E-scooters
This letter is about one of the most used modern-day transportation, the e-scooters. It is very economical for a normal person because it does not need any fuel to be filled except the electrical charging method, which almost everyone can afford. It also saves people time in waiting for public transport and delays in traffic jams. But, such an economical mode of transportation has its share of problems. Not adhering to the safety requirements while driving the e-scooter, without a helmet, or maintaining distance on main roads with heavy vehicles, can lead little to disasters. Some e-scooter riders enter from the bylanes without checking if the road is clear, as they are riding with the mentality that other vehicles will give them the way. Hope this message would be an eye-opener to all the riders using e-scooters.
From Mr Prasad Warrier
UAE
US: Biden rejoins Paris Agreement
It's a welcome move by United States President Joe Biden to rejoin the 2015 Paris Agreement. This will help the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter back to the global treaty, halting rising temperatures enough to avoid climate change. The United States has reduced fossil fuel combustion emissions by more than 15 per cent between 2005 and 2019. It is alarming to know that Global warming is changing the climate and nowadays experience high temperature everywhere. According to scientists, the temperature recorded in 2016 is the highest in 115,000 years with an increase of 1.2-degree Celsius from the pre-industrial era. In the Paris Climate change summit, all the governments agreed to cut down the carbon dioxide emissions and stay within the aspirational target of 1.5C limit on average global temperature rise. We celebrate Earth Hour each year to create awareness among people on the importance of reducing carbon emissions. All countries should take more such steps to reduce carbon emissions and deforestation that contribute to global warming. We all should opt for renewable energy and work towards sustainable development. Irrespective of the country or place where we live we all are bound to protect our planet from climate change. As scientists say if the temperature rises and if we do not control our human activities that destroy the earth's existence, then all living things, including plants, will perish. Now it's just a warning. Let us all unite together to create a pleasant environment for our future generations to live in.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Post pandemic diaries
For nearly a year now, the world has been in the throes of a gripping global health emergency, unprecedented, both in terms of its outreach and its impact. It squeezed humanity dry of the very sap of life. One is reminded of Albert Camus' novel 'The Plague' published in 1947, which dwells on the unpredictability of life so profoundly. After groping in the dark for months, humanity is beginning to find its bearings. As we prepare to put the pandemonium and destruction behind us, it is pertinent for us as a global community to ponder deeply upon the implications of a human health crisis similar to the COVID 19. It sends out a loud message to humanity about our role in curbing the frequency of similar pandemics. Despite our awareness of our guilt in bringing a pandemic upon ourselves, we often hurl the blame on bats, pangolins, or other wild species. The truth remains that human behaviour is largely responsible for the vast majority of Zoonotic diseases to cross species-boundaries from animals in the wild to humans. We must not ignore the lessons of the past couple of months. We must also work with a clear vision and the wisdom to be never caught unawares by a pandemic again by addressing the fundamental issues that led to this one. We have been pushed to a moment of serious rethinking of our relationship with all forms of life on this planet; showing a greater sense of responsibility and respect towards mother earth. An enhanced understanding of mindfulness with respect to the choices we make daily about what we do and what we eat can significantly impact the world around us. We must bear in mind that our survival is not solely a matter contained within the intelligent human world, it is very well impacted by our sense of oneness and compassion with all other forms of life and the planet itself. When we succeed to put the pandemic behind us truly, life for humanity should be about embracing a 'new normal' that rests on values of compassion and greater mindfulness about our decisions and choices. We must take every action possible to address the dysfunctionalities and negative practices that exist to avert another pandemic in the future. Let's together institute a 'new normal', one that does not find us guilty of being a menace to our planet and humanity.
From Ms Sheeba Jojo
UAE
