Were 'catalytic converters' technology a known solution at the time? I wonder if there is a known solution to the smog problem faced by Indian and Chinese cities. Or is the solution yet to be discovered.
It feels like (after having lived there) these cities have crossed the threshold for number of people/cars/houses/offices per unit area and the way forward is to force expansion of cities -
- reduce number of high rises that can be built
- reduce number of cars that can be produced or sold
- force/incentivize offices and industries to move out of these big cities
- large, safe and economical state owned public transport
The solution was actually legislation and regulation of the auto industry. The legislature in California and (to some extent) the US realized that particulate pollution and smog were major problems in cities, so they passed laws requiring automakers to install equipment that controls emissions. The OBD and OBD II systems, electronic fuel injection, the catalytic converter, and various other systems are a result of that legislative push.
If they had left it up to the individual, as India has, we would experience similar air quality.
I should add that California has tighter emissions standards than the federal government, and some vehicles will be sold with special emissions control equipment in California. For example, I had a GMC C1500 truck, which shipped with an optional Air Injection Reactor if you bought it in California.
Some of it is money. Installiing California emission equipment to all vehicles would cut pollution a lot... But if it raised vehicle cost by 50%, no one could afford it. I think we know how to fix it, but no one wants to start taking cars away from people or raising the prices 50%.
"representative from India's Centre For Science and Environment really frustrated and upset me"
-> please don't be upset over what one individual has to say
"how we don't practice what we preach"
-> that's true for every country US, India and other countries
"Our air is not poisonous"
-> really!!??
"we don't have 300 million citizens without power living in poverty"
-> that's great. why are you comparing with a country that does have that many people below poverty?
"India stop blaming the US and start putting in the work on their own"
-> true.
"why do so many companies feel like they have to grow perpetually?"
-> Capitalism - growth, year over year, leads to higher stock price (market valuation) which in turn justifies higher payouts to ceo's, bonuses to employees... as growth == innovation
If you din't keep growing and managed to keep the business profitable (hit the ceiling), then you weren't 'innovating' and should be replaced ...
Yeah, it's a symptom of the way that companies are valued on the open market. No one can be content with well enough as long as our pricing and ownership models work the way they work.
Comparing the rate of growth of an independent country vs colony is not really required.
Having/Being a colony is not justified, whatever be the growth. An independent country where natives freely decide how to run themselves is far more important than any metric.
When people say "xyz was ill informed" - thats BS. Marc should educate himself before he opens his mouth. He can make an ill informed investment decision but if he makes a comment that hurts a nations sentiments then there's no way to justify it.
You are right. But very often people in west do not want to acknowledge poor Indian Hindus as even people let alone natives who can govern themselves. This might sound like a stretch but look at the propaganda that is trying to revive now discredited Aryan Invasion theory.
When people refer to the 'stock market' not being transparent... they are referring to the Regulators. Indian regulators are as transparent as US,China,EU. They have been known for bringing down big shots e.g. Sahara Group but on the other hand have failed to investigate some of the other big co's.
What indian economy lacks -
1. new credible entrepreneurs e.g. existing group co's have gotten into more new businesses and expanded into traditional sectors as compared to a handful of new names.
2. new business models e.g. most business are copying what has existed in US such as ecommerce, taxi aggregators, etc.
3. enhancing regulation in existing markets e.g. real estate.
