Any achievement, big or small, should be celebrated (Their own Everest, January 16). That is because they are not easy even in a thoroughly explored world. Hard work and its subsequent success should always be appreciated. The two adventurers who scaled Dawn Wall should be praised for accomplishing this difficult mission.
Fatima Suhail, Sharjah
Dubai shows the way to green energy
I am happy to hear that the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is doubling the output of a planned 100-megawatt solar power park (Planned Dubai solar power park to double output to 200 megawatts, January 16). The UAE has access to the greatest supplier of energy – the sun – all year round and is perfectly positioned to generate its own power. In fact, every household in the Middle East should be generating its own power with the help of solar panels.
A few desalination plants inland using solar energy to solve the water shortage and Dubai can produce crops too.
Sam Clarke, UK
Don’t abuse your freedom
Faisal Al Yafai's opinion article Charlie Hebdo draws the wrong lesson from Paris attack (January 14) was excellent. I agree that drawing another cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed was illogical and insensitive.
What's the point of provoking Muslims in this manner? I agree that writers, thinkers and artists should have the freedom to express their opinion, but that freedom must be tempered with responsibility and respect for others. Western writers and thinkers who live – or have lived – in the Middle East must have noticed how devout Muslims in this region are and how they denounce any irreverence on religious matters. We must respect that attitude. Moreover, intellectual initiatives should never undermine religious sentiments of individuals.
Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai
Flight attendants need to be alert
With reference to your article Passenger sent to jail for drunk threats (January 15), I think there is no problem with serving alcohol on flights. However, flight attendants need to know when to stop. Clearly if the man was throwing food at passengers, he didn't need any more and should probably have been restrained.
Dave Phelps, Abu Dhabi
It is just sad that attendants have to put up with such abusive individuals who have no concern or respect for fellow passengers.
Name withheld by request
Being a mother who travels alone with children, I always wonder why alcohol is served on flights and whether the authorities will ever reconsider this awkward practice. After all, what all of us want is a peaceful journey, not fun in midair.
Rafeeda Ansari, Dubai
Our desires are temporary
I refer to the story Learn to dodge the hard sell at UAE shopping malls (January 17). I liked the sentence: "There will always be another sale, and there will always be stuff that you love and 'must have'." Here is the most important lesson: your desires are temporary. If you have the composure to look at them, they will wither. Therein lies freedom.
Jeffrey Martin, Dubai
Will anyone save Land Rover?
Will someone take over production of the Land Rover Defender (Farewell to the king of the off-road, the Land Rover, January 1)? I'm sure all the loads and engineering components are available. What about Richard Branson or a team of Land Rover enthusiasts? Sure there are more comfortable off-road vehicles available, but none is as tough and lasting as the Land Rover Defender.
We have driven them over mountains, flooded rivers, through deserts, over the 14,500 feet Babusar Pass into Gilgit, towed a mobile hospital into the deserts of Pakistan and a fully laden concrete truck out of a steep building site. Without them the Eucumbene dam, the largest dam in Australia, would have been difficult to build, and on it goes. Let’s keep them going.
C Gregory, UK