Don't tilt the earth.

Delhi suffered the worst air quality in 3 years when, "Average PM2.5 levels reached shocking averages of 488 micrograms per cubic meter - nearly 100 times the exposure limit advised by the World Health Organization - and, perhaps worse, represented a catastrophic 212% increase from pre-Diwali levels. The single highest reading? A literally eye-watering 675 micrograms per cubic meter on Diwali night (20 October)." NDTV. "India is losing sunshine." "Aerosols have reduced the amount of sunshine reaching the ground in India by about 13%, while clouds accounted for an additional 31-44% drop in surface solar radiation between 1993 and 2022, according to Sachchida Nand Tripathy, an atmospheric scientist. These patterns raise concerns for agriculture, daily life and India's solar energy ambitions." BBC. The government has decided that 20% ethanol in petrol is the right punishment for car drivers. So, a new survey by Local- Circles found that "20% ethanol mixed fuel has drastically reduced fuel efficiency and harmed engines of older cars," so that "maintenance costs have doubled in just the past two months." The Wire. "India's roll-out of fuel with 20% ethanol will hurt a vehicle's mileage by 2%-4% but is safe to use, a lobby group representing the country's automakers said." BS. Changing manufacturing lines to produce new engines with the technology to accept 20% ethanol will be expensive, increase the cost of cars, and may reduce sales and profits. As of September 2024, "there are 185 two-wheelers and 34 cars for every 1000 people in the country." Data for India. No need to consult such a tiny minority. "Ethanol burns faster than petrol, delivers about 34% less energy per unit, and is corrosive because it absorbs water. Brazil's flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), re-engineered to run on ethanol, are built to counter these drawbacks," while "In US, which produces more than 50% of the world's ethanol, the standard is a 10% ethanol blend for which most vehicles are tweaked," wrote Anjana Menon. Producing ethanol from sugarcane requires 1,344 liters of water per liter of ethanol. "India's heavy use of groundwater in sugarcane irrigation worsens the blue water footprint," wrote Aditya Sinha. "Excessive groundwater extraction in India, over 25% of the world's total, has thrown the planet off balance, literally shifting it from its axis, says a new study. If it goes unchecked, it could disrupt the cycle of day and night and may lead to multiple crises, like food and water shortages." News18. Batteries of electric cars need to be charged with electricity. In 2020-21. 53% of India's electricity generation was from coal, down from 54% in 2010-11. "In absolute terms, coal-based power capacity jumped from 93,918 megawatts to 202,675 megawatts," wrote Vivek Kaul. Sunshine is free, so solar power should be the answer. But, sunshine depends on the weather and disappears at night, whereas the world needs electricity 24/7. Which means alternative sources must be available. So, "One study in China showed that the real cost of solar power on average was twice as high as coal, while a peer-reviewed study of Germany and Texas showed solar and wind power many times more expensive than fossil fuels," wrote Bjorn Lomborg. At least solar and wind power will not affect the earth's axis, ethanol production will. How long before the rest of the world objects? Politics is not always right.