| City talk: It's high time to fight greenhouse gases - residents -->Few people who have lived through a long, hot summer in the UAE will want to see the world getting warmer.
A recent report, however, showed this is exactly what is happening - and much faster than scientists originally thought. An eight-nation study revealed that temperatures were likely to increase in the Arctic by up to 7?C by 2100, twice as much as previous estimates predicted.
Closer home, scientists expect to see Middle East temperatures rise by as much as 5?C over the coming century. If the experts are right, the discomfort caused by these increased temperatures produced by a build-up of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide will be the least of our worries.
Some climatologists have warned of rising sea levels, caused by the melting of polar ice caps and the expansion of the oceans, which could cause flooding, especially in coastal areas. Other fears centre on widespread disruption to agriculture and increased unpredictability in weather patterns.
Gulf News spoke to a cross-section of the local community to find out how worried they were about global warming and what they felt should be done about it.
Athsole Olson, an American citizen originally from India, said she was worried about the world her two-year-old daughter, Alexandra, would inherit.
"I try to do what I can to preserve the environment and only drive when I have to. Reducing the number of cars would be a good thing. We really need to have laws that are imposed on people to stop them from using cars so much, because otherwise nothing will happen. People will follow laws if they are strictly imposed."
Kashiana Bashir, a 24-year-old secretary in an architectural firm, said there was no doubt in her mind that global warming was happening.
"It should be cold in November but it is still extremely hot. It doesn't feel like it's winter yet, although it should. Before at this time of year it never used to feel this hot. If it keeps on getting warmer, people will just leave Dubai and go to live in cooler parts of the world," she said.
Her brother Kashar, a medical student aged 26, agreed that increased temperatures, particularly during the summer, could encourage expatriates to leave the UAE.
"I don't think this will affect the economy because there is so much cheap labour available that the country won't struggle to find workers," he said.
Englishman John Partington, 60, who has lived in the Middle East for 25 years, was another who thought that temperatures have gone up.
"It's a worry for me. If it goes on it will be a serious problem. I have really noticed over the past ten years that temperatures have jumped.
"In general, I think there should be more environmental awareness than there is at the moment. We could all use our cars less that would help to reduce the problem," he said.
According to Jason Joe, a 28-year-old architect from India, a better public transport network is needed to give people an alternative to using their cars.
"I am looking forward to the Dubai Light Rail system because that should cut car use and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that the UAE produces. People should definitely use public transport more as it plays a big part in cutting pollution."
Administration manager Xavier Tharayil, 31, from India, said more people should follow his lead and use buses instead of cars.
"I don't have a car, although I could afford to run one if I wanted to. I travel by bus instead. In a congested city like Dubai buses can be much easier because you save time and you don't have to worry about parking. The proposed Dubai Light Rail system is a good idea and they should try to bring it in quickly," he said.
Tharayil added the authorities should consider restricting the number of cars allowed per family. "Each family can afford several cars but they shouldn't be allowed to have them for environmental reasons," he said.
Further restrictions on car use in the UAE could include charging drivers to use certain roads, such as Shaikh Zayed Road, Tharayil suggested.
Zaherul Quader, a 44-year-old sales manager from Bangla-desh, agreed there were far too many unnecessary car journeys in the UAE. One good way of cutting car use would be to encourage people to share car journeys, he said.
"I am very concerned for the next generation and we have to take some action. There are millions of cars on the roads and of the hundreds of car journeys that are made, maybe just ten per cent involve two people in one car. With the other 90 per cent, there is just a single person in the car. This is a waste of space and energy.
"It would be a good idea to restrict the number of car journeys that have just a single person in the car, like they do in Singapore. The authorities could consider having roads where cars carrying just one person are not allowed. People should also try to use bicycles more because they do not create any pollution at all."
Philip Jincy, a 28-year-old architect from India, said buildings would not be able to function properly if temperatures increased.
"We will end up over-using mechanical systems like air conditioning which use up a lot of energy and the insulation in buildings won't be enough.
"Rising sea levels could be a problem for Dubai because it is on the coast," he added.
One country that is always under the spotlight when it comes to global warming is the United States the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases. In 2001, President George W. Bush removed his country from the 126-nation Kyoto protocol in 2001, which tries to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.
This decision, which the President defended by saying that going along with the protocol would have damaged his nation's economy, came under fire from environmentalists around the world.
However, United States citizen Carol Shahin, 49, a shopping mall staff member who has lived in Dubai for two years, said her country did not deserve the criticism it received.
"I think the US does take responsibility for the environment. For example, car exhausts get tested regularly and have to meet standards.
"Global warming is a problem for the whole world and everybody has to do their part. Living here is almost unbearable now in summer because of the high temperatures and if they went any higher people wouldn't be able to live here," she said.
Although most people seem worried about the effects of global warming, Mehdi Hellani, a 24-year-old who works in a clothing store, said he was unconcerned.
"It's not a problem for me. I come from Lebanon so I am used to high temperatures. The government will do what has to be done. I am sure a solution will be found with all the technology now available," he said.
Gulf News
