Open letter to the UAE from United Nations Environment Programme
I was delighted to see the news last week that the UAE has banned keeping wild animals as pets (‘Six months to surrender exotic pets’, Gulf News, January 9). Endangered species like lions, cheetahs and tigers are fighting for survival. Their parts are traded illegally for fashion, home decor, collection and medicinal use. These are animals that deserve to be admired and cherished, it is true, but not in a living or dining room.
Though often difficult to connect the dots, animals in the wild are good for people. Their disappearance signals trouble ahead for humans who depend on natural resources that come from healthy ecosystems. This is true in the world over.
Since the 1990s, lion numbers have dropped 43 per cent. Tigers remain endangered – fewer than 4,000 exist in the wild. A recent cheetah study found their population has crashed – only 7,100 live the wild.
The last thing these animals need is to be paraded on a leash as a status symbol. There are more humane ways to inflate an ego.
Big cats are often the flashiest victims of this type of trafficking, but many other wild animals, from hyenas to great apes to pygmy chameleons, are also captured and kept for personal amusement. For the sake of their survival, it must stop.
If you want to show your appreciation for wildlife, donate to an organisation that is protecting them. Or, join the UN’s Wild for Life campaign at http://wildfor.life to demonstrate your support.
Let’s be clear: There is no prestige associated with keeping a wild animal as a pet. Thanks to this move by the UAE authorities, the only status we will associate with this practice is that of a criminal. This is the way it should be.
From Mr Erik Solheim
Head of UN Environment
Delay hurts students
As a grade 10 student writing my board examinations this year, I would like to express my views regarding the examination delay (‘Teachers: CBSE exam delay will hit students’, Gulf News, January 11). While the delay does mean that we get more time for sufficient preparation, it also means that we may not start classes as per the normal schedule in the first week of April. The main concern of the teachers is the completion of portions on time, especially for students who have opted for science and mathematics. However, we need to have a break after the board examinations. The timetable roughly stretches to a month. We students need some time to recharge, catch up on some very well deserved sleep and spend time with our friends, many of whom are parting ways and moving out of Dubai. The significant loss of working days can be compensated by keeping extra classes after school or a Saturday class. Scrapping our break altogether would be really bad as it will be like we are in grade 10 one day and grade 11 the next. I request all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to make a collective decision on this and give us a break of one week at least.
From Ms Lakshmi Rajagopal
UAE
Reduce salt intake!
One step to healthy living is healthy eating, which includes maintaining a low sodium diet (‘Less salty diets could save millions’, Gulf News, Janaury 12). Salt, sodium chloride, is a major contributor of high blood pressure and hypertension that leads to several coronary and cardiovascular diseases. There is too much salt in processed foods. Hence, cutting back on such foods is an effective way to lower health risks. A low sodium diet has impressive health benefits. You cannot cut down on salt completely, as food is insipid without it, but reducing the intake will have great effects on health.
From Ms Jayashree Kulkarni
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Where’s the awareness?
How is it that in this age of the internet and global awareness, there are so many parents in this part of the world who seem to either lack awareness and understanding of the dangers of this or, even more shocking, lack regard for their children’s safety (‘Community report in-depth: Parents need to be more attentive, say readers’, Gulf News, January 10)? Either way, shame on them!
From Ms Jane Evans
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Tackling water consumption
Whether it is a developed country or a developing country in any pace of progress, water will be one of the greatest concerns for keeping their integrity in the future (‘GCC water challenges are an opportunity to lead the world’, Gulf News, January 11). The opinion comments are raising some valuable questions about the future of the water equation, which helps sustain life on Earth.
Development of infrastructure does take a large volume of natural resources for their creation, particularly water being a critical component in the formula. It is, therefore, imperative to have some kind of regulatory measures in the making of new and innovative structures.
As the planet has been warming up in recent times, the results are evident in the form of draught and disappearing flora and fauna.
Water being the very basic requirement to fulfil the fundamentals of existence, the more we save it today, the less concern for everyone in the future, including the generation in waiting.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Oman
Avoiding the problem?
This Indian soldier has exposed something, so now all his higher-ups will blame him like this (‘Indian soldier alleges corruption; BSF says he is alcoholic’, Gulf News, January 11). It would be in their best interest to hide the truth. I am sure action will be taken against this man for speaking up.
From Mr Mohammad Naeem
UAE
Facebook comment
A soldier’s duty
This is not a good video at all. I am a Pakistani and I believe that wrong is wrong. This is the soldier’s duty more than ours to protect the country from every side. His duty would have been to send this video to an officer, not to everyone.
From Mr Gumshuda Insan
UAE
Facebook comment
After all this time!
Despite so many precautions and US interventions, the Taliban militants in Afghanistan still seem to have the upper hand in much of the country (‘Twin attacks near Afghan parliament’, Gulf News, January 11). They are killing innocent people, elders and children, and it’s unacceptable in any good and civil society. Will the new US administration take care of the situation on the ground and take care of the Afghan people? Ever since the US involvement in Afghanistan, there has been no fruitful solution. The US has to change its strategy as they are from the beginning in the country. I pray for the victims and a speedy recovery for the injured.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Tapering traffic signals
I would like to start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Dubai authorities and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for their efforts in laying and maintaining good quality roads, installing advanced cameras for controlling speeds to avoid accidents and many other measures.
The traffic signals are working in good condition without any interruption round the clock and the timings of signals for each side depends upon peak and off-peak hours, which is really appreciable.
However, I am watching while traveling that some signals are green for long periods of time, but there are no vehicles coming on that side or only a few vehicles are crossing whereas on the other three sides, a lot of vehicles are waiting for the signal clearance. Many a times, I have been counting seven to 10 seconds, but not a single vehicle crosses through.
In the past few days, I’ve been having some ideas regarding this matter, but the viability of this idea depends on the authorities who constantly work for the development of the nation. If there is green signal on one side, but no vehicles, then the green signal should change by default to red and the signal could be cleared for another side to go. Due to this opportunity, the vehicles from the busier sides can cross the signal seven to 10 seconds longer than the normal timings. If this works out successfully, we could further avoid traffic congestion and facilitate traffic flow during off-peak hours.
From Mr Vijay Vivekanandan
Dubai
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