We have become better at using energy. Isn't that surprising? Yet World Bank data shows that globally we are getting more economic productivity out of less and less oil. Since the data started being tracked in 1990, our efficiency has improved continuously. Unfortunately, despite these gains, each person’s average energy consumption has gone up about 15 per cent between 1990 and 2014. And in that time, the global population has ballooned to include 3 billion more people.
After a brief hiatus, global energy consumption has surged past pre-pandemic levels, according to the US Energy Information Administration. And more money than ever is being pumped in oil from tar sands and in fracking. Have we lost sight of the larger need to decarbonise our economies now that the price of oil is up, production and travel have resumed and we’re in recovery overdrive?
The ultimate decentralised energy scenario will generate clean energy, for any use, at the exact location of the users.
Decarbonising is not just a nice thing to do, it’s an imperative. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came as close as an organisation of its kind will come to describing a slow-motion train wreck if we do not act decisively and now on climate. When current crises are resolved and new high-urgency ones appear, climate change still looms large and races toward us from a future that is closing in rapidly. Not least because the World Meteorological Organisation warns us that the 1.5ºC increase will likely be a reality in the next five years.
Despite the viral and geopolitical turmoil we are witnessing, I do see indications that a transition is afoot. And a key word in the transition is one plucked from the zeitgeist: decentralised.
I’m not thinking of cryptocurrencies, blockchain or the metaverse, or any other current digital experiments. With the relentless advance of science and the resulting technologies, we will see the fundamental shift from location-bound to remote technology-enabled energy. This is what the Dubai Future Foundation has forecast, following a deep look into what we dubbed "50 Global Opportunities", a report we published earlier this year.
The point of decentralised energy is that it does not come from a specific spot on the map. This kind of energy can be available to anyone, anywhere.
Right now, any hydrocarbon energy source is tied to a physical location – a well in this case – and crude oil is shipped by the barrel around the world. Because sources of hydrocarbon energy are concentrated in pockets across the planet, this type of energy is centralised.
A decentralised energy future is tied to technology. But you can understand one of the earliest and crudest forms of decentralised energy by thinking of human's first foray into the energy industry: fire. That simple wood-powered fire provides warmth for our bodies and heat for cooking and basic industrial processes. It’s a semi-decentralised power source because it still depends on natural resources such as wood, but at the dawn of civilisation that was likely not a limiting factor.
A windmill, too, provides semi-decentralised energy, though it does require some cooperation from nature, for wind to power it. A 20th century early technology-centered power source is nuclear fission. Nuclear reactors run on uranium, a commonly found metal, and in 2021 some 36 countries operated nuclear power stations generating a tenth of the world’s energy needs. Harnessing the power of technology means it can be deployed anywhere, a bit like the internet. More recently, solar energy-harvesting photovoltaic cells have become the poster child of the sustainable energy revolution.
The ultimate decentralised energy scenario will generate clean energy, for any use, at the exact location of the users.
There are at least three technologies that could be the agents of our decentralised future. First, small modular nuclear reactors, or even micro-scale reactors, which eventually could run on the waste of large scale nuclear facilities. Part of an ongoing trend of Silicon Valley-supplied tech solutions to vexing problems, start-ups have appeared to provide such micro-nuclear installations. But don’t forget: it's not plug-and-play and setbacks are part of progress. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied Oklo, a nuclear energy start-up out of Silicon Valley, the license to build its fast reactor. Surely they will be bouncing back, not least due to the growing urge of countries to be energy self-sufficient.
Second, nuclear fusion, that holy grail of energy sources, has been a distant dream for over five decades, yet some claim that container-sized units could be viable in the next five to ten years.
Third, hydrogen production is also going to be part of this energy-technology complex as a future clean energy source thanks to solar or fusion energy.
Technology-enabled decentralisation of clean energy generation is an important next step in our evolution. Decentralisation can also be an important element in reducing volatility, hedging against shocks and ensuring continuity. Much like Aribnb is the world’s biggest “hotel brand” but owns no property, there will be a time when modular, decentralised clean energy production will surpass the energy supplied by the traditional providers.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
