Pope Francis has urged participants of the forthcoming Cop28 talks in Dubai to agree to binding policies to phase out fossil fuels.
The Pontiff said the world's transition to clean, renewable energy was not progressing fast enough.
But he said the next round of UN climate talks opening on November 30 presented an opportunity for "a change of direction”, with real commitments to moving to clean energy sources such as wind and solar.
The Pope made the comments in an update to his influential 2015 encyclical – the highest form of papal writing – in which he spoke of the need to protect the environment, face the dangers and challenges of climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
The new 7,000-word document, called Laudate Deum, was published on Wednesday, on the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment.
In it, he warned some damage was “already irreversible”.
“The world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point,” he said.
“It is indubitable that the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons.”
In the text, which runs to 12 pages, the Pope expressed hope “that Cop28 will allow for a decisive acceleration of energy transition, with effective commitments subject to ongoing monitoring”.
He called for “binding forms of energy transition that meet three conditions … efficient, obligatory and readily monitored”.
Failure at Cop28, he said, “will be a great disappointment and jeopardise whatever good has been achieved thus far”.
Only a real commitment to change “can enable international politics to recover its credibility”, wrote the Pope.
He noted the UAE was a “great exporter of fossil fuels” but has also made “significant investments” in renewable energy sources.
In the text, the Pope warned against putting too much trust in technology to capture gas emissions, saying that while it was promising, it did not tackle the human causes at the root of global warming.
Addressed to “All people of good will on the climate crisis,” the text includes some highly technical sections.
“Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativise the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident,” he said.
“No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent periods of unusual heat, drought and other cries of protest on the part of the earth that are only a few palpable expressions of a silent disease that affects everyone,” he said.
He specifically faulted deniers and sceptics for refusing to acknowledge the speed of the current changes taking place over “one generation – not centuries or millennia”.
Saying "it is no longer possible to doubt the human - 'antropic' - origin of climate change," he took aim at those who "deride these facts," saying they use "allegedly scientific data" to show that the planet has always had periods of warming and cooling.
He added: “The rise in the sea level and the melting of glaciers can be easily perceived by an individual in his or her lifetime, and probably in a few years many populations will have to move their homes because of these facts."
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
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Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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