Letters: June 11, 2012

 Building a green world

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2012 theme for World Environment Day (WED) on June 5 was green economy. Does it include you? Green economy is not a difficult concept and is actually very easy to adapt to. The UNEP defines green economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It is basically a lifestyle that lowers carbon footprint, does not waste resources and encompasses society’s well-being. I am an 11-year-old Dubai resident. I feel very fortunate that my birthday is on June 5 – the same day as World Environment Day. I am an active member of Emirates Environmental Group and an environmental prefect in The Millennium School. I have been planting trees every year as an act of being green on my birthday and on Earth Day. This year I, along with my friends Kaushik, Komal and Rachel, planted trees as a buildup towards WED and pledged our commitment towards a ‘green economy’. Every act of green is important, and as a Gulf News community reporter I wanted to share this action with the rest of the readers.

From Ms Kehkashan Basu, Dubai

How can you tell?

This is an interesting concept (‘Esma bans energy drinks for children and pregnant women’, Gulf News, June 6). However, how can you, as a seller, make sure you are not selling these products to a pregnant woman, a sportsperson or a heart patient? Why would you fine a seller when he or she has no knowledge if a woman is pregnant (the first two months hardly show)? How do you define a sports person? How can a shop employee determine if a client has a heart problem? I support the issue but I don’t think it is that easy to control. I feel that it could have been done with a bit more thought and research before enforcing these penalties.

From Mr Robert,  Dubai

‘Nasty’ attitude

How would you know if the person buying an energy drink has a heart condition? I agree with Robert [reader’s letter above]. How can you fine the groceries for selling these items? The ones who should be fined are the people who are being irresponsible and buying the drinks. Have you been to the grocery shops and seen how some of the youth speak to the store keepers? If it were me I would give them the drink and face the fine rather than see their nasty side. Furthermore, you regularly see some pregnant women smoking but they don’t get into trouble for that.

From Ms Marie, Abu Dhabi

Daring step

This is a good preventative action by the UAE health authorities – in fact it is a bold step and a good one. Most Western nations sit on the fence when it comes to making such decisions – wondering how it would affect their job market and their economy. Personally, I consider these drinks ‘spurious’. Just because they hard sell these products using sportsmen does not necessarily make it a healthy drink. Anyone would hold a drink in their hand if they were paid millions for it. If we consider soft drinks as unhealthy then these energy drinks are much worse. We know that most retail outlets would sell anything under the sky; hence it is up to the health authorities to take such action.

From Mr C. P., Melbourne, Australia

What about the alternatives?

Knowing these facts we should not only avoid drinking such beverages but also other soft drinks, as all of them are full of chemical content. They work as a slow poison in the body. I failed to understand why we do not prefer fresh juices instead of such drinks.

From Mr Amjad Tabani, Karachi, Pakistan

It’s bad in the long run

They are like addictions – the short term effect is that you need them every day and the long term is that they affect your metabolism. You feel like your bones will start to cripple if you suddenly stop them. However, the long term effect is that it would ruin your liver. This is all based on my personal experience from drinking an energy drink and not from scientific tests. However, they are good in small quantities when one runs out of energy, especially at the gym or when you are driving long distances. I think they are better than an espresso.

From A Reader, Dubai

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