The UN is celebrating the end of leaded petrol, saying it will have huge environmental and health benefits. AFP
The UN is celebrating the end of leaded petrol, saying it will have huge environmental and health benefits. AFP
The UN is celebrating the end of leaded petrol, saying it will have huge environmental and health benefits. AFP
The UN is celebrating the end of leaded petrol, saying it will have huge environmental and health benefits. AFP


The future is safer now that leaded petrol is gone


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September 02, 2021

The great and complex task of securing a sustainable future for humanity is at the heart of today's climate movement. It makes sense, therefore, that we are dedicating so much energy to inventing radical new technologies and fulfilling tough, ambitious targets.

But in the clamour to innovate, more quotidian developments, many of which have immediate benefits for our planet, might not always get the publicity they deserve.

One to take note of is the end of leaded petrol. The world recently passed a milestone in the history of modern energy when Algeria, the last remaining country to use leaded petrol, exhausted its supply. The UN celebrated the news, hailing it as the end of a substance that was "catastrophic for the environment and public health".

Lead, an additive that was used in most fuel sold in the 20th century, is hugely polluting. Its particles are also extremely toxic. As early as 1922, scientists were warning of its lethal effects. By 1974, leaded fuel was being phased out in the US.

Algeria has stopped using leaded fuel, making the dangerous energy source history. AP
Algeria has stopped using leaded fuel, making the dangerous energy source history. AP

The UN estimates that its demise will help avoid more than a million premature deaths per year. Breathing in leaded fuel is also known to have a number of serious mental health effects, including increased rates of violent behaviour and mood disorders and a lowering of IQ development in children.

The benefits of saying goodbye to leaded fuel will be felt disproportionately in the Middle East. Over the past few years, areas of the Mena region were bearing the brunt of this public health problem, with Iraq, Yemen and finally Algeria being the last to cease using the substance.

The basis for this week's good news was was not, therefore, the cutting-edge development of a new sustainable fuel source, nor was it the moment we stopped using petrol altogether. Rather, it was the result of simply tweaking ingredients. This might seem a humbler process, but it significantly advanced our mission to protect the planet, saving millions in the process.

Smaller adjustments such as these are an important part of getting climate change under control. Yesterday in Britain, 8,000 petrol stations started selling greener "E10" petrol, which the government claims will reduce CO2 emissions as the country waits for the wider transition to electric vehicles. In the UAE, Abu Dhabi's Department of Energy has announced that it will start issuing clean energy certificates as part of a strategy to gradually and sustainably decarbonise the energy sector.

The date for Cop26, a meeting of world leaders in Glasgow, is fast approaching. The main focus of the conference will be renewing commitments made in the legally binding Paris Agreement in 2015, which pledged to reach the ultimate goal of a zero-carbon future by 2050.

It is not contradictory to pursue this grand ambition, while at the same time acknowledging carbon as a reality for the next few decades. As this week's news has shown, the positive, smarter adjustments we can make today in our still imperfect world remain an important part of the solution.

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

STAGE%201%20RESULTS
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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
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae

Fringe@Four Line-up

October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)

October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)

November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)

November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)

November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)

November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)

November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)

December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

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.

Upcoming games

SUNDAY 

Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)

 

MONDAY 
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)

Key recommendations
  • Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
  • Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
  • Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
  • More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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Updated: September 02, 2021, 3:00 AM`