Welcome to the Proposals Library of AltKuznets Advisors Pvt Ltd., Your Sustainability Nirvana !

Environmental Progress thru Competition! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Lok Sabha TV is a pleasant surprise. Yeah, they telecast some sessions of the Lower House, but it is far more than a peek in to the hell-house that we elect our representatives in to. And I don't just mean the cultural presentations. Late night this week, I happened to switch in to the Principal Advisor of the Planning Commission, Suresh Sethi, discussing energy policy matters on the channel. For once, I did not switch to the F channel. Believe me, my right hand almost twitched! Much of what he said was, for want of a better word, relevant, and though I did not see his way at many points along his talk, one sentence caught my attention. Mr Sethi said, and I quote (though not verbatim) “Competition (among producers) will enhance the environmental performance of our industry”. Well, I fervently hope so. Because my training in micro-economics and energy economics suggests an entirely different...

Zip, Zap, Suuuuee me! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com Euro vehicle pollution standards and lead-free gasoline are so much in the news that one can't be faulted to presume the air is getting cleaner around us. But wait before you breathe too deeply! Would you care to walk out of your thickly curtained air-conditioned bungalow? At around 8:30-9 am on a cold morning to be precise. That's when the neighbor revs up his two-stroke scooter releasing a white plume. Now who would protest refreshing some benzene and carbon-monoxide to accompany your cuppa chai?! Join me as we find our way to work through the potholes and the braving the death-defying motoring strategies of the two- and three-wheelers. What's that smell? It can't be....thankfully, it isn't. It's only the foul smell from the rickety diesel-guzzling lorry in front of you. Defying all laws of physics, it seems to exist merely to spout soot and other toxics in to your lungs. Pardon me, how is dies...

Holy Smokes! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar We Chennaites, conservatives and 'traditionalists' to the bone, may have adapted to rap tamil songs to accompany the annual Carnatic music festival, but when it comes to January, reading The Hindu while the cup of decoction coffee is still piping hot is still the 'in thing'. And January brings with it, besides the shrill religious music that interrupts many a tender moments, another traditional festival, Bhogi, the precursor to Pongal, the harvest festival. My ardent love for religion and Hinduism is quite well known. For the same reason, I generally stay clear of religious matters. But this one deserves attention. Over the years, the growing wealth among Indian families has been ostentatiously displayed in many ways including, unfortunately, overt displays of fireworks and the like. Come festival time - and the trend is to celebrate any and all festivals, election victories, five day match victory, ODI v...

Nuclear Devastation via Coal Power? Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar If you are an avid reader then perhaps you have noticed how certain articles are 'friendlier' than others, and not merely because they are well-written. I happened to come across one such undated piece on the internet. Authored by Alex Gabbard of the ORNL, it reveals how coal-fired power plants emit many times, repeat, many times more nuclear irradiating particles than nuclear plants. (I forwarded it to the MoEF). And we thought nuclear plants had monopoly rights on human irradiation! Surprising, yes, but is it a cause for concern? Consider this. In an age of global warming, half the world is unabashedly moving toward coal. India and China have turned coal in to a religion of the 'modern' day industrial revolution. China, as we hear, is adding a coal-fired power plant every week. And, going by the news in business papers, India is no laggard. (Any wonder coal beats other fuels by a ...

'Optimist'ize Your Life! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar “Be an Optimist”, they said “Smile and look around, the world is bright glamorous and beautiful” Persuaded, I have shed my pessimist snake-skin, peeled away my morose face (even shaved my week-long stubble!) And now, sporting a silly smile I have turned, overnight, a 'born-again optimist' livin' the good life, ignoring matters mundane, and anything beyond instant comprehension Wishing away all grey clouds of tomorrow in to the enjoyment of the now I am an Optimist, therefore I am! No longer do I trek weekends run along the beach at dawn Vocational training? Evening college? No, not for me With latest sunglasses, lotsa macho stuff a bike from hell, and boots to fit No book worth the thrill of a babe riding pillion curling her hands 'round me as we zoom away to the mall Gotta meet friends, live up the life, check out movies, the music, the moves and the shakes SMS every gimmick there is ...

Global Warming, the Movie - Cycle III Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Ever wondered why no Indian actor or actress ever made it to a James Bond movie? Or, for that matter, an Indian fiction author? Because there is no 'story', no 'plot', no 'real-life conspiracy' to base it on. Get it? So, as a favor to my more illustrious colleagues in the film industry, here is my outline for a 'James Bond' movie. I have named it 'Global Warming, the Movie - Cycle III' (No apologies to Al Gore!). You may want to rename it 'Mother of All Conspiracies'. Once, there were a group of politicians who, for various reasons not related to character, intelligence, performance, principles (too much of it, of course), fell out of grace and power. Not finding any takers, they decided to get together. In trying to accommodate each other's past, they committed to certain wrongs in the future, so no one among them get away leaving the rest behi...

Sane Insane? Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar What is sanity? A state of mind? Behavior consistent with society's norms and expectations of the inferiors? Following traditions of the majority going about the routine timidly, unobtrusively and unnoticed so not to raise the ire of households, neighbors or the powers that be? Accepting established rules and institutions stacked against the commons? Disappearing and dissolving in to the multitudes of those gone by, in to an oblivion of the ordinary? And, pray, what is insanity? Unmitigated, unexpressed frustration against injustice – stark yet private, gory yet informal; Anger at denials and insults umpteen attempts on life, mail fraud, forgery, intimidation IPR theft, smoking, gassing, witch craft, you name it? Outrage against relatives who sold out to enrich themselves while snaring the family deeper in web? Fighting every stone cast by neighbors while living in the glasshouse of an 'executive test' one did...

IPOs, Lies and Videotape (Yes, Lies, All Lies!) Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Ever so often, the media draws our attention to the zooming stock markets and what the sky-high PE multiples portend for valuation and future course of the market. In developed economies, the stock market is so large and so mature, that practically no IPO, no matter what size, dents the market. The story is very different in emerging economies like China and India where large state-run enterprises, fed with government protection and subsidy, are privatised by offering them in IPOs to the stock market. The relative size of these IPOs in relation to the market capitalization, though small, is significant enough to induce market volatility as investors pull out of their existing holdings to subscribe. In developed nations, these decisions are unnecessary, even illegal. Entrepreneurs take their enterprise to the market at a time they judge convenient or optimal. That brings to the fore many ...

Auto Loans! Dime a Thousand Dollars! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar 7 years after returning to India, I am still getting used to the way in which policies are set in this country. Recently, I read that the Honorable FM exhorted PSU banks to find ways to lower the interest rate on loans. Specifically, he sought lower interest rates to stimulate the auto sector growing at less than the 'target' rate. That got my old moth-balled brain whirring. Isn't that what the doctor ordered for our beleaguered transport sector? Apparently, what we need is not investment in good roads, road-widening and flyovers, more buses, an MRTS or a better traffic management, but more vehicles on the road. More vehicles for urban traffic that moves at a snail's pace negotiating congestion and snarls. More cars, more smoke-belching RAVs, more vans and more trucks on narrow roads getting narrower by the day. Wonder what motivated the FM's request. Does the Government's I...

Rate (C/G)ut the Earth! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar I am no macro-economist, at least not with the credentials of Greenspan, Bernanke or Dr. Reddy. But I do know that lower inter-bank interest rate set by the Fed cascades down as lower interest rates on home loans and credit card loans on one hand, and to easier credit for businesses on the other. A surprise decision to lower interest rate ultimately means more real disposable income in the hands of the working class and induces higher consumption which in turn spurs production and investment, not to mention a spurt in stock markets globally. Not surprisingly, the boost in consumer confidence and higher economic activity augurs well for the incumbent party that seeks to 'soft-launch' the economy in its campaign to retain power. So what could be wrong with this tried and tested strategy? Nothing, if one did not care beyond the boundaries of one's nation and this generation. But in today's global e...

Trade Your Personal GHG Emissions Rights Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar These days, with the cacophony of words, ads and noises from people and machines, one is not sure whether a certain thought is 'original', smoked out and fed back in with a minor suggestion, transmitted by 'telepathy', heard around or 'stimulated' as part of an IPR test (or is merely a regurgitation of what has already been published). Yet, these considerations should not matter when an idea is in the interest of global commons. So, hear ye, hear one, hear all! We are already in an era where one could buy in to emissions offsets to pay for the environmental excesses of our actions. Those environmentally conscious buy emissions offsets, ie, reductions in emissions elsewhere, for their business or leisure activities, for example, flying. As an economist, I have mixed reactions. Emissions offsets are an interesting means of obtaining voluntarily participation from the popul...

Public (Sector) and Private (Equity) Hallucinations Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Living in a socialist country with government-sponsored 'public sector' enterprises, it is easy to forget what the objectives of these entities are. In truth, they are oriented more to the nation's cause of infrastructure development, to a less-endorsed extent employment generation, and, as I would like to (mis)believe, to raise the per-capita consumption of various goods and services (why else would they compare inter-country per-capita figures in Planning Commission documents?). With government appointed board members who take their orders from their political masters at the Ministry, these entities also serve to control investment, prices and inventories in the market, not to mention stock up goods meant for subsidized distribution. I half-suspect, the government plays a strategic 'duopolistic' game with the private players – the government's interpretation...

Pollute Not the Oceans Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar It was, with Africa, the Arctics and the Antarctic, one of the ultimate unknowns, the ultimate expanse, the fear of many a mariner in the centuries gone by. No longer. Today, practically every inch of the ocean is mapped. No sea, strait or island has escaped the marauding humans. It is perhaps an unwritten law of nature that destruction follows where man sets foot. After turning the atmosphere and land in to the toilet of the industry, overrunning lakes, and polluting rivers, it is now our hallowed duty to commit the ultimate insult to God's world. Let's exploit the purity of the oceans as well! Not that it has escaped our attention. Honestly, if the oceans are yet sought after, it is not because we haven't tried to despoil it. Those ignorant or otherwise not informed may wonder if human activity has left any mark on the ocean systems. For one, the ocean waters are noticeably warmer, thanks to human ...

The Nuclear Ballot Dance Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar General elections are not exactly 'once in a blue moon' events. Though meant to occur quinquennially, I suspect they are held more often, perhaps every three-four years on average. Each election is touted as a momentous, historically important event; yet, few are as important as the one being suggested among political circles these days. Dissension in the UPA coalition regarding the 123 agreement and comments by Advani give credence to rumours of an impending election. With the economy in overdrive, the monsoons obliging, and inflation tamed for the immediate future, this is as good an opportunity that Sonia will ever get to 'spring a surprise'. An election is not just the choice of one candidate or party over another to rule us. It is an occasion to take stock of promises, achievements and failures, and prepare the nation to renew the battle and confront various issues – from the past and of ...

Two Cents for My Idle Thoughts? (You are, by now, used to my usual disclaimers!) Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar - Like whether foreign governments who stand to benefit from a warmer climate are promoting expansion of coal-based power and power-sector deregulation in poor and populated, but coal-rich nations to achieve their goals (while claiming to further Millenium Development Goals!)...??? (India can go nuclear when the Antarctic has been colonized!!) – Like whether the US will invade 'Iran' as a face-saver to cover its 'withdrawal' from Iraq and whether the invasion of Iran is a thinly-veiled strategy to eventually confront Russia in a world-war by moving in to oil-rich Kazhakstan/Azerbaijan on behalf of the Saudis? – Like whether the entire sub-prime crisis is a cleverly-thought out cover for arranging 'energy security' payment from Saudi Arabia (through German and Japanese Banks) for the protection provided to them by US not only fro...

Globalize Power Generation to Abate Global Warming Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Just yesterday, at www.livemint.com, I opined against India's voluntary involvement in any carbon reduction proposal. Clearly, as a country, India cannot afford to hold back the millions of its citizens in abject poverty to assuage the feelings of the developed world who conveniently forgot for decades that CO2 emissions turn the earth warmer. But, climate change will not stop for India, or for that matter, any other country. It has been gathering steam all these years and decades and now, alarmingly, it seems to be accelerating. We must reduce CO2 concentrations, and that too within a short period of time. 15 years post Kyoto, we have achieved little. Some, me included, would contend that the wave of privatization and competition in various economies and especially the power sector, has set us back and moved the world closer to an environmental catastrophe. Perhaps Kyoto has serv...

Dear Editor (The Economist) I found myself disagreeing with 'The Economist' on reading 'Better late than never'. Increasingly, the developed world is calling upon the developing countries to 'share' in reducing carbon emissions. But where was this camaraderie in 1970 when the western world was chugging away merrily on the back of the earth's capacity to assimilate all waste in to its pristine environment? As a citizen of a developing nation, I am tempted to ask for the same pristine air quality on which the developed nations enriched their economies. Instead, the developing nations, who, incidentally, held back rapid industrialization fearing resource exhaustion, have been bequeathed a world teetering at environmental collapse. Those who conserved resources in the decades of western industrialization are now being asked to go slow just precisely at the take-off point of their economies. The lesson to draw perhaps is 'if you need to rape the environment,...

Capture the Regulator! (Caution! Reading this drivel may bring the mafia to your door) Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Having myself been a victim of a long-drawn conspiracy involving regulations on the industry, I have over the years developed what has been described as an acerbic tongue, not to mention, an acerbic style of writing. After all, after years of mail and email fraud, not to mention gassing at office, and murderous mobikes whizzing past at 2.9 mach, and perhaps having been declared 'dead' a thousand times over, I have learnt not to rub the shoulders of the powers that be. NNNOOOTTT! So,for a change, here are some absolutely frivolous regulatory wisecracks to chew on. Mind you, they are rather unbecoming of my credentials. No, not all regulators are treated like spies. Just this past weekend I played golf with the ....well, never mind! That puncturing of new car tyres, that was not us. And that camera you lost on your way back. That too. ...No, n...

Public Utilities, Private Angst Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar When I was young, India was very much a poor country. Though many industries dotted the country, the Government was by far the primary provider of many essentials of living – electricity, water, kerosene, buses, even milk. Things have changed and changed a lot. Yet, the past continues to hold on to the present, and I am afraid, the future too. While the private sector has grown by leaps and bounds, the Government, especially the local administration and public utilities, continue in their moribund traditions of inefficiency and gargantuan waste. Consider drinking water. Practically every city and town has a public water supply network maintained by the Corporation or the Municipality. Crores were invested in building it; crores are spent renovating and maintaining it, yet, when it comes to using it, many residents back away and rely instead on packaged or bottled water. Those who don't, often use a ...

Have a Smoke? Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar No, thank you. I don't smoke. God knows I have cursed smokers, especially those who choose to exercise their right in parks around infants and children or on cool, windy mornings on vacation in the mountains. In fact, I hate smoke, and not just from cigarettes, beedis or cigars. And there is no dearth of smoke and odors around, thanks to kitchen fires, garbage fire, 'dry leaves in the garden' fire, 'bhogi' fire, 'tar for cable repair' fire, and last but not least, 'keep me warm' fires on cold mornings that are fast disappearing from many parts of the country (any guesses why?). There was a time when I wondered incredulously at the stupidity of smokers who did themselves in by inhaling proven carcinogenic tars. I also had less than complementary words to say about governments that permitted import of foreign cigarettes or the operation of cigarette factories at home. As I grew up though...

Highway to He...ll! Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Tar vs Concrete roads. The ultimate slugfest! $100 for ringside tickets! Won't last an hour! Buy it now! ......Well, may be not quite, but an interesting matter nonetheless, particularly so, if you happen to be a car owner or following the economy. It's not something weighs heavily on the mind of either the refiner or the cement firm CEO. After all, the moolah comes not directly from roads, but from auto fuels in the case of refiner and from building construction activity in the case of cement companies. But, at the rate tar roads turn in to martian surface – what with global warming increasing rainfall intensity and traffic density following an upward trend inexorably – the competition may heat up for tar roads in the not too distant future. It's not that one is inherently superior to the other. Properly laid, a tar road could last years. But, in the Indian context, where contractors and employees, mor...

TSUNAMICONOMICS - Stupidity or Conspiracy? Ganga Prasad G. Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar Who doesn't remember the carnage wrought by nature as the rest of the world basked in the afterglow of Christmas? Unlike the criminal indifference that accompanied the Bosnian massacres, the entire world responded with aid for tsunami victims. While much of that aid has been distributed, some has been directed toward constructing a tsunami warning system. My worry however, is that, as well-meaning as it is, the tsunami warning system may fall short, and is certainly not the best way to combat the risk from tsunamis. First, tsunamis travel at great speeds, necessitating speedy detection and response. Even if tsunami detectors are placed many miles offshore of the coast at risk, that still leaves too little time for the authorities to broadcast it and enable the coastal population to seek higher ground. (I have my suspicions and doubts about the detection technology but defer it to experts ...

Once Too Often and No One Cares! Ganga Prasad Rao http://myprofile.cos.com/gangar We Indians are habituated to many things – crowd, pollution, floods, noise, filth – to name a few. And yes, to fatal incidents - accidents and killings - as well. Not a day passes without the newspaper reporting a murder here, a shooting there and accidents on- and off-road. Living in a city with a population in the millions, any event with a diurnal probability of greater than one in a million is played out in real life and reported in the newspapers. If it is not death in the abyss of a bore hole, then it is asphyxiation in a sewage tank; if it is not a pile-up at a level-crossing or an overcrowded boat overturning, it is a bus that rolled off the hill or an accident at the neighborhood intersection on account of a faulty signal and hasty drivers. Nothing deadens attention and alertness as much as repetition. And if these incidents do not occupy the headlines on the front page, it just might totally esc...