ABU DHABI // The Urban Planning Council has unveiled its Estidama school course to foster an interest in sustainability among children.
The council has chosen six schools for the lessons but plans to include more next year, Mohammed Al Khadar, executive director for development review and Estidama at the planning council, said yesterday.
A number of children involved in the programme were made available to talk to the media at a UPC stand at this week's World Future Energy Summit.
The Estidama school programme was developed with the six Aldar Academies schools, with The Pearl Primary School playing a major role in developing content.
The children will be taught the importance of sustainability using Estidama's initiatives as examples, and will form junior think tanks.
An inter-school competition to design a small community will be run during the year so children can put their lessons and ideas into practice.
"I understand what Estidama means," said Marwan Zaid, 7, a pupil at The Pearl.
"It means sustainability and it's related to preserving the environment. So we need to help save the environment."
He said he used the different rubbish bins in front of his home for recycling.
"I dump papers, plastic and Pepsi cans in the green, and the black for others," Marwan said.
Other students were also aware of the effects their daily actions can have.
"We turn off the classroom lights whenever we leave the room," said Hugo John, 8.
Sen-Lea Locke-Withojit, 9, said his family left the windows open in winter, instead of using air conditioning.
The UPC wants children to understand how sustainable planning can design vibrant, exciting and environmentally friendly places to live.
Mr Al Khadar said awareness and education were the driving factors behind behavioural change.
"Children will play a pivotal role in ensuring that Estidama gradually and positively impacts our environment," he said.
There are five educational modules to engage students, including mobility, housing and park areas.
The spirit of Estidama was summed up by Megan McFadden, 4.
"We don't have a clothes drier as it uses too much energy," Megan said.
"The sun does it for us."
anwar@thenational.ae
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Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
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What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
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Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
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Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
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Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
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