Most people concur that planet Earth is being irrevocably altered and damaged by the ravages of human behaviour. But with the mounting urgency of dealing with climate change and the need to bequeath a healthy planet to future generations comes a seismic question: what to do about it? In 2006, Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth illuminated the palpable threat of climate change to viewers across the world. Mr Gore, who won a Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2015, was back in the UAE last month to raise awareness of the greatest challenge of our time. Twelve years on from his expose, the threat posed by climate change is even more pressing. As The National reported this week, two NYU Abu Dhabi scientists are working on a documentary charting glacial retreat in Greenland and Antarctica. In both regions, ice sits on land, meaning glacial melting will substantially raise sea levels by the end of this century, a frightening possibility in the not-too-distant future.
The need to protect the environment we live in dates back to Sheikh Zayed's time.The UAE's rulers have put sustainability at the heart of the transition away from dependence on oil, embodied in projects like Masdar, but there is much work still to be done. The country, the only signatory in the region to the Paris Climate Accord, has a scarcity of natural resources and needs to protect those it does have, including a variety of rare creatures such as the endangered dugong.
Innovation is our main hope for dealing with a warming climate. As The National reported today, Dubai-based company Ecocoast is designing a 550-metre barrier to catch plastic debris in the sea. More than eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped annually into the world's oceans, making its work particularly important. Elsewhere, researchers in the US and UK have engineered an enzyme that consumes plastic. The pace of global climate action is slower than that of climate change. If we are to save the planet, environmental awareness must be matched by innovation. It falls on governments worldwide to foster it.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Switching%20sides
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Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
