  The bending of a carbon nanotube is studied by considering the structural
evolution of a carbon nanotorus from elastic deformation to the onset of the
kinks and eventually to the collapse of the walls of the nanotorus. The changes
in the electronic properties due to {\it non-local} deformation are contrasted
with those due to {\it local} deformation to bring out the subtle issue
underlying the reason why there is only a relatively small reduction in the
electrical conductance in the former case even at large bending angles while
there is a dramatic reduction in the conductance in the latter case at
relatively small bending angles.
