02/24/09

From American Dream to India’s Reality: A lesson for survival?

By
Caroline Tillia

Interpretation:
Facing major social challenges, India will have to revisit its economic and social strategies to
emerge as a healthier nation, in order to maintain or improve its status in the global market.

Analysis:
Despite India’s recent economical advances, it will be difficult for India to continue to be an
active player on the global economy if its escalating social issues are left unresolved. India’s
progress towards a more Westernized way of living has been found to be the major reason for its
fast growth and mass consumption trends. India’s government, in order to stimulate its economy,
has subsidized energy mostly in form of fuel for its population. (Friedman, 2008, p.41)
Consequently, this has made it possible for India to adopt a new way of living, or what is also
known as the “American Dream”, creating high demand for goods that require vast amounts of
naturals resources and energy. Evolving into a consuming culture has made it possible for India
to become the fastest growing economy in recent years, and to achieve the position of an active
competitor the world market. (Friedman, 2008 30-31)

India’s continued population growth and demand for natural resources will result in an increased
demand for energy. (Das &Parikh, 2614 p.3) The demand for goods continues to increase. It is
suggested that there will be more phones in India this year than in the U.S. (Narlikar, 2007,
p.990)

Unfortunately, the growth of wealth was also created an equal number of domestic problems for
India, as the new found wealth is not being distributed equally. The new high technology driven
economy is estimated to employee 1.7 million people out of the 400 Million of the working
population().

Unemployment has also become a major problem for India, along with other major social issues,
such as depletion of natural resources, pollution, poor infrastructure, lack of adequate water
supply, increase in diseases such as HIV/AIDS, unfertile soils due to salinity, and waste
accumulation. () India’s economic growth, along with the adoption of poor social and
environmental policies has set India on a path towards unchecked population growth, poor
policies, volatile infrastructure, environment catastrophe, and eventually an end to its economical
growth. (Goffman, 2008, p. 1)
As a result of all challenges facing it today, India has started to implement new conservation
policies, but not enough to significantly slow down some of the current trends. The adoption of
more distributive and integrative policies focusing on self sufficiency, sustainability, and equal
opportunity will help India to achieve greater social responsibility, and ultimately a higher regard
within the global community.

Evaluation:
It can be argued that continued economic growth will improve the quality of life by stimulating
innovation and consumption of new goods.

Inference:
If India continues to adopt more conservational approaches to its economy, India will be able to
maintain or improve its position in the global market.

Explanation:
If India reduces its over consumption trends and integrates more conservational practices within
its culture, it will improve its social and environmental struggles. India will secure its place
among the current world powers.
Self Regulation:
My bias is that I strongly believe that adopting better sustainability practices is the most evident
way to minimize the magnitude of most of our global issues and consequently improve quality of
life on our planet.

Bibliography
(n.d.).

Anjana, D., & Parikh, J. (2004). Transport Scenarios in two metropolitan cities in
India: Delhi and Mumbai. Energy Conversion and Management , 45, 2603-2625.

Brennan, A. (2006). Globalization,Environment Policy and the Ethics of Place. Ethics,

Place and Environment , 9 (2), 133-148.

Department of Agriculture Canada. (2008). India Agriculture Policicy Review. 4 (3),

1-5.

Friedman, T. L. (2008). Hot, Flat and Croweded. New York: Farrar,Straus and Giroux.

Garrison, W. l. (2004). The Cities of India - Book Review. 1-18.

Goffman, E. (2008, February). India and the Path to Environmental sustainability.

Retrieved january 25, 2009, from Discovery :
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/india/review.php?SID=nvam2khttsr4o185apv9
51hef0
Greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste management in India mega
Cities: A case study of Chennai Landfill sites. (2007). Science Direct .

Narlikar, A. (2007). All that Glitters is not Gold. Third World Quarterly , 28 (5), 983-
996.

PARDESI, M. S. (2007). Understanding the Rise of India. India Review , 209-231.