Time to solve Arafat mystery

A reader says experts should clear up how Yasser Araft died, even if it was just from natural causes. Other letter topics: carbon emissions, road rage, love and marriage.

A reader says we should find the cause of death of Yasser Arafat, pictured in 1995 with his wife Suha. Nabil Judah / AP

Carbon emissions comparison unfair

Gulf emissions in spotlight on eve of climate talks (August 29) is a worthwhile topic, although I think the conclusions are misleading and unfair to Gulf countries.

When considering carbon emissions per capita, I think you must factor in the environment of this region.

Abu Dhabi has the highest ambient temperatures in the world. This makes it the most difficult to cool, therefore driving energy consumption.

Also, we live in one of the most arid places in the world, with basically no fresh water resources. This means we need to desalinate water for drinking, driving energy consumption even higher.

It's not our fault we live in such an environment. Take out the power consumption necessary for water desalination and extreme air-conditioner use, and our carbon emissions would be in line with those in the developed world.

K Qubaisi, Abu Dhabi

Road rage needs to be dealt with

Woman red with fury at green light (August 30) is yet another story about the frightening phenomenon of road rage.

While this is by no means confined to the UAE, it is clearly something the authorities in the Emirates have to address.

While I can't comment on the specifics of this case, the glaringly obvious cause of many road-rage incidents is the appallingly poor standard of driving - by private motorists of all nationalities, by taxi drivers, by heavy vehicle drivers, by everybody.

It's as if every single motorist here is in a hurry and every one of them thinks his or her trip is more important than anybody else's.

While I don't drive here myself, I worry almost every time I catch a taxi and see either my own driver, or the driver of another vehicle, talking on a mobile phone, straddling the white line, swerving across lanes without indication, driving hands-free or tailgating.

It's especially frustrating, not to mention dangerous, when a driver who is cut off then proceeds to tailgate the offending vehicle.

It's enough to make you angry - but, of course, it shouldn't.

Instead, when it comes time to get or renew a licence, perhaps everybody should have to take a course in defensive (rather than offensive) driving and simple good manners.

R McGrath, Abu Dhabi

Status? It really is complicated

Thank you to your columnist Rym Ghazal for shedding some light on real life situations that so many of us can relate to (When over the moon in love, make sure it's reciprocated, August 30).

Love in this region is a tough one. As you mentioned, there are a lot of factors that come with love and some supersede others. I hope couples who do choose to be with each other take accountability for their actions.

AA, Dubai

Putting too much trust in the dollar

Regarding Lull before the storm as world economies fail to enact reforms (August 27), the fact that all international trade in goods and services is settled with a single reserve currency (the US dollar) instead of a basket of currencies is at the heart of the problem.

The intrinsic value of this currency is falling by the day, as it is simply printed at will and flooded into the banking system in the guise of "quantitative easing". This insane act must end, and the sooner the better for the world economy.

World leaders must not trust their nations' savings to the current international banking system. It should be channelled and deployed to nurture individual entrepreneurs in a systematic and ethical manner, so that employment in each country is ensured.

Haridas Nayak, Abu Dhabi

It's not all fun and games in Iran

Depriving Iranians of access to one of the world's most popular online role-playing games (Iranian warcraft gamers defeated, August 30) is kind of funny - until you think about it.

I don't play World of Warcraft myself, but I know people who do, and evidently the game can be rather addictive.

Cutting off Iranian players, under the mantle of sanctions, is a powerful signal of just how interconnected the world is.

I wonder if Iran's rulers understand how their people really live, and how they really want to live.

John Villaire, UK

Time to solve the Arafat mystery

Are the motives of Arafat's wife suspect? asks your headline (August 30). I suggest that this is the wrong question. Everyone's motives are at least partially self-serving.

The real issue is: who killed Arafat, and how? If the answer is finally proved to be that he died of natural causes, that's fine too. But let's just find out.

Hassan Shaif, Abu Dhabi