The Green Machine

I remember my initiation into the idea of green living through, ironically, cars—one of those inventions that contribute significantly to pollution (though I must admit I drive one to work everyday like hundreds of millions).

The cars I'm talking about, however, didn't look like your regular street machines but something straight off the pages of a sci-fi thriller. These “concept cars” invariably looked very curvy, used lots of sheet glass and were often accompanied by smiling beauties (not sure if the girls were there to turn your attention away from the fact that such solar or non-fossil fuel powered cars were not going to be a reality for the next 10-20 years).

After more than two decades since those memories, it's heartening that electric and hybrid cars are gradually being introduced in the market.

The click-click world of computing is in a similar situation right now, though things here seem to have moved relatively faster than for automobiles.

Most of those in IT would identify the green-colored “Energy Star” logo that appeared while the computer booted up. It is believed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was one of the first to launch efforts to recognize energy-efficiency in tech equipment when it announced the Star as a voluntary labeling program in 1992.

Today, there are thousands of such programs and efforts worldwide to cut down on energy use by ICT equipment—most notably in large data centers that have become massive guzzlers of electricity.

The rising energy prices, coupled with a growing environmental consciousness, have resulted in a multi-billion-dollar “green equipment” market. Even in India, which is always considered price-sensitive and therefore reluctant to shell out 15-20% more for the green tag, many CIOs and other decision makers have begun to “talk green,” if not “buy green.”

But they should look beyond the initial cost and think of RoI from green IT in the longer term. Fortunately, several businesses are in an expansion or migratory stage and can thus take help from the independent data centers that have come up recently in India and which tout great green credentials. Or they can tweak their purchasing processes to include some  green elements as well.

I know it's easier said than done. But it has to be said—and, eventually, it will be done more than we thought possible. Policies and laws on e-waste and energy use will catch up in India, but there's no reason why the avant-garde businesses should wait to go green.

The green run, after all, is going to be a marathon.

Nuclear Energy – Are You Clear?

When following some of the biggest news stories of our day, many times it so happens that the readers or the audience lose track of the real issues behind the stories. As the stories progress – or shall I say drag on – all they get to see on prime time television or read on front pages in the papers is a vicious string of denials, sound bytes, counter-charges, backtracking and other circuitous paths that lead them nowhere.

So it came as a welcome relief – though it increased my anxieties on other counts by highlighting certain things – when I read on rediff.com this well-argued piece by Kanchan Gupta about nuclear energy and its relevance to a country like India (Will nuclear power benefit the masses?).

Let me give you a glimpse into some of the startling data highlighted in the story: Contrary to Congress’s claims of nuclear energy having the potential to provide electricity to significant numbers of people, the share of nuclear energy in India’s total power output will be only 8% by 2020 if new reactors are set up. Compared to the cost of producing thermal power at Rs 2.50 per unit, that of nuclear energy will be Rs 5.50 per unit. No new reactor has been set up in the US in the past 35 years, and only one is coming up in Europe (Finland) after a gap of 17 years. Arguably, the ones to benefit the most from the 123 Agreement will be US and French firms dealing in nuclear reactors.

I’m not saying that one should switch over to the anti-nuclear agreement lobby merely on the basis of one article, but we need write-ups like this to make an informed opinion on matters concerning our country or the world in general – rather than be forced to confront mindless buck-passing by opposing parties through most of our media.