Though each resident of Dubai might disagree on which cafeteria serves the best shawarmas or which new burger place will get you the most ‘likes’ on Instagram, we all unanimously agree on one thing: It’s hot. Sixteen of the 17 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, 2017 being the hottest. It has become so hot that the government decided, using cloud seeding, to siphon the last few drops of rain from the meagre clouds that lingered too long after the winter respite. With a hot summer upon us, expect overheated broken down cars and litres of sticky sweat gluing your back to the seat of the car while squinting against the oppressive sun with no end in sight (pun intended). You may be contemplating why we have been condemned to suffer under this bright yellow oppressor, the simple answer is we’ve condemned ourselves. The 2008 World Wildlife Fund revealed that the UAE had the largest carbon footprint per capita, meaning that we produced the most carbon per resident (that’s us) than any other nation in the world. The summer heat is simply making us reap what we have sowed. But fear not! There are ways to avoid the heat, while simultaneously doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint.
When Dubai first revealed its new sleek driverless Metro, I bought a ticket to the end of the line and back. Like many other Dubaians I haven’t ridden the Metro since its inception. Yet, this year has brought with it many incentives to commute by public transportation. The first and most obvious: The dreadful traffic that was somewhat bearable during the cool winter months, but now that the summer is upon us, my little Nissan Altima has become a cook box. Of course I could tint my windows but do I really want to risk the new Dh500 fine for tinting car windows more than 30 per cent? And what could a measly 30 per cent tint do against our notorious sun? The Metro, on the other hand, is completely fitted with air-conditioned cabins and reflective glass to combat the oppressive sun, keeping our skin healthy and beautiful. Not only is using the Metro the most comfortable way to travel, it is also the most environmentally friendly. If an individual switches from driving a 20-mile (32km) round-trip commute to using public transportation, his or her annual carbon dioxide emissions will decrease by 4,800 pounds (2,177kg) per year — equal to a 10 per cent reduction in a two-car household’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, private road transport is responsible for 20 per cent of the UAE’s carbon footprint. Not only will you be able to brag to your friends about how environmentally conscious you are, but you’ll also enjoy a cool comfortable commute while making the UAE slightly cooler.
The history of this region has been dictated by the sun. The very lifestyle of my ancestors was created around bearing its onslaught, but they adapted and so must we. Through this adaptation we can achieve sustainability on the individual scale, while saving a small fortune. The average dryer costs Dh1.5 per hour to operate adding up to Dh500 per year if used every day. The sun on other hand costs 0 and dosen’t have complicated buttons all over it. Furthermore, the average dryer uses 3.3 kilowatts of energy, that’s 12 per cent of the energy consumed by the average household. Drying your clothes in the sun is the most economically and environmentally efficient way. Whatever your priority, be it reducing your carbon footprint or your electricity bill, replacing your dryer with a clothes line is a win-win situation.
Compromising on a comfortable lifestyle is not a prerequisite to reducing our carbon footprint. It’s the other way round — to maintain our comfortable lifestyle it is absolutely essential to reduce our carbon footprint. The government has recognised this and implemented regulations on new buildings being constructed. Specifically regulating energy consumption through the installation of solar water heaters, as well as operational systems that lower lights and thermostats when people don’t use them is the way forward. This does not negate the role of the individual in contributing to a sustainable city, but rather it should empower us. We are at the forefront of all the disasters that come with global warming, our position as a coastal city makes us vulnerable to rising sea levels. 85 per cent of the UAE’s infrastructure is on the coast, though the threat of being submerged is not imminent, it is not far-fetched also. Given our precarious geographic location, we must act as the vanguard against global warming, not only because the environment is essential to our survival, but also because it really has become too hot!
The writer is an Emirati student at the NYU Abu Dhabi.