Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
July 21, 2022
Travellers from the Middle East who touched down at London’s Heathrow Airport this week were in for a shock. Fleeing the summer heat to Europe’s tamer climes has become something of a tradition for many families in the region. But at 1pm GMT on Tuesday, Heathrow’s weather station reported an all-time temperature high of 40ºC, one degree higher than the mercury in Abu Dhabi.
In countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, 40ºC is about average for the end of July. In the UK, it is almost double the norm for this time of year. Elsewhere in Europe, particularly in Spain and France, this heatwave has brought wildfires of a scale unseen in 30 years. Portuguese officials have reported more than 1,000 heat-related deaths in the past week.
Perhaps the only people who have not been taken by surprise – though they have been no less distraught – are the world’s climate scientists. They have warned for years that the world’s global average temperature is only rising, and that extreme heat events will soon become a feature – not a bug – of life on Earth.
What is done cannot be undone, at least not without great difficulty; scientists have by now persuaded most governments and much of the general public that humans have damaged the planet’s atmosphere sufficiently that a return to a pre-industrial climate is probably not in the cards. But a course correction that preserves and, indeed, improves today’s climate to a significant extent remains possible. The devastation seen in Europe this week ought to provide a jolt to the global conscience that accelerates much-needed change to bring down carbon emissions. A number of countries, like the UAE and France, are already leading efforts to ensure a smart energy transition.
Perhaps the only people who have not been taken by surprise – though they have been no less distraught – are the world’s climate scientists
Clean energy is now cheaper than ever. More importantly, thanks to huge investment in the sector and sophisticated production processes for solar panels and wind turbines, it is cheap even in non-relative terms. Greater attention is also being given to hydrogen and nuclear power.
A much more difficult task – though it shouldn’t be – is investing in a more peaceful, stable world. Even before this week’s heatwave, Europeans were bracing for tough times ahead. Russia, which is under European sanctions, is a primary supplier of much of the continent’s natural gas. This month, several EU countries, as well as the UK, warned their citizens that ample energy supplies for the winter are far from assured in the absence of any diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine war. Thanks to unprecedented demand this month for air conditioning and cooling systems, the strain will be even greater.
Agriculture, too, is expected to suffer. “We are expecting to see major impacts on agriculture,” said Petteri Taalas, head of the World Meteorological Organisation, on Tuesday. “During previous heatwaves in Europe, we lost big parts of harvest.”
The world is already in the midst of a food crisis – exacerbated, again, by the war in Ukraine and growing desertification. A poor harvest in Europe will have knock-on effects across the world. All of this makes innovations in agri-tech more important than ever.
Tackling climate change is a big-picture problem. It requires a long-term perspective, mental stamina and patience for immediate sacrifices to bear fruit many years from now. In the intervening time, however, it throws the smaller picture – the damage caused by war, poor governance and persistent, widespread poverty – into sharp relief. The world must find a way to become more neighbourly, and do it quickly, because the next heatwave is inevitable. We must hope it hits a more peaceful, co-operative planet, rather than today’s crisis-ridden one.
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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.
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
