The comments of Bush or Rice on the increased food consumption of developing world deserves no further comments. It is not worth it. America still remains locked within its four walls but a little shocked though. It is only slowly emerging from its insolence.
When a country is progressing it is only natural that the food consumption increases and there is no way we can ask its citizens to stop or curb their craving for food so that developed nations can continue to indulge and find new means to tackle obesity. But if developed nations are using their precious grains to create fuel to maintain their SUV’s then it needs to be checked immediately. There is no use turning a blind eye to obvious facts. It is time the world leaders told their citizens in plain language to take care. Yet the fact is that developed nations still stand to gain from exports of their food grains.
As for India, it is time we took our bread more seriously. We are lacking in basic infrastructure, food being the main one. The farmers need to be treated more kindly.
Even India needs bio-fuels to meet the ever increasing price of oil but the government needs to bring strict measures so that no cultivable land meant for food grains are converted for bio-fuel needs.
In India we have the best candidate, the Jatropha tree. Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production. I believe the best way would be to continue using the vast stretch of land by the side of our railway lines and also our national highways. I am sure this would be enough to meet a part of our energy demands. But the cultivation of such bio-fuel sources should be under the strict government supervision that will ensure that no agricultural land is converted.
In Mysore some 40 acres of lung space close to a Sanatorium has been leased to a biofuel company for jatropha plantation - Such state-sponsored biofuel initiative needs closer srutiny.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is Bush and Rice like humble myself think that food consumption is increasing in India as a result of India's galloping population explosion. A very interesting sociological problem for study would be to investigate how during the last four decades the large minority population among whom muslims form a very large percentage have been catapulted to form a largely expanding middle class layer by special dispensations by state and central governments. Muslims as so called minority contribute to the population in greater numbers than the majority by virtue of their unreformed personal law in which polygamy is a central plank. The special dispensations keep them as comfortable breeders to put it crudely. If that is progress, it is an uneasy progress.
ReplyDeleteI have not read any initiatives that slow down the population which are political nogo areas. Against this catastrophic scenario, planting of trees of any kind including jatropha becomes a side show.
GVK.. thanks for your comments: The public and the media needs to be vigilant. But planting those trees by the side of our railway tracks and Highways can be thought of. Biofuels are here to stay unless we think of other renewable energies like Solar Energy. More research needs to be done to make Solar Energy more viable..
ReplyDeleteguru..Population is not the only factor and i think I can explain the same by something which landed in my inbox. But putting the blame on one community is cruel.
I love how you breakdown every thought and analyze it with such perfection. :) I've written about Bush too ... would love your input.
ReplyDeleteJabardast post, Asha and I agree picking up on religion on every issue whether travel or food is not healthy.
ReplyDelete