The energy challenge in India
India is the world's most populous democracy. And they have a problem: a growing economy and a growing middle class that have needs and wants more akin to what we see in the United States than in other parts of the world. That's a problem because, per capita, Indians consume 1/5 of the energy Americans consume. So with a population that dwarves ours - 1.1 billion vs. 300 million - that means more power plants, more pollution, and the potential for more energy struggles in the coming half century.
Not that it's fair to say "mega consumption only for Americans." Obviously, we as Americans need to significantly reduce our own energy consumption. But at the same time, the world's governments need to show leadership and make sure that other fast growing economies - India and China come to mind - don't continue to follow us down the path to foreign energy dependence and huge emission problems. Hello Kyoto, anyone?
