Call for return of rent cap

A reader says landlords need to have incentives to retain tenants. Other topics: social problems, global warming, war

A reader calls for bringing back the rent cap to ease the situation of tenants. Lee Hoagland / The National

This refers to the article Abu Dhabi warned rising rents could drive low-paid workers out of UAE (April 22). A large number of people don't get housing allowances. While some people may struggle, I know of many whose employers will pay the rent regardless and the increased burden does not affect them. They need to bring back the cap to stop things spiralling out of control. Also, there is no incentive here for a landlord to keep their tenants, as the landlord pays nothing, whereas the tenant pays the fees to the agent.

In the UK, for example, letting costs are paid by the landlord, which is usually at least a month’s rent, so I don’t want my tenants to leave. Whereas here tenants have to pay 5 per cent to the agent. Make the landlord shoulder the fees and see what happens.

Carol Goodey, UK

Right moves can help to eradicate social problems

The article Alcoholics can be lonely and isolated, UAE counsellor says (April 21) is very inspirational and renews the hopes of many people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and wish to lead a normal life.

Many expatriates who work abroad, far away from their family, are at greater risk of getting addicted to alcohol and drugs as they feel isolated, depressed, frustrated or stressed. More awareness is needded about these issues that can prove life-threatening if ignored or left untreated. Rehabilitation centres, counselling and other forms of support from society are required to help individuals suffering from alcoholism. With the right approach, such social evils can be eradicated.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Global-warming claims are hollow

Proponents of global warming have been trying to scare us for more than 40 years now.

Their frequent conferences are supposed to serve as public-relations opportunities, although we are not supposed to notice. Thousands of these saviours fly around the globe (at somebody else’s expense) and their glorious carbon footprint – lauded to the skies – is actually a rather heavy boot. So much for restraint.

They try to scare us with horror stories of shrivelling up in the heat, drowning in never-ending floods and occasionally starving – unless of course we promise to hand over all our funds, freedoms, free will, and cower subserviently in the corner for good measure.

However, their “scientific” claims hold no water. Take the “melting ice caps” ruse, for example, which by strange coincidence gets a lot of press – in the northern hemisphere, in winter time, reporting about the ice melting in the southern hemisphere, during their summer (and vice versa).

But it gets worse. When water freezes at 0°C, its volume increases by about 9 per cent, which just happens to be about the same as the portion that sticks out above the water level. If the melting point is lowered (for instance, by increased pressure), the increase in volume on freezing is even greater (16.8 per cent at -20°C).

What this means is that even if all the floating ice melted, the water level would hardly change. Obviously, the warmer temperatures would cause more evaporation and subsequent rain, and a lot more moisture might actually fall on currently arid areas. So much for the impending disaster.

Fred Nicholson, UK

Is another World War inevitable?

Will the Third World War be sparked by Vladimir Putin in eastern Ukraine or Netanyahu in the Palestinian West Bank? In both instances, military force is being used against civilian populations to further their political agendas of illegal land grabs that violate the Geneva Conventions.

Both pose a very distinct threat to Nato and Europe. In the former case, Barack Obama is clear and vocal in his opposition, while in the latter case he is blind and mute.

Money trumps political integrity in America. And that means the Third World War is now more likely than at any time since the Allies smashed their way into Berlin, in 1945, to rescue democracy from the burning ruins of Europe.

Now we face the real possibility of another world war brought about by the apathy and indolence of western governments in dealing with expansionist regimes that treat international law with contempt, as one other did in that fateful September of 1939. It should be borne in mind that the deterrence doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is not always valid (although it probably is with Mr Putin).

This is particularly relevant in regard to the so-called Sampson Option, which is used to describe Israel’s reputed strategy of massive nuclear retaliation against any existential threat.

Anthony Bellchambers, UK