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NEW DELHI: Environmentalists and public transport experts are relieved that the Centre has proposed draft guidelines to regulate <keyword id="6403560" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-rickshaws">e-rickshaws</keyword> under the Motor Vehicles Act. E-rickshaws may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, but many believe these had the potential to solve the city’s last-mile connectivity problem. 
 
Similar paratransit modes are successfully regulated all over the world. Even cycle-rickshaws are regulated and have a licensing mechanism overseen by the municipal corporations. Pedicabs are regulated in most cities in the US and Europe—Philadelphia City Council mandates pedicabs utilize permitted streets, do not operate after dusk or on the sidewalk, and never board or de-board passengers from a roadway travel lane. 
 
In Philippines, tricycles are regulated by the transport department. Its government now plans to put electric tricycles—similar to Delhi’s e-rickshaws—on the road to address the issue of air pollution. It has recently released Peso 505.6 million (around Rs 700 crore) to the department of energy for an E-Trikes project for Manila. 
 
“Take the example of Delhi University where students were using e-rickshaws to go to college from Metro stations. Students have told me that they have to spend Rs 40 in an auto against Rs 10 in an e-rickshaw, which is equally or more efficient. People will start opting for motorized transport like cars if e-rickshaws are gone as there aren’t many options to travel from Metro stations,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, head of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)’s Clean Air programme. 
 
In fact, Roychowdhury says doing away with e-rickshaws will be like destroying Delhi’s public transport system. “We certainly need to make some basic safety checks; we have enough regulations for disposal of batteries. We have a high-powered committee on electric vehicles, then why are we making e-rickshaws an exception? I think this zero-emission mode needs to be celebrated,” she added. 
 
To start with, allowing e-rickshaws to run within an 800-1,000m radius of Metro stations can be useful. 
 Experts say e-rickshaws seemed to meet a latent demand for fast, comfortable para-transit that was not met by autos. E-rickshaws were running short distances due to lack of charging points, some suggest that the government can set up battery charging stations, preferably with <keyword id="70990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Solar-power">solar power</keyword>, near Metro stations. 
 
“They don’t have a battery which is less than 250 Watt, as was thought earlier. Most e-rickshaws have an over 650-Watt battery which make them motor vehicles so they can be regulated under MV Act. There needs to be another regulation to check basic things like visibility, brakes, frame etc. The Delhi environment department can possibly regulate battery disposal. I think e-rickshaws can be an excellent last-mile connectivity mode for the city,” said a public transport expert who has studied e-rickshaws in Delhi. 
 
Some suggest that e-rickshaws can be limited to non-motorized transport (NMT) lanes so that they don’t disrupt traffic. One e-rickshaw per owner can also help in ensuring that there is no sub-letting or mafia involved. 
 
Ravi Agarwal of Toxics Link said that the existing acid battery management and handling rules have failed due to lack of enforcement. “The rules have to be enforced strictly or it can lead to serious soil and water pollution,” he said. 
 
E-rickshaws can also help Delhi deal with its air pollution crisis. The LG’s high-powered committee on air pollution has also recommended promotion of battery-run vehicles. “E-rickshaws are important in Delhi because they have zero emissions. I agree that they need conventional power to charge and this leads to pollution elsewhere from power plants. But for a city that’s suffering from very poor air quality, it needs to promote non-polluting modes,” said Sarath Guttikunda of urbanemissions.info. 
 
As far as livelihood and business is concerned, e-rickshaws have given income options to over 1 lakh people in the capital. The batteries are currently imported from China but can be made locally too.

Experts Welcome E-rickshaws Guidelines

With third-largest carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the world, India cannot probably walk away from its responsibilities of being a prominent player in the <keyword id="6361617" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Climate-Change">Climate Change</keyword> Dialogue. While international climate change negotiations are underway with talks and negotiations being tabled in Paris in a few months, India is perhaps the most discussed nation at the moment. Where do Indians stand with their commitment towards saving the earth for our children? 
 
Not too many bright spots to count at the moment. Whether it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s innovative ideas that were almost pooh-poohed at, such as cycling to work or switching the street lights off on full moon nights; or better still, looking at Yoga to answer all the climate change queries, the country is in a bit of a fix with climate change dialogues. 
 Indian government has fixed its priorities pretty robustly in the given situation where internal challenges stalk the country more than external and lofty commitments. The country, which is on the verge of a major economical change, cannot and should not, talk about commitment to the <keyword id="6356826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="environment">environment</keyword>. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the ‘developed nations’ drew flak. He said those nations which plundered the natural resources and abused the earth to create a cushy environment are more responsible to take right steps than having to shift the responsibility on India, which worships almost every aspect of nature. A pagan nation, at that! 
 
Despite this, India joins a select few countries, the list that is still growing, to make very significant efforts to show the world they are willing to do what it takes, to slow down the greenhouse gas effect. However, this was not so in the recent past. India had almost flatly refused to quantify its targets on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions, on the basis that this would come in the way of poverty alleviation through creation of jobs and industries. 
 
That way, talking on climate change is a tough challenge for India which is still working to create food security for its 1.25 bn population which is growing in leaps and bounds even as the country brings some facts and figures to the Paris meet. 
 
The fact that climate change has become a major topic of discussion in the recent times especially with India being in the centre of this entire gamut of negotiations is an undeniable fact. Political analysts and experts believe though India is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, it should be given a free way to chart its own course towards the climate change agenda owing to the fact that the country is on the throes of economic shift. This will only make things better for both US and China to deal with the emerging India that would be far more responsible and accountable. 
 
Way back in 2014, China and US had come to agree that as nations, they had greater accountability than other nations on issues pertaining to climate change. The Lima Conference of Parties in some ways contravened the North-South firewall as it sought details from stakeholders at a larger level. But, on the contrary, it somehow stressed the historic differences between nations pertaining to stakes and accountability aspects. 
 
The most important breakthrough came in the form of China-US bilateral agreement on carbon emissions accepting certain terms and conditions that there was a specific time when these emissions could peak. 
 
Both countries also took the lead and said they had more responsibility on the matter than the other nations to arrive at an effective global agreement. 
 
The similarities between China and India are way too stark to ignore them. India is of the opinion that developed countries need to account for the fact that they industrialized themselves way before China and India did. As a result, climate change today has more urgency to be spelt out than the other topics. But, the crux of the matter lies in the fact that India needs to go into full-fledged industrialization with a bit of caution than China, because the neighbour is already bearing the brunt of emphasizing too much on production than smart innovation. 
In this spectrum of common-yet-differentiated responsibility, India finds itself in a tricky position. The country now finds itself sandwiched between nations that industrialized long ago, and are reaping the benefits of security and basic rights of their citizens strengthened, while India has a long road ahead. 
 
The nations that now speak of using expensive adaptation of renewable energy can afford it, owing to economic security factor. India is in a dilemma. At crossroads between emerging as an economically stronger nation, and a climate-responsible one at that, India really has to choose from the two equally important and imminent choices. 
 
The upcoming climate change meet will see India in a new light, with respect to the matter. This will be a cure indicator as to where India is headed. Will it toe the line of international players who will scuttle its choices inlands, or stand strong and choose to take the path of self-sustenance before being climate-responsible? 
 
 
 
(Image credits: klorotechpavers.com)

Climate
change: World looks at India, but where’s India looking?

The <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword>’s plan to develop 100 <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword> has stirred a debate on its strategy or lack of it on the fate of the existing cities in the country. 
 
Over the years, lack of infrastructure and unplanned growth turned Indian cities into a real mess. While urbanisation has enhanced economic, social and political progress, it has resulted in socio-economic mismatch among people. Also, rapid growth of urban population has put enormous pressure on public utilities like housing, sanitation, transport, water and electricity besides pushing unemployment among rural immigrants. Urbanisation deserves immediate attention as according to reports by 2030, more than 50 % of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas. 
 
Urban sprawl, the expansion of the cities in terms of population and geographical area (which is rapidly taking over the precious agricultural land) has been one of the key problems which authorities failed to tackle. Continuous immigration from rural areas has consistently added to the size of the cities. This has led to a situation where economic base of most cities is incapable of dealing with the problems created by the huge growth of urban population. Metro cities are clear examples urban sprawl due to large scale migration of people from the different states, seeking employment opportunities. 
 
Unplanned growth has also resulted in overcrowding—a situation where too many people live in too little space. For instance, Mumbai has one-sixth of an acre open space per thousand people though four acre is considered normal. This kind of overcrowding leads to heavy pressure on infrastructural facilities. 
 
Overcrowding leads to shortage of houses in urban areas. Housing is a bigger issue in those cities where there is large influx of immigrants. According to a recent study, around 40% of all married couples in India do not have an independent room for themselves. Around 35% of families in urban areas live in one-room houses. About one third of urban Indian families have houses without a proper kitchen, bathroom and a toilet—and there is no supply of water or power in some cases. 
 
Overcrowded cities are a breeding ground for unemployment. According to an estimate, about 50% of all urban unemployed who are educated are concentrated in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Though those living in cities earn more than those in the villages, their incomes are low considering the high cost of living in urban pockets. Unless government streamlines the large-scale migration to cities, unemployment in cities will continue to rise. 
 Another consequence of unplanned growth of urban areas is the spread of <keyword id="6367743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="slums">slums</keyword>. In the recent years, industrialisation has led to rapid urbanisation which has resulted in undeterred growth of slums. 
 
A slew of reasons such as the large influx of rural migrants to the cities, the shortage of land for housing development and high prices of land contribute to the growth of slums. No wonder, this has been exerting huge pressure on civic amenities and infrastructure. 
Inadequate transportation is another challenge faced by people living in cities. As cities grow, more people are required to travel to work or shop, leading to clogged roads and unending traffic jams. 
 
Scarcity of drinking water is perhaps the biggest challenge thrown up by haphazard development of cities in India. In fact, no city in India gets sufficient water to meet the needs of city dwellers. In many cities, people get water from the municipal sources for less than half an hour every alternative day. In dry summer season, taps remain dry for days together. 
 
This in addition to growing problems of lack of proper sewerage management, trash disposal and pollution besides surging crime rates in cities. It is high time the government figured out whether developing select smart cities or solving the litany of problems faced by people living in existing cities should be its priority. 
 
Image: thinkstock

Smart Cities Are Good Idea, But What About Existing Ones?

Glaciers in the <keyword id="982087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Qinghai-Tibet-Plateau">Qinghai-Tibet Plateau</keyword>, home to several Himalayan rivers including the Brahamaputra, have shrunk 15% due to <keyword id="6366055" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="global-warming">global warming</keyword>, Chinese researchers said. 
 
Glaciers have shrunk from 53,000 to 45,000 sq km in the past 30 years, the scientists added. 
 
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest place in the world's mid-latitude regions, is more likely to get affected by global warming, they said. 
 
Kang Shichang, a researcher with the Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute of CAS, said glaciers started to shrink since the 20th century and speeded up since the 1990s. 
 
Retreating glaciers can increase water flow of major rivers in the short term, he said. 
 
A continuation of the retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff, he added. 
 
China has more than 46,000 glaciers, mainly in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Glaciers In Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Shrinking Due To Global Warming

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11926319" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coach" source="Orion">Coach</keyword> said it will no longer destroy "unsalable" handbags after a TikTok video criticized the practice. </li><li>The viral video showed several slashed Coach <keyword id="11993130" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bags" source="Orion">bags</keyword> that were found in a dumpster outside a mall.</li></ul>Coach said it will stop destroying "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CU6FY_DgZft/">damaged and unsaleable</a>" bags after a viral TikTok video accused the company of slashing handbags and throwing them in a dumpster outside a mall in Dallas. Anna Sacks, who posted the video, which has also been shared on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUyPS9gjK49/">Instagram</a>, told her followers that Coach asks employees to deliberately destroy handbags per company policy. She alleged that the company used this tactic as a method to write down the value of its inventory for tax purposes. A spokesperson for Coach said this statement was inaccurate and that the company is not claiming any tax benefit from these items. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Coach <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CU6FY_DgZft/">said</a> that it would no longer destroy "in-store returns of damaged and unsalable goods." These items would instead be donated to its reuse <keyword id="12019084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="handbag" source="Orion">handbag</keyword> repair program, which it offers in stores.A spokesperson told Insider that employees were previously asked to destroy handbags that could not be used or donated. These are damaged or defective items with issues like holes in the leather, the spokesperson said. Coach currently offers a repair workshop in 40% of its stores that offers to fix broken bags or accessories. A spokesperson told Insider that the repair team can also deconstruct unusable bags and reuse the materials in other ways. When Insider asked why the bags found in the dumpster in Dallas were not sent to the repair program, the spokesperson said the company did not have the capacity to handle the repairs. Going forward, however, all bags will be sent to this service, she said. Other retailers have come under fire for destroying inventory, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-destroying-unsold-goods-report-other-nike-burberry-fashion-2021-6">Amazon,</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/nyregion/slashers-work-ruins-shoes-discarded-at-a-nike-store.html?_r=0">Nike</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-dumps-bras-in-trash-fashions-dirty-secret-2020-2">Victoria's Secret</a>, H&amp;M, and <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/verify-did-an-eddie-bauer-slash-toss-out-unused-coats/65-505278289">Eddie Bauer</a>.Some companies have used the tactic to protect their brand image by preventing unsold products from ending up in thrift or discount stores.London-based brand <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burberry-burned-37-million-of-goods-to-protect-its-brand-2018-7">Burberry sparked backlash</a> after it was revealed in 2018 that it had burned $37 million worth of products. In a statement at the time, a Burberry spokesperson said it has "<a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/burberry-destroyed-37m-worth-of-excess-products-to-protect-brand">careful processes in place</a> to minimise the amount of excess stock we produce.""On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner and we continue to seek ways to reduce and revalue our waste," the spokesperson said.

Coach says it will stop destroying 'unsaleable' handbags after a viral TikTok revealed demolished merchandise discovered in a dumpster

Deforestation is a vicious cycle. It is not just the loss of tree cover, but a negative change in the whole ecosystem resulting in decreased growth not just in the agricultural sector but in all sectors. 
 
While deforestation is a worldwide phenomenon, how does it affect India? In the present context when India is aiming to consolidate and increase its growth, economic losses in the agriculture and industrial growth are serious issues. 
 
Causes of deforestation in India 
 
Farming, cutting of timber, mining and often indiscriminate dam building for hydro electric power projects are the foremost causes of deforestation in India. Another factor is the burgeoning population and its resultant growing urbanisation. It is sad that many forests, scrubland and even agricultural lands have been eaten up by sprawling urbanisation. 
 
In a nutshell, in India it is a sad case of overdevelopment. 
 
How it affects India? 
 
The effects of deforestation are not confined to loss of tree cover and unpredictable weather conditions along with adverse monsoon, but are linked to and result in flooding, siltation, soil leaching leading to low and poor agricultural yield. 
 Deforestation also causes the Greenhouse effect that leads to <keyword id="6366055" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-warming">global warming</keyword>, another contributor to climate change. Loss of tree cover also upsets the oxygen carbon dioxide balance leading to lower oxygen levels and higher levels of pollution. All these also cause attendant health problems which the population can ill afford. 
 India has experienced this when deforestation in its northern parts and its Himalayan regions resulted in soil erosion, unprecedented floods and landslides. In 2013, <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> was devastated by floods. More recently, last year Jammu and Kashmir suffered from flooding. These disasters were due to deforestation in catchment areas, silting of lake and riverbeds, unplanned building construction, hydel power projects and road building. 
 
Experiments at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore have shown that deforestation in higher latitudes affects rainfall in tropical areas. The whole monsoon system will migrate further south of the Asian subcontinent and could lead to an 18% decrease in rainfall in India. Couple this with rising temperatures caused by deforestation, results can be devastating. 
 
India’s stand on deforestation 
 The lives of 25% of India’s population (approx. 300 million people) centers round its forests. The Joint Forest Management programme has been working with local communities to halt deforestation. It is also working in close tandem t involve them in various projects of afforestation, social <keyword id="107347" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Forestry">forestry</keyword> and farm forestry besides ensuring they can continue to collect and love forest produce. 
 
Responsible forest management in tune with the area’s geography and biodiversity is the need of the hour coupled with active participation of local populations. 
 
Likewise several projects like the National river water conservation, the Ganga project have brought rivers, waterways and water bodies under a more efficient and pro-environment management. 
 
India and Carbon emission control 
 
Although India boasts of the tenth largest forest cover in the world, spread over 20% of its territory, it is unfortunately the world’s fifth highest carbon emitter. 
 Of special importance is the encouraging fact that India has at last finalized its draft policy for implementing the <keyword id="86409" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="REDD">REDD</keyword> + program of the United Nations. Under the REDD program developing countries would be financially aided by developed countries in their efforts to reduce carbon emission. 
 
The main thrust of the REDD program is ‘Carbon sequestration is one of the ecosystem services flowing from forests, in addition to biodiversity conservation; maintaining water cycle and soil fertility; livelihood supports to local communities.’ 
 
A National REDD + Authority will be established and will be assisted by existing government and non government bodies like the Forest Survey of India, Indian Council of Forestry etc. in preparing a national database, action plans on carbon emissions as well as develop a national emission monitoring system. 
 
REDD in India will also address the need to develop and implement a ‘fair, transparent and participatory mechanism’ that will ensure funds coming out of REDD reach and benefit the affected local communities. 
 
Contrary to his ‘Growth Mantra’ PM Modi has disappointed by slashing the funds allotted to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change by almost 18% from Rs 2,043 crores or US $ 378 million to Rs 1,681 crores (about US $ 300 million). Hopefully some of the funds from the ‘Coal Tax’ may be diverted for deforestation. 
 
Image: thinkstock

Reversing deforestation in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11893902" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bitcoin" source="Orion">Bitcoin</keyword> mining consumes roughly 0.5% of all <keyword id="12040003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="energy-consumption" source="Orion">energy consumption</keyword> worldwide, according to the New York Times.</li><li>That's roughly seven times more than <keyword id="11892740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword>'s total energy consumption per year, the report said.</li><li>Bitcoin's negative environmental impact is expected to become a bigger issue as <keyword id="11892695" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptocurrency" source="Orion">cryptocurrency</keyword> gains more popularity.</li></ul>Bitcoin's price has jumped nearly fivefold in the past year, but the rapid run-up is leading to significantly higher energy consumption for the popular cryptocurrency worldwide.That's largely because more people are competing to mine bitcoin - a process that involves solving complex mathematical problems that help verify digital currency transactions. Miners who solve these problems receive a share of bitcoin, and as more people who compete to mine them, the more energy it takes.It's difficult to measure exactly how much energy bitcoin mining consumes, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/03/climate/bitcoin-carbon-footprint-electricity.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a new analysis by the New York Times shared some staggering data</a> that puts the energy use in perspective:<ul><li>Bitcoin mining consumes around 91 terawatt-hours of electricity annually.</li><li>That's more annual electricity use than all of Finland, which is a country of 5.5 million people.</li><li>That's almost 0.5% of all electricity consumption worldwide, and a 10 times jump from just five years ago.</li><li>That's about the same amount of electricity consumed in the state of Washington each year, and more than a third of electricity used for residential cooling in the US annually.</li><li>And it's more than seven times the electricity used by all of Google's global operations.</li></ul>Given bitcoin's massive price appreciation in recent years, it's not hard to expect the electricity consumption to continue to grow. Bitcoin is now <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth about $50,000</a>, a roughly fivefold increase from last year. It was priced at around $500 in 2016.With increased competition, bitcoin mining has become an industry of its own, requiring specialized machines, servers, and huge data centers with enough cooling capacity to keep the computers from overheating.As noted, the internal mining process itself has become more complex; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/03/climate/bitcoin-carbon-footprint-electricity.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the New York Times</a>, a single desktop computer could easily mine bitcoin back in 2011, when the cryptocurrency had little following. Now, it takes roughly "13 years of typical household electricity" to mine a single bitcoin.<div type="image" title="A man stands at the end of a long corridor. The walls are packed with computers and wires, which are being used to mine bitcoin." height="1500" width="3000" msid="85995128" hostid="261"></div>For those who have been following bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency space, the environmental impact of mining has long been a problem to reckon with. Iran was rocked by power outages earlier this year that were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/01/16/massive-blackouts-have-hit-iran-government-is-blaming-bitcoin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partly blamed on bitcoin</a>. In March, Bill Gates <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/09/business/dealbook/bill-gates-bitcoin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned bitcoin</a> was "not a great climate thing." And U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called its energy use "staggering."In response, some asset managers are looking to address crypto's environmental concerns. Michael Hanus, a senior managing director at the alternative investments platform RealBlocks, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fidelity-blackrock-crypto-environmental-esg-concerns-investing-asset-managers-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously told Insider</a> that asset managers are becoming increasingly aware of crypto's sustainability issues.Hanus made reference to ESG analysis, an investing philosophy that encourages firms to consider an investment's environmental, social, and corporate governance impact. "A lot of managers, if you look at ESG, were originally focused on the 'G,' the governance aspects, in order to improve their portfolios. I think that's shifting now, and there is additional emphasis on the 'E' and the 'S' of ESG," Hanus said.In other words, asset managers are trying to balance the possible negative environmental and social aspects of cryptocurrency with the money it can potentially earn investors.

Bitcoin mining consumes 0.5% of all electricity used globally and 7 times Google's total usage, new report says

The vast majority of city street journeys take place in cars. Despite being clean and green with a host of health benefits, <keyword id="6366594" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="cycling">cycling</keyword> is really popular in only a few countries. Potential accidents, the lack of a cycle-friendly infrastructure and worries about rain and cold keep many from hopping on a two-wheeled horse, even though bicycles are fast, clean, healthy and inexpensive. In the UK, US and <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>, for example, only about 1 per cent of all journeys are made on a bike. But there are exceptions, of course: in the <keyword id="44173" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Netherlands">Netherlands</keyword>, the number is 27 per cent, and in Danish capital Copenhagen, <a href="http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf">over half the population cycles regularly</a>. 
 
The main factor that keeps cycling rates low in many cities is that most people are not comfortable sharing space in streets with fast-moving cars and trucks. Most modern cities are designed for cars. Thus, an intelligent city planner while planning a smart city should assume that cycling, walking and public transport would be the main forms of transport while trying to figure out how to accommodate inefficient, polluting and dangerous modes like private car use. 
 Cities such as Delhi and <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword> have shown spectacular economic growth, but at a price: traffic has literally come to a standstill. This is not only a cost to society but the economy. A sustainable solution involves a switch to other means of transportation. Amsterdam has shown that a transition in modalities of transport is possible. Currently, 53 per cent of all travel in the city is by bicycle, compared to 23 per cent by car. Investment in bicycle infrastructure is a modern and intelligent move for a city to make. Studies from Denmark tell us that for every kilometre cycled, society enjoys a net profit of 23 cents. For every kilometre driven by car we suffer a net loss of -16 cents. Now, the <keyword id="58906" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Karnataka-government">Karnataka government</keyword> and the city of Bengaluru are aiming to make urban mobility more bicycle-inclusive as part of the transition to a sustainable, smart city. 
 
Benefits of cycling 
 
Using the bicycle as an urban means of transport can improve the way cities are enjoyed, both for cyclists and other citizens. 
· A clean, environment-friendly means of transport 
· Silent 
· Improves overall fitness and contributes to reducing healthcare costs 
· Traffic jams not usually a concern 
· Reduces the need for fossil fuels 
· Makes it possible to carry objects around 
· Indirect source of cost reduction for cities and countries 
· Cuts carbon, air pollution and calories 
 
Planning for a cycle-friendly smart city 
 
· If the distance is short between start point and destination, cycling could be preferred. So, streets should be connected in such a way that the distance becomes short. 
· Car-free or limited-traffic streets can become anchors for human-centred activity 
· Bikeways should be smooth and free of obstructions, and preferably separated from traffic by parked vehicles, guardrails, bollards or other barriers that clearly differentiate bike lanes from the rest of the street. 
· ‘Smart’ bike-sharing systems provide the missing link between existing points of public transportation and desired destinations. 
 
Supporting ‘Cycling’ is not only an expression of inclusiveness but of health and harmony with environment. It needs to be part of every development plan of private townships and smart cities. More than 400,000 bicycle sharing schemes are used in dozens of cities on the Chinese mainland only, since 2012. Besides in economic benefits, India is the second largest bicycle producing industry after China. This US$ 1.5 billion industry produced nearly 15.5 million bicycles in 2012–13, i.e., 10% of the total bicycles manufactured globally and employed about 1 million people in the country. 
Cycling can improve the overall health of a city, in every sense of the word. But to make non-motorised transport a reality in the developing world, city leaders must first improve designs to support walkers and bikers. 
 (The article is authored by Pratap Padode, Founder and Director of <keyword id="3070683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-City-Council-of-India">Smart City Council of India</keyword>.) 
 
(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Why cycling should be mandatory in smart cities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The EPA in 2020 granted <keyword id="11910055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oklahoma" source="Orion">Oklahoma</keyword> authority to administer environmental programs on tribal lands.</li><li>Oklahoma tribal nations criticized the EPA for not consulting with them on the decision.</li></ul>The <keyword id="12338657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="environmental-protection-agency" source="Orion">Environmental Protection Agency</keyword> announced plans Wednesday to withdraw and reconsider a decision made during the Trump administration that gave the state of Oklahoma authority on environmental issues on tribal lands."Our sovereign Tribal partners continue to have significant concerns with the EPA's previous decision and the consultation process used in reaching that decision," Jane Nishida, EPA's assistant administrator for international and tribal affairs, said. "Today's action reflects careful consideration of their concerns and our commitment to ensuring robust consultation on all policy deliberations affecting Tribal nations."The statement said the EPA consulted with Oklahoma tribal nations for months on this issue and would continue to do so to establish a framework for environmental protection and cooperation.The EPA decided to grant Oklahoma environmental authority on tribal lands following the landmark July 2020 Supreme Court decision, <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/18-9526_9okb.pdf">McGirt v. Oklahoma</a>. The ruling said a large swath of land in Eastern Oklahoma, including much of Tulsa, remained Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation land.Shortly after the ruling, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, a member of the Cherokee Nation, asked the EPA to grant the state authority to carry out its environmental programs on Indian lands. According to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-environment-oklahoma-archive-754444e8b4887f4045c4604248142665">Associated Press</a>, Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican and advocate for oil and gas, wrote the 2005 federal law that allows states to seek authority on environmental issues on <keyword id="12476028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="native-american-land" source="Orion">Native American land</keyword>. When the EPA granted Stitt's request in October 2020, tribal nations criticized the agency for not consulting with them on the decision."Unfortunately, the governor's decision to invoke a 2005 federal law ignores the longstanding relationships between state agencies and the Cherokee Nation," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement, AP reported. "All Oklahomans benefit when the Tribes and state work together in the spirit of mutual respect, and this knee-jerk reaction to curtail tribal jurisdiction is not productive."The EPA will accept comment until January 31 on its proposal to withdraw the decision, with the state's authority to administer its environmental programs remaining in place for now.Have a <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> tip? Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:kvlamis@insider.com?inline-read-more">kvlamis@insider.com</a>.

EPA plans to withdraw a Trump-era rule that gave the state of Oklahoma power over environmental issues on tribal lands

Prepare yourself for the extended summer season and scanty rainfall along with rise in food items this year too as the <keyword id="2847281" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australian-Meteorological-Department">Australian Meteorological Department</keyword> predicted on Tuesday that the tropical Pacific is in the early stages of the El Nino weather phenomenon. 
 The bureau’s current observations tell that India's southwest monsoon will be deficient and it has already been predicted by the <keyword id="6355166" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Meteorological-Department">India Meteorological Department</keyword> in April, as per an Economic Times report. 
 
The monsoon season runs from June to September in India and is the main source of water for the country's agriculture sector. This will affect the agriculture-based industries and the food industry. 
 
In the wake of poor rainfall last year and unseasonal rains and snowfall in recent months, India's revival plans and economic growth will hampered. 
 
Meanwhile, El Nino refers to the warming of Pacific waters and is seen as having a wide-ranging impact on global weather. 
 According to the Australian weather office, the El Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO indicators have shown a steady trend toward El Nino levels since the start of the year. The temperatures of sea surface in the tropical <keyword id="90495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pacific-Ocean">Pacific Ocean</keyword> have also exceeded El Nino thresholds recently. 
 
Moreover, such changes are also supported by warmer-than-average waters below the surface which will worsen the weather condition. 
 Trade winds have remained consistently weaker than average since the start of the year. "These indicators suggest the tropical Pacific Ocean and <keyword id="6366415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="atmosphere">atmosphere</keyword> have started to couple and reinforce each other, indicating El Nino is likely to persist in the coming months," the Australian weather office said. 
 
International climate models surveyed by the bureau indicate that tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures are likely to remain above El Nino thresholds through the coming winter and at least into spring. 
 
(Image : Reuters)

​El Nino on its way again

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/David Gray</div></div>The National People's Congress (NPC), a meeting of China's top legislature, kicks off on March 5.
This is the first NPC meeting to follow on the crucial <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/7-china-experts-on-third-plenum-2013-11">third plenum back in November</a> and will garner a lot of attention. 
One of the key things markets will watch for in this meeting are macro targets. Bank of America's Ting Lu expects that Beijing will set a GDP target of 7.5% for the year, the same as 2013. 
"The government might emphasize the role of "projection" of growth targeting and Premier Li's growth floor could be different from the growth target in 2014," Ting writes.
He anticipates a consumer price inflation target of 3.5% and M2 (a broad measure of money supply growth) at 13%. Remember, China is trying to curb credit growth, and for now there is some concern that the deleveraging that is under way could trigger a financial crisis. 
In terms of reforms and initiatives put in place to bring about those reforms, much of the work was likely done during the closed-door economic work conference back in December. 
That being said we can expect to hear more on two key things. 1. Beijing's efforts to rein in local government debt and 2. reforms of the powerful state owned enterprises (SOEs).
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-local-government-debt-3-trillion-2013-12">Local government debt totaled 17.9 trillion</a> renminbi (about $2.8 trillion), as of mid-2013, according to the latest audit by the National Audit Office. This is up from 10.7 trillion renminbi at the end of 2010. Unsurprisingly, dealing with local government debt is expected to be on top of the agenda. From Ting:
"These reform measures include: (i) opening up of the municipal bond market to local governments; (ii) including local government debt in the budget-making process and tightening up local government bond issuance procedures; and (iii) making provincial governments responsible for the debts of lower-level local governments. At the provincial NPC meetings this year, normally seen as setting the tone of the national NPC, controlling local government debt risks was also mentioned by many delegates. 
"We expect local governments will be legally allowed to run fiscal deficits to finance public projects and will be officially given the access to banks and capital markets during the NPC meeting. These measures will provide China's local governments a new source of long-term financing which could help local governments to replace short-term bank and trust loans with longer-duration bonds. This should be one of the key ultimate solutions to China's local government debt issues, in our view." 
Environmental protection, with a special focus on smog, water and soil pollution is supposed to be another key priority for the government.
"Less emphasis is put on GDP targets as an assessment for local government officials, while officials and local authorities will be held responsible directly for the pollution caused," writes Ting.
Plans about SOE reform is another thing to watch for. Despite all the hooplah surrounding the announcement that markets would now be allowed to play a more decisive role in the Chinese economy, following the third plenum, SOE reform was largely disappointing.
More recently, some perceived <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-20/sinopec-sinks-as-jefferies-says-china-soe-reform-bets-misplaced">Sinopec's move to sell a 30% stake</a> in oil-retail unit as the beginning of SOE reform. But Laban Yu, a Jefferies analyst, said this seemed more "like stealth capital raising," reports Weiyi Lim at Bloomberg.
Minxin Pei, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, explained why such reform is harder now that it was 35 years ago, in a Project Syndicate column.
"...Members of the ruling elite benefit directly and immensely from the state-dominated economy. Market-oriented reform, by leveling the competitive playing field, would hurt their interests and reduce their privileges, making fierce opposition likely. Only by mobilizing pressure outside the party-state can these insiders be forced to accept some of the decentralizing and liberalizing reforms that China's economy needs. "
So, what can we expect with regard to SOEs?
Huang Shuhe, the Vice Chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) has pointed out four types of SOEs "whose shareholding structure will be further optimized," writes Ting:
<ul>
<li>SOEs that are vital to national security will remain solely owned by the state.</li>
<li>State capital must hold the absolute controlling stake in SOEs in some key industries and sectors. </li>
<li>The government should also hold a relative majority of shares in SOEs that are in pillar industries and hi-tech industries. </li>
<li>State capital could totally withdraw from SOEs that are not in the above three categories and give private capital the control. </li>
</ul>
The SASAC is also working on a plan to increase the SOE dividend payout ratio in 2014 which is currently in the 5-15% range. The 3rd Plenum Decision said it will require SOEs (centrally-administrated) to pay 30% dividend to government by 2020 to replenish public funding for social security.
The NPC is expected to speed up tax reform, replacing business tax with value added tax (VAT). It is expected to carry on with government restructuring, specifically those that have to do with administrative approvals. We might hear details on rural land reforms.
All that being said, Ting writes that this is not expected to have a huge impact on the market. But, "the NPC is still a unique event for markets to observe the macro targets, work focus and a bit more detailed reform agendas of the government."

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