Old people BAHHHH!

Do we spend enough time with the elderly?

No and some say why should we!

June 10 UAE Marine and Volunteerindubai.com

Hour 1 Dr. John Burt spoke to us about the marine environment in the UAE and why we need to wake up.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2007/september/theuae_september486.xml

Expert highlights threat to UAE coral reef population

By Criselda E. Diala

19 September 2007

DUBAI — Global warming and man-made stressors could pose a serious threat to the UAE’s marine eco-system, a lecturer from the Zayed University Dubai stated on Sunday.

Following years of research, which assessed the emirates’ marine ecology, particularly along the coasts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, lecturer and marine biologist John Burt said that future increases in temperature may test the survival of coral reefs and eventually other marine life in the UAE.

“The reefs hold a huge economic and ecological importance because they serve as habitat for juvenile fish and other marine life. The diminishing number of reef species due to environmental disturbances would result in an imbalance in the marine eco-system,” Burt pointed out.

Speaking during a meeting hosted by the Dubai Natural History Group, Burt said that in a span of nearly 10 years, following the El Nino phenomenon of 1998, marine researches have showed that a “mass die-offs” or bleaching of corals have occured across the world.

Bleaching, Burt explained, results in corals literally turning white due to the absence of algae or one-celled organisms. “This was a serious concern because corals that have died can’t get replaced quickly,” he said.

In the UAE waters alone, the presence of a certain species of coral called “acropona” used to be 62 per cent of the coral population before the 1998 bleaching of the Arabian Gulf. However, only 22 per cent of the same species exist today.

Burt also highlighted that coastal developments in Dubai that paved the way for the construction of man-made breakwaters have served as artificial reefs. “Breakwaters are distinct because the materials used in its construction have been suitable to a certain species of fish. But most marine life still prefers natural reefs,” he pointed out.

Aside from global warming, a concern that Burt also raised was the potential danger to the marine eco-system from a desalination plant being constructed near the coast of Abu Dhabi. Once operational, the desalination plant may contribute to the increase in the salinity of UAE waters.

Hour 2 www.volunteerindubai.com with Lola Lopez, change your world.

Volunteering your time to assist any non-profit aid organisation is the most rewarding way to give back to society.

Relief and Aid Organisations rely on volunteers to keep overheads at a minimum, thus ensuring that every penny possible goes to those who need it.

This group is aimed at bringing together ANY organisation, good cause or individual effort in the UAE, with people willing to help out. Even if only for ONE HOUR and even if it’s infrequent, it makes an enormous difference.

apology or not?

Last night we started with this idea.

Should Britain apologise for its role in the slave trade?

Tony Blair has expressed his "deep sorrow" at Britain's role in the slave trade but stopped short of offering a full apology, despite pressure from some black campaigners and community leaders.
The Prime Minister's condemnation, delivered in the run-up to the bicentenary of Britain's decision to abolish slavery, has reignited debate over judging history by modern moral standards.
Earlier this year, the Government announced that First World War soldiers shot for "cowardice" would be officially pardoned.

Do you think Britain should apologise for its role in the slave trade? Is it useful or futile to apply contemporary ethics to historical events?
If you agree that Britain should seek to make amends for the iniquities of the past, how far back should we look?

Some said yes any apology is a start.

The issue?

What you do once you say sorry!

IDEAS

peterdalglish@hotmail.com
www.streetkids.org


What if you said, "I have had enough and need to be a change agent!"

Meet Peter Dalglish!

Shocked by images of the 1984 Ethiopian famine, Peter Dalglish organized an airlift of food and medical supplies from Atlantic Canada to the starving African nation. His encounter with emaciated and destitute refugees seared him for life. Peter Dalglish returned to Canada and informed the senior partners of his law firm that he was giving up law to pursue a career alongside some of the world's poorest children. They thought he was kidding.

In the Sudan, Peter Dalglish worked in an isolated desert region along the Chadian border organizing humanitarian relief for women and children displaced by drought and famine. After being transferred to Khartoum, Peter Dalglish began the Sudan's first technical training school for street children, supported by Bob Geldof of Band Aid. Pickpockets, petty thieves and housebreakers were transformed into carpenters, welders and electricians; the graduates were hired by local businesses. In May, 1986 Peter Dalglish set up a bicycle courier service run entirely by street children. The kids delivered mail and newspapers to offices that they once had broken into; along the way they learned the importance of discipline and hard work.

Inspired by the tenacity and ingenuity of kids society had written off, Peter Dalglish returned to Canada in 1987 to found Street Kids International. Armed only with $200, a borrowed office and an American Express card, he launched an agency that has become a global leader in designing creative self-help projects for poor, urban children. Between 1988 and 1990 Street Kids International developed Karate Kids, an animated film about HIV prevention; today the cartoon is in distribution in 25 languages and in over 100 countries, making it the single largest initiative for street children anywhere in the world. On account of the success of Karate Kids, in 1994 Street Kids International received the prestigious Peter F. Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation.

Peter is doing something!

Anyone can!

What do you need?

1. passion

2.passion

3. passion