Of hot air and greenhouse gases..

Hilary Clinton's visit to India ,apart from the over-the-top media coverage, brought to fore an issue which might become a bone of contention between the India and the US,if it hasn't already. That issue being : binding commitments on emissions by developing countries. Of course, we have been dancing around this issue since Dubya walked out of Coyote with a thumb cocked at China and India and the "priveleges" that they were entitled to in the protocol. So,it was quite understandable that MoS for Environment Jairam Ramesh (displaying rare testicular fortitude for an Indian politician) poo-pooed Hilary's demand for India to reduce ITS emissions.




This handshake is all you're getting,lady.


Now that we have sent Hilary packing without an inch being conceded and managed to fool ourselves into thinking we are not America's lapdog, Mr. Ramesh and his colleagues need to come up with a comprehensive roadmap of sustainable development. The green energy sector in India needs a shot in the arm like never before. Get an incubation fund in place to kickstart companies in this field, get research going in the universities, make all government buildings LEED certified , laws on waste management,recycling and the like. We have a chance here to make a generational leap replicating the cellphone success story. No development to sustainable development without the years of smog and urban dystopia in between. Sound good?