Welcome to the UAE, Irena

The UAE recently won the rights to host the headquarters of Irena – the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Major competitors like Germany and Austria bowed out after it became obvious the majority of Irena’s 129 member states showed overwhelming support for the UAE.

Winning the bid to host the headquarters of Irena is a huge accomplishment for the UAE because its decision to compete was viewed with scepticism and surprise by most in the beginning, and chances of a win seemed slim, if not impossible.

The UAE has reason to be proud of its victory, because it is the first and only country in the developing world to host a major international organisation like the newly formed Irena. Till date, no developing country can make such a claim.

Irena’s headquarters are going to be in Masdar City, in the UAE’s capital, Abu-Dhabi.

Masdar City is touted to be the globe’s first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city, and is currently under construction. Its date of completion is set to be sometime in October 2011, and the city is going to have all its energy needs provided for by renewable energy sources, like solar energy, for example.

Irena’s director general, Helene Pelosse, says the UAE and the rest of the Gulf region is ideal for such projects because of the weather conditions and all the area available for construction and development. She called Abu-Dhabi the “renewable energy city of the future”, and said that, “the sun is tomorrow’s oil”.

Pelosse also added that the UAE would begin to export renewable energy well before its oil supplies run out, and the technologies needed to do this are in place.

The Gulf region is unique in that it’s blessed with warm and sunny weather almost all through the year, and that’s good news when it comes to projects like this.

At the moment, the UAE uses fossil fuels, like oil, to fulfil its energy requirements. Needless to say, this doesn’t help the environment, and nor is it a permanent solution because such resources will eventually run out.

The UAE makes a lot of revenue by exporting oil, but once all the oil is gone, it needs something to replace it for continued income from the trade.

Irena is good for the country not only because it puts it on the international map, but also because it is going to ensure the UAE has enough energy for export once its non-renewable resources run out.Irena will allow the UAE to become one of the main exporters of renewable energy to national as well as international markets, and may even trump the US and Europe’s energy supplies by 2020.

Irena currently has a 136 state member panel, with more states expected to join. Once its membership increases, it aims to become a UN agency.

Irena isn’t just a matter of prestige and increased trade for the UAE, but also promises to bring more employment and research opportunities into the country. New jobs and opportunities for studies in the field will draw experts and students alike to the UAE.

As Irena promises to be the start of something great, the UAE seems all set to be the leader in developing new technologies and making a carbon-free imprint of its own.

Sources: Gulf News

To view an illustration of Irena: http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Environment/10328839.html

For more info about Masdar City: http://archive.gulfnews.com/indepth/irena/more_stories/10327093.html

For what some residents think about Irena: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/07/01/10327572.html

Tick, Tock, Bong!

The world’s most famous clock tower, Big Ben, will celebrate its 150th anniversary today.
Big Ben’s “bongs” have been sounding since 1859, and the clock is one of London’s most famous monuments.
Standing at about 320 feet, the tower is a delight to behold. It looks especially beautiful after dark, lit up and magnificent.
Big Ben is situated on Bridge Street in London, UK, so if you happen to be there, remember to check out all the festivities the city has arranged to celebrate its favourite clock’s anniversary.

Picture courtesy of FreeFoto: http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp

For more info: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jZeC9CXJJVJdnVPtkuQrsaupCVqQD99C8TAO0

To listen to Big Ben’s chimes, and see more pictures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/in_pictures/viewsoflondon/big_ben/
For Big Ben facts and trivia: http://www.bigben.parliament.uk/

Ugly Doggy

Almost every pet owner thinks their precious critter is the most beautiful thing in the world, even if the critter in question resembles an alien-like life form.
We all get attached to our pets, and their appearance quickly takes a back seat once they’re in our home.
Cute and cuddly, furry and fat, scruffy and scrawny, it hardly matters once you fall in love with the unique animal you’re going to share your living space with.
Pabst’s owner, Miles Egstad, is no different.
Egstad says, “I don’t think he’s that ugly!” of his four year old boxer-mix dog, Pabst.
The difference is Pabst is the winner of this year’s “World’s Ugliest Dog Contest”, which took place on June 26th in California.
Pabst’s surprise victory came after he beat Rascal, a pure bred Chinese Crested, who is also a former champion.
The Chinese Crested breed has been beating all competition for the last seven years, but this year proved to be different, and it lost out to a “mutt”.
Pabst is a rescued shelter dog, who was adopted by Egstad in 2006. He was a favourite among the audience at the contest because of his pleasant and sweet demeanour.
Along with the title of the “World’s Ugliest Dog”, Pabst won his owner $1,600, and himself, lots of pet supplies, a professional photo shoot, and a one year modelling contract.
The contest aims to find dogs that are “naturally ugly”, and the judges said Pabst was a perfect contender.
To Egstad though, his pet is just a normal-looking dog, because he’s still surprised that Pabst actually won, and only entered him because his friends kept encouraging him to.To everyone else, Pabst may be the “Ugliest Dog in the World”, but to his owner, he’s the face that’s sure to light up his day, all the days of the year.

Official Website: http://www.sonoma-marinfair.org/uglydogcontest.shtml

For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31588232/

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_odd_worlds_ugliest_dog.html