A suite of scientific initiatives has been announced at Cop26, such as new commitments to accelerate innovation and low-carbon transition in industry and cities and the formation of the global Adaptation Research Alliance to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities on the front line of climate change.
The UK government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, affirmed the vital role of science and innovation in reducing emissions and adapting to the effects of climate breakdown.
But science has not only provided solutions to global warming, it has given evidence which has compelled world leaders both past and present to Glasgow for the vital climate conference.
In the year of Cop26, the weight of scientific evidence has borne down on planet Earth with particularly suffocating force, from a candid warning of the effects of global warming by the World Meteorological Organisation, to the infamously leaked UN climate report which laid bare impending disaster.
Including these, here are five times that science made the world sit up and fear for its future.
1. Carbon Action Tracker reveals cataclysmic 2.4°C rise by 2100
The most recent scientific insight came on Tuesday courtesy of the Carbon Action Tracker, which chose Science and Innovation day at Cop26 to release its annual global update on the trajectory of global warming.
The analysis found that taking into account 2030 pledges alone, the global temperature increase would be at 2.4°C in 2100.
From analysing what countries are actually doing as opposed to the rhetoric, the predicted rise was even higher, standing at 2.7°C.
“This new calculation is like a telescope trained on an asteroid heading for Earth. It’s a devastating report that in any sane world would cause governments in Glasgow to immediately set aside their differences and work with uncompromising vigour for a deal to save our common future,” said Greenpeace international executive director Jennifer Morgan.
“Instead we’re seeing subversion, sabotage and selfishness from the powerful, while vulnerable countries fight for their lives and youth activists cry out for justice. You have to ask, where is the empathy?"
A similarly themed report by McKinsey and Company on Monday warned a 2°C increase in global temperatures would mean 800 million more people struggling to find an adequate supply of water, while an additional 1.6 billion people could be exposed to heat stress by 2050.
2. Unsustainable oceanic climate mitigation load
The role of the ocean in both mitigating and aggravating climate change is understood by scientists but ignored by politicians, says the paper The forgotten ocean - why COP26 must call for vastly greater ambition and urgency to address ocean change, released on the eve of Ocean Day at the conference.
It is the work of scientists from around the world including lead author, marine scientist and ocean conservationist Prof Dan Laffoley.
“To turn the tide in favour of humanity and a habitable planet, we need to recognise and better value the fundamental role that the ocean plays in the Earth system and prioritise urgent action needed to heal and protect it at the ‘Earthscape’ level – the planetary scale at which processes to support life operate,” he said.
The ocean is carrying the heaviest load in terms of climate mitigation, absorbing more than 90 per cent of the excess heat produced, in comparison with only about 3 per cent absorbed by land. It is also the largest carbon sink on Earth.
However, this work is damaging to the ocean, eroding its ability to function and creating feedback loops that exacerbate climate change.
The paper advocates protecting half of the currently unregulated planet with a “robust and strong High Seas Treaty”, expediting biodiversity initiatives and highlighting how global economies can help by placing a value on the ocean’s natural capital.
3. Past seven years set to be the warmest on record and sea level rise at new high
Before the start of Cop26, the World Meteorological Organisation released a chilling (figuratively, not literally) report enunciating the extent of the problem faced by planet Earth called State of Climate in 2021: Extreme events and major impacts.
Its headline findings were the past seven years are set to be the warmest on record and sea levels are at a record high.
Measured since the early 1990s by high-precision altimeter satellites, the global mean sea level rise was 2.1 millimetres a year between 1993 and 2002 and 4.4mm a year between 2013 and 2021, an increase by a factor of 2 between the periods.
This was mostly due to the accelerated loss of ice mass from glaciers and ice sheets, including from Greenland, where meltwater reached 3.5 trillion tonnes over the past decade.
4. Food shortages will affect millions more within decades
The scientific report on the climate that garnered the most headlines worldwide – and was indeed the most portentous – was that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Policy choices made now, such as promoting plant-based diets, can limit these health consequences but many are unavoidable in the short term, the report says.
It warns of the cascading effects that simultaneous crop failures, soaring inflation and the falling nutritional value of basic foods are likely to have on the world’s most vulnerable people.
Depending on how well humans get a handle on carbon emissions and rising temperatures, a child born today could be confronted with numerous climate-related health threats before turning 30, the report says.
The IPCC’s 4,000-page draft report, scheduled for release next year, offers the most comprehensive summary to date of the effects of climate change on the planet and its species.
The protein content of rice, wheat, barley and potatoes, for instance, is expected to fall by between 6 and 14 per cent, putting close to 150 million more people at risk of protein deficiency.
Essential micronutrients – already lacking in many diets in poorer nations – are also set to decline as temperatures rise.
Extreme weather events made more frequent by rising temperatures will cause “multi-breadbasket failures” to hit food production more regularly, the report predicts.
5. Tropical disease diaspora
The same report contains an epidemiological warning attendant on rising temperatures.
As the warming planet expands habitable zones for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying species, half the world’s population could be exposed to vector-borne pathogens such as dengue, yellow fever and Zika virus within decades.
Risks posed by malaria and Lyme disease are set to rise and child deaths from diarrhoea are on track to increase until the 2050s at the earliest, despite greater socioeconomic development in high-incidence countries.
The report says climate change will increase the burden of non-communicable illnesses.
Diseases associated with poor air quality and exposure to ozone, such as lung and heart conditions, will “rise substantially”, it says.
“There will also be increased risks of food and water-related contamination” by marine toxins.
As with most climate-related effects, these diseases will ravage the world’s most vulnerable people.
Jebel Ali card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
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China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Teaching in coronavirus times
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
