Here are some recent editorials I wrote for The
Gulf Today. (Posted for my records):
Antarctic ice loss not a cozy trend
Antarctica has lost a staggering three trillion tonnes of ice since
1992, as per a consortium of 84 scientists reported in the journal “Nature,”
and this is a loud wake-up call for naysayers who keep expressing doubts about
the continent's shrinking ice mass.
The scientists’ warning should be taken seriously because they insist
that the frozen continent could redraw earth's coastlines if global warming
continues unchecked.
The matter is so serious that low-lying coastal cities and communities
home to hundreds of millions of people face existential threat.
Up to now, scientists have struggled in determining whether Antarctica
has accumulated more mass through snowfall than it loses in meltwater run-off
and ice flows into the ocean. But more than two decades of satellite data — the
new findings draw from 24 separate space-based surveys — have finally yielded a
more complete picture.
West Antarctica has proven far more vulnerable to global warming,
especially the Antarctic Peninsula, where more than 6,500 square kilometres of
ice shelves have sheared off into the sea since 1995.
Already floating, ice shelves breaking off into icebergs do not add to
sea level. But massive glaciers on West Antarctica slowly gliding seaward hold
enough water to push oceans up by 3.5 metres.
Climate change is a matter
that affects each and every living organism on earth. Without rapid cuts in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of
this century, well above the target set by the Paris climate change agreement.
Weather-related disasters caused some $320 billion in economic damage,
making 2017 the costliest year ever for such losses.
In social as well as economic terms, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane
season was devastating, washing away decades of development in an instant.
In South Asia, major monsoon floods affected 41 million people.
In Africa, severe drought drove nearly 900,000 people from their
homes.
Wildfires caused destruction across the world.
Climate change is moving
much faster than anticipated. Ice loss of
2.7 trillion tonnes since 1992 added about eight millimetres to sea level.
It will be irresponsible
for the present generation to leave an inhospitable planet for the future
generations to inherit.
The observation by the scientists on Antarctic ice melting is another
ringing alarm for action to slow the warming of our planet. Any lethargy on
this front could prove too expensive for humanity.
Tariff war is not
good for world
At a time when everyone
thought the world would be spared a dreaded tariff war, US President Donald Trump has struck again.
Weeks of back and forth between Washington and
Beijing that have veered in tone from conciliatory to hostile had left
observers bemused, but Friday saw Trump unveiling hefty tariffs on $50 billion
of Chinese imports, prompting China to announce equal levies on US goods.
Raising tensions between the world's two largest economies are
certainly not pleasing news. What is worrisome is that such actions could shake
investor confidence and bruise global growth.
China has swiftly retaliated by imposing "equal" tariffs on
US products. "We will immediately launch tax measures of equal scale and
equal strength," the commerce ministry said in a statement on its web site
which also called on other countries to "take collective action"
against this "outdated and backwards behaviour."
Beijing has also made it clear that it will negate agreements it had
reached with the US during previous consultations over the penalties.
Washington’s warning of "additional tariffs" should China
hit back with tit-for-tat duties on American goods and services exports merely
ignites the row further.
Trump has riled key allies
by pursuing protectionist trade policies, including the imposition of steel and
aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico.
He stunned his
counterparts by backing out of a joint communique agreed by Group of Seven
leaders in Canada last weekend that mentioned the importance of free, fair and
mutually beneficial trade.
Already, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has hinted at a new front in
the trade row with the United States, warning that Europe's strategic interests
rode on the future of Europe's car industry and hinting at competition probes
of US Internet giants.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Europe, and Germany in particular, for
running large trade surpluses over the United States.
Trump should heed the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that his new import tariffs threaten to undermine
the global trading system, prompt retaliation by other countries and damage the
US economy.
As per IMF Director
Christine Lagarde, the tariffs will have a larger economic toll if they prompt
retaliation from trading partners like Canada and Germany.
Moving the globe further
away from an open, fair and rules-based trade system cannot be termed sensible
at a time when the world is hugely inter-connected. One only hopes good sense
prevails.
World should stand by
people of determination
The Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is one of the most widely-ratified
international human rights treaties, which reaffirms that people with
disabilities are entitled to the same treatment as everybody else.
Cementing and protecting
the rights of around 1.5 billion people around the world in accordance with the
Convention is a moral imperative, as rightly pointed out by United Nations
Secretary-General António Guterres.
Mere signing and ratifying
the Convention is not enough. Vigorous implementation holds the key.
Countries should robustly
apply the Convention to their development policies, investments and legal
systems so as to fulfil the central pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development: to leave no one behind.
Talking on the subject, the UAE deserves praise for always remaining
in the forefront when it comes to the welfare and empowerment of the people of
determination.
Continuing a slew of
measures aimed at empowerment, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and
Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum last year
launched the National Strategy for Empowering People with Special Needs.
The policy revolves around 6 pillars including health and
rehabilitation, education, vocational rehabilitation and employment, mobility,
social protection and family empowerment, and public life and sports.
Importantly, Sheikh Mohammed declared that people with special needs
will be referred to as “people of determination” to recognise their
achievements in different fields.
The creation of the People of determination Advisory Council is a huge
step to empower this segment and enables them to play an important part in the
country’s development.
The UAE’s Federal Law No.29 of 2006 protects the rights of people of
determination and guarantees them the right to live with dignity.
Sheikh Mohammed has always
maintained that people of determination represent an integral component of
UAE’s society and have the right to enjoy a happy and dignified life like other
community groups.
As per UN officials, every
minute, more than 30 women are seriously injured or disabled during childbirth.
Women and girls with disabilities face multiple barriers to accessing
education, health services and jobs.
Across the world, people
of determination still often face overt discrimination, stereotyping and lack
of respect for their basic human rights – with women and girls
disproportionately affected.
Other countries can take a
cue from the UAE and initiate intense efforts so that people of determination
can fully participate in society.
UN vote a victory for
Palestinians, justice
The backing for a resolution by as many as 120 countries at the UN
General Assembly calling for greater
protection for Palestinians and deploring the use of excessive,
disproportionate and indiscriminate force by the Israeli military against
Palestinian civilians, particularly in Gaza, sends a powerful warning message
to the occupation forces and is an unambiguous victory for Palestinian human
rights and justice.
There is no justification
for the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces against civilian protesters,
including children, as well as medical personnel and journalists.
Israel has for long been
emboldened by the unstinted and blind support extended by Washington and the
stunning helplessness of the world
community, which has remained silent in the face of the most violent crimes and
human rights violations systematically perpetrated against the Palestinian
people by Israeli forces.
Israel stands exposed as
not a single Israeli has been fatally attacked, but at least 129 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli fire during peaceful protests near the border with Gaza that began at
the end of March.
The largest number of deaths occurred on May 14, the day the United
States moved its embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley’s allegation that Arab countries are trying
to score political points at home through the resolution makes absolutely no sense
in view of such merciless killings of innocent Palestinians.
It may be recalled that in December, 128 countries defied US President
Donald Trump and voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution calling
for the United States to drop its recognition of occupied Jerusalem as Israel's
capital.
The General Assembly had then largely ignored Trump's threats to cut
off aid to any country that went against the US and voted 128-9 to denounce the
president's action.
The UN’s position is that
occupied Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through
negotiations between the parties.
The international
community should be more vigilant now and see to it that the Israeli occupation
forces fully abide by legal obligations and responsibilities under the fourth
Geneva Convention on protecting civilians.
All that the peace-loving people across the world ask for is the
protection of Palestinian civilian population.
Israel should realise that it has crossed all limits. The world will
not tolerate any more atrocities by its forces and the backing of such a large
number of countries for the UN resolution is an indication of that view.
