Humans have done so much damage to the planet — from wiping out entire species to cutting down countless trees — that it is easy to lose hope.
The world's supplies of clean water are in deep trouble thanks to humanity's “vampiric” overconsumption of life's essential resource, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.
Speaking at the opening session of a historic international water conference, Mr Guterres accused the global community of breaking the water cycle, destroying ecosystems and spoiling groundwater.
He said countries are “draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use”.
But there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.
The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on Tuesday by US President Joe Biden, includes more than $360 billion to address climate change, the country's largest ever investment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts estimate the law will reduce carbon emissions by about 40 per cent compared to 2005 levels by the end of the decade through investing in wind and solar power and by making it easier and cheaper to buy electric vehicles.
Worldwide, people switched off their lights and unnecessary electrical appliances from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, as part of Earth Hour.
There are some things we can all do right now to help the planet.
Limit meat and dairy consumption or go vegan
Food production and consumption — especially meat — are the leading contributors to climate change and global warming.
A single cow, for example, produces between 70 and 120 kilograms of the planet-heating gas methane per year, the EPA reported.
“The foods that you choose to eat are the single most impactful action you take on a daily basis when it comes to the environment and your impact on the environment,” said Dana Ellis Hunnes, a registered dietitian and professor.
Your favourite vegan celebrities — in pictures
Dr Hunnes said a typical American consumes between about 70 to 115 kilograms of animal products per year, plus an average of a litre of dairy products per day.
“All those animal products and dairy require huge amounts of land and water to produce and create large amounts of emissions,” she said.
Every half-kilogram of beef produced requires up to a tonne of water and 10 times more land than the same amount of grain or seed, Dr Hunnes said. About 3.8 litres of dairy milk requires almost 3,800 litres of water. Non-dairy milk, however, requires only a tenth of that amount.
“It has been postulated that one cheeseburger uses the same amount of water as taking showers for three months,” said Ms Hunnes.
“If instead we switch to a plant-based burger, we save 80 days' worth of showers out of those 90 for the cheeseburger.”
Want versus need
Shop till you drop has taken on a whole new meaning.
Unchecked consumerism causes harm to the planet in myriad ways, including deforestation, the collapse of ecosystems and the creation of health hazards.
During the first few months of pandemic, many remarked on the bluer skies and fresher air. That’s because cars and delivery vehicles had shifted into park all around the world.
“We saw the biggest and deepest drop in carbon emissions ever recorded through that global slowdown in that production and consumption system,” said author and journalist JB MacKinnon.
In The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves, MacKinnon says that obsessive consumerism is the one of biggest contributors to the destruction of the planet.
So before hitting the “buy” button on Amazon, ask yourself: do I want this or do I need this? And keep in mind that, once it breaks, it’s likely to be headed for the landfill, where — depending on the materials used to make it — it could remain for several hundred years.
Home sweet office
The pandemic disproved the idea that people needed to be at the office to be productive members of a team. More and more offices are now ditching the brick-and-mortar model for working from home — to the benefit of the planet.
If employees were able to work from home at least half of the week, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by up to 54 million tonnes, Global Workplace Analytics reported.
When employees in the UK were allowed to telecommute part-time, a Breathe London study showed that greenhouse gas emissions fell by 25 per cent during morning commutes and 34 per cent during evening commutes.
Six simple things you can do right now
We can't change the world overnight — but before the existential angst sets in, here are a few things you can start doing now to help the planet.
Compost. This process of recycling organic waste enriches soil, helping it retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests — and it also reduces dependence on harmful chemical fertilisers.
Plant a tree. According to Nature, about 15 billion trees are cut down every year. Add your own contribution to the 1.9 billion trees that are planted each year.
Install a drought-resistance garden. These gardens use much less water than lawns while also growing useful plants.
Stop watering your lawn or at least wait until early morning. Water scarcity is a growing concern around the world and regions from the Horn of Africa to the western US are struggling with unprecedented droughts. Do your part and limit wasting water on your lawn.
Follow pages such as Waste Free Planet or your favourite vegan celebrity on Instagram. There are lots of sites and pages to follow that feature tips on how to help the planet.
Unplug vampire appliances. Unplug electronics, chargers, and appliances when not in use. Turn off monitors when you step out. Better yet, use a power strip to turn all devices off at once and watch for energy savings.
Additional reporting by Holly Aguirre
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Raghida, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Trolius, Ryan Powell, Simon Crisford
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
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.
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
