AAM DISPATCH

from CNN

The White House is hosting its first formal state visit for India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. India has become a major player in global affairs and this formal state visit indicates how important India is to the US when it comes to issues like climate change, economic growth and countering extremism in South Asia.

India has become a major trading partner with the US, with $61 billion in trade in 2007. The US is India’s second-largest trading partner. India is also one of the biggest donors in Afghanistan, with $1.2 billion in aid, sharing some of the burden of stabilizing Afghanistan and providing civilian support.

Colin Cookman, Special Assistant for National Security and Brian Katulis, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress write:

Prime Minister Singh’s visit comes during a sensitive period for U.S. diplomacy around the world. The luster is wearing off from the Obama administration’s initial honeymoon period of foreign policy, leading to growing questions about what the Obama administration has tangibly achieved with its new style of diplomatic outreach. President Obama’s trip to Asia last week raised some concerns in India that the United States was acceding to China’s growing power without demonstrating India’s important role, and this state visit is aimed at signaling the importance of U.S.-India ties. Gaining India’s cooperation on a range of issues will be an important test of the Obama administration’s ability to achieve results in his foreign policy.

With changing power centers in the world, the US needs to make sure it has the right people in the right places. Alongside the new towers and growing population, the US has opened its first new consulate general in over a decade in Hyderabad, India, reflecting the growing economic and strategic relationship between the US and India.

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Listen to the rest of America Abroad radio producer Matt Ozug’s piece in Diplomacy Under Fire.

Javier Barrera India

Today is Earth Day. President Obama is in Iowa on a wind farm where he will outline energy initiatives that aim to reduce greenhouse gases and create high-paying jobs. He has vowed to create five million green jobs over the next decade. Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a landmark decision to set in motion the process of regulating greenhouse gases. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has a responsibility to address the damage caused by greenhouse gases. Time reports:

“The finding confirms that greenhouse-gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations,” said EPA administrator Lisa Jackson. “Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low-carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation.”

There is an international debate over how other nations should try to phase out carbon fuels such as coal and switch to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. From the Washington Post:

India calls for industrialized countries to commit to significant emission reduction targets while aiding sustainable development in developing nations with funds and technology… About 2.5 percent of India’s gross domestic product is spent on measures to address climate change, including introduction of cleaner technologies, energy-efficient consumer products and renewable energy.

Researchers at the Energy and Resources Institute in India, are finding new ways to make India more sustainable in basic services like water, transportation, buildings, and power.

Listen to a segment from Feeling the Heat: The Global Politics of Climate Change:

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Javier Barrera Environment, India