Opinion | Letters
April 4, 2009
Letters to the editor from Gulf News readers for April 4, 2009.
- Gulf News
- Published: 23:01 April 3, 2009
Most children [these days] are being fed genetically modified fruits and vegetables, which are widely available in supermarkets - they look fantastic and have no seeds but, more importantly, they are devoid of any taste.
Our children might never know what a real tomato, apple or mango actually tastes like. Additionally, no one knows the long-term effects of genetically modified foods.
From Mr James Tippett
Sharjah
I felt a strong sense of hope when I read the letter by Mr Pawan Kumar wherein he lauds a taxi driver who returned his mobile phone.
I remembered an experience I had recently after taking a taxi from Ajman Free Zone to my home in Sharjah. On reaching home, I realised I had forogtten my mobile phone in the cab. I called my number but no one answered, though the taxi would not have gone more than a kilometre away.
I was travelling to India that night and needed my mobile phone badly as it had all my important contact details and pictures of my recent trip to the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia.
I contacted the taxi company and the representatives were very helpful. They asked me to come down and identify the driver but I was feeling so disturbed that I could not.
From Mr S. S. Ali
Sharjah
Congratulations to Ebtisam Ali Rashid Al Bedwawi for being sworn in as the first woman judge of the UAE, recently. Such forward thinking and positive vision on the part of UAE's leaders is praiseworthy. A small step for Ms Al Bedwawi, but a giant leap for Arab women.
From Ms Agniyah Shaikh
Sharjah
Gulf News is the best newspaper I have ever seen and contains a lot of information that is useful on a day-to-day basis.
From Mr Mohammad Rabeeh
Abu Dhabi
Broadcast media should discourage people from texting while driving because they could attract a penalty of Dh500 or more unless they are stuck in traffic.
From Mr M.S. Abdul Aziz
Dubai
This is in response to the comment by Mr Francis Matthew which was as interesting as it was contradictory and confusing ("Nationwide water supply needed," Gulf News, March 26).
He stressed on a very important issue - the need for alternative sources of energy for water generation in the UAE. While opting for the nuclear energy option - as a suitable alternative to gas which has a finite life span - Mr Matthew's views are presented in a rather potpourri-like style laced with contradictions and ambiguity.
Mr Matthew's theory of adopting a pricing mechanism where customers are made to bear the full commercial costs of water generation is pitiful and should at best be relegated to what I see as the Theory of Second Best - apologies to the great economist Richard Lypsey.
Calling for the government's withdrawal of subsidies in energy generation and distribution would negatively impact livelihoods of residents of the UAE as they come to terms with the global economic crisis.
In his contradiction, Mr Matthew, by omission or commission adds that "the real challenge over water is not funding new supplies of water use".
As the UAE joined the rest of the world in commemorating the Earth Hour, perhaps Mr Matthew might be punching his electronic calculator under candle light. Needless to say that water efficiency is critical.
Indeed, it is not only vital in emerging markets but in advanced markets, too. This is something that I have promoted back in the UK where I supervised undergraduate marketing students in their development of a Water Efficiency campaign for a UK-based utility giant.
I therefore suggest that introducing full costing and charging at the same time as removing subsidies should at best be a last resort to more tangible efforts such as educating the general public on the need for water conservation.
From Dr Nnamdi O. Madichie
Sharjah
Mr. Francis Matthew, Gulf News Editor-at-Large, responds:
It is a good letter and although I disagree with a lot of it, the reader has missed the point and assumed that I recommend the introduction of transparent charging in the UAE's water or electricity grids. I do not.
I argue that transparent pricing will cause real problems for the introduction of a national grid in either commodity. I did not argue that introducing full-cost charging to the consumers is the right way to go.
I do not see any contradiction in arguing that nuclear power is the long-term way to go, while observing that problems in introducing charging will make a grid difficult to manage.
There is a valid argument that nuclear may or may not be the right way to go. That is for debate. I agree with the reader that water efficiency is very important.
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