As a baby camel walks with its mother in the Abu Dhabi desert, a blue plastic bag catches its eye and is mistaken for food.
Captured on camera by a government environmental researcher, the moment summed up the threat to wildlife caused by irresponsible dumping of rubbish.
Winston Cowie, marine policy manager at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, filmed the herd on a recent trip to the Al Khatim desert, a popular camping site on the way to Al Ain.
"Whenever I'm out and about in the desert or the coast it is upsetting to see the amount of plastic that does not need to be there," said Mr Cowie, who usually does research work on the damage plastic causes to sea life.
“We are seeing plastic in both those areas.
"It is heartbreaking when you sail up to an offshore island or desert landscape and you see the amount of plastic that has ended up there.
“We want to bring home the message about the impact this has, not just now but 400 to 500 years into the future.
"It can harm generations of species. People don't have an idea about the damage plastic does to these beautiful creatures."
The short video is the latest evidence of the threat plastic poses to wildlife in the UAE.
An off-road driving club recently filmed the carcass of a camel found in the desert, its bones surrounded with plastic from its stomach.
According to a 2018 report published by the United Nations Environment Programme, the global production of all plastics in 2015 was about 400 million tonnes.
Of that, 36 per cent, or some 144 million tonnes, was single-use packaging.
An estimated 11 billion plastic bags are used every year in the UAE, almost four times the average number used per person worldwide.
Abu Dhabi's single use plastic policy is aimed at educating the public and researching the amount of plastic in use, including the 16 most common items that litter the beaches around the world.
It proposes a ban on plastic bags, a levy on single use plastic and a plastic bottle return scheme to encourage recycling.
“Plastic is everywhere,” Mr Cowie said. He recently worked on a documentary that found plastic in 80 per cent of turtles that washed up on the UAE beaches.
“Everyday items like coffee cups and balloons are commonplace," he said.
“We need to hit home that this is having a real impact in our environment.”
Desert clean up in Sharjah - in pictures
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More on Quran memorisation:
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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