UAE beats Americans’ environmental harm

One focal point for Dubai's emissions is the red-and-white smokestacks jutting from gas-fired power plants and an aluminum smelter that line the beach on the city's outskirts. The plants do double duty distilling fresh water from Gulf seawater, an energy-intensive process that accounts for 98 percent of the fresh water in a country with no rivers and little usable groundwater.

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi desalinated water is lavished, Las Vegas-style, on fountains, artificial lakes, swimming pools, resort greenery and golf courses sitting atop once drifting desert sands. Desalination also produces most fresh water in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Gulf countries that also showed high footprints.

Due to the country's small size, carbon emissions and consumption in the Emirates are a tiny fraction of that of the United States, and Loh said most efforts to cut greenhouse gases need to concentrate on America and other large industrial countries.

'Happy to be rich now'
But unlike in the United States, energy consumption has not emerged as an issue. The Emirates, like the rest of the oil-producing Gulf states, was until the 1960s an impoverished desert country whose residents survived through subsistence fishing, farming and small-time trade.

Now, the government's energy subsidies give Emirates citizens free water and cheap electricity. Gasoline sells for around $1.70 per gallon.

"Really, we're happy to be rich now," said Majid al-Mansouri, who heads the environment agency serving Abu Dhabi.

The WWF has asked the Emirates government to cut energy use and move toward renewable energy, especially solar power viable in one of the world's sunniest climates.

Al-Mansouri said the country was looking to make improvements, such as running publicly owned vehicles on compressed natural gas — which is cleaner burning but still emits globe-warming carbon dioxide. The state oil company has eliminated 80 percent of its wasteful flaring off of natural gas at oil wellheads, he said.

Other projects once considered environmentally friendly here are being reevaluated. Longtime Emirates ruler Sheik Zayed oversaw the planting of a forestry belt kept alive by irrigation, which is now considered a waste of water. Parts of the forests are being allowed to slowly die off.

"Those forests became a refuge for wildlife," al-Mansouri said. "We have gazelle, oryx and hares because of these forests."

MORE FROM ENVIRONMENT

Environment Section Front

Experts: Half of mammals in decline Flight of the penguins to freedom Cows may hold secret for efficient ethanol 99 percent of Alaska glaciers melting Cleaner way to drink from the seas? Venus flytraps face loss of habitat Environmental damage heavy after Ike Rare turtles fail to produce offspring Birds no longer flock to Ike-ravaged beach Ike debris threatens Texas wildlife Environment Section Front   Add Environment headlines to your news reader: