Turning a new leaf: As part of The National's Earth Matters coverage, we look at some potential New Year's resolutions for the UAE to help the environment, in a series examining meat consumption, water conservation, food waste and driving habits.
ABU DHABI // Eating a cheeseburger could be more damaging to the environment than driving to work each day, new research shows.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the average emissions to produce one kilogram of beef is 46.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
In comparison, the popular but petrol-guzzling Nissan Patrol Safari consumes about 0.25kg of CO2 per kilometre.
A cheeseburger comprises about 200 grams of meat, meaning one serving equals the equivalent of driving 40km – and that is without factoring in the energy it takes to make the cheese and bun.
Dr Ismahane Elouafi, director general of the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture research institute, said it was time to rethink our diets.
“We seem to have more people and fewer resources, so it’s completely contradictory to be eating in a way that consumes so much,” she said. “We have to see how to produce for more, for the future of our children.”
To produce enough food, she said, the option of going vegetarian for some days of the week could make a huge difference in each person’s carbon footprint.
Some statistics have shown that the UAE has the highest per capita water consumption in the world.
According to calculations by the Water Footprint Network, if a UAE resident were to refrain from meat two days a week, it would save the equivalent of all the water they use for a n entire year.
“There are viable alternatives now to eating meat, especially considering what we know about how many resources it takes to raise cattle,” said Dr Salwa Karboune, an associate dean of research at the faculty of agricultural and environmental sciences at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
“There are ways of getting the nutrients and protein but from completely vegetarian sources, like quinoa or lentils.
“So imagine, for one kilogram of beef you need 1,870 gallons (8,501 litres) of water. When you compare 1kg of meat to a 1kg of lentils or other pulses, they require 2 per cent the water needed to grow the meat,” said Dr Kabourne, who was in the UAE on a sabbatical.
The FAO has found that the global livestock industry results in the emission of 7.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas per year, about 15 per cent of the total produced by humans.
Although the UAE, which imports more than 90 per cent of its food, does not produce much meat, the demand for animal protein is contributing to this output.
The FAO’s annual report found that on average, UAE residents each consumed about 73.2kg of meat per year, ranking the country among the highest consumers of meat. The organisation predicts that meat consumption is projected to increase up to 70 per cent by 2050.
“People love red meat but it’s resource intensive. When you talk about what it takes to get 1kg of meat, you need to start looking at the amount of water, land and energy it takes,” said Dr Elouafi.
For every step during the agricultural process – from the Sun to grass to cow to humans – only 20 per cent of the energy transfers onto the next phase, making the process of eating meat highly-energy intensive.
During this energy-transfer process, a cow will release 250 to 500L of methane, a greenhouse gas that some scientists believe is 50 times more damaging than CO2.
To meet the goal of reducing global warming to less than two degrees by 2050 it may require humanity to stop eating meat.
Producing 1,500 calories of meat, or about 1kg, creates about 46kg of CO2 emissions. If this amount of energy were used to produce rice, it could grow 54,000 calories of energy.
This is the difference between the meat not providing enough calories to feed one person for a day and having enough rice to feed 27 adults.
“We need to start looking at alternatives to our resource management,” said Dr Elouafi.
The management of land use and identified areas of concern about the livestock industry’s environmental effect was one of the issues discussed at the UN climate change Conference of Parties 22 meeting in November. The next meeting, Cop23, is going to be more focused on agriculture and our diets, Dr Elouafi believes.
The rearing of animals is generally less efficient than the production of equal amounts of plant protein or other foods.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
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