Making an informed choice

When transnational carmakers talk about giving a choice to the customer regarding the fuel that will power their vehicle, they know that the average buyer in India knows next to nothing about the dangers of diesel. And the companies do precious little to make the customers aware. After all, it is business at stake. Public health be dammed. But people find out. In a democracy, it can be quite difficult to suppress information. And when they are aware, customers are quite capable of making an informed choice.

Private vehicles eating into scare public land

Fuel inefficient India heading towards energy crisis

After the price hike last year, many Delhi-ites reportedly switched to buses and the metro--the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation flaunted a 12 per cent increase in trips. As Jaibir Kakar, a retail fuel pump owner in Hemkunt Colony put it, "Our sales do show a difference when the prices rise. The last time prices escalated, our average sales dipped by about 10 per cent.

Setting Out

since the release of the environmental rating of the automobile sector by the Centre for Science and Environment several people have told us that it must have taken some courage to rate the auto sector, which is headed by some of the most powerful industrial stalwarts like Rahul Bajaj and Ratan Tata. We had never thought on these lines. On the contrary, we found the industry extremely docile and cooperative.

Illusions of grandeur

No specific environmental policy, no initiative towards improving its environmental governance, not even a person responsible for environmental activities the list is endless and Majestic Auto seems to have lost its aura. The company, which is one of the main units of leading Hero Group, is placed 24th with a score of 20.5 per cent. Like most of those occupying the bottom rung, it suffers from an extremely weak monitoring mechanism and has no immediate plans to go for iso 14001 certification.

Going green guns?

Though almost all the top-performers in each indicator have undertaken considerable efforts to lend their support to the environment cause, there are several grey areas which need greening. Most of these companies have adhered to some basic rules by formulating a procurement policy and taking specific initiatives to ensure that their supply chain is linked to the environment aspect.

Hero number 1

It may not be the most powerful or the very stylish. But as the most user-friendly bike, Hero Honda has sped far ahead in the race for market capitalisation. Sporting an economical and optimised vehicle design, the product has scored an impressive 40.7 per cent to push contenders like Bajaj Boxer, lml Energy and tvs Suzuki Fierro on the side track.

Owning the road

When roads become an extension of living rooms

THE FUTURE OF CLEAN ENERGY

W e can start this story like a science fiction thriller. But we want to talk reality. So, before discussing the hype that fuel cells generate, let us start on a rather elementary note. The dictionary will tell you that a cell is a unit in a device for converting chemical energy into electricity. Which is good. But there's a problem. The best of cells are useless after the chemical stops creating electricity.

Exhausting Practices

it was bandied as a strategy to promote good vehicle maintenance and help curb pollution. But India's inspection and maintenance ( i&m ) programme -- in other words, the Pollution Under Control ( puc ) certificate scheme -- has turned into a major farce.