Earth Stumbling

The Right to Steal Electricity

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 04:33:00 +0000

Photo Source: Flickr/Matthew L Stevens

Note: I wrote this post for the BERC Blog last December.

“If Einstein saw this, he would roll in his grave!” exclaimed my friend.

It was only yesterday that my friends and I were buying samosas at a Berkeley restaurant, where hanging on the wall was a photo of a typical electric pole in a typical small alleyway in a typical old section of Delhi. Like the tangled hair of an electrified hairbrush, black lines meshed and shot out from the top of the wiry mess, winding from the pole through windows and across streets to electrify homes, shops and factories.

These wire entanglements are a product of people for years eyeing the fruit of energy on these poles and throwing up lines and connecting to some of that electric juice; in effect, stealing power in plain sight. I have seen this in urban areas across India and my initial misguided reaction is to think that the government simply needs to cut down the extra wires, put in meters and make everyone pay. Ah, if only the world worked so simply.

Soutik Biswas of the BBC, recently reviewed the film, “Katiyabaaz (Powerless),” showing how such simplistic plans can get you reassigned. First of all, I have not actually identified the problem. What is the problem here? Stolen electricity? That’s just a symptom. What the film seems to confirm is that people need power, and once they get it for free they do not want it for not free.

This reminds me of attitudes toward water. Instead of extracting water, making it potable, and distributing it; coal or oil is extracted, made into electricity and distributed. It is as if people eye electric poles as one would a community well or drinking fountain. It’s there and it’s ours to use.

I remember one hot day, sitting with a man while he sold ice cream from a cart on the street. Up to that point, I had assumed that these carts bought ice to keep their goods frozen. I had worked with kulfi (ice cream) sellers in a slum that used no electricity—only salt and procured ice—to make and sell their frozen dessert. However that day, the man explained that the cart was itself a freezer and just needed to be plugged in all night. And what if there was no power all night? Then, a lot of melted ice cream and no money for the day.

In India, there is an incredible amount of adaptation around unreliable electricity. In the past, I have set up a battery back up in my house in order to make sure I have a fan running all night and have experienced 24 hours without electricity still being expected to take exams in 110°F weather. However, ice cream vendors and cottage industries cannot afford generators to back up their systems. In these conditions, if you knew that power was only a wire throw away, wouldn’t you tap into it?

With UN’s Ban Ki Moon aiming for sustainable energy for all, like water, energy is becoming more and more like a fundamental human right. However, water and energy—to be sure—are not the same things.

But then again, I suspect Einstein might have something to say about this.

The softer side of hydro

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:42:00 +0000

Note: This was my first post on The Berkeley Blog (cross-post from the BERC Blog).

Natel Energy

What I understand so far is that we are about to visit a company that develops renewable-energy technology. On the way to an old Navy air station in Alameda, I ask my fellow passengers, “So, what do these guys do, again?” Someone mentions wind; I have assumed solar, but I am a bit taken aback when I enter the presentation room.

I am on a group tour at Natel Energy with ERG’s Energy and Society course. The person at the front asks us to share what we are interested in. People mention energy, engineering and policy. Feeling a bit like an outsider in the room, I am telling her, “I work with water and development…” when I glance up at the slideshow presentation, which says “EcoSmartHydro™.” I do a double take, thinking “Hydro? That’s got to mean something else.” But as I stare at the screen, I continue, “… and, I guess I’m interested in hydro?”

I am surprised because the popular image of renewables is the archetypal wind farm or solar panel. I believe that hydro seems to get marginalized due to controversies surrounding its ecological and social impacts, but more on that later.

Natel project in Arizona (Source: Natel Energy)

The person at the front is Gia Schneider, CEO of Natel Energy. The company’s strategy relies on the development of cost-effective low head hydropower technology. While large dams can rise anywhere from a hundred to almost a thousand feet in height, “low head” here refers to drops of thirty feet or less. What intrigues me about the system is that instead of installing turbines directly into rivers, they retrofit them into canals, taking advantage of pre-existing water infrastructure. Natel claims that California’s irrigation canals have a hydropower potential of 255 megawatts (MW).

The question in my mind is then: “What about the context of developing countries?” Schneider mentions Chile where Natel claims they have 1,000-MW hydropower potential through existing irrigation infrastructure.

My experience has been in India where earlier this year I had visited a canal, part of the Indira Gandhi system in the Thar Desert. I happened to be at a point in the canal where the opposite of hydropower was occurring: Water was being pumped higher in order for it to flow downward. You could potentially call this hydro-consumption.

Today, India still has about 84,000 MW of general economically exploitable hydropower potential, however I am not sure if this number includes potential low head hydropower within their existing water infrastructure. At present, Natel’s projects reach up to 0.5 MW in Oregon, however Schneider emphasizes the accumulative effect of low head hydropower across an entire water system.

This echoes the “soft path” strategy popularized by Amory Lovins. For Lovins, even renewables, such as solar and hydro, could veer a nation toward an unsustainable and socially discriminatory future if they are incorporated into large, complex development projects. Large hydro development (hydel) projects do end up displacing already marginalized communities while fostering energy elitism due to the operation of complex technology and centralized energy distribution.

What Natel and small hydro in general offer is somewhat simple technology used within existing infrastructure at a local level—homegrown energy or the softer side of hydropower.

This is not to say at all that this will work in India at a national scale — let alone in the utterly dry Thar Desert. However, as India negotiates huge hydro deals with Bhutan and Nepal and environmentalists blame hydel projects for “man-made disasters” in the Himalayas and as these large projects take at least 4 to 5 years if not longer for approval, these smaller local projects may in the meantime be able to light up a few unconnected villages—putting some power into local hands.

Cross-post from the BERC Blog and The Berkeley Blog.

When we drink the devil's water

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 02:25:00 +0000

(Source: Flickr/len4its)

In the context of groundwater, she started by reading this Australian folk song from the turn of the century:

Sinking down, deeper down,
Oh, we’ll sink it deeper down.
As the drill is plugging downward at a thousand feet of level
If the Lord won’t send us water, oh, well, we’ll get it from the devil
Yes we’ll get it from the devil deeper down.
(Banjo Paterson, 1896)

At the Philoma thia Forum last Friday, Sally Thompson, Assistant Professor of UC Berkeley’s Environmental Engineering program, presented on the Arkvathy River in South India, whose flow has declined since the 1970s and has now run dry in many areas; similar to the Colorado. In places where depths used to be over people heads, they can stand in what basically is now a dry field even during the rainy season.

Where has this water gone? Thompson explores the basic explanations: Has the rainfall changed? Has evaporation increased? What about channel encroachment?

Her research comes up with a negative on all counts. However, Thompson then points to what she thinks of as the elephant in the room—groundwater. Although Thompson understands river basins as complex systems, groundwater is a big piece of the puzzle. Water tables in the region have dropped up to sixty feet in the past few decades, and surface wells have gone dry. And who’s to blame?

Thompson goes back to the British era. In India, stepped water tanks in the ground were built in communities as reservoirs for agricultural use. Tank custodians would then receive a tithe of the farmers’ production. More water meant better production therefore greater tithe, incentivizing better tank management. This system collapsed when the British centralized payment to tank custodians who then lost incentive to actually manage the tanks.

Add to this water hungry development and unregulated extraction of groundwater and you have “a race to the bottom.” All of this coincides with my experiences with groundwater in India.

I surveyed the city of Gurgaon while interning with an NGO, looking for potential areas for groundwater recharge and water treatment. This city near New Delhi suddenly has popped out of seemingly nowhere with tall buildings occupied by multinationals and hip young people. Decked out with fast food joints, shopping malls and company offices, the thing that has gotten left for figuring out later is water. Now that the water table is dropping at alarming rates, a community group asked the NGO to help, as they cannot wait for the government to get its act together before it all runs dry.

Gurgaon at night (Kirk Kittell)

Water comes from a variety of sources—all interconnected. God apparently gives us water from the sky; the devil, from the ground. In ancient India, the Ganges River is a goddess who fell from great heights; and today we talk about sea level rise from Arctic glaciers via the magic of meteorology.

In some ways though, it seems rather appropriate to think of extracted water as coming from the devil. The devil works in mysterious ways. It all is quite good at the start. Then at some point we reach the bottom, and everything is gone. And all that is then left to be done is to dry up and fade away.

Cross-post from the BERC Blog.

Redford film puts water back into river

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:37:00 +0000

Note: I have started writing for the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC) Blog. Below is my first post there.

Watershed

“Where do you think your water comes from? When you drink water from a water fountain here in Berkeley, what river are you drinking?” I attended a water talk recently and the speaker already knew that we wouldn’t have a clue about the answer. Where does our water come from?

When I lived in India, I usually knew where my water came from—either I pumped it straight from the ground right by the house or it came from the river a few blocks away. I could see the water source. I had a connection with it. I swam in it. When I pumped it either by hand or machine, I controlled its extraction. However, most of us in Berkeley don’t have that experience. Water comes to us by the press of a button, the turn of a knob or by intermittent infrared sensors in restroom faucets which shoot water at us from hundreds of miles away.

Apparently this is an issue for all of California: Water out of sight and out of mind.

“The Colorado is California’s forgotten river,” said Barry Nelson last Wednesday at the Commonwealth Club. The funny thing is California gets more water from the Colorado River than Colorado does. Furthermore according to Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Resources Defense Council, the Colorado is “ground zero” for climate change and water issues in the US because of the huge impact changes in the river could have on the West.

Another thing that people aren’t usually aware of is that the Colorado River stops. It just stops. The river flows through seven states in the US and two in Mexico and dries up before reaching the ocean. What was once a flowing delta has now become a desert. Maybe that doesn’t really matter to us because that’s stuff that happens over the boarder. Again, out of sight, out of mind.

And this is where James Redford comes in. Yes, his name should sound familiar, and so does the voice on the film he promoted at the Commonwealth Club. His father, Robert Redford, narrates on the documentary, “Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West.” Redford (the younger) joked after presenting a short clip of the film, “We do have a great narrator, I must say.”

Right to left: Maria Baier, Jill Tidman, James Redford and Barry Nelson at the Commonwealth Club last Wednesday

The Redford Center uses film and storytelling to get people excited about issues like what is happening with the Colorado River. Since its release last year, “Watershed” has been shown in 43 film festivals and 300 community screenings around the world. Jill Tidman, who produced the film with Redford, emphasized how people feel disconnected to so many things and how people need to understand where their water comes from. The film seems to be working.

Redford recalled his favorite moment when after one screening a little boy went up and tugged on his shirt, saying, “That’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” This boy’s reaction was significant for Redford since it meant that the documentary resonates with a greater audience. Plus, he emphasized, this whole project is for our children, our future.

Just last month, the Redford Center along with other major NGOs launched an online campaign called “Raise the River,” and from the vibe of the event last Wednesday, it seems like the river is about to rise. “It’s not only achievable, but it’s achievable in our lifetime,” said Maria Baier, CEO of the Sonoran Institute.

The pieces have already come together. A major piece of the puzzle is the signing of Minute 319, a bi-national agreement between the US and Mexico to increase the flow of the Colorado River by one percent. This along with the cooperation of multiple NGOs and other groups (including Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die) in addition to local community participation means we may see Colorado and the Gulf of California reunited with our very own eyes.

The Colorado connects states, ecosystems and even nations together. Raise the River’s effort is just a small incremental step in a huge interconnected web of relationships. Plus, there are a ton of unanswered questions: What about water rights of Mexican farmers? Who gets displaced? How will water impact the present ecosystem?

Though the uncertainties remain, Redford’s campaign shows us that it is possible to put the pieces together to do something significant now. If there’s a lesson from this about water management that the Bay Area can learn from… that’s not for me to say. But I am a bit jealous of how sexy water looks due to all of this attention.This brings us back to our connection with water and how we are so indifferent to water and just how sexy and alluring she is. We don’t even bother to find out her name or where she’s from.

Cross post from the BERC Blog.

Biodiversity goes Bollywood

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

For your information, "biodiversity" in Hindi is jaiv vividhataa. And... don't ask me to say that again. It's somewhat nerve-racking to pronounce it in front of a class of kids.

So how did I avoid saying "biodiversity" while teaching about biodiversity in class yesterday?

Easy. I used Bollywood.

[Cue the dancing pink flamingos.]

But seriously... I've been helping at Asha Deep School here in India for the past couple months and I finally got to teach the kids about the environment... in Hindi.

Sadly, there is a dearth of resources in Hindi about the environment. This is why projects such as Dhara are so important. Resources appropriate for kids are even more difficult to find. The Government of India does make a good effort through the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and programs like Paryavaran Mitra, however kids' resources need constant updating. As young people become more and more fast-paced, even the slum kids that go to our school need things to be new and exciting.

This is why I was amazed when I found two recent animation projects that put a Bollywood twist on biodiversity.

The first is a Bollywood-inspired song released this year by none other than TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). I love the creativity of this Hindi song, but I also love the fact that the video isn't simplistically promoting the end of urban development but that we need to work out how animals and humans can live together in an urban environment.

When I showed this video to the kids, they also loved it. They were glued to the screen and laughed the whole way through. They were also sad to see the animals so sad and sick. (You will be too when you see the monkey's sad disappearing face... if you have a soul.) Watch it. It has subtitles.

At the end of the video, we had a discussion. I asked the kids why it is important to plant trees in the city. They right away gave the stock answer of trees being a supply of oxygen. This is true, but trees are also the habitat of many animals. Who lives in trees? Birds. Who else? Monkeys. And? Squirrels. And? Insects? Yes! So many animals live in trees. Planting many trees are a way humans and animals can live together.

The previous evening, we had a special movie night where we watched the Bollywood animated film, "Delhi Safari." This came out last year and features voices from famous Bollywood actors like Govinda, Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar, Suniel Shetty and Boman Irani. It takes some animation tips from Disney, however its heart is Bollywood... but with animals.

Sadly it seemed not to do well at the box office, but it was a hit with our kids. The message was a little simplistic, but what does get across is that it's not right to wantonly destroy animals and the forest--their home. For kids who have grown up in a slum next to one of the most polluted rivers in the world, getting them to see beyond the concrete and pollution is a huge step in the right direction toward a more sustainable (and healthier) future.

As I've stated before, for me saving any species is not only about saving the environment but about also about saving ourselves.

The last activity we did was one I stole from CEE called "Web of Life." Each child got a label: Sun, water, tree, fish, monkey, insect, bird, fruit, crocodile, etc. I had them stand in a circle and showed them a spool of green thread, saying, "This is your shakti, your energy." I asked the child with the "sun" label who she wanted to give her shakti to. She said that she wanted to give it to the tree, of course. With the thread, I connected the sun to the tree. Like this we connected all the elements and animals to make a web.

On the web I put a bottle, which represented humanity, saying, "This is humanity. We depend on this web to survive. But what happens when the water becomes polluted?" I pulled the child with the label "water" out of the circle, and she let go of the string. The web weakened. "If the water is polluted, then the fish will die." Then I pulled out the child with the "fish" label, and he let go of the string. One by one the web weakened until "humanity" fell.

Like pulling the chair out from underneath us, we put ourselves in this precarious situation.

In the end, I asked the kids what they learned. They shouted, "Janwar hamare dost hain! Animals are our friends!"

And I think if we really understood this friendship, we'd do a lot more to keep it alive.

[Cue the "Delhi Safari" English version.]
Yes, apparently they made a full English version with Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams and Christopher Lloyd.

People who live in the desert dream about water

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:52:00 +0000

"People who live in the desert dream about water." That's what my friend said, anyway.

I just got back from a short stay in my friend's small desert village in northern Rajasthan, India. It is a village covered in sand, far from any town--a village so remote that it took three phone calls and three hours to get me a paracetamol (aspirin) for a fever I was having.

One night my friend and I got to talking about dreams. We realized that we had many dreams in common: being able to fly, being chased but you cannot run, being caught without any clothes on in a public place, trying to shout but not being able to.

However, there was one reoccurring dream that he had that I could not relate with: being thirsty but not being able to find water. I have never had a dream like that. He told me that he and his brothers have had this dream many times.

Driving through desert sands near the village

In fact, this is one fear in the desert. They hear news of children dying in their sleep, literally dying of thirst. They believe that the warm winds of the peak hot season sap water straight from their babies in the middle of the night. This is why if they hear even the slightest whimper from their children, mothers wake them up to drink some water.

I was interested in learning how they survive in the desert, so I started by asking about their history, and I was surprised that it started out with violence.

Only a few generations ago, their grandfathers fought for this land. I thought, "This place had no water, no trees, no nothing. Someone actually fought for this portion of desert?" I asked, "Why?"

The reply was that they wanted a place of their own.

Slowly, I put pieces of their history together. I was mainly interested in the development of water. They told me how they had to travel for hours and hours to carry water by camel. Then finally their grandfathers manually dug the well near their home. This seemed sufficient until Germans came and told them that the water has excessive amounts of fluoride, which could lead to fluorosis. A plan was already in place to fit these remote desert villages with toilet and bathing facilities and to pipe in treated drinking water.

One old aunt laughed as she said, "I remember when they put in the tap. We were dancing and had flowers!"

The toilets seem to be doing okay, but the tap has been long dry. They say that it was getting too expensive to maintain. And that's when the canal reached their village. Basically, it changed their lives.

Looking at the canal from the water "lift"

The Indira Gandhi Canal Project in Rajasthan started in 1958--a project started to water the desert. Said to be one of the largest canals of India, it took about 35 years for the canal waters to finally reach my friend's village.

One of the biggest changes that took place is that they can now have another growing season. In the first season, they use the canal water to grow crops like wheat and chana (chickpeas). Their second growing season, during the monsoon, is now fully taken over by one crop--guar.

Guar does not actually take that much water to maintain. Even when there was a freak rain a couple days before I arrived, guar started to grow wildly in the my friend's family field. Not a day would go by without my friend's father asking me about the market conditions for guar in the US. All I could do was throw up my hands.

The second major impact of the canal water is that they now have a fresh supply of drinking water without excessive fluoride content. However, this is regularly driven in and stored in underground concrete tanks. The nearby well water is now only used for the animals and for other domestic uses.

I had many more questions as I explored the village and the surrounding area.

How much should the government invest in irrigating the desert?
How much more should the village develop? When I was there there was a poorly managed health clinic and a very small shop.
As young people become more and more educated and less inclined to farming, what is the future of such a village in the desert?
How has watering the desert affected the hydrological dynamics and ecology of downstream communities?
How "green" should we try to make a desert?

The benefit of greening a desert is that it reclaims land for productive use, pushing against forces of desertification.

Kids playing in the canal near the fields

I explained to my friend that in the US, we have also greened our deserts. In California, canal water from far off states irrigate fields of oranges, rice and almonds. We've been able to build cities with water parks in the desert. But has this been so wise?

People have started to plant trees in my friend's village. I told him, "Once you start planting trees, it's usually easier to plant more trees later. Trees then change the micro-climate of the area." My friend started to think about it, saying that he had not thought of that aspect of the forest--how it affects the hydrologic cycle, how it can bring water to an area.

As things slowly change in my friend's desert village, it is quite possible that they may stop having dreams of thirst and water.

And it's quite possible that they will start dreaming of new things all together.

Hero Dies Saving the Ganges

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Every year we hear reports of people dying in the Ganga (Ganges River), but what about anyone dying while trying to save her?

Veer Bhadhra Mishra at Asha Deep School program (August 2011)

It came as a shock to me when I heard that Time Magazine's "Hero of the Planet" (1999), Veer Bhadhra Mishra passed away in Varanasi, the very city I am in right now.

I had hoped to visit his organization, the Sankat Mochan Foundation, and possibly even visit him during this trip.

Actually, two friends of mine got him to share with our kids at Asha Deep School in a program we were running in 2011. We were apprehensive since he was a university professor that his talk would go over the heads of the children; who mainly come from the nearby slum. To our surprise, this TED speaker spoke about the Ganga, water and the environment at a pace that kept the kids smiling. He took their questions seriously--as if they were top university students--and left graciously.

Mishra died trying to save the Ganga River. I use the word "trying" since the river is still in the red in terms of environmental degradation. Mishra did much in terms of changing mindsets--in a sense sending a "Silent Spring"-esque call for the Ganges; one that was both scientific and culturally relevant.

Being the Mahant (High Priest) of one of the most powerful temples of the city and the former head of the Civil Engineering Department at IIT BHU, Mishra had religio-scientific influence that suited the sensibilities of a changing India--an India that simultaneously embraces technological progress and her mystical history.

Like the Ganga and the myriad of questionable projects surrounding her, Mishra was also shrouded with controversy. Even so, I like to remember this "hero" the way I do on the day he visited our school. He was back to the basics: Clean water for everyone.

As the days get hotter here in Varanasi, I look out at the river and wish one day for a swim in a clean Ganga. Right now, I cannot enter without worrying about enteric disease and skin infections. Yet millions bathe in her waters everyday.

This World Water Day, my simple wish is for a clean Ganga and that one day these school kids will be alive and young enough to enjoy it.

Kids at Asha Deep School interacting with Veer Bhadra Mishra (August 2011)

Who would you say are today's heroes of the planet?

India, Uttar Pradesh is the measure for global development, World Bank President

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:44:00 +0000

As I indicated in my last blog, I am a bit of a World Bank stalker. That is a bit of an overstatement, but today I got a ping that the President of the World Bank not only visited India but Uttar Pradesh, the state I am in right this very moment.

President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, with former Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, during last year's India visit (US Treasury Department)

The President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, asserted that the global battle against poverty will not be won unless it is “successful in Uttar Pradesh specifically and India generally.”

Kim’s visit and following assertions affirm some of my own reflections on Uttar Pradesh and India.

1. Uttar Pradesh (UP) is a key indicator for development, not only for India but for the world.
Firstly for this to make sense, one should not think of UP as just a state of India. It may be helpful to think of UP as a country. As a nation, population-wise, it would be the fifth largest country in the world. In India, it is the second-largest economy, though this is spread quite thin and but a few drops of it trickles down to UP's vast population. Like all states of India, UP has its own cultural heritage separate from the other states. Though considered the heart of the Hindi-belt, UP still contains an array of ethno-linguistic communities. All-in-all, UP as “a state of India” is a bit misleading.

Much of India’s smeared poverty image is due to a family of states, termed “BIMARU,” which includes Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is an unfortunate label as (1) the term plays with the Hindi word for “sick” and (2) poverty is an issue throughout India and not just in these northern states. The Chairperson of the Planning Commission has said the BIMARU concept is “no longer true” due to the rapid level of growth in past years, especially in Bihar; considered India’s most backward state.

However, Kim’s visit makes it clear that UP should not be discharged from sick bay just yet.

2. India is an indicator for development.
Though I have been to many countries in the world, I have spent the majority of my time and effort in the Subcontinent. As DFID recently pulled out of funding India, the UN Millennium Projects focused on Africa, and as buzz continually pops up about India becoming an Asian superpower, at times it is easy to think that I am missing something. I am presently in UP, looking out the window. Like staring at a 3D stereogram poster, I observe and say, “I don’t see it.” I do catch glimpses: I used the internet through my mobile phone in India before any of my friends even thought about it in the US, India is one of the top billionaire nations of the world, and currently the iPhone is making significant traction.

“India Shining” was a 2004 political campaign, reflecting India’s rapid economic growth; however the campaign ended up as a flop for the BJP. As I look out my window, can I say that India is shining? How about India twinkling? Maybe I can say, overcast—but with a healthy silver lining.

View outside my window

3. The Ganga River challenge, big.
Kim also emphasized that the Ganga River challenge is immense compared to other river projects due to poverty, population growth and rapid industrialization. His emphasis coincides with the fact that he expects huge investments from the Bank into the Basin in upcoming years. The most current status of their Ganga project is bleak, so Kim’s talk on the River’s challenges comes from the Bank’s own “moderately unsatisfactory” experience.

Living by the Ganges and focusing my study interests on the River, I hear a lot of rhetoric, complaints and drama. Past cleanup efforts have been marred with suspicion as significant results have not been observed by the public. The World Bank claims that one of the major issues was that past projects did not consider the river basin as a whole, integrated system. However the question for me is: If they couldn’t handle the river, what makes them believe they can handle the whole basin? One thing we do agree on though: Either way, the challenge is big.

Did Kim get to see the “real” UP? Probably not, but that’s OK.
Recently, we have been helping a girl at Asha Deep School get a cleft palette operation at a local hospital. These operations are funded by the organization, Smile Train. Living in India for so long, I am used to what I see in many of the hospitals here—staff in flip flops, re-use of surgical gloves and disposable suction tubes, dingy conditions, and equipment straight out of some 1950’s sci-fi TV series. Today was some special event at the hospital, so the girl’s father said they cleaned up the place real nicely, putting new mats and keeping to strict visiting rules.

Of course, this is what Kim was greeted with—a cleaner version of UP. They festooned him with flowers, throwing petals along his path. This makes sense as “atithi devo bhava”; a well-used Indian phrase, meaning that the guest is god. So, Kim saw a UP scrubbed, prim and bedecked.

But that’s not a problem.

As it was, though I had been going to the hospital for the past couple of days, the girl’s father had to point out the fact that the hospital had been cleaned. I actually would not have realized it on my own. Even in its cleanest, most efficient state, such improvements did not faze me. And I’m guessing it was a similar case for Kim.

It seems for Kim that the challenges in UP are a microcosm of the challenges of the world. He states, “Being in Uttar Pradesh gave me such a strong sense of the scale of the development challenges.”

Next stop, Starbucks?
Personally, I’m glad people are helping UP. Oddly, part of the charm of UP’s cities, like Varanasi, is wrapped up in the fact that it is economically backward. I mean, would one want to even imagine a McDonald’s on the ghats of the Ganges? Sadly, it’s possible that even the staunchest may succumb to a Starbucks—maybe to post blogs while viewing the sacred river.

So what will happen when UP eventually does “develop”? Well, I think we need to consider first things first. How about imagining clean drinking water for everyone?

We’ll worry about the macchiatos in due course.

How evil is the World Bank?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:44:00 +0000

Confessions of a World Bank stalker, or World Bank... Mr. Burns or Mr. Grinch?, or Information about the World Bank that is ~~a little~~ huge-antically more interesting than Wikipedia

World Bank... Mr. Burns or Mr. Grinch? (Source: Fox)

Last blog, I talked about how I am friends with the World Bank. Okay, to clarify, I am Facebook "friends" with the World Bank. While the World Bank will probably never reach Gangnam Style status, it does have almost 300 thousand likes.

I actually am friends with World Bank India which only has a little over two thousand likes. Nonetheless, I was still surprised when they replied back to a comment I made:

Further exploration worthy (World Bank India)

Wow, I'm worthy of "further exploration" and "exciting"! And I really am the World Bank's friend.

Now technically, I'm not a "friend." I'm just someone who "likes" the World Bank. And that's weird because--I wonder--is it OK to "like" the World Bank?

The World Bank employs about nine thousand people, so they must like themselves, but it seems like many do not, especially drum circle "occupy" types. What's so wrong about the World Bank? Well, Dr. Jason Hickel of the London School of Economics and Political Science highlights a few evils.

Forcing a neoliberal economic policy on developing nations
Such a strategy did not stimulate growth in developing countries, in fact growth was cut in half in the 1980s
Past World Bank strategy reform was just the old strategy with new labels
The objective of the World Bank is not to reduce poverty, but (1) to circulate corporate "overaccumulation" to poor countries at high returns, effectively shifting wealth to first world banks and (2) to create new markets for corporations by opening restricted economies and subsidizing Western products
Wall Street has profited more from World Bank activities than developing countries have

Hickel understands that much of this is not a secret and that the newly appointed World Bank president, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, knows it. In fact, Kim has written a whole book on how such international restructuring programs systematically end up killing the poor. Though Hickel is pessimistic about Kim's appointment bringing revolutionary change, many agree that Kim is the right choice for change in the World Bank.

It does seem that Kim has immediately taken strides to step up to bat.

The World Bank has learned some from past mistakes. Last week, retired World Bank senior manager, Thomas Blinkhorn, admitted that the World Bank's Narmada River project in India in 1989 was a failure.

“It was a failure, but we learned a lot. It was a watershed in the history of the evolution of the World Bank. Until this point, not enough attention was paid to the implications of infrastructure projects.” (Dartmouth, 2013)

At his lecture at Dartmouth last week, Blinkhorn highlighted the bank's transformation since 1944 and since Dr. Jim Yong Kim took charge:

From focusing on financing infrastructure to refining institutional systems
From confidential analyses to free public information online
From US holding about 60% of power (1944) to currently approximately 16% of voting power
From economic and military background leadership to development and public health background leadership

What does Dr. Jim Yong Kim have to say?

Last month, World Bank president, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, highlighted areas as "critical" for the World Bank management, saying, "[W]e are moving into a new and more complex period and that further changes are required to meet the challenges ahead...." Kim detailed five key areas:

Strategic focus: "To implement our common vision of eliminating poverty and building shared prosperity, we must move towards a clear, unified strategy, focused on results."
Accessible information: "We are working at putting in place those structures and systems that will make knowledge available and accessible to our staff, our clients and the global development community."
Improve leadership: "The World Bank Group should be the employer of choice in the development area."
Focus on results: "We should be focusing not so much on the process, but rather on the results for our clients."
Mobilize resources: "Our budgetary processes must be aligned with our strategy. Our financial products must continue to evolve to match the demand from our clients. Our IDA replenishment processes must offer a larger number of options to our contributors in order to continue leveraging funding for development, in these times of fiscal constraint."

Although the World Bank may make for somewhat of an "evil" friend, it is one I believe that is trying to become less sinister. Though let's hope it becomes more like the transformed Mr. Grinch and less like unabashed financial whore, Mr. Burns.

World Bank... Mr. Burns or Mr. Grinch?

Is poverty funny?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:53:00 +0000

Maybe, sort of. Sorry, did you say something?

When I told someone that I study environmental science, he asked me, "Aren't you perpetually depressed? Because it's like bad news everyday for you."

I thought about it. Contaminated water, energy crisis, malnutrition and the looming uncertainty of climate change day in and day out. Hey, I thought we're supposed to be the tree hugging, nature walking, panda snuggling granola people and now we're like those sandwich board guys on the street corner, bellowing at people that they better eat organic or we're all gonna die!

We might, right? Nah, joking. Right?

So I wanted to turn the tables and wondered how to make all of this more positive, even funny. What? Make world crisis and poverty funny?

Can poverty be funny? (Source: Lucas Jans)

Well, for us masochistic environment development types who enjoy this stuff, we readily plow through mono-drone podcasts on NPR and the Economist, and yes, I do admit I have friended the World Bank, UNEP and Washington Week on Facebook. Hmm, that didn't seem so sad until just right now saying it.

It was only last week (or maybe even yesterday) that I was thinking about this. People don't want to look at this stuff or think about the poor or the environment. They want to eat processed cheese, guilt free. We want to be free, damn it. Where's my Velveeta?

Maybe we need something like Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart who make the news funny. Heck, some days they're my sole news source. Don't tell my professors. How do you cite YouTube anyway?

I mean, who wants to listen to a podcast about poverty every week? "Hello, and welcome to let's make you depressed for the rest of your day while you listen to your overly priced sweatshop manufactured iPod and you jog in your overly priced sweatsuit that, honestly, you're just going to sweat in. Why don't you just work in the iPod shop if you're paying a year membership to sweat anyway?"

Yeah. Podcast, unsubscribe.

What we have been able to do is make poverty cool, like Bono. Like Angelina Jolie, who makes poverty suave. But funny? That's a bit touchy. Like Angelina.

I was thinking about this when my friend's Facebook post (Thanks, Jessica) reminded me of the crazy, ~~self-~~ Times of India proclaimed "India's First YouTube Star," Wilbur Sargunaraj. I got to his YouTube videos and recently he's produced one as an official entry to WhyPoverty.net.

Well? Does he make poverty funny?

Oh, does he!!! Uh... does he?

Wilbur does it in his classic is-this-supposed-to-be funny style, kind of Andy Kaufman slash Borat-esque, but Indian. Is that his real accent? I don't know. Does he think he can dance? I don't think so. Is that even his real name? It's the internet. Who the heck uses their real name?

But what is real is the poor people in the video, and in a cringey yet sweet sort of way, he does what even Bono doesn't really do. He let's them speak for themselves.

So for our enlightenment, here's Wilbur with the poor person's take on poverty.

How would you make poverty funny? Would you?

UPDATE: Wilbur had also recently visited Asha Deep School where I had helped.

India not superpower, so how about happy middle child?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 05:34:00 +0000

In US News and World Report today, Scheherazade Rehman asserts:

India is not, nor will it become a superpower for the foreseeable future. There… I said it upfront.

How dare she! She must realize she insults almost a fifth of the world's population by saying so. It's like Dorothy opening the curtain to find an old man frantically turning knobs and pressing buttons only to end up putting on a long, worn out show.

India, the happy middle child? (Source: Jorge Royan)

However, this is old hat. Rehman is not alone in her opinions. In fact, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC have already put up their "let's put lagging nations in their place" Christmas tree lights earlier this year. Almost as a retort, a blog from The Hindu asked, "Who says India wants to be a superpower?"

Yes, who indeed wants to be a superpower anyway? It's a pain in the neck: Lots of emails to handle and dictators to pacify and constantly worrying about how fat you look.

Rehman reminds us that India is a land of contradictions. Growth seems to soar along with the poverty gap. Arundhati Roy puts this contradiction poetically, when she says:

India lives in several centuries at the same time. Somehow we manage to progress and regress simultaneously... As a nation we age by pushing outward from the middle -- adding a few centuries on either end of the extraordinary CV. We greaten like the maturing head of a hammerhead shark with eyes looking in diametrically opposite directions. (The Nation, 2002)

Rehman also reminds us how it's been a bad year for India. I know. I've been somewhat chronicling the 2012 blow by blow in this blog. Since January it's gone from sewage, child malnutrition, adulterated milk and toxic air to the lowering rank of India's Child Development Index and disappointment at the Olympics.

So how can India flip the development coin like South Korea, which went from OECD donation recipient to OECD member? What will it take for India to catch up with star sibling, China; reach the heights of superpowerdom; and not end up like moody middle child, Russia? Too much. At least that's what Rehman seems to claim.

In fact, like in my previous blog, Rehman highlights Prime Minister hopeful, Narendra Modi. Well liked and the strongest candidate to revive India's economy on one hand, and on the other... is he guilty of allowing genocide against Muslims run rampant in his state? Eh...

If some of my friends are any indicator, then pro-Modi voters would argue that Rehman's negativity toward Modi is only because she's Muslim. In fact, I believe that much of the lower to middle middle class would take Rehman's blog and write it off as neocolonial mudslinging. However, Rehman's comments may be more of reality check than first world snobbery.

With the UK's DFID cutting aid to India and re-allocating it to other more needy parts of the world, will trying to claim heir to superpower status ultimately be too costly for India's poor? Oxfam asserts that India has dichotic economic voices and that DFID's cut on India will leave the poorest of the world bleeding.

Maybe what The Hindu's blog title suggests is the way to go for India: "Who says India wants to be a superpower?"

Hmm... reminds me of an old Indian adage:

Dhobi ka kutta na ghar ka na ghaat ka.
The washer man's dog belongs neither to river bank nor home.

Fitting into neither pre-fixed mold, India, like in her past, should continue to look for her own way into the future.

But what exactly is that way?

Is Narendra Modi green?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:44:00 +0000

Did anyone else believe that Narendra Modi would just go away?

I mean, even after his feature in Time magazine, I honestly thought he was just going to be a flash in the pan. This apparently is a long drawn out flash.

(Source: World Economic Forum)

These days you need to be careful if you write anything even hinting of negativity toward Mr. Modi. After reading comments from Aakar Patel's recent Hindustan Times blog, I also question if I should write anything about him. However the point of this post is not Modi bashing but to observe "green-ness" involved in the Indian political debate. (And if you keep reading you'll actually discover some Modi brownie points.)

Actually, a few weeks ago I finally read the Time magazine article about Modi, and it actually made me have some feelings for Gujarat's Chief Minister (who did not prevent nor properly preside over investigation of the apparent genocide which occurred in his state, FYI).

This post, however, is about the environment and the Indian political system, and I'll keep it brief.

To answer the main question, yes apparently Modi can be considered green and unabashedly so, one-upping Al Gore by declaring that the issue of climate change is not an "inconvenient truth" but that we can take "convenient action." He calls his state a "game changer" for alternative energy, making it a "world capital" for solar energy. His vision is to have solar power rates equal to coal or gas by 2017. This is big environmental talk for a major political leader.

This is in contrast to US presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, fearlessly declaring, "I'm not in this race to slow the rise of the oceans or to heal the planet." America is at a very different place in how politicians need to place themselves on the green scale.

Modern India since the Stockholm conference in 1972 has an established position on the environment, even re-injecting the nation's constitution with green principles and presently mandating environmental education for all students across disciplines. Plus, India claims a green ancient history, due to the Hindu tradition of involving nature in religious practice and philosophy. Therefore, it is almost assumed that politicians will be green in nature.

However, Modi seems to go beyond this, aiming to put his money where his mouth is. With coal and energy scams in plenty in the Indian political system these days, for the Chief Minister to lay out clean affordable energy initiatives is quite a promise. For young entrepreneurs looking for both stable infrastructure for successful business as well as a sustainable future Modi seems like India shining.

(Source: Johann Dréo)

This is because with Modi it seems that India can have economic growth with environmental conservation. However, the original Brundtland Commission definition of true sustainable development includes a third area of concern--social equality. With Modi's spotty past of communal violence (the US still won't give this freely elected Chief Minister a visa), does he also have big promise for social equality for all? Or does that part of sustainable development not really matter?

If Modi seems like he can drastically improve India's economy, like many other nations, maybe a few will need to suffer. A growing prosperous middle class seems to pacify past communal tensions. Maybe with enough money floating around this whole genocide thing will eventually go away. Hey, at least with Modi we'll go solar.

Note: This post was updated from when originally posted.

Coalgate: India Parliament session ends in deadlock. "Little" accomplished. Anything new?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 02:40:00 +0000

But... thanks for the laughs! The funny things you find on Facebook... and the BBC.

[It was a] grave violation of norms of parliamentary office, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. (BBC)

This session is likely to be remembered for the work that was not done, Hamid Ansari, chairman of the upper house. (BBC)

Hmm.... THIS session? Violation of NORMS? I had to laugh while reading about coalgate in BBC News this morning. It's as if politicians are saying, Oh no. We didn't accomplish anything this session. Will anyone notice??

The focus on coal and politics, in my view though, has been helpful in that it made the nation think about its natural resource and energy issues and how politicians don't really care about sustainable development but are mainly concerned about their own political posturing.

If you want a more serious understanding of coal issues in India then read the BBC here and here. But I'm here now to display the comedy that unraveled on Facebook about this coalgate.

Exhibit A: "Stop Teasing Me"

Here Congress Party leader, Sonya Gandhi, is being harassed by politicians saying "koyla chor" (coal thief). I like how Baba Ramdev (yoga guru turned political mouthpiece) is only thinking about it. Actually, what makes this point poignant is that harassing of girls (aka "eve teasing") is a national problem in India.

Exhibit B: "Koyla"

There were a couple of these type of images floating around on Facebook, showing the hero, Manmohan Singh, with Congress Party leader, Sonya Gandhi. "Koyla" means coal. "Ghotala" means scam. The original poster shows Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit (best dancer in Bollywood). Koyla is a film about a coal mine owner (scary eyes in the back) and his mute servant (Khan). Guess who gets the girl? The servant who can't even talk... not that evil corrupt coal mine owner!

Exhibit C: "Bait jayeyae"

This one is not directly related to coalgate but might as well have been. The woman is Meira Kumar, Speaker of Parliament (Lok Sabha). She's saying, "You all please sit down."

This photo (Exhibit C) along with Exhibits A and B corroborate the argument I make above that what Manmohan Singh-ji and Ansari-ji said were ri-di-cu-lously funny. This is what is normal. This session, coalgate just added some extra drama.

Of course India is not the only country with political fighting over environmental issues. USA is case in point. Climate change politics edges on the ridiculous. And why are Republicans seemingly paranoid about Agenda 21? On the other side, everyone is standing up to fracking and oil pipelines and party cups...

Everyone, just "please bait jayeyae." It's time for lunch. Now, I think that's one thing we can all agree on.

How much should we rely on politicians to save the environment?

Why be vegetarian? New cartoon gives violent advice

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 08:07:00 +0000

Be veg because you hate plants

Why am I vegetarian? Though I'm not exactly vegetarian anymore, I was for two straight years. For the past two years, I was off of almost everything meat, including eggs. I was on an Indian "veg" diet, so I did have the comfort of dairy.

Aloo gobi, potato and cauliflower (Source: Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen / CC BY 2.5)

When in Rome eat cauliflower...
I was living in one of the most vegetarian cities of India, Varanasi, where the vegetarianism is so prominent that many newcomers to the city decide to become vegetarian and the rest just pretend that they are.

On the Indian festival of Diwali, I decided to adopt an Indian "veg" diet, mainly due to being in such a vegetarian milieu. It was just easier to go out and eat as a vegetarian... and cheaper. Well, sometimes. In fact, much of the time Indian paneer (a kind of Indian milk tofu) would be more costly per kilo than chicken.

Paneer with mushroom. Hey, I was vegetarian... I wasn't starving myself!
(Source: Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen / CC BY 2.5)

Of course not everyone in India, or Varanasi, is vegetarian. Most Muslims will eat beef but not pork. Many Hindus eat fish or goat but not eggs. Some eat eggs but not red meat. I have yet to meet a Hindu vegan. Cow milk is traditionally considered a wholesome sacred drink.

When I was studying nutritional biochemistry in Varanasi, my professor told us that if you're vegetarian then you should drink at least 2 liters of milk a day. Of course feeling protein deficient at the time, I tried it for a while but realized that it was too ridiculous. Everything started to smell like milk. And I'm not exactly 100% lactose-tolerant. Is anyone? Chugging milk was fracking with my natural gastronomy (sorry, couldn't help it). But I continued being veg, because early on I learned another fact about being vegetarian.

Vegetarians save the environment just by eating...
According to Vegtoons, "If Americans ate one vegetarian meal a week -- just one meal, say on 'Meatless Mondays' -- the environmental impact would be equivalent to taking 5 millions cars off the road." That's pretty amazing. But what in the world is a "Vegtoons" you ask?

Cartoon promotes herbivorous violence...
Well, this week Vegtoons just reached their goal to kick start their cartoon project to encourage adults and young adults to eat less meat for a greener future. Their cartoons will be featured online and shareable via various social networks. (Note: This isn't an advertisement, but doesn't it sound like one? I should get paid for this. Sigh.)

I enjoyed their half-minute preview. The line from the ape about "hating plants" made me crack. I don't really hate plants, just botany. I could never memorize dumb plant names! Eating them is my revenge. So much for ahimsa or any virtue from being veg. So... save the earth by being violent to plants? That's ironic.

Comfort ye my colon...
Now the final reason for going meatless is, of course, because of health. My family has a good track record for bad colons. Just recently I had to help my father in the hospital. Harvard Medicine and studies abroad indicate that red meat is not the best thing if you want to prevent colon cancer. On the other hand, fish seems to be quite the thing to comfort a colon. (One reason why I've put seafood back on my menu.)

Even though the studies repeatedly show that: Fish = GOOD GOOD GOOD and Red meat = BAD BAD BAD, there are still those that would say, Red meat? MEH. Well, I'll let you guys fight it out with Harvard, while I quietly take my revenge on botany.

Brassica olera-whatever-your-name-is? Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya...

Do you think it's violent to be vegetarian?

Saving the Indian tiger versus saving the Indian farmer

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 05:34:00 +0000

"Hamara janam bhoomi yaha hai. This is where we were born," complains a Rajasthani farmer. His family and he are being forced off their land by wildlife officials to create a sanctuary for the Indian tiger, according to a report from the New York Times. The video report has wildlife official, R.S. Kala, stating that families in the area can be compensated by cash or land, but either way "they must leave."

In a sense, saving the Indian tiger is pitted against saving the Indian farmer. This is similar to the case of the Ganges River being declared a turtle sanctuary in Varanasi, India. Boatmen protested since this would severely limit their use of the river as a source of livelihood.

In this case though, it is the tiger versus farmers. Both are great symbols of the nation. Both struggling to survive. In this most recent effort to save one, will the other diminish? Or will both tiger and farmer suffer in the end?

Recent report on Ganges River and turtles (Source: IBN)

Coalgate: Congress and BJP both dirty with coal

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 04:43:00 +0000

With the whole world starved for energy, it is not surprising to find the dirtiest messes in stuff like coal. Presently the Indian Parliament is deadlocked with the Opposition, led by the right-winged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling for the resignation of the present Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh of the Congress party for what is now dubbed as "coalgate."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deadlocked in Parliament (Source: NDTV)

In a nutshell, the accusation is that during the Prime Minister's leadership of the coal ministry a "mis-selling" of coal mining rights cost India $33 billion USD. Allocation of energy and the like have not been the government's strong points as revealed by the 2G scam as well as the allocation of solar energy contracts as uncovered by Down To Earth earlier this year which was mentioned in a previous blog.

While the BJP is pointing the finger at the Congress party, Anna Hazare's anti-corruption protesters blame both parties for pillaging the nation. With the BJP also suspect of its own $3 billion USD mini-coalgate in Karnataka last year, it seems like the Anna Hazare camp is right to point out that both parties have coal dirt on their hands.

In India's pursuit of energy, coal mines strip the country of forest and clean water, tribals are displaced, and the nation experienced the greatest power blackout the world has ever seen. Is this accusation against the PM just BJP political grandstanding or is it a legitimate corrective move for better sustainable development?

Related blogs:
- India buys US coal for $7b (And we thought coal meant we were naughty)
- Mother Nuclear? :: India and Sustainable Energy

World Humanitarian Day. I Was Here. Asha Deep School.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 18:58:00 +0000

This year's World Humanitarian Day theme is "I Was Here" and comes with its own jingle by Beyonce (below).

The place that first comes to mind when I think "I Was Here" is at the Asha Deep School in Varanasi, India which I would go and help out at once in a while. I remember sitting in the summer heat with the kids, who come from rough backgrounds in the poor slum-like area of the city. The back of the school faces the Ganges River, where most of the kids have grown up living by and bathing in. We talk about the Ganges River dolphin, newly declared as the National Aquatic Animal of India. Many of them have seen the blind dolphins in the river, but it is rare these days.

The kids would always ask me to come back. They want to learn and need the care and attention they get at the school, but lack of funds always threatens the school -- and their future. Like the dolphin, rough environments can suffocate the potential of young children and this school is one way for providing asha (hope) and deep (light) their environment needs.

When asked to comment about the school, here's what I wrote:

"I have been amazed with the children's skills and attitudes when I've worked with them. Many high-end schools can teach children to pass exams, but this one helps them get past their underprivileged backgrounds with the confidence they need to make it in life. Really they seem to be equipped with hope and joy along with a well-rounded education. I just wish we could do more!"

Get to know them, volunteer or donate at www.asha-deep.com. See how to donate by Paypal here.

Providing hope through education (asha-deep.com)

Melting ice and the climate change hoax (-ey pokey)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:58:00 +0000

And that's what it's all about

Living where I have in India, I've been mostly concerned with the need for potable water, breathable air and safe food for all. Global warming? India is famous for its heat. We just deal with it.

In America, man-made climate change is a huge political debate. When my brother-in-law sent me an article about the freak ice melt in Greenland reported last month, I was a bit ho-hum about it since melting ice is on the headlines everyday in the US. Then when today my friend on his Facebook wall posted a report that claims that "in a few years the Arctic ocean could be free of ice in summer," I was like, "Whaaaaaa??"

NASA's Greenland satellite data (NASA)

So for the sake of all climate changers (and yes you are one of them so might as well join the conga line), I list what I've gathered on and what I believe in and what I may be be iffy about and just outright lies about climate change (in no particular order or distinction... it's up to you to decide):

1. The movie, Ice Age, proves global warming!
When my brother-in-law forwarded me the article on the freaky ice melt in Greenland, he wrote, "It seems very odd to me but articles seem to say it's kinda normal just very infrequent." This indicates to me that people may not understand that global ice melting is a natural event that just happens. Ever see the movie, Ice Age? Well, that was the opposite of global warming and, lucky for us, it melted. So stuff like this can happen without us. In fact natural phenomena like global mass extinctions have occurred at least five times in geologic history; some at least partly due to climate change that wasn't our fault, really. But there is mounting evidence that we are in the middle of a sixth major mass extinction. And who's most likely to blame? Little old us. (Oops, did I do that?)

2. The real Enemy of the State is ice!
Back to today's news about the rapid melting of Arctic ice. Is that true? Or is that just scientific hokey-pokey? Well the report comes from real EU scientists comparing real satellite data. And we thought governments would use those satellite things to spy on us. Little did we know that the whole time they've been looking at ice... melting.

3. The Wicked Witch of the West proves global warming!
Actually, she doesn't prove anything, but when I thought of the melting ice in the Artic, I thought of her. Actually there's a funny comic that I can't show here because I'm too cheap to by the copyright. It shows Dorothy and the crew with the Wicked Witch at a sunny beach. The Wicked Witch cries, "I'M MELTING!" Little Dorothy scowls, saying, "Oh knock it off! We're all hot!" (You can find the cartoon here.) Ha ha ha. Cracks me up. So... doesn't that have something to do with global warming? Oh... I guess that wasn't in the movie, so forget it.

4. The Wicked Witch melted because of global warming!
Actually why did water cause the Wicked Witch to melt? Some say she was so dry that like a cube of sugar she dissolved away. So it was either because of global warming or because she was a GIANT CUBE OF SUGAR! (More on it here.)

5. I love this cartoon.

What if it's a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing? (Joel Pett)

(I hope this is not a copyright infringement. If so, then please stop looking at it. )

Actually, this cartoon makes a point. Ice melt may have dire effects on developing countries like Bangladesh and small island nations. Might as well make plans for it.

So next time you're tempted to emit extra tons of hot air, think of the ghost of melted ice caps which may come back to you, quoting the Wicked Witch by saying "Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?" Except replace "little girl" with your name and "wickedness" with icy(ness)... or maybe icy niceness. And now, we wouldn't want all that icy niceness to melt away, would we?

Is there anything else to say about climate change, or have I pretty much listed it all here already?

Why worse floods in India? Is it climate change?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 17:31:00 +0000

2012 floods in Uttarakhand, India: What's actually going on here?

Drought, flood, drought, flood. A long, hot dry season in north India commonly precedes a devastating flood season. The recent floods in the Indian state of Uttarakhand is another act in this annual drama. As I got news of the disaster, questions (poured, inundated, dropped... you choose the adjective) in my mind: What's going on? Are things getting worse? Is it climate change?

I've gotten stuck in floods in India before... and for that matter in the USA as well. They are a risk when you live in a floodplain. As the world gathers more and more to water-side cities, flood disasters become more and more of a risk. Here's what I've gathered so far to try and figure out what's going on.

Are floods getting worse?
According WHO's disaster database, floods and storm disasters are getting worse at a global scale at a rate of 7.4% a year. However a study published last year in the Environmental Hazards journal claims that in the last few decades "no conclusive changes" have occurred in the Ganges River Basin. So according to them, floods are not getting worse. Interesting.

If floods are not getting worse in India, then what is going on?
The issue is in defining what one means by floods getting "worse." WHO calculates flooding by human death and property damage. According to the WHO database, out of the top ten most costly natural disasters in India, to date seven are floods. This present flood in Uttarakhand is costing an estimated 110 million US dollars. However, the study above purposefully factors out flood damage due to increased settlement on flood plains and increased damage calculations that are due to better measurement techniques. In essence for them, "worse" flooding means actually more water.

A flood near the Ganges River that I got stuck in last year. My friend took this photo.

What about global warming, isn't that affecting flooding?
This also has been a point of confusion. The mean annual temperature of the Ganges River Basin has been calculated to increase 1 to 4 degrees C between the years 2000 to 2050. Then shouldn't that translate to melting of glaciers in the Himalayan mountains which feed the Ganges River? The IPCC did report that Himalayan glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to global warming trends, however some scientists refute this claim, including the former Deputy Director General of the Geological Survey of India. However, this does not dismiss links between extreme weather and climate change, which very recently have been strongly correlated by NASA.

Shouldn't dams help control floods in India?
Yes, they definitely do help control flooding. However dams also have damaging ecological and socio-economic effects. Essentially, dams hold river water, de-watering the area downstream. Not only do the flora and fauna dry up but so do the communities on the "wrong" side of the dam. At times, downstream village communities do not benefit from dams as water (and electricity) gets piped to far off cities.

What's the dam situation in India now?
A recent report on proposed dams in Uttarakhand found that 24 of the 39 dams would destroy almost a quarter of the state's forested area, having negative impacts on threatened endemic species. However the government tends not to heed such warnings, even from self-commissioned studies.

It's probably safe to say that here dams are not so much about flood control as they are about India's great need -- power. And the word "power" here means all the ways it can mean.

What do you think it would take to mitigate annual flooding in developing countries like India?

Is it fair? India’s farmers gain big from US fracking

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:04:00 +0000

Guar growing in Shailender's fields (Shailender)

Having lived both in India and the US, any issue that links the two countries tends to perk my interest. Having studied about the environment and society, any issue that links the two also perks my interest. And when the issue is about all four? It’s a quadruple whammy.

That’s what I found with the lucrative fracking industry in the US and guar farming in low-income rural India. Now ask the average Indian what “fracking” is and they’ll probably have no clue and likewise with the average American when asking about “guar.”

Right now in the state of Rajasthan, you’ll see fields of guar, a crop native to India. When I put up news on Facebook about the growing price of guar immediately Shailender, a friend of mine, wrote that his family in Rajasthan profits from the crop. He commented about their last harvest, writing in Hindi shorthand, “mja aa gya is bar” which in essence means, “This time it rocked.”

Growing guar for rural livelihood (Shailender)

Straightaway, I had started to wonder what farmers in rural India think about the sudden profits they’re making from this obscure plant. Do they know why they’re making such a profit right now? Do they know how environmentalists in the US are fighting against fracking? How would they feel about that? For the first time, many of these farmers are buying cars and better educations for their children.

This issue is especially poignant for my friend, Shailender, whose family is not only growing crops of guar right now, but is also supporting his studies in, none other than, environmental science. Do he and his family understand that they are in the middle of a huge environmental fracking debate in the US? I wanted to find out things from their perspective. He immediately agreed to an interview.

eStumbling: Your family is from Rajasthan, India and you plant guar. When did you start doing this?
Shilender: Long before my birth. I have always seen guar in my field in this present season.

e: How big was your crop last year?
S: 200 bigha. Bigha is a unit of land measurement. [Note: In India a bigha can mean anywhere from 1,500 to over 6,700 sq. meters. Here it probably means around 2,500 sq. meters.]

e: Has it always been the same price or did you see a big increase in the selling rate recently?
S: About 9 to 10 years ago, it rose up to 10,000 rupees per quintal [roughly $2 US per kilo], but now the prices are very high. It was around 45,000 rupees per quintal last season [roughly $9 US per kilo].

e: What is guar used for?
S: For feeding animals and people eat the pods of guar as green vegetables.

e: Why do farmers think it became so expensive?
S: Actually, the farmers know that it is exported to the USA and China.

e: According to the farmers, why do people in the USA and China want so much guar?
S: I’ve asked them and they reply that guar contains gum which is used for making explosive material. It is also used in making around 200 types of cosmetics.

e: Interesting. Well, guar is also used in drilling for natural gas. Right now there is big business in the USA and China for natural gas, but people in the USA are fighting against this because it is not eco-friendly and pollutes drinking water. Have you heard about this? This is a drilling process called "fracking."
S: Yes, I’ve read about it on your blog.

e: Now that guar has become more financially beneficial, how has this affected farmers and their communities?
S: They’ve becomes more rich. Peoples are happier now.

e: Have people started to change their crops more and more to guar? Has this had any negative effects on society?
S: Initially there was a negative effect because of rise in prices. People who sold guar at low prices got depressed and some even attempted suicide.

e: I had mentioned that environmentalists in the USA are fighting against natural gas drilling (i.e. fracking). Actually, right now it is illegal in my state, but drilling companies are trying to make it legal. How do you think farmers feel about environmentalists fighting against this drilling which uses 80% of the guar gum that is produced in India?
S: They're getting money which means they are building their livelihoods up to a good level. Some farmers even constructed homes so that they could live properly. I’d need to analyze it more to give a proper response.

e: Well, how about your feelings? You are studying to be an environmentalist and your family grows guar. How do you feel about it?
S: As an environmentalist, I want to say stop gas drilling.

e: But your family will lose business, and many American’s don’t need to worry as much as Indian farmers do about money. Do you think this is fair?
S: No.

e: In terms of sustainable development, what do you think is fair for your family?
S: Actually for me as a global environmental concern drilling must stop, but for my family they don’t understand environmental concerns so continuation of drilling is fair for them.

This same sign is posted on my neighborhood food coop
(AP Photo/Mike Groll)

e: For me it is a difficult issue. I could not say if it is right or wrong because on one side we want to see rural areas develop, on the other side we want to stop pollution of water and land, and on the other other side we need cleaner energy -- and natural gas is cleaner than petrol. In my city there are signs on buildings saying, "NO FRACKING.” It is a big issue here. If you look on many environmental websites, they are always talking about fracking. This is important for Indian farmers since 80% of guar gum from India is used for fracking.

S: That’s why it was difficult for me to reply to your questions properly.

e: Stuff like this is probably why Rio +20 was considered a failure by many. You’re not alone in your confusion, even Obama doesn’t want to say anything about sustainable development. He didn’t go to Rio this year.

S: There is only one solution: Samajwad for the whole world.

e: Socialism? Why is that the answer?

S: The solution to these questions arising from the fracking issue can be dealt with by socialism. I’ll email you about it. OK, good night.

e: OK, send me some photos of your farm.

After the chat, I started to think more about this strange turn of events. Normally, when talking about environmental policy and globalization, the emphasis is on how global policies have reduced pollution in developed countries only to have it exported to developing nations. Companies not only shift manufacturing to other countries, but also the pollution that comes with it. Here it’s almost the other way around. Rural India profits while the US gets polluted.

I’ve yet to get Shailender’s take on fracking and socialism or understand what he meant by that. Maybe he was seeing how with this situation there is not only equalization in the distribution of wealth but also in the distribution of pollution. And by this the world’s scale again balances. Like two men on a tightrope exchanging bags of sand, it's only fair to distribute the weight.

Shailender out in family guar field (Shailender)

Gas drilling (fracking) in the US versus helping farmers in India. What do you think is fair?

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Olympic medal count: What's it mean for developing nations?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Going for the medal count (AP)

China and the USA are hitting, splashing, bashing, lunging for Olympic medals in London like there's no tomorrow. My eyes bulged a moment ago checking the stats to see China on top of the collection list. This is after listening to a recent podcast on This American Life about how most Chinese do not feel that China is an up and coming superpower. Well, maybe they don't feel like it, but they are certainly acting like super somethings.

My cousin got me into looking at the medal stats a few days ago as he regularly checks them on his cell phone. I was taken aback when he showed me the top 5 (i.e. USA, China, UK, S Korea and France). Two questions popped to mind: (1) What ever happened to China's burly communist Olympic dance partner, a.k.a. Russia? and (2) S Korea? How did that tiny self-conscious Asian country squeeze its way to the K-top?* The UK's Telegraph summarizes S Korea's history in six words: Quiet. Along came technology. Scary neighbour. Scary is right, as they just made a historic win against the UK in soccer.

Medal count as of August 5, 2012 (Source: Google)

However as I thought about it more, I started to focus on the difference between China and India at the Olympics. Both are emerging economies. Both have populations over a billion. However, China is an Olympic superstar while India is basically absent. Who are a billion people supposed to root for? India just lost against S Korea in their own national sport locking them into the bottom quarter of field hockey ranks. India has been able to garner two medals so far in their shining event of last Olympics, shooting, but has just suffered a significant loss, and as of yet... no gold.

Academic economists, Cowen and Kevin, shed some light on this issue. Though population is a major factor in collecting Olympic medals, there are other elements at play. Firstly along with military prowess, China's investment into the Olympics has been part of their national strategy since the Cold War. As a communist country, the government could invest lavishly. This is opposed to India's vibrant, dynamic (and... wildly inefficient) democracy. For most in India, other than cricket, athletics are mostly a hobby. It would blow the mind of most people to see how much money and media coverage is invested into football and basketball at the high school level in the USA. Too bad cricket is not an Olympic sport. Imagine Sachin winning gold?

Another major factor against India is the issue of child malnutrition. Recently, India lowered in rank on the Child Development Index. Stronger children equals stronger young athletes. But as China's population ages, this may give room for India's young population (about a third under twenty) to do some needed catch up. But what would it take? A lot.

First of all, should India focus more on garnering Olympic medals? How important is London's medal count for each nation? Isn't it more of an image thing? For India and other developing nations, there's a bit of a catch to it. Should a nation spend money on the Olympics when its Child Development Index is falling?

2012 Olympic shooter, Vijay Kumar, winning a silver for India (Source: Times of India)

Well, if the sappy commercials are to be believed, then the Olympics are more than just showing off to other nations, but actually they're also about showing off to ourselves. Why do we root for an athlete that we've never even heard of until this summer? Because that person somehow represents us. If she or he makes it, we make it. And we prove it to ourselves that we can do it. Whatever it is.

I guess that's why this whole India medal thing bothers me. Part of me gets lost in the count.

* Note: Being Asian-American myself, I was always told we're not supposed to be good at sports. I guess it's another lesson on how not to listen to the lies that society tells us.

Should developing countries like China and India spend more money on the Olympics? Why or why not?

How many billionaires does it take to feed a child?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:41:00 +0000

Source: hindu.com (2010)

India claims over fifty billionaires, making it one of the top 5 billionaire nations of the world -- and that's billions in terms of US dollars. The economy, though a bit shaky at the moment, still soars high.

Then why the downturn when it comes to child development? Save the Children's Child Development Index recently ranked India at 112 -- down from 103 in 2004. Meaning, while all the talk has been about India's soaring economy, her children have been left "eating air" (a common Hindi phrase, "hawa kha rahe hai"). From raw sewage in India's rivers and being ranked worst air in the world to high malnutrition rates among children and adulterated milk, this year's reports have not been kind to the nation.

Though South Asia did not bottom out in the organization's rankings (Africa bears that burden), Save the Children considers the subcontinent, particularly India, to have "high levels of deprivation." They explain:

South Asia has a high level of deprivation, scoring 26.4; this is 3 times worse than East Asia. It is also making slow progress, improving child well-being by just 32% over 1990-2006 (compared to East Asia’s 45% improvement). This is because India (where almost three-quarters of the region’s children live) made the least progress of any country in South Asia; just a 27% improvement. In this region, child nutrition is a substantial obstacle; almost 1 in 2 children is underweight. Malnutrition levels are not being reduced rapidly enough; the region’s enrolment indicator improved by 59% while its nutrition indicator improved by only 14%. Higher levels of economic growth in the region are not widely translating into reduced child deprivation. (Emphasis added.)

Source: hindustantimes.com

This only confirms that when the rich get richer their affluence does not "trickle down" to the poor. It gets stuck somewhere... maybe buying iPad apps? Who knows? This is confirmed by the statement by India's Planning Commission that "the benefits of high economic growth have not trickled down to the bottom 15% who are the most disadvantaged in the country" (as discussed previously).

So what is going on? According to a Down To Earth report, the problem is not that there aren't enough programs but that they are not implemented properly. In other words, the funds get stuck -- either in the pockets of the billionaires or just in the wrong pockets in general.

Money in the wrong pockets is a major problem all over the world. So as not to be overly hypocritical, it should be noted that while the US has over 8 times as many billionaires as India does and holds the number one spot in terms of number of billionaires (China holds the number two spot), it still only ranks 24 while China ranks 29 on the index. So how many billionaires does it take to feed a child?

In the end, how can this be fixed? Well, it's not like world leaders haven't been working on this for a long time. First of all the Child Development Index is a ranking system. Some nation has to be ranked 112th just as one needs to be first (Japan) and another last (Somalia). In fact, most of the countries improved since previous rankings. However, India as an "emerging economy" is the only one that dropped in rank. So, what can be fixed?

If the world's leaders can't get this done, then try from the bottom up. This isn't a new concept, but just a confirmation that world leaders tend to just exchange CO2, eating each others' hot air. So here's my list of things that need to be done (if it's worth anything), be it to "save the children" and/or the environment that sustains them:

Don't rely on government structures, especially if (as) they are run by people who either don't care or don't know what they are doing or (sadly in most cases) both.
Empower whole communities to believe -- not in money but in themselves. We can blame the government, but if the people do not fundamentally believe in change, then what's the use?
Find honest local heroes. Who are these people? They are doing it without the money and doing it better. Make friends with them. Get know them. Walk in their shoes. Let them open your eyes. You help them in whatever sustainable way.
The rest you'll find in books and in long, long documents from the UN written by very smart people.

The principles above are not really new but have been becoming more and more clear to me the past few days as I've been reflecting on my last 10 years in South Asia and visiting China.

So really, how many billionaires does it take to feed a child? Well, someone could account for a country's number of billionaires and correlate it to their Child Development Index, deriving a complicated algorithm. But while that's happening, I think I'll sneak out and go figure out a way to help some local heroes that I know.

What do you think is needed to change a nation's Child Development Index?

Doing the Apple iDance

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:40:00 +0000

Doing the Apple iDance

Adding to the list of Apple’s controversial practices, the company has recently pulled 39 products off of the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) register.* Due to this, the City of San Francisco has plans to restrict its workers from purchasing the “designed in California” products.

The BBC quotes Forrester Research as minimizing the issue, basically claiming that Apple sales will not seriously be affected. However, what does this mean environmentally? It seems to me as if Apple pulling out of EPEAT is like President Obama abstaining from the Rio conference. Apple’s efforts in greening its products have been laudatory, e.g. public greenhouse gas emission reports and elimination of toxic material. However, an influential company such as Apple leaving EPEAT behind can have serious repercussions in terms of developing a greener economy.

Columbia University’s Steven Cohen, Director of the Earth Institute, recently stated:

Americans want the free enterprise system to have the freedom to create new products and wealth and want to be able to consume the bounty of that system. But they also want clean air, water and healthy food. The field of sustainability management argues that we can manage our economy to simultaneously promote environmental protection and economic growth. But we can't do it without rules, strategic planning, technological breakthroughs and innovative organizations. Most environmentalists and most business leaders have begun to understand the need for both production and protection. This requires a public-private partnership and an understanding of the important and legitimate role of an active and competent government in assuring sustainability.

Simply put, Cohen claims that if you want new nice stuff and a better planet at the same time, then you need private businesses and the public to work together as well as an “active and competent” government. It’s like a dance. Imagine you, President Obama and Apple’s Tim Cook dancing together. First you take a step, then Mr. Obama follows suit, then finally Mr. Cook snaps his fingers, puts a rose in his mouth, and you swoon as Mr. Cook drags you both in rumba across the room.

Doing the rumba it only takes two (Source: danceshopper.com)

The problem with dancing though is that it takes two to tango and four to square dance. Three can be quite awkward. Like two suitors vying for a dance with the prom queen, businesses want us to consume their products and politicians want our votes. However, we need to be careful that they don’t end up preferring to dance with each other, squeezing us off the dance floor and telling us to be a dear and get some punch.

Do you think Apple should be considered a green company?

Related blog: In a Green Economy... I Can Has iPad?

*Note: Apple has since iDanced back to the EPEAT list.

Happy(?) Population Day: Having too many people both helps and hurts

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:24:00 +0000

“In China, children are like princes and princesses,” my friend commented, as we watched kids playing in a restaurant in Beijing.

“In a good or bad way?” I asked.

“A bad way—they’re spoiled,” my friend replied. “It’s because of the one-child rule. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, all treat the child very special.”*

Recently on the subway in China

There are still overwhelming crowds in Chinese cities, so the question crossed my mind, “Is China’s one-child policy even working?” Also, if it is working, when and how are they going to end it? I decided to checked it out. An added plus is that today just happens to be Population Day, so it's a good time to gauge how we are doing on our people count.

China had a steep sudden drop in birth rate when it implemented the one-child policy and it has kept it low since. Population growth rates are kept in check, especially compared to countries like India and the USA.

National Population Growth Rates (Data source: CIA World Factbooks)

Since implementation, there are claims that the policy has prevented between 100 and 400 million births, keeping pressure off the economy and the environment. A simple observation of China’s major cities is evidence enough of the country’s phenomenal growth. However, the negative effects of the policy are commonly known.

A comparison of male to female birth rates reveals China as the number one country with a ratio skewed in favor of male births. This is good evidence of high rates of female infanticide. Interestingly though, India is third in the world even without such birth restrictions. Furthermore, it has been revealed that female infanticide rates are greater among the educated and prosperous in India.

National Gender Ratios of 2011 (Data source: CIA World Factbooks)

In talking with friends in China, one said she felt the opinions of Chinese women were naturally changing from wanting to have more children to finding having kids to be too restrictive and expensive. Therefore, prosperity and education has brought a change in attitude among people. On the other hand another friend of mine found the policy appalling, citing the recent controversy of forced abortions on women, stating that the fine to have a second child can be over 5,000 USD. Most people cannot afford it, and some claim that people have been forced to have late-term abortions.

Such dialogue about the policy has been hush-hush, but scholars have been more and more vocal, asserting that continuation of the rule can hurt the economy due to an aging population.

The ironic twist is that it seems that large populations have helped China and India become the economic forces they are today. China’s economic growth has surpassed India’s over the last decade. In so much as demographics are concerned, higher literacy rates and more women in the workforce in China could be major contributors to this greater growth. It is unsure how much the one-child policy has been a contributing factor. The Indian government does encourage small families. Though their policy does not seem as strict as China's, there has been recent controversy about their two-child target approach.

When talking about environmental sustainability, many, including myself, cite population as a major environmental issue. But are such population policies necessary? Was it really one of the main reasons for China’s amazing economic growth? There are multiple dynamics at play. Births per woman tend to naturally decrease as women’s education increases. However how can governments give women access to education with infrastructure spread thin due to large, growing populations?

I think environmentally, though, consumer behavior is of equal or even higher concern than population issues. As the world seems willing to continue to invest in women's and education programs birth rates may then decrease, however consumption will continue to rise. Think in terms of carbon footprint size per capita. India and China actually have quite small footprints per person, while the USA and others with smaller populations have quite large footprints. By 2025, we don’t want to suddenly have 2,800,000,000 more people with American-sized footprints, do we?*

(Source: www.internationalrivers.org, 2008)

So this Population Day (July 11), I think it’s best to have a double mantra: "Educate women and consume less." Hmm, do those things counter balance each other? More highly educated women seem to consume more, who in the end teach their children to consume more, ergo a billion ultra-consuming kids in China! Well, maybe then the mantra should be: "Educate women toward sustainability." This could also reduce the number of spoiled brats in the world.

And, I think we'd all be the better for it.

* Note: As a retort, I did tell my friend that most American kids are spoiled as well (many adults, too). Also, I'm not suggesting that reduction of footprints is only the responsibility of developing nations, like China and India. As seen in the diagram, fat and bloated USA and Australia need some deflating to do!

Asian medicine + Good microbes = “Natural” food

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:55:00 +0000

Fresh "natural" greens on the farm

Neither the people of China nor my mother are known for eating organic foods, but while I was visiting my mother in China she laid out a beautiful spread of leafy greens, pronouncing with a smile, “It’s organic.” Impressed by my mom’s sudden food evolution, I asked her where she found such great leafy organic greens in the middle of China. Her friends had apparently started a farming project. It finally started to be productive, and they had just opened up a small shop in the city.

Unsure of what they meant by “organic” here and why they had started such a project, I went to check it out. I can say, though not a huge farm, I was happily charmed by their efforts. When we arrived, they laid out a lunch prepared from the produce of the farm. We sat on the floor and our host waved his hand over the food, saying, “This is all natural” … and it was all delicious.

After lunch, they took us around the farm. The first noticeable thing when entering the chicken area was that the usual acrid chicken coop smell was quite faint. “It’s all because of the microorganisms,” a friend explained. On a normal Western-style farm, there’s a force field of the acerbic fecal odor within a certain diameter of a chicken coop. However, here we were standing in the middle of all the chickens, literally pecking at our feet, without notice of any excrement around us. This was due to the ground being one-foot deep of microbe-enhanced mulch. The microorganisms were harvested from the nearby area, ensuring that local microbes were utilized which could thrive in the local environment to break down waste and release needed nutrients.

Chicks on the farm

We were also taken to a naturally cool storage area under the ground where the fertilizers were kept. The fertilizer ingredients listed like natural Chinese herbal medicine, making it sustainable locally while being free from petrol-based chemicals. For minimizing pests, methods included using a pepper concoction and applying tobacco leaves.

This small project began with training in what is called “natural farming.” Ten local families invested into the project. As with many more “natural” ventures, the process can seem lengthy, especially as this kind of natural fertilizer is not available on the market but has to be mixed by hand and the microorganisms need to be kept at certain temperatures. It has been difficult to keep farmers convinced of the long-term benefits of not using chemical-based products. My friend’s father who works in the USDA has had similar issues with US farmers not being convinced of “no till” farming. However, the project leader feels like the farmers are 80% convinced that natural farming is better than standard Western-style farming.

Something that would convince the farmers even more is finding the right market. They are still trying to discover better products. They recently found one off-beat leafy green that quickly sold out in the shop and they were trying to figure out the best way to grow it. Be it due to trendiness or for the simple need for safe food and a clean environment, the domestic Chinese market for organic and more natural food is growing.

Since the 1990s China has been regulating what they call “Green Food” and it has been a major grower of organic food since 2006, at least for the international market. Organic food’s domestic popularity was seen last year when Walmart China was reprimanded for selling 14.4 tons of mislabeled “organic” pork. So it seems that the people want greener and safer food, but the issue is about labeling and government regulation. I can tell you from personal experience how tough it was to tell even in the most upmarket shopping centers which clothes and shoes were real and which ones were knock offs. To regulate farms in far-off villages would be an even bigger chore.

However in the end, China seems to be making steps toward a safer, more sustainable, and tastier future for all.