U.S. AND INDIA AGREE: IT’S EASIER TO BLOW UP THE PLANET THAN SAVE IT

COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 21 Jul 2009

Allison Kilkenny

The U.S. and India had a much easier time negotiating a multi-billion dollar arms deal than an agreement to protect the environment.

NEW DELHI — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton touted prospects for strengthening U.S.-India relations, despite sharp differences on carbon emissions, as they readied a pact giving U.S. companies more access to India’s expanding markets.

Fear not, citizenry. The United States and India managed to put aside their dispute over how to manage carbon emissions and agreed to increase India’s supply of arms (including 126 multi-role fighter jets) and nuclear reactors, an enormous boon to corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Electric, and Westinghouse Electric.

The environmental fallout from nuclear reactors didn’t appear to come up despite the fact that other countries with nuclear reactors, such as France, haven’t quite figured out what to do with all that poisonous waste. By 2030, France’s highly radioactive byproduct will more than double, according to Reuters, but France still hasn’t found permanent underground storage for waste that can cause genetic mutation, illness, and most inconvenient, death.

Additionally, UK regulators and environmental activists have recently expressed concern over the safety of new nuclear reactors, which includes the waste emitted from the European Pressurized Reactors (EPR,) flagship of the nuclear industry. Greenpeace claims the nuclear waste from EPR will be up to seven times more hazardous than waste produced by existing nuclear reactors. Fortunately for GE and Westinghouse, those minor environmental problems can’t slow the wheels of progress.

Meanwhile, the sale of 126 brand-new fighter jets will surely keep neighbor Pakistan up at night. The Indian military is also reviewing offers that include Russia’s MiG-35, France’s Dassault Rafale, Sweden’s Saab KAS-39 Gripen, and the European Typhoon.

Lockheed and Boeing were surely pleased by the news considering John Murtha could only promise the firms a measly 12 additional F-22 contracts for the US military at a profit of $369 million (President Obama has threatened to veto this). The Senate has a separate proposal in legislation that would authorize seven new planes at $1.75 billion. Such agreements seem like pocket change when one considers the Indian fighter jets contract is reportedly worth $12 billion.

The U.S. and India had a much easier time negotiating a multi-billion dollar arms deal than determining an agreement to protect the environment. As usual, it’s much easier to blow up the planet than save it.

______________________

Allison Kilkenny co-hosts Citizen Radio, the alternative political radio show. G. Gordon Liddy once told her her writing makes him want to vomit, which is the greatest compliment she’s ever been paid, ever.

GO TO ORIGINAL – ALTERNET

Share this article: email mastodon facebook 🔗 copy link

DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Comments are closed.