A man and his dog, both wearing masks, take walk on a hazy day in Beijing. (Liu Chang / Legal Evening / Reuters)
A man and his dog, both wearing masks, take walk on a hazy day in Beijing. (Liu Chang / Legal Evening / Reuters)

Climate change is an unavoidable issue for all of us



A man is out walking his dog. Normally, this would make for a cute photo. But since both the man and the dog are wearing face masks, it is, in fact, a blunt reminder of what can happen to all of us if we don’t get our act together and tackle pollution and climate change.

This image was taken in Beijing last year. Shockingly, air pollution is even worse this year. A blanket of smog has shrouded Beijing for days, triggering the capital’s first ever “red alert” pollution status. A study concluded that the air in Beijing is so polluted that breathing it does as much damage to the lungs as smoking 40 cigarettes a day.

It is not hard to imagine that this is where we are heading: a future with face masks. At the same time, I am not sure how effective the masks are, given that pollution also seeps through the pores and the eyes.

There have been enough sci-fi films and novels painting a dark future of an Earth ruined and made barren by pollution and greed, its animals and vegetation extinct.The Beijing crisis comes at a time when the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21, is being held in Paris, and climate envoys from 195 nations are trying to reach a new deal on climate change. If successful, it would rein in greenhouse gases for the first time and limit global warming to less than 2.0°C above pre-industrial revolution levels.

The UN talks have been billed as the “last chance” to avert the worst consequences of global warming: deadly drought, floods and storms, and rising seas that will engulf islands and densely populated coastlines.

According to the UN, the years of 2014 and 2015 were the hottest on record, with the Pacific Ocean already warming up to an unprecedented degree. 2016 is bracing itself for another super El Nino (a warming of the central and eastern areas of the Pacific Ocean that occurs, on average, every two to seven years).

“Every year the problems are getting worse. We are at the limits. If I may use a strong word I would say that we are at the limits of suicide,” said Pope Francis, who has been a vocal advocate for the environment.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon reminded the officials of how serious their decision is: “The clock is ticking toward climate catastrophe. The world is expecting more from you than half-measures and incremental approaches. It is calling for a transformative agreement. Paris must put the world on track for long-term peace, stability and prosperity.”

The UAE Government has been looking ahead into renewable energy and green alternatives for years. There is continuing research from Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, a renewable energy company, and Dubai is investing billions of dollars in clean energy as part of a strategy that could see solar panels on the roof of all buildings in the city by 2030.Last month, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to make the emirate a global centre of green energy and economy.

The environment in the Middle East has been neglected for decades, largely because of war. The aftermath of conflicts like the First Gulf War, for example, are still felt by people on many levels, including health issues like cancer and respiratory problems from all the weapons used in battles.

In southern Lebanon, radiation levels remain high as a leftover from various weapons used in the 2006 war. Everything we put into our environment comes back to us one way or another.

As we celebrate the cooler temperature, we should feel grateful that all we have to worry about is what we will wear and perhaps, if it is raining, which areas to avoid as they become flooded. Let us make sure it stays that way, and everyone does their part in keeping this country clean and beautiful.

rghazal@thenational.ae

On Twitter: @arabianmau

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
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THE SCORES

Ireland 125 all out

(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)

UAE 125 for 5

(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)

UAE won by five wickets

The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

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Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)

Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)

Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)

Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)

Sunday

Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)

Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)

Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)

Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)

Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)

Monday

Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)

Greatest Royal Rumble match listing

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'

Rating: 3/5

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Company%20Profile
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier

The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier

Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets

Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs

Table

1 UAE 5 5 0 10

2 Qatar 5 4 1 8

3 Saudi 5 3 2 6

4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4

5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2

6 Maldives 5 0 5 0

The Cairo Statement

 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security