Developing world cannot accept freeze on global inequity: PM

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has criticized the West for its "environmentally wasteful lifestyle," urging industrialized nations to look at alternative energy sources to save the environment.

"We, in the developing world, cannot afford to ape the West in terms of its environmentally wasteful lifestyle," Dr. Singh said at a science conference in Chidambaram, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, January 3. "Equally, developed industrial economies must realise that they too must alter their consumption patterns so that few do not draw upon so much of the Earth's resources."

"The challenge before all of us is to make the growing interdependence of nations a win–win game rather than a game which leaves two–third of humanity at the bottom rung of social and economic ladder," the Prime Minister said.

"The developing world cannot accept a freeze in global inequity," Dr. Singh warned. "We are today living in an increasingly globalized, increasingly interdependent world."

"The measures that the global community takes to protect our environment and deal with climate change therefore must be equitable in their impact on the development prospects of the developing world. The new environment–friendly technologies being developed must be shared and made available to us as international public good so that our planet is saved," he said.

"We can and must use the inventiveness and ingenuity of our knowledge to find new pathways to growth. But in the world increasingly interdependent as it is today, this must be a shared effort. It must be an effort that enables the poor to improve their quality of life, their well–being, their consumption levels without being forced to pay the price for the profligacy and excessive consumption of the rich and the super rich," the Prime Minister said.

According to experts, the progressive use of primary energy sources such as coal and subsequent unchecked carbon emissions could see temperatures rise by 2–3 degrees Celsius in the next 50 years.

According to the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, the top five sources of greenhouse gases are the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan.

Experts say that, as global emissions rise, the Indian subcontinent will be one of the world's regions most seriously affected by climate change, meaning more frequent and more severe floods and droughts, more disease and poor crop yields.

Addressing more than 5,000 scientists, Dr. Singh said India's energy security demanded the development of affordable sources of renewable energy.

"India must find alternative sources of energy supply. We will need bio–fuel, solar energy, photo voltaic, nuclear and almost all other sources, which do not burden the conventional sources of energy supply. Our energy security depends strongly upon the abilities of the scientific community to provide affordable sources of renewable energy supply," he said.

"We have invested billions of rupees in developing a range of energy sources. Be it hydel (hydro) power, thermal or nuclear power, we have to improve the productivity of investments already made," he said.

"The manner in which we manage water, food production and energy resources will directly impact our environment," he added.

New environment–friendly technologies being developed to cut carbon emissions must be shared and made available to all so that the planet could be saved, he said.