Musings from a REVA

WHAT A DAY!  I’m writing to you from the road somewhere between Vellore and Bangalore.  Sitting in a REVA, a small electric car manufactured by the Maini Group, based out of Bangalore, India.  The India Climate Solutions Road Tour kicked off today from Madras University at 11pm  as we were flagged off by the Vice Chancellor of the Univesity who highlighted the need for action on this issue.  Chennai and many other parts of Tamil Nadu having seen some very unsual and heavy flooding this year and with the memories of the 2005 tsunami fresh in the minds of locals (as far as the implications of the increased impact a tsunami could have in the advent of higher sea levels)–the urgency for the region is apparent.

Nine passionate individuals from across the country have come together under the banner of IYCN to launch this daring road tour.  And here we are:  after nearly 6 months of planning and a lot of sweat and tears, this dream has become a reality (I’m litterally on the road!).  Thanks in part to the vision of American scholars living and working in India in the field of climate change, the idea of the journey was spawned.  To think that a company would actually provide specially designed vehicles with the latest technology and provide it free of charge to some individuals who are wanting to launch a movement, is rather exciting.  We NEED more enlightened corporations to come forward and support such causes.  We need enlighted politicians such as the Minister of New & Renewable Energy to show the kind of leadership that is required to inspire millions to recognize the savings in green and the sanctity of greenliving.

In search of India’s climate solutions, we will be igniting a movement for change and a movement that will leave not only the lives of thousands transformed (through a vision of what India can be) but will leave the lives of the participating members transformed permanently as well.  It has already been quite a transformative day as I spent some quality time with students of the environment and enegy club at the Vellore Institute of Technology.  Listening to what the university has managed to do for campus sustainability was astonishing and the dreams and visions of the students left me inspired.  To summarise, they have developed a prototype vehicle that runs on CO2 and are cultivating a biofuel plant (name forgotten for the time being) that is native to India and is better in everyway by a factor of 10 than the highly regarded jatropha.  They even have their own battery operated vehicles so charging our REVA there was not a problem!  The students are working hard to spread awareness amongst the 14,000 strong student body population about how all of them can work to transform India’s energy economy into one that is green and clean.  Imagine nearly 14,000 engineers graduating every year and devoting themselves to such a cause!  Truly an Incredible !ndia that would be.

Bangalore awaits…. “WE ARE THE SOUTION!”