IT industry joins global initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions

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Leading companies and industry bodies pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes over the next three years

Nine leading IT companies and industry bodies in India have joined the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes over the next three years.

They include CII, Dell, HP, Intel, MAIT, Nasscom, TERI and WWF. Over the next three years, these companies/organisations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes (an amount equal to planting around 4,800 sq km of trees, and savings of Rs 2,250 crore in energy costs) by promoting smart technologies and best practices and sensitising organisations and individuals to adopt power management techniques.

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a non-profit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organisations dedicated to reducing the energy consumption of computers.

Over 475 companies and organisations have joined the initiative since its launch in June 2007, and thousands of individuals have pledged their support. The initiative is led by CSC, Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, and World Wide Fund for Nature.

Computers waste 30-40% of the power they use. Most of today’s desktop PCs are capable of automatically transitioning to sleep or hibernate mode when inactive for a sustained duration. But in about 90% of systems this functionality has been disabled, resulting in higher energy consumption and increased electricity use. IT users generally lack awareness about the power-saving features built into present-day machines.

“With the right user behaviour and latest energy-efficient technologies now easily available to us, we can continue to drive power reduction with the use of energy-efficient computers,” said Rahul Bedi, director of corporate affairs, Intel South Asia, one of the prime movers behind the initiative’s expansion.

At the launch of the India chapter of CSCI, Minister of State for Environment, Jairam Ramesh, announced some measures to encourage energy-efficient products and reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

Starting January 2010 it will become mandatory for certain products to carry eco labelling. The first phase will cover four products -- refrigerators, airconditioners, distribution transformers and fluorescent lamps. By mid-2010, three more product lines (colour TVs, LPG stoves, and electric motors) will need to carry the mandatory eco labelling.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency will work with industry to develop a labelling system that will enable end users of computers to make informed choices in favour of energy-efficient systems.

11 Indian states, three UTs achieve ‘two children per couple’ target

11 Indian states, three UTs achieve ‘two children per couple’ target

Although India has a long way to go in arresting population growth, 11 states and three union territories have shown the way by attaining the ideal of two children per couple. However, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh will need at least 15-20 years to achieve this goal

Eleven states and three union territories in India have beaten the 2010 deadline set by the central government of achieving a total fertility rate (TFR) of ‘two children per couple’, under the National Population Policy framed in 2000.

According to a recently-released health ministry report, the 11 states are Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The union territories are Chandigarh, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

“Spacing between children, age of marriage, behavioural changes, education, better healthcare and socio-economic conditions are some of the factors behind this progress,” says Amarjeet Sinha, joint secretary in the union health ministry. Other officials add that there appears to have been widespread acceptance of family planning measures like vasectomy and tubectomy.

The health ministry report however regrets the fact that populous states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will probably take another 15-20 years to achieve the TFR target. It says that, by 2050, India’s anticipated population will reach more than 1.5 billion, and over 1.853 billion at the close of the 21st century.

National Commission on Population estimates project that by 2026, 22% of India’s population will be contributed by Uttar Pradesh alone, while Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh together will account for 22%. The four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will account for only 13%.

National Family Health Survey 3, that provides information on population, health and nutrition in India and each of its 29 states, based on field work conducted between December 2005 and August 2006, showed that 70% of women were married by the age of 18 in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. In comparison, less than 20% of women in Kerala had early marriages.

Districts in Bihar like Sapaul, Katihar and Darbhanga had 98% teenage mothers, followed by Kamrup in Assam, with 56%, and Hingoli in Maharashtra with 35%. In comparison, Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Hamirpur and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh had only 1% teenage mothers.

In districts across the country, the incidence of early marriage among women was as high as 83% and 73% respectively in Sharaswati, in Uttar Pradesh, and Jamui in Bihar. In comparison, Chamoli in Uttarakhand and Alapuzza and Pathanamihitta in Kerala reported no underage marriages.

Nationally, the survey showed that 51% of the population falls within the reproductive age-group, which means 18.8 crore couples require contraceptive coverage. However, only 53% practise birth control. It further revealed that 42% of the population increase constitutes births beyond two children per couple, and though fertility in the 15-19 age-group is declining, about 35 lakh teenagers have children each year in the country.

According to National Commission on Population estimates, India is expected to overtake China in human numbers by 2030. India is expected to become the first and the only country on the planet to have a population of over 2 billion; China’s population is likely to drop after reaching a peak of around 1.46 billion in 2050.