Cheap green tech stays elusive Rich Nations Refuse To Budge At Delhi, Copenhagen Climate Deal Hopes Dim TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: The divide bet

Rich Nations Refuse To Budge At Delhi, Copenhagen Climate Deal Hopes Dim

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The divide between rich and developing countries on the prickly issue of intellectual property regimes for green technologies came to the fore on the concluding day of the high-level climate change technology conference in Delhi on Friday.

With a consensus eluding the conference attended by 58 countries, including the US, China, Japan and several key G77 partners, references to the contentious topic were left out of the ‘Delhi Declaration on Global Cooperation on Climate Technology’, released on Friday at the end of the meet.

India, China and other G77 countries have for years demanded that industrialised nations should ease the IPR regime or buy out technologies from private hands to give them to the developing countries. The rich countries, which hold much of the technologies, instead say ‘investment environment’ should be improved for the private sector to bring in green technologies.

While some progress has been made on other elements of what could possibly form a deal on technology diffusion at Copenhagen, IPR remains the most contentitious subject with little breakthrough evident even at the end of the Bangkok round of negotiations concluded in the second week of October.

At the conclusion, the chair, environment minister Jairam Ramesh, noted: “There will be a continued need for further consultation on the role of IPR. We have recognised that there are different views on the issue.” He pointed out that countries had to still discuss how to ensure that “IPRs do not become a barrier to the achievement of common global goals”.

The high-level meeting in Delhi was not part of a formal negotiating process which is undertaken only under the UN but a strong signal from the meet would have influenced the UN talks at Barcelona and Copenhagen later. But at the meeting, several industrialised country representatives argued that the IPR regimes should not be touched.

PM Manmohan Singh, while inaugurating the meet, had said, “Climate friendly and environmentally sound technologies should be viewed as global public goods. This implies that the IPR regime should balance rewards for innovators with the need to promote common good.”

‘Emission more serious than fundamentalism’
New Delhi: The very existence of Maldives is threatened by climate change. So for Mohammed Nasheed, its young president and now the poster boy for climate change advocacy, global warming is a “more serious threat to the international order than Islamic radicalism, piracy or sharing of resources”. Addressing a think-tank on ‘environment and conflict resolution’, Nasheed said India’s position on climate change was acceptable, but appealed that renewable energy be used to provide power to over 300 million people. “Why do you want to go to yesterday’s diesel when you can go for tomorrow’s renewable energy and new technology? The world is on the threshold of new technology and you will be in the forefront if you use them,” he said. Nasheed said climate change was a real threat. “If we believe in science, and two plus two is four, climate change is happening and it is great threat to the world,” he said. TNN

Maldives president Mohd Nasheed

Gurus work nights to better grades

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN

Mahuva (Bhavnagar): It’s 10 pm. As Asarana village sleeps, a school wakes up in this part of Bhavnagar district abuzz with students, their hair neatly combed and ready with bags and notebooks.

A group of zealous teachers with a conviction to inject academic brilliance into students of this village have helped launch this unique night school at the government-run Gyanjyot High School at Mahuva. Students are flocking to this new initiative.

It all began a couple of years ago when Anand Seta, principal of the school, thought of extra coaching classes for students after they fared poorly in the boards. He discussed the idea with other teachers — D D Modhera and A U Rajyaguru — who agreed and decided to be part of this extra curricular activity.

At the night school, classes begin at 9 pm, when students assemble with their tiffins, eat together and then settle down to study. At midnight, they spread mattresses and sleep on the school premises with their teachers and the principal. In the morning, they sweep the ground, water trees and head home to get ready for regular school as teachers get ready for extra classes for girls between 8 am and 12 noon, just before school begins.

Thus, as results of the class X board exam in other schools here have hovered between 17% and 30%, Gyanjyot High School saw a 90% success rate last year. “In class VIII, I could not even read and now I am very good in mathematics and science. Three teachers take turns in teaching mathematics, science, English and Gujarati,” said Amit Kalsaria, son of a pan shop-owner who wants to become an engineer.

Mahesh Varia, son of a farm labourer, who dreams of becoming a doctor, added: “My father can hardly afford schooling expenses,so these revision sessions are a boon.”

Anand Seta, principal of Gyanjyot High School, conducts a special class for boys, which begins at 9 pm

A ROCKET FUEL MADE OF WATER

Boffins develop a rocket fuel that uses a combination of water and aluminium, both these materials are found on the Moon and Mars. Thus making the manufacturing of this fuel on those planets a possibility

MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU

Researchers from Purdue University in the US are working with NASA to develop a new type of rocket propellant made of a frozen mixture of water and “nanoscale aluminium” powder. This rocket fuel promises to be more environmentally friendly than conventional propellants and could be manufactured on the Moon and Mars.

The aluminium-ice, or ALICE, propellant might be used to launch rockets into orbit and for long-distance space missions and can also to generate hydrogen for fuel cells, said Steven Son, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University.

Purdue is working with NASA and Pennsylvania State University to develop ALICE, which was used earlier this year to launch a 9-foot-tall rocket. The vehicle reached an altitude of 1,300 feet.

“It’s a proof of concept,” Steven Son said. “It could be improved and turned into a practical propellant. Theoretically, it also could be manufactured in distant places like the moon or Mars instead of being transported at high cost.”

Findings from spacecraft indicate the presence of water on Mars and the moon, and water also may exist on asteroids, other moons and bodies in space, said Son.

The tiny size of the aluminium, which have a diameter of about 80 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, is key to the propellant’s performance. The nano-particles combust more rapidly than larger particles and enable better control over the reaction and the rocket’s thrust, said Timothee Pourpoint, a research assistant professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

“It is considered a green propellant, producing essentially hydrogen gas and aluminium oxide, in contrast, each space shuttle flight creates about 230 tons of hydrochloric acid”Pourpoint said.

ALICE provides thrust through a chemical reaction between water and aluminium. As the aluminium ignites, water molecules provide oxygen and hydrogen to fuel the combustion until all of the powder is burned.

“ALICE might one day replace some liquid or solid propellants, and, when perfected, might have a higher performance than conventional propellants, it’s also extremely safe while frozen because it is difficult to accidentally ignite” Pourpoint said.

The fuel needs to be frozen for two reasons: It must be solid to remain intact while subjected to the forces of the launch and also to ensure that it does not slowly react before it is used.

Initially a paste, the fuel is packed into a cylindrical mold with a metal rod running through the center. After it’s frozen, the rod is removed, leaving a cavity running the length of the solid fuel cylinder. A small rocket engine above the fuel is ignited, sending hot gasses into the center hole, causing the ALICE fuel to ignite uniformly.

“This is essentially the same basic procedure used in the space shuttle’s two solid-fuel rocket boosters,” Son said. “An electric match ignites a small motor, which then ignites a bigger motor.”

Future work will focus on perfecting the fuel and also may explore the possibility of creating a gelled fuel using the nanoparticles. Such a gel would make it possible to vary the rate at which the fuel is pumped into the combustion chamber to throttle the motor up and down. The gelled fuel also could be mixed with materials containing more hydrogen. Then you can use it to run hydrogen fuel cells in addition to rocket motors, Son said.

From left to right – Students Cody Dezelan and Tyler Wood, professor Steven Son, students Mark Pfeil and Travis Sippel, professor Timothee Pourpoint, and researcher John Tsohas

NGO Inc.

Gone are the days of people with a philanthropic bent, the kinds who would don khadhi kurtas, carry a jute bag and knock on doors of prospective donors asking for donation! Today, the NGO (non-governmental organisation) sector, with increasing professionalism, enhanced career growth opportunities and its transformation into a structured ‘industry’ with clear fundamentals (read: upliftment of the society), has turned into a hotspot for career aspirants

Viren Naidu

Experts say that the development/NGO sector, today, is in a transition phase. It is no longer unorganised. NGOs are ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance. Naresh Chaudhary, COO, Smile Foundation who puts forth the above adds, “Due to investments by international organisations in India and proactive participation of international donors, NGOs are becoming more professional and
structured. Today, the development sector is at par with any other customer service industry. It is helping bridge the gap between supply (resources) and need (social issues). Even the donors have become more responsible, wise and proactive. The donor today is an investor and not a mere giver.”

Priya Zutshi, manager, communications, CRY who has been a correspondent with a leading national news channel before moving in as a communication manager with CRY says that using the same professional skills that were earlier being used only to strengthen a certain company’s bottom-line are being used to make the world a better place for children and this, for her, is rewarding enough to make it a viable career move.

Today, Zutshi is working alongside a team of professionals who previously held jobs in highly respected corporate firms and quit in pursuit of helping children in need. Because of the fund flow and also pressure to bring results as well as pressurefrom donors, there is now a more scientific and established methodology to solve issues and problems in the social work industry. A lot of emphasis is placed on planning and monitoring, say experts involved in the development industry. Arbind Singh, founder of Nidan (a NGO that works towards the empowerment of the poor) who is one of the experts adds, “The practices and methods of the business enterprises are applied fully in social work, except for not making profit. Mere norms are no more important; written rules defining financial management, HR, investment policy, project planning and monitoring and so on are important.”

Singh enlists why a career in this industry is a lucrative move: 1) There is good ‘salary’ today, 2) there is a large opportunity to express oneself through work, workshops, seminars and trainings and 3) there is a lot of variation in the type of work you want to pursue– so if you want to work directly on the ground or if you want to play a supportive role in planning and monitoring or work in a donor agency, you can.

But unlike the other sectors that offer good pay packages, ensure career growth and provide several opportunities to hone one’s skills, does this sector do any of that? “Majority of the organisations are non patriarchal, so the growth prospects of an individual are only limited by the talent you showcase at work. The remuneration also depends on the organisation with which you are working as a lot of them now pay according to the set industry standards,” says Zutshi. Anuradha Sawhney, mentor for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India says, “Most NGOs do offer better pay packages, especially those NGOs working in the human sector. We offer our staff medical, retirement and insurance benefits.” Therefore, if you have the willingness to contribute towards the betterment of the society, this sector will provide you a lot of opportunities and much more!

GOODWILL HUNTING
How can a person go about looking for a job in this industry? There are different types of organisations working in different geographies and on different issues and across different scales- there are small to big to large NGOs as well as specialised organisations.There are some that only provide funds to others.There are some who only provide technical support and then there are those that are issue based.Singh who explains the above suggests that a candidate has to choose between:

a) what geography he/she likes to work – South,North or state, urban/rural,etc.

b) the organisation setup– larger the organisation smaller the role,smaller the organisation larger the role.

c) issues- children,micro finance,social security,education,health and so on.

d) type of organisation – grassroots,technical support agency,donors,multilateral institutions like UNICEF, UNDP,etc.

MYTHS SHATTERED!
Chaudhary enlightens us by drawing the line between myths and facts:

Myth 1:It is all about volunteering.

Fact: The sector is getting organised and people working here are true professionals.

Myth 2: NGOs are money minting agencies.

Fact: NGOs have set examples that they are transparent and adhere to good governance policies.

Myth 3: They are meant for retired people.

Fact: Today, the policies in NGOs are much structured and in place. Many youngsters are joining the sector.

Myth 4: Many people think the association will help them get only a tax exemption certificate.

Fact: It is high time people realise their Individual Social Responsibility (ISR), stand up and contribute in the development process.

Pioneers of IT revolution awarded Nobel for physics

Stockholm: Three physicists won the 2009 Nobel Prize on Tuesday for work on fibre optics and light sensing that helped unleash the Information Technology revolution.

Charles Kao, Willard Boyle and George Smith were hailed by the Nobel jury as “the masters of light” for transforming communications from copper-wire telephony and postal mail to the era of the Internet, email and instant messaging. “This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded for two scientific achievements that have helped to shape the foundations of today’s networked societies. They have created many practical innovations for everyday life and provided new tools for scientific exploration,” the Nobel jury said.

One of them is the fibre-optic cable, which enables transmission of data at the speed of light, and the other is the digital sensor that is the digital camera’s “electronic eye,” the Nobel jury said.

Kao, who has British and US nationality but has been based in Hong Kong, was awarded half of the prize for groundbreaking achievements in the use of glass fibres for optical communication. The 1966 discovery by Kao, now 75 and retired, means that “text, music, images and video can be transferred around the globe in a split second,” the Nobel jury added.

Boyle, a Canadian-US citizen, and Smith, a 79-year-old American, shared the other half of the prize for inventing an imaging semiconductor circuit — the charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, which is the “electronic eye” of the digital camera. The CCD, which converts light into electrical signals was invented in 1969, inspired by the photo-electric theory that earned Albert Einstein the 1921 Nobel. “It revolutionised photography, as light could be now captured electronically instead of on film,” the committee said. AFP

Charles Kao

Willard Boyle

France pays kids to attend school

Rewards Students With € 10,000 For Good Grades

Katrin Bennhold

Paris: In poor Paris suburbs it now pays off to do well in school—literally. High school students can earn rewards worth up to € 10,000 for their class to share if they attend lessons and get good grades.

The pilot program, which took effect on Monday in three vocational schools in working-class neighbourhoods near the French capital, is the most eye-catching of a number of government measures aimed at tackling a chronic problem of poor class attendance, mass dropouts and high youth unemployment in France.

The idea relies on a combination of peer pressure and material incentives: Students jointly commit to an average attendance and performance target. Depending on how ambitious the target is, the government will pay from € 2,000, about $3,000, to € 10,000 into a group fund that can be spent on anything from driving lessons to class trips when the target is achieved.

“We’re trying to be creative—you have to be,” said Jean-Michel Blanquer,head of the greater Paris school district, who likened the initiative to a “moral contract.” But in the country of Victor Hugo and Voltaire, the idea of using money to motivate teenagers to learn has fuelled a debate that spans the political spectrum.

An independent organization, SOS Education, accused the government of “buying” students and undermining the values of the French Republic.

France’s costly and heavily unionized school system an iconic institution at the heart of the republic. It is where children are turned into French citizens since the days of the revolution.

But as high school dropout rates have swelled, particularly in ethnically diverse and poor neighbourhoods, calls for reform have grown louder. As many as 150,000 young people—about 13% of those aged 20 to 24—enter the labour market without a high school diploma. Four years ago a spell of rioting among youths of immigrant origin highlighted the frustrations suffered by many young people in the suburbs ringing major French cities.

Blanquer, at the Paris school district, said the opposition to the program missed the point. “If we had called it a scholarship everyone would have been on board.” he said. “Everyone agrees that we need to get young people off the streets and into class rooms and lower crime rates.” NYT NEWS SERVICE

Secondary edu lagging behind, says WB study

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Caught between the emphasis on elementary and higher education, secondary education has suffered in the country, a World Bank report has said.

Calling secondary education a “forgotten middle”, Sam Carlson of World Bank, who prepared the report, pointed out how investment in secondary education had declined. While primary education gets the largest share of 52% of total spending on education, secondary education, which plays an important role in building up a skilled workforce, gets 30% of the spending, the report said.

Higher education gets 18% of the total spending on education. India’s gross enrolment rate (GER) at the secondary level of 52% is far inferior to the GERs of countries like Vietnam (72%), Sri Lanka (83%) and China (91%).

Carlson said the newlylaunched Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan has tremendous potential to bridge the gap in secondary education. World Bank is in the process of lending $500 million loan for RMSA. Projections, Carlson said, suggested an increase in absolute demand for secondary education between 2007-08 and 2017-18 of around 17 million students per year, with total enrolment growing from 40 to 57 million students. The report said there was a 40% point gap in secondary enrolment rates between students from the highest and lowest expenditure quintiles. It said there was a 20% point gap between urban and rural secondary enrolment rates, and a persistent 10% point gap between secondary enrolment rates of boys and girls.

Secondary enrolment also varies from state to state—22% in Bihar, 92% in Kerala, 4% in Jharkhand and 44% in Tamil Nadu. In some states like Rajasthan, UP and Madhya Pradesh, enrolment of the general population at secondary level is 80% higher than for SCs, STs and Muslims.

The report has recommended public-private partnership models including reform of the grant-in-aid system, public classroom and school construction in rural areas, hiring of more teachers and introduction of double-shift teaching. To raise demand for higher education, the Bank said number and quality of class eight students should be increased, there should be a provision of financial and in-kind aid for disadvantaged students. Emphasis has also been put on strengthening secondary education teacher training colleges, peer-based development of teachers, teacher performance standards and increased community monitoring of student learning.

The report, while recommending India to become part of international benchmarking like Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, carried out a test on the basis of published test items in schools of Rajasthan and Orissa. It was found that students’average scores placed them below 43 of the 51 countries tested, just above South Africa and Ghana. But, top 5% of students performed far higher, on average, than most of their peers around the world.

NUMBER CRUNCHING
Only 30% of the total expenditure on education is spent on secondary educationn
India’s gross enrolment rate (GER) at the secondary level of 52% is far inferior to the GERs of countries like Vietnam (72%), Sri Lanka (83%) and China (91%)