through power lines into five states in western and northern India. Just imagine the gap between demand and supply this will fill! Or will it? Perhaps demand will never meet up with supply as the Indian middle class grows along with their ambitions to own more ACs, refrigerators, and electronic gadgets. Never mind that people in villages are still struggling to have electricity to read. The truth is that there is a very serious climate injustice at play here. Can India continue to just justify the need for more power in the name of the 500 million without access when an “electrified village” equates to just 10% of the households in the village having access to the grid? Meanwhile the demand in the urban areas continues to soar…

Will the electricity really reach the rural poor? Will the poor even be able to afford electricity at time when we are seeing a restructuring of the power system to reduce transmission and distribution costs (which have been as high as 50% in many places and only now begun to come down in states like Rajasthan and a few others)?

It is said that super critical technology is being implemented in the construction of this power plant (the first of which will be operational by 2011 and the other units plugging into the grid in installments of every 4 months). This will make the coal power plants 40% more energy efficient at turning the black mineral into energy than the average power plant in India is currently able to manage. Also, it has already been estimated that the plant will emit 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The IEA stated at a side event in Bali last December highlighting the importance of China and India in the emerging energy scenario that for serious cut backs on global green house gas emissions, by 2012 we could no longer build any more thermal power plants that emit any CO2. Everything from that point on would need to be zero-emission and from there on a gradual reduction in emission from overall power generation as the global economy transitioned into renewables. But does this leave enough time and space for rapidly emerging economies (not to mention the least developed countries LDCs) to get cheap energy to grow and bring millions out of poverty? Who will finance zero emission coal plants or the transition into a completely zero-carbon growth path?

Original post at “What’s with the Climate?“  Voice of the Indian Youth Climate Network.

You would expect the climate change talks to have taken off with a “Bang” here in the capital of Thailand. Yet the sense amongst most observer groups is that there are no negotiations really taking place. The biggest challenge is carrying forward the energy of the Bali Action Plan which came out of intense final hour negotiations back in December 2007. It is already nearing the last day and it is becoming obvious that the delegates are losing track of time. And there are very heavy issues on the table including: adaptation (how we will finance technology for adaptation, do we couple it with mitigation, how do we determine which nations are the most vulnerable), mitigation (what does measurable, reportable, verifiable emissions reduction targets mean?), Finance (which instruments will be utilized for mobilization and control of funds, and more importantly where will we get the massive amounts of funding required?), etc.

“You can fly, to any city in Thailand. I hope you get a chance to explore this beautiful country before you all leave,” stated the deputy Prime Minister of Thailand during his opening plenary address. I noticed more than a few people smirk in the room. One of the key issues being discussed here are the roping in of various industrial and cooperative sectors into the negotiating process–one of the most important being bunker fuels from aviation and shipping–emissions from the former having continued to rise at 3% each year while the latter’s emissions have doubled since 1990. A presentation today by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the primary organization held responsible for checking the growth of emissions from this industry/sector revealed some of the key challenges to addressing the problem.

Challenges include things like access to and quality of data, methodology, comparability and the problem of emissions from transboundary and multinational  flights and those crossing areas outside national jurisdiction were of key concern.  However the presentation (which was quite poorly put together with only 3 slides) left a lot to be desired regarding actual moves to check the growth of emissions coming from the sector–and the main culprits having not checked the growth of emissions are the ICAO and IMO (International Maritime Organization). The aviation sector is expanding rapidly in the emerging economies (and rightly so, considering the new found wealth in these nations). Those with vested interests in trade would have business as usual with regards to curbing emissions in this sector–Panama, Singapore, and China again, being some of them. Curiously, small island states as well, as their remoteness requires a heavy reliance on both shipping and aviation for survival.  New Zealand made a point to address this latter issue and stated the need to consider geographical remoteness and national circumstances when drafting final policy.

The debate on forests has been reopened as the issue of carbon stocks is taken up once more. This time it comes under LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry). While NGOs are wanting appropriate accounting of emissions from peat and degraded forests, governments are talking of carbon harvested products (timber products) serving as carbon sinks!

To speak a little about the US here at the talks. According to various NGOs, there has been more engagement with the US congress this time on the issue of climate change. It is expected that there will be a steady 4-5 negotiators monitoring all related international talks from now on. We’ve also heard that both Obama and McCain are pledging to be a part of this deal.

For the 1000 delegates convening here from 190 nations around the world, time is running out in this “City of Angles.” Where is the divine intervention that is needed to move this process along?

“We’re on our 8th day of fasting,” said one of the students from Calicut University, Calicut, Kerela. “We don’t want nuclear to be a part of our future.” Several students including Abdul Rehman, Saji Mathew, Ramziya Rehmat, Tomy Jecob, Krupa and Divya, inspired by one of their professors came all the way from the southern state of Kerela up to the seat of power in Delhi to voice their concerns regarding the long-pending Indo-US nuclear power deal. They are members of the Students Against Nuclear Power (S.A.N.P) group.

The Indo-US Nuclear deal, also known as the “1, 2, 3″ Deal has been full of controversy ever since its inception. Though first started by the NDA government of the late 90s and early 2000, it has reached its final stages under the current UPA-led coalition. The deal is significant for many reasons but mostly for its implications of India finally being deemed a “responsible nuclear power” status by the US–bringing the country out of official isolation on the subject. It is important to note that India has not signed the non-proliferation treaty.

The deal is being mooted crucial for India in terms of energy security as the nation currently imports 70% of its oil, which is expected to go up to 90% by mid-century if not sooner. India currently lacks supplies of uranium and the deal would allow technology sharing and the ability to buy uranium from the global market for the very first time. India’s plans are to utilize home grown technology, particularly the fast-breeder closed cycle process which involves enriching some thorium (of which conveniently India has some 30-odd percent of the global supply) with uranium to start the closed cycle. If India is to maintain its economic boom, it is expected that it will have to increase its energy production from the 125 gigawatts today to over 250 gigawatts by 2016. It is debatable however, how much of this will actually be achieved by boosting nuclear energy generation. Critics state that nuclear will still play a very small role in the over all energy mix.

Energy aside, controversy also exists around the fact that the agreement might compromise India’s sovereignty over the rights to its own weapons program which technically is a separate entity all together. Regardless, the question of the hour is should India push through the nuclear deal without much debate (as the current administrations plan on doing especially before President Bush is out of office), will it herald yet another missed opportunity for India to follow a more genuine path towards carbon-neutral growth? Can a population of 1.03 billion people with really high density accept any form of nuclear melt down like 3-mile island or the one that happened in Japan more recently? Furthermore is nuclear the way we solve our climate challenge?

For the students, the purpose was clear: give the separate movements against nuclear from around the country a rallying point. I think they did just that. Many have come out in support. It was on the 8th day of fasting that I finally visited these brave youth. Leading leftist politicians arrived at the scene pleading them to stop the fast in assurance that they would carry forth the battle in parliament.  ” Now that we have had our voices heard and helped unite the movement, we are going back and will carry on our struggle from Kerela,” stated the professor leading the students. I only hope that it is not too late.

 Original posted at: whatswiththeclimate.org voice of the Indian Youth Climate Network.

The Climate Project (TCP) - a world-wide organization that supports Mr. Al Gore’s efforts on promoting climate change activism - launched its India chapter (TCP India) this weekend.With support and patronage from Mr. Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri and with funding and in-kind support from the JSW Foundation, TCP carried out a training session at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi. During the session, some hundred carefully selected Indian delegates from different professions were personally trained by Mr. Gore and others to spread the message of climate change and take up informed actions within their communities.Mr. Gore categorically emphasized the need for India to play an even greater role in combating climate change and in being a leader in taking such initiatives. “India is the world’s future”, he declared and went on to inspire the delegates to take the right action now lest all of us would regret later.

At a dinner hosted in his honor, a day before the training session, Mr. Gore talked about the opportunity that lies ahead, to raise global consciousness to a higher level. “As we do so” he further went on to add, “we will find it much easier to solve the crisis of extreme poverty, to solve the challenge of HIV/AIDS, to find the political will to halt the destruction of precious forest of the planet and the devastation of ocean fishery, to stop the chronic civil wars fought by child soldiers and to bring relief to all those who are suffering unnecessarily from easily preventable diseases.”He also pressed upon the need for nations to come together to address the above challenges, all of which are now defined as political problems. “Our ability to address them will increase as we develop the capacity for vision and build the moral authority essential to taking action together as a civilization,” was the take home message by him for the night.

The training session was even more thought provoking and the energy level and the charisma carried by Mr. Gore ensured that every eye was fixed on him throughout the day. There were useful inputs by Dr. Pachauri and the rest of the TCP team that kept trickling and adding to the learning experience as well. Mr. Gore’s passion and concern for the planet and towards the human civilization was exhibited in every single sentence that he put across. The audience only got more and more engaged as Mr. Gore shifted from one slide to the next. He concluded the day with sending best wishes to all and hoping for a better planet. He left back a fully charged up audience impatient to get out and spread the message while still wanting to hear and learn more from him.

TCP India is slated to be an independent body with a skills based advisory board to lend expertise and advice towards issues pertaining to climate change. It is also being setup to spread the TCP message further and to develop “Green curriculum” to support existing training/education.

 Original post by Govind Singh at whatswiththeclimate.org voice of the Indian Youth Climate Network. 

“Give us things that will help us run engines with local resources. Diesel and petrol prices are killing us farmers,” said Ram Karan. I sat listening intently to him at his farm on the very fringes of Ranthambore National Park. The majority of farmers here who do not have access to electricity spend anywhere between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 1 lakh on diesel to run generators to irrigate their farm lands. Imagine that amount of money instead being put towards a decentralized renewable energy source to sustain their livelihoods. “Give us solar, we are willing to pay!” he said. “I know that there are even solar powered pumps out there.” Solar pumps have been questioned for their efficacy especially where ground water levels have dropped severely—and they have in this part of Rajasthan. I was doing a survey on the local biogas plant dissemination project by a local NGO, the Prakratik Society. Though a technology around since the 1970s and considering one of the most abundant decentralized resources available to rural India being livestock, it is unfortunate that not much more research and development has gone towards its advancement. My survey revealed more than just a drastic reduction in fuel-wood consumed by villagers owning the biogas plants (50-100% drop by 100% of the households surveyed): some of the villagers are fueling some of their ambitions in rather unique ways with this old technology.

On this morning, Ram Karan was running his tractor engine with a mix of diesel and the gas generated by his biogas plant. The two cylinder tractor engine used to run the pump usually consumes 2.5 liters of diesel in one hour, but with a mix of biogas, it consumes diesel at a rate of 1.5 to 1.75 liters an hour. The only draw back was the limited amount of gas generated by the 3 cubic meter biogas plant being sucked out more quickly by the hungry engine. Still, it reveals the scope of larger sized biogas plants in meeting additional needs of villagers beyond cooking. The problem with larger plants (those with greater width and depth) being the higher likelihood of cracks developing in the tank—which render plants completely useless. “If we could get enough gas to run an 8-10 horse power engine to pump water, and perhaps some for additional electricity generation, we would be all set!” He touted. Further down the road, a dhaba had been set up near the roadside. “I opened up this dhaba soon after getting my biogas plant,” stated Janki Lal. “Business has been good [as was visible during my short chai break] and it is so much easier to operate using gas as opposed to wood. But I want my lamp as well!” He was referring to the gas lamps the Prakratik Society used to disseminate with the plants earlier on which failed because of lack of proper infrastructure in place for replacement parts.

One of my final stops was at Ameen’s house. He had a large family and ambitions to match the size. “I want to have several biogas plants, or perhaps a few large ones. I will get nearly 10 artificially inseminated hybrid cows [scaling up from the 2 he had currently]. I am going to stop farming and start a dairy,” he stated confidently. His cattle will be stall fed by the fodder he will be planting instead. It will including the “sul babul” tree which grows quite well in this climate and grows rapidly. The native cows are artificially inseminated with the semen of high-milk yielding Jersey cows with help of Prakratik Society. With nearly 50% of the respondents (from 7 different villages surrounding the park) claiming they would be willing to take on bank loans to finance more biogas plants, perhaps its time the advancement of this technology take precedence to meet the ambitions of the people. “The jungle is disappearing, so you need to make these plants everywhere,” stated Ram Karan—revealing a true grasp of the human-wildlife conflict that is plaguing the country.

Original post at: whatswiththeclimate.org (voice of the Indian Youth Climate Network)