[Reader-list] Fw: A letter to Mr Gates

Fri Dec 9 11:51:38 IST 2005

Oped Indian Express, December 8th, 2005, on the occassion of Mr Gates in New Delhi attending a Global Immunisation meet ( GAVI) which he puts in over 500 million USD, and for other meetings including with the IT sector.

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      A letter to Mr Gates 

      Think philanthropy and info-tech, but also think of a cleaner world 

            RAVI AGARWAL          

      Bill Gates has joined the illustrious list of American businessmen philanthropists, from Rockefeller to Ford. With over 200 million USD to be given for the health sector alone and an expected over 1 billion USD investments in India, the scale behooves the richest man in the world. However, what is it that distinguishes the business of today from that of 50 years ago? Fundamentally, it is the recognition that business and, in fact, all activities of human development needs to be 'sustainable'. 

      Take the case of vaccine immunisation, very basic to protecting children's lives from deadly diseases. Over 4.2 billion vaccinations are carried out in India alone, almost a third of the global figures. These are done routinely, several times a week, in over 5,00,000 places, covering several million in a few weeks. Each uses a plastic syringe, made up of a mixture of plastics and now used as single shot auto disable devices to prevent cross transmission of infection from one to another. 

      So far so good. But what happens to the syringes? They are burnt openly. Even well meaning agencies like UNICEF and WHO do this, unaware of the deadly toxins which are emitted, and which have long term health effects like cancer and endocrine disruption, on mothers and infants in particular. Only recently has India through its Reproductive and Child Health Programme mandated that these needles not be burnt but the metal sharps be removed, and the excellent quality plastic recycled. However where are the budgets to do this? Of the 200 million USD promised by the Gates Foundation for safe vaccination, is anyone going to ensure this 'sustainability'? 

      Another example is of the industry Bill Gates leads worldwide. Does he know that most of the over 500 million old computers slated for disposal in the US and Europe, will head towards India, Africa and China? There these will be broken by hand, exposing poor workers to very caustic acid, cuts and burns and toxic emissions from the over 50 hazardous chemicals each computer has? Several million workers in India and Asia are exposed to these hazards even as the high growth globally connected Indian IT industry just looks on. 

      India is planning to double its computer penetration from 11 per thousand to 20 per thousand. But what will happen to the waste as computers are now changed like underwear, every three years as against five years earlier? Surely the industry of the future must not help build a world, which is toxic and unjust on its impacts on the poorest of the poor? Gates should give a clear message to the IT industry that the future can be sustainable only if we take action in the present. 

      We welcome Bill Gates in the true traditions of Indian hospitality, but we also want to remind him that the future patterns in India will impact the planet at a scale never before seen in human history. We need immunisation and computerisation, but we need cradle to grave approaches. We need both philanthropy and sustainable partnerships and development. 

      The writer is director, Toxics Link 

Toxics Link
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New Delhi - 110014
ph + 91 11 24328006/ 24320711
fax: + 91 11 24321747

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