Medical and Hospital News  
ENERGY NEWS
Indian minister says adopting US lifestyle a 'disaster'

by Staff Writers
New Delhi (AFP) Nov 24, 2010
India's outspoken environment minister has attacked wealthy Indians' embrace of the American consumer lifestyle, saying the US model of development was a "recipe for disaster."

"You can't blame the Americans. The US lifestyle has become the world lifestyle," Jairam Ramesh told Britain's Guardian newspaper in an interview published Wednesday.

"If we are going to replicate this model, it is a recipe for disaster for India as well as for the rest of the world," he said, ahead of leaving for UN climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.

He said there were many in India who wanted the country to "grow now, pay later. They say, let's follow the Western model -- or even the Chinese model."

Ramesh, a member of the ruling Congress party, has made a name for himself as a "green campaigner", halting major projects through his insistence that procedures to protect the environment are followed.

His willingness to stand in the way of road and infrastructure development has made him enemies in the cabinet and a troublesome figure for industrialists.

Earlier this month, he described gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles (SUVs) that run on state-subsidised diesel as "criminal."

Ramesh will head to Cancun shortly for the November 29-December 10 climate talks where nations will have a second go at striking a deal to curb greenhouse gases after 2012, after last year's failed Copenhagen summit.

India has maintained that the burden of cuts should be on developed countries and that it cannot commit to binding targets in the future because they might impede its ability to lift its population out of poverty.

Ramesh told the Guardian that he had to "protect Indian economic interests", describing the Cancun meeting as "all about politics, not the environment".

He said he did not expect any breakthrough, but the meeting could help make progress towards a final agreement.



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


ENERGY NEWS
German regulator wants 'energy Schengen'
Berlin (UPI) Nov 23, 2010
A German energy official has called for a "Schengen Agreement" on energy trading to boost competition in the European power and heating sector. Such a move would ensure a proper supervision and a level playing field for free energy trading in Europe, says Johannes Kindler, vice president of the German energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur. "Energy regulators - because of their kn ... read more







ENERGY NEWS
Finnish know-how can solve global problems: Nokia chief

Violence grips Haiti ahead of elections

Gates backs crisis cells to aid Latin America in disasters

Chinese worker saved after 80 hours in underwater pipe

ENERGY NEWS
New Simulator Offers Ability To Record And Replay GLONASS And GPS

Russia To Launch New Generation Satellite In 2013

SkyTraq Introduces New GLONASS/GPS Receiver

SES To Contribute To Galileo Operations

ENERGY NEWS
Single drop of blood could reveal age

Study Reveals Neural Basis Of Rapid Brain Adaptation

Human Children Outpaced Neanderthals By Slowing Down

Paraguay nixes British expedition to remote tribal region

ENERGY NEWS
Study: Orangutans survived 'squeeze' event

Ancient medicines threaten Amur tiger in Russia, China

Gangster Birds Running Protection Racket Give Insight Into Coevolution

World leaders scramble for funds to save the tiger

ENERGY NEWS
Access to AIDS treatment cutting deaths in Africa: UN

Brazil, Cuba join forces against Haiti cholera

Hong Kong bird flu patient improves

UN says Nepalese peacekeepers to stay in Haiti

ENERGY NEWS
China students go on rampage over canteen price hikes

China broadcasters strike gold with foreign formats

Dalai Lama 'to retire' from government-in-exile role: aide

Growing Strains Put China At Crossroads On Sustainable Development

ENERGY NEWS
Chinese crew fights off pirates near Somalia

Pirates seize ship with 29 Chinese sailors aboard: Xinhua

Nigerian military warns armed gangs in oil-rich Niger Delta

Three pirates shot dead attacking Kenyan navy

ENERGY NEWS
Computer meltdown leaves millions of Aussies without cash

China central bank warns of growing inflationary pressure

Hong Kong developers slam 'heavy' property cooling measures

China expected to raise 2011 inflation target: state media


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement