The Magazine of Dubai Women's College Volume 16 Issue 2, May ...

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ARABIAN Oryx TEXT > Afra Atiq The United Arab Emirates is famous for many things, the largest man made islands, the world’s tallest tower and even the world’s richest horse race. Little do most people know that aside from all these wonderful things, there dwells a little know fact. It is a fact that is, in fact, quite shocking and not something to be very proud of. Thirty-two animal species indigenous to the UAE are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Animals and Plants. The Arabian Oryx, also known as Oryx Lecory in Taxonomy and Al Wethaihi in Arabic, is one of the animals on the IUCN list. The Oryx is one of the most beautiful and cherished animals in the UAE and one of the few that is indigenous to this region of the world. It is sad to think that this amazing creature was almost driven to extinction, in the wild, in 1972. The Oryx was a sign of wealth and prestige among the Arabs and very few were kept in captivity in the homes of these people.The Arabian Oryx was, and is until today, a common reference in Arabic poetry and literature. In the mid 1970’s, the late Sheikh Zayed, former president of the UAE, realized the need to save the Oryx and began to breed the few remaining in captivity. In the past, the Oryx had almost no natural predators and its endangerment was caused almost entirely by over-hunting. Today, despite the fact that the Oryx population is about 3500, they face a new threat. Recent rapid development and urbanization of rural areas has threatened Emirati wildlife. It destroys the Oryx’s habitat and main sources of food. Places where it would normally dwell are now Arabian Oryx filled with buildings or houses and crawling with cars. Another threat to the Oryx now-a-days is air pollution. The Oryx has a very senstive respiratory system and air pollution can cause their death. In addition to these reasons, the Oryx is still being hunted for sport.While development is vital to a country’s stability and survival, it is not worth sacrificing an entire species for it. The key is to strike a balance between the economy and the ecology. The Oryx, along with all other desert animals, should be saved not killed! I am not expecting people to become animal rights activists and stage protests, but I am expecting them, at least, try to save the Oryx by educating themselves about it and spreading awareness to others. In my opinion, the Arabian Oryx is a prime example of how easily something that is an integral part of Emirati heritage can be killed off. Provided by: Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi
18 > OPINION TOWARDS Reducing Air Pollution TEXT > Jawaher Bufaroosha How can we take a step forward towards reducing the level of air pollution in your city? There are lots of things that we, as individuals, do every single day that increases the emission of air gases. I want to emphasize here how much an individual can do to improve air quality; this improvement relies on individual responsibility. In order to take a step forward to reduce air pollution, we should first identify the factors. Some of the common and well-known factors of air pollution are cars, energy consumption, and waste. You might be thinking how could you contribute to this improvement? There are a few suggestions; if you are a driver, you could carpool, walk, ride a bicycle, or use public transit. You can also try obeying speed limits, replacing air filters, and having your tires properly inflated. Driving smart is another way that could reduce the emission of air gases. How can we drive smart? Simply, use the cruise control on the highway and accelerate gradually. Reducing energy consumption has direct and indirect effects on the air quality. For example, if we reduce the consumption hours of home air-conditioners, we are reducing the emission of CFC, one of the gasses that causes a serious environment problem. Suggestions for energy consumers. Try turning off the lights when not needed. We could also try using flourescent lighting; we will not only be saving energy, we will also be saving money. There are simple things that you might not think about that could easily affect the air quality, such as waste disposal. You should try choosing recycled products and products with recyclable packaging, recycling papers, plastics, and metals, and even printing and photocopying on both sides of the paper. These suggestions might seem too idealistic. The point is you should all be trying at least one of these suggestions; therefore, this minimal contribution from you along with the contribution from others will definitely help. Provided by: Dubai Municipality.
Page 1 and 2: DESERT DAWN The Magazine of Dubai W
Page 3 and 4: EDITOR’S NOTE While the country h
Page 5 and 6: 02 > NEWS & VIEWS H.H Shiekh Mohamm
Page 7 and 8: 04 > FEATURE “An eco-friendly met
Page 9 and 10: 06 > FEATURE COLLECTIVE Green Effor
Page 11 and 12: 08 > OPINION THE UGLY TRUTH Text: A
Page 13 and 14: 10 > FEATURE “Our students attend
Page 15 and 16: 12 > FEATURE AIR POLLUTION Victims
Page 17 and 18: 14 > FEATURE Richard Newell, a facu
Page 19: 16 > GALLERY PAGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMP
Page 23 and 24: 20 > FEATURE “The increase in pop
Page 25 and 26: 22 > FEATURE WORKING with the media
Page 27 and 28: 24 > FEATURE Photo by Shaikha Bukha
Page 29 and 30: The RTA plans to activate the ‘Wa
Page 31 and 32: 28 > ARABIC ةيئيب قئاقح
Page 33 and 34: 30 > DESIGNING DESERT DAWN Desert D

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