the unclear nuclear situation

Numerous people had lots to say about the recent nuclear deal; but for all their words, in the end, none of them said much.
A lot like distance and displacement - for all the distance they put in, there isn't much displacement to show for it.

Is it just coincidence that nuclear and unclear are such similar words?

There are a lot of things I want to say about our roads, media and everything in general.
However, I was thinking of something else today morning.

I don't know whether the deal was good or not. I don't know whether it will be a help or a hindrance to our development as a nation. What I do know and feel and want to stress upon here is the need to really work seriously on the nuclear option and not just make gestures about it. Given the current global energy scenario, we will probably run out of oil in 20 years. Assuming that this is an alarmist view and it will last for say another 50 years, the fact remains that it will run out sooner or later. In the future, when fossil fuels are not an option, we will need to depend on something that can be made available easily to the masses. Electricity is our best bet – electricity generated by nuclear power and other unconventional sources. That is why we need to look at the nuclear option seriously.

What confuses me is the Ostrich approach that most governments seem to be taking towards the problem. Burying our collective heads in the sand will not make the energy crisis disappear. What is more remarkable is the lack of foresight that governments are showing as far as planning for the eventuality is concerned.

An important area where we are showing lack of foresight is the area of public transport. India is now spending enormous amounts of money on trying to better our road system. I do not say that this is not required. However, in a scenario where there is no gasoline/petrol for vehicles to run, what will help?

The situation in India cannot be equated to the situation in the US.
The US already has an excellent network of roads and a culture wherein the car is about as basic as a tooth brush (if not more so). So, while in the US context, hybrid cars and such might be the way to go, we need to approach the problem from a different perspective here.

What we have here in India, is an amazingly intricate system of railways that despite all the bungling and corruption, works, and works well.
Instead of spending enormous amounts of money on roads that will be obsolete in another century at the very best, we should look at how we can provide adequate means of transportation not just for the next general elections but for the next generation. We should perhaps concentrate on modernizing our railways, and converting more and more of them to run on electricity – so that they can eventually use the electricity that will be generated using unconventional energy sources.

While designing new cities or modifying our old ones, we could build in an integral transport network based on small energy efficient electric trains, stressing less on roads. Imagine all the advantages this would have – we would be future proof, the air would be cleaner, our cities would be quieter, the air would be more breathable ….

Why do we need for the west to think of a system before we are ready to embrace it? Even in areas where we have “indigenous” development taking place, it is more often at the implementation level rather than the concept level. This isn’t about brain drain (just reminding myself not to get off the topic) but a lack of political will and foresight. For some reason, we as individuals and as a country have become so greedy, that we cannot think beyond ourselves and our immediate future. The future generations though they may be our own bloodlines mean nothing to us. We need to rise above this …