President-elect Joe Biden’s plans to prioritise climate change signal a complete reversal from the outgoing president’s abolition of climate safeguards, leaving environmentalists hopeful the US can once again lead the fight against global warming.
Mr Biden has already said he will rejoin the Paris Agreement, from which Donald Trump pulled the US back in 2017 in the face of international condemnation.
Mr Biden has been criticised for not committing to Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal. Although the president-elect's plan is more moderate, it remains the most progressive strategy attempted by a US leader to date.
In Mr Biden's climate plan, he pledges to ensure the US achieves a 100 per cent clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050. He also lays out a strategy to develop regional climate resilience plans in partnership with local universities and national science laboratories, as well as fully integrating climate change into foreign policy.
Mr Biden plans to spend $2 trillion over four years to drive down emissions, primarily by upgrading old buildings to make them more energy efficient. He will also invest heavily in public transport and electric vehicles, which would also create jobs.
"The most important thing for the incoming Biden-Harris administration to remember is that young people and people of colour delivered this victory," Adrien Salazar, senior campaign strategist for climate equity at think tank Demos, told The National.
“Moreover, Joe Biden ran on environmental justice and climate justice. This means he goes into the presidency with a clear mandate to act on the climate crisis now and to do so in a way that protects and invests in the communities that ... experience the worst of the climate crisis.”
Mr Biden has leant heavily on his pledges to address the disproportionate effect climate change has on communities of colour.
“While everyone is already feeling the effects of climate change, the impacts – on health, economics, and overall quality of life – are far more acute on communities of colour, tribal lands, and low-income communities,” his plan reads.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the way in which environmental burdens and benefits have been and will continue to be distributed unevenly along racial and socioeconomic lines – not just with respect to climate change, but also pollution of our air, water, and land.”
Renate Brillinger, executive director of California Climate and Agriculture Network, highlighted the need to address not just issues experienced by communities of colour, but by farmworkers of colour in particular.
"Farmworkers are the backbone of American agriculture, and are very vulnerable ... to climate change impacts such as heatwaves and wildfire smoke," he told The National.
“There is also evidence that climate change increases the harmful effects of pesticide use, a chronic workplace hazard.”
During his presidential campaign, Mr Biden received official endorsement from the United Farm Workers, a labour union that represents thousands of agricultural workers, in the hope he would protect the group.
“Our family farmers and ranchers were already fighting an uphill battle because of Trump’s irresponsible trade policies and consistent siding with oil lobbyists over American growers,” Mr Biden recently said during a presidential debate.
To address the climate crisis while safeguarding the nation’s food security, the administration needs to tackle immigration reform, Mr Billinger said.
"[This will] ensure greater economic security for farmworkers, fund healthy soils practices that help farmers transition away from chemical inputs, and invest in health care and adequate housing to protect those who grow our food.”
Although Mr Biden has pledged to ban fracking on federal land, it will not actually make much difference: 90 per cent of fracking occurs on state or private land.
Mr Biden has a challenge ahead of him when it comes to pushing climate laws through a Republican-led Senate. But Mr Salazar insisted this should not detract the president-elect from achieving climate justice “right away” in order to “start having a material impact on making people’s lives and futures healthier”.
Mr Salazar pointed to shutting down pipelines through indigenous territories such as Keystone XL, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Line 3.
Demos even outlined a roadmap for the incoming administration demonstrating how Mr Biden can prioritise environmental justice, which has been signed by more than 120 environmental groups. Suggestions include protecting frontline communities from industrial and environmental pollution, and reaffirming executive order 12898, which was signed by Bill Clinton in 1994 and required federal agencies to address environmental effects on minority and low-income populations.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Letswork%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOmar%20Almheiri%2C%20Hamza%20Khan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20co-working%20spaces%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.1%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20with%20investors%20including%20500%20Global%2C%20The%20Space%2C%20DTEC%20Ventures%20and%20other%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2020%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)
Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)
Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)
Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
