Noelfuente@sbcglobal.net sent a lengthy comment to my Jan. 28 column on Wild Wadi. With mixed awe and disdain, he impressed on me all the ostentations of Dubai, created from oil profit.

These Dubai wonders, Mr. Fuente, I’ve already seen with my own eyes. And I like ‘em. If they’ve got it, they can flaunt it! I enjoyed the marvels of Dubai, as I enjoyed the marvels of the museums Hermitage in Leningrad, Louvre in Paris, and Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Things of beauty, joy forever.

May I ask, Mr. Fuente: Living in America, are you not contributing to conspicuous consumption of oil? The USA consumes almost half of the world’s supply of oil.

You must drive a car. Do you use an airconditioner, washing machine, microwave, cooking gas, use disposable plastics and styrofoam, don’t you carpool, etc.? You are then a conspicuous consumer of Dubai black gold; you have helped create the Dubai you describe with awe and disdain.

If you drive a car, worse, an SUV, instead of taking public transportation, you’ve helped create the Dubai you’ve disdainfully described.

If you leave your unneeded lights on because you’re moneyed enough to pay electric bills, you’ve helped create the Dubai you’ve disdainfully described.

If you use a washing machine and dryer instead of handwashing and wind-drying your laundry, you’ve helped create the Dubai you’ve disdainfully described.

If you sleep with airconditioning, instead of open windows, if you electric vacuum instead of using a manual, if you use your huge oven to toast a slice of pizza, you helped create the Dubai you’ve disdainfully described.

I take public jeepneys, buses (don’t own a car even if I can afford one); I don’t own a washing machine or vacuum cleaner; I sleep under a mosquito net with open windows, avoid disposable plastic and foil, etc. My little contribution to your concerns. – DA

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Noel dela Fuente’s letter (excerpted): All of us are paying for this ostentatious constructions in Dubai. The prices of oil, gasoline, heating oil and other petroleum products are continuously rising.

No wonder they can afford constructions that put what we have in the US to shame. Dubai is said to currently have 15-25 percent of all the world’s construction cranes.

Dubai’s wonders is the sweat and blood of the world, earned with the connivance of the big oil companies.

Dubailand is fantasyland come true. No wonder, Dubai is proudly announcing they will wrest from New York the title "Financial Center of the World." Where is America investing its "sweat, blood and tears" petro dollars?

If we don’t use alternative sources of energy, even our great great great grand children will pay for this. The Philippines is capable of developing alternative sources of energy from solar, wind, thermal to water. Why is the Philippines not exploiting these sources?

[Bayan Muna filed a bill to exempt oil from VAT hoping that Energy chair Rep. Mikey Arroyo will calendar this bill. – DA]

Political and economic exploitation, that’s why! The Filipinos are not united and unable to empower themselves to determine their own destiny. Even here, in the US, we are not united and, therefore, also not empowered.

The Dubai Waterfront. It will become the largest waterfront development in the world. All of this was built in the last five years including that island that looks like a palm tree.

The Palm Islands in Dubai. Dredging technology was used to create these massive man-made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all.

This resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon.

(More next column.)

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