Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
You know I am going to say it - every cloud has a silver lining.
Even the towering convective sort that wreaked havoc across the UAE and the Gulf this week.
For a mind trained on the positives and lessons that can be or have been learnt - that silver thread traces back to the Covid era.
Stay with me.
Ahead of the storms, authorities in the Emirates closed schools and issued a directive for people to work from home - instructions all too familiar yet easy enough for many to implement due to the experience of those unprecedented and difficult few years in quarantine.
And while thousands are still reeling from the inevitable impact of the worst storm since records began - I have no doubt preparedness mitigated a much worse scenario.
We have also seen countless examples of communities rallying together, brave rescues of stranded drivers or animals - (this video of a cat that was clinging on for one of its nine lives is a must-watch), and crucially a deep and shocking reminder of just how urgent our need is to tackle climate change and prepare for its effects.
So let’s hope that this latest “do you remember where you were when…” event traces a shining silver thread through to the next example of “human ingenuity” and “resilience” that’s needed for humanity’s greatest challenge.
Best wishes always,
Nicola
PS. Check the highlights at the bottom for some of the human ingenuity that is happening or on the horizon.
Resilience and rescues
“Crises reveal the strength of countries and societies,” Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid wrote on social media as he praised the “great care, awareness, cohesion and love” he’d seen from citizens and residents in the aftermath of the record-breaking storm.
And social media feeds have indeed been awash with clips of community goodwill, people handing out water and snacks to stranded drivers, group chats full of offers of help and last, but not least, the animal lovers have been out in force rescuing and housing creatures that have been injured or shaken by the downpour.
Read Evelyn Lau’s report on the people who risked their lives to save cats and Katy Gillet’s report on the vets who are offering free services for strays injured in the storms.
QUOTED
‘This paper allows us to produce more confident predictions because it really brings down the upper end of future warming, and says that the most extreme scenario is less likely’
Timely good news of sorts, as senior author Kyle Armour remarked on new research by the University of Washington that suggests climate change won’t reach the predicted worst-case scenarios.
Conservation success
Now, sticking with animals (you know we love a theme on Beshara), this special report from Daniel Bardsley this week looks at the species that have seen a resurgence in recent years - and decades - thanks to a global focus on helping their numbers to grow.
Initiatives such as bans on hunting and reintroduction programmes have helped animals threatened with extinction thrive again.
From the Arabian oryx to Kenya’s black rhino, there are many valuable lessons to learn from the efforts to change the fortunes of these creatures.
If you need proof of what we can achieve when we put our minds to it: here it is.
 |
SNAPSHOT
Explore the stories behind the most captivating photos of the week, here.
IMPACT ON INSTAGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS
| Space station-style solar farm could beam energy to Earth by 2050 | |
| Dementia-detecting cameras support ageing populations | |
| Breakthrough signals alternative to chemotherapy for leukaemia |
