CAN attended Friday’s Legco meeting between the Environmental and Transport Panels regarding the Transport Department’s proposal to rationalize bus routes in order to reduce air pollution. The objective of Friday’s meeting was to permit LegCo members to air their views on the proposal.
Here’s a recap of what was said by the 11 LegCo members who spoke today:
Every LegCo member with the exception of Miriam Lau (Transport Constituency) made the point that it was unacceptable for service and routes to be cut unless bus passengers were given SIGNIFICANT incentives to accept the resulting inconvenience. By “significant”, Kam Na Wai cited an example which suggested that an average fare concession of 25% would be reasonable if a bus rider was forced to make a transfer and wait an additional 15 minutes because of changes resulting from rationalization. By the same reasoning, any fare increase would be “totally unacceptable”, said Wong Kwok-Hing. The plight of the grassroots bus passenger was underscored by Wong and Andrew Cheng Kar-Foo. The former pointed out that these bus riders, who customarily spend hours every day commuting, were loath to give up point-to-point service because it would deprive them of, say, their ability to nap during the trip.
Considering the uncertain benefits and checkered results of the last set of rationalizations which took place from 2004-2009, Kam Na Wai pointed out that we should not overemphasize the gains to be made through rationalization. Rather, we should keep our eye firmly on the more effective method of reducing air pollution, early replacement of old buses.
As expected, several LegCo members emphasized the crucial importance of getting District Councils on board in advance of suggesting route or service reductions. Since the 1990s, District Councils have been the single greatest obstacle to bus route rationalization. In keeping with their raison d’etre, DCs fiercely protect the interests of their constituents. However as Cyd Ho Sau-lan pointed out, reductions should not be across the board but more finely tuned, with different districts requiring different approaches at different hours of the day. For that matter, Albert Chan Wai-Yip criticized the Government for not doing its homework, blasting the customary DC briefing paper on route rationalization as hopelessly inadequate because it fails to detail the specific proposals for each district. In an interesting twist of the argument, which reflects her base of support (i.e., the bus companies), Miriam Lau of the Transport Constituency said it would be good if districts tried to compete against each other for environmental benefits based on differential rationalization plans. Presumably, the implication of her suggestion (or, rather, hope) was that District Councillors might be motivated to approve greater cuts in service if they could show constituents that their district had netted more environmental benefits than other districts. Lau is LegCo’s greatest champion of rationalization, of course, since unnecessary excess bus capacity is economically inefficient for bus companies. “We have been fighting for greater efficiency for ten years,” she declared.
In contrast to Lau’s comments championing the cause of the bus companies, Gary Chan Hak-Kan asked, “Why is it the public who is always asked to pay? Why aren’t the bus companies being asked to pay?” Similarly, Cyd Ho commented, “The Transport Department’s LegCo paper seems like it’s been written by the bus companies.”
Well, to be perfectly honest, YES, it DOES seem that way! By the way, here is the actual paper, http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr09-10/english/panels/ea/papers/eatp0122cb1-916-1-e.pdf
Since the issue of bus route rationalization is arguably THE most controversial measure in the Government’s proposed package of 19 air pollution abatement measures, it is crucial to state CAN’s position clearly:
First, let’s not lose the forest for the trees: Kam Na Wai was totally correct to point out that the Government’s last rationalization effort was "unsuccessful". Thus, it remains imperative to clean up the bus fleet through the mandatory early replacement of buses. (At the close of the meeting, the Chairman of the Environment Panel requested more information about the exact environmental benefits of phasing out the oldest, most polluting buses. The Transport Department and EPD are slated to report back in May 2010. At that time, the two departments will also submit detailed proposals for each district, providing full information about affected routes, costs, suggested concessions and environmental benefits.) Bus route rationalization APPEARS to be the lowest hanging fruit, because it doesn’t require bus companies to incur capital investments, but, based on past experience, it’s obvious that bus route rationalization is arduous and uncertain. At best, rationalization, even if gets done within 5 years, will net marginal benefits.
Next, we agree that the bus rider – ESPECIALLY the grassroots bus rider – must NOT be asked to bear the price of rationalization through higher bus fares. Remember, air pollution is a social justice issue, with the adverse health impacts of air pollution falling disproportionately on the members of society who can least afford medical care or relocation already. Small increases in bus fares for this group can have dramatic, adverse consequences on their livelihood. Moreover, it is true that this bus rider is already penalized by having to spend hours per day commuting. Grassroots bus riders SHOULD be fairly compensated through concessionary fares or free bus service for accepting the inconvenience of rationalization. A fair concession would be something along the lines mentioned by Kam Na Wai, 15-25%.
At the same time, we do support the Transport Department’s rationalization of routes duplicative of railway service and routes in the most highly trafficked areas.
At the end of the day, CAN will focus its efforts on those measures which will result in the most health benefit to the public. Thus, we will continue to strongly emphasize early replacement of old buses over bus route rationalization. While we do support a reduction in buses on those corridors blighted with the most roadside emissions, we consider widespread rationalization to be somewhat beside the point. If confronted with the choice, we would be willing to dispense with rationalization entirely if we could have cleaner buses on Hong Kong’s roads. We would make that choice any day. And we continue to believe that this is the RIGHT and best choice for the Hong Kong people.
Below is a list of the LegCo members who spoke at Friday’s meeting. Where they made some interesting additional remarks, I included them next to their name:
Name: WONG Kwok-hing
Functional/Geographic: NT West
Political affiliation: FTU
Rationalization resulting in ANY increase of fares will not be tolerated; it will be impossible to "steamroll" DCs on this.
Name: Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Functional/Geographic: NT East
Political affiliation: Democratic Party
A long time proponent of sectional fares -- fares payable according to distance/stops -- he talked about why especially now they would prevent wasted bus capacity.
Name: KAM Nai-wai
Functional/Geographic: HK Island
Political affiliation: Democratic Party
Name: LI Fung-ying
Functional/Geographic: Labour
Political affiliation: HKFLU
What about bus drivers? During the last round of rationalization, 300 buses (and jobs) were lost. Any rationalization plan must study the consequences on the labor force.
Name: WONG Yung-kan
Functional/Geographic: Agriculture and Fisheries
Political affiliation: DAB
She made the point that, as more and more people move to the New Territories, there will be more, not less, demand for point-to-point service. It is the vehicles which are the problem, rather than the service. (We agree, of course!)
Name: Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Functional/Geographic: Transport
Political affiliation: Liberal Party
Besides her remarks above, she repeatedly emphasized the importance of knowing the specific environmental benefits to each district.
Name: CHAN Hak-kan
Functional/Geographic: NT East
Political affiliation: DAB
He brought up examples of successful Public Transport Interchange schemes, which illustrated how to successfully encourage hub & spoke transfers. The best way, free bus service on the "spoke", to the final destination, after transfer at the hub.
Name: Cyd HO Sau-lan
Functional/Geographic: HK Isalnd
Political affiliation: Civic Act-up
In the proposal, no thought has been given to the issue of parking: if buses' frequency is cut, that means a lot of them will have to wait somewhere between trips. That requires an allocation of public space, which the TD hasn't factored into their plan.
Name: CHAN Kin-por
Functional/Geographic: Insurance
Political affiliation: NA
Perhaps minibuses can replace service where routes truncated.
Name: Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Functional/Geographic: NT West
Political affiliation: League of Social Democrats
Name: IP Wai-ming
Functional/Geographic: Labour
Political affiliation: HKFTU
"Let's not forget the drivers."
__________________
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Blog: NY Times arights their slipshod coverage of HK air pollution in latest Green Inc. article. Hooray!
Yesterday's New York Times' Green Inc. article redeems that paper's previous coverage of Hong Kong's air pollution problem. The article previous to yesterday's was, to our view, one-sided and irresponsible because, by reprinting verbatim the comments of an official EPD spokesperson without remarks from any other concerned parties, readers were given the impression that Hong Kong's air pollution is not THAT bad. Of course, you can imagine that, considering the stature and authority of the NY Times, we considered such an article downright dangerous. Anyway, we were hugely relieved to see the RIGHT FACTS about Hong Kong air pollution published yesterday. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ TODAY'S NY TIMES ARTICLE PLUS THE ARTICLE WHICH TRIGGERED IT.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/author/reenita-malhotra-hora/
Below, too, is our original full rebuttal of Eva Wong's statement to the NY Times, from which they chose today's quotes. After reading it, you will understand why we found the EPD's statements so grossly disingenuous --
"My first reaction to the EPD's response is that the entire thing is, by definition, a load of bunkum because their responses are based on defending the numerous exceedances of the HK API which permits levels far in excess of those recommended by the WHO. The WHO Air Quality Guidelines were expressly formulated to protect public health. In their statement accompanying the announcement of the latest guideline revision (2006), the WHO made it clear that adverse impacts to human health are being found at ever lower levels of air pollution and that, in the case of respirable particles, for example, there are no levels below which harm to human health has not been found. Thus, in the medical-scientific community, these guidelines are considered the minimum acceptable standards for protecting public health. Even then, the WHO does not consider the observance of the AQGs as some sort of magic shield against harm to human health.
Hong Kong's present Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) severely lag the WHO's Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs). Whereas HK's 24-hour AQO for SO2 is 350 micrograms per cubic meter, the WHO AQG is 20; HK's PM10 AQO(24-hour) is 180 while the WHO's AQG is 50. The annual average guideline for NO2 is 80 in HK and 40 under the WHO.
Hong Kong's current AQOs have not been revised since 1987. Obviously, epidemiological and community medicine research on the health impacts of air pollution have evolved considerably since then. The present regime is sadly outdated.Regarding the EPD's citation of other countries' standards as a benchmark against which to judge Hong Kong's, I have three points to make. First, in the case of air pollution and protecting public health, comparison between nations is less important than assessment of standards based on the latest medical research. By these standards, the present AQOs permit 1100 avoidable deaths per year.Second, let's compare the actual air quality of other cities against HK's. In 2006, Hong Kong's air was 3x more polluted than New York's and 1.7x dirtier than Singapore's. Third, when it comes to fighting air pollution, the attitude of the Hong Kong Government bears no resemblance to, say, America's. Obama has granted broad remit to the EPA to tighten air quality standards during his term. Just this past month, the EPA has proposed a tougher standard for ozone as well as significant limitations on emissions from large marine vessels which will have far-reaching health and economic benefits for the American people, despite their short-term cost of several billion dollars. The EPA's proposals were no doubt based on a recognition of the latest scientific and medical research and made in spite of opposition from vested interests in the business community.
As for reductions in roadside emissions cited by the EPD spokesperson, over the period of 1997-2008, according to Professor AJ Hedley, one of the world's leading air pollution experts, the cumulative reduction for PM was only 12.3%. Roadside levels during this period were about 3.5 times above the WHO-recommended levels. At that rate, PM would not diminish to acceptable levels before 2040.
Regarding the EPD's answer to the question, Is it true that the air pollution in Hong Kong is already so consistently dangerous that the threshold for severe harm to human health is exceeded almost every day? Note that the EPD spokesperson did not actually answer this question. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is "YES"! Remember that it is roadside emissions which impact human health the most. One ton of PM or NOx being emitted at face-level is obviously much more concentrated than the same amount being emitted 100 feet up in the air by a coal-fired power plant. The recently unveiled HKUST study showed dangerously high levels of streetside emissions in all 6 of the districts surveyed, with actual levels between 2-3 times the WHO AQGs. Even by the Government's own very lax standards, roadside pollution violated the API danger level of 100 in Central district 1 of every 8 days. Note that Hong Kong only measures roadside pollution in 3 of its 18 districts! The HKUST study found that the highest level of roadside pollution was in a district without any official government roadside monitoring station -- Wanchai.Regarding the EPD's attempt to downplay Hong Kong's toxic levels of roadside emissions by judging their level against an annual average, the harms of air pollution do not vary in a direct linear relationship to the level of pollutants. Exceedances over a certain level, such as the WHO AQGs, trigger a disproportionate increase in adverse health effects."
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/author/reenita-malhotra-hora/
Below, too, is our original full rebuttal of Eva Wong's statement to the NY Times, from which they chose today's quotes. After reading it, you will understand why we found the EPD's statements so grossly disingenuous --
"My first reaction to the EPD's response is that the entire thing is, by definition, a load of bunkum because their responses are based on defending the numerous exceedances of the HK API which permits levels far in excess of those recommended by the WHO. The WHO Air Quality Guidelines were expressly formulated to protect public health. In their statement accompanying the announcement of the latest guideline revision (2006), the WHO made it clear that adverse impacts to human health are being found at ever lower levels of air pollution and that, in the case of respirable particles, for example, there are no levels below which harm to human health has not been found. Thus, in the medical-scientific community, these guidelines are considered the minimum acceptable standards for protecting public health. Even then, the WHO does not consider the observance of the AQGs as some sort of magic shield against harm to human health.
Hong Kong's present Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) severely lag the WHO's Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs). Whereas HK's 24-hour AQO for SO2 is 350 micrograms per cubic meter, the WHO AQG is 20; HK's PM10 AQO(24-hour) is 180 while the WHO's AQG is 50. The annual average guideline for NO2 is 80 in HK and 40 under the WHO.
Hong Kong's current AQOs have not been revised since 1987. Obviously, epidemiological and community medicine research on the health impacts of air pollution have evolved considerably since then. The present regime is sadly outdated.Regarding the EPD's citation of other countries' standards as a benchmark against which to judge Hong Kong's, I have three points to make. First, in the case of air pollution and protecting public health, comparison between nations is less important than assessment of standards based on the latest medical research. By these standards, the present AQOs permit 1100 avoidable deaths per year.Second, let's compare the actual air quality of other cities against HK's. In 2006, Hong Kong's air was 3x more polluted than New York's and 1.7x dirtier than Singapore's. Third, when it comes to fighting air pollution, the attitude of the Hong Kong Government bears no resemblance to, say, America's. Obama has granted broad remit to the EPA to tighten air quality standards during his term. Just this past month, the EPA has proposed a tougher standard for ozone as well as significant limitations on emissions from large marine vessels which will have far-reaching health and economic benefits for the American people, despite their short-term cost of several billion dollars. The EPA's proposals were no doubt based on a recognition of the latest scientific and medical research and made in spite of opposition from vested interests in the business community.
As for reductions in roadside emissions cited by the EPD spokesperson, over the period of 1997-2008, according to Professor AJ Hedley, one of the world's leading air pollution experts, the cumulative reduction for PM was only 12.3%. Roadside levels during this period were about 3.5 times above the WHO-recommended levels. At that rate, PM would not diminish to acceptable levels before 2040.
Regarding the EPD's answer to the question, Is it true that the air pollution in Hong Kong is already so consistently dangerous that the threshold for severe harm to human health is exceeded almost every day? Note that the EPD spokesperson did not actually answer this question. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is "YES"! Remember that it is roadside emissions which impact human health the most. One ton of PM or NOx being emitted at face-level is obviously much more concentrated than the same amount being emitted 100 feet up in the air by a coal-fired power plant. The recently unveiled HKUST study showed dangerously high levels of streetside emissions in all 6 of the districts surveyed, with actual levels between 2-3 times the WHO AQGs. Even by the Government's own very lax standards, roadside pollution violated the API danger level of 100 in Central district 1 of every 8 days. Note that Hong Kong only measures roadside pollution in 3 of its 18 districts! The HKUST study found that the highest level of roadside pollution was in a district without any official government roadside monitoring station -- Wanchai.Regarding the EPD's attempt to downplay Hong Kong's toxic levels of roadside emissions by judging their level against an annual average, the harms of air pollution do not vary in a direct linear relationship to the level of pollutants. Exceedances over a certain level, such as the WHO AQGs, trigger a disproportionate increase in adverse health effects."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Fighting for what is right: the relationship between the environment & democracy (free speech)
Our grassroots movement seeks to transform the relationship between the citizen and the government to one where a clean safe environment becomes an entitlement, NOT a luxury. It is the duty of a govt to provide this indispensable public good to its citizens. Indeed, protecting public health is deemed one of the major justifications for the existence of any government, however elected, formed or appointed.
On the role of democracy, civic engagement, and free speech, and how these values relate to clean air: the people of Hong Kong need to speak out if we are to claim what properly belongs to us. Again, why else would people submit to government and agree to the pact of civil society (taxes and obedience to the law) if the government is not going to provide even those basic necessities universally deemed indispensable to human livelihood, i.e., safe food, clean water and CLEAN AIR?
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
On the role of democracy, civic engagement, and free speech, and how these values relate to clean air: the people of Hong Kong need to speak out if we are to claim what properly belongs to us. Again, why else would people submit to government and agree to the pact of civil society (taxes and obedience to the law) if the government is not going to provide even those basic necessities universally deemed indispensable to human livelihood, i.e., safe food, clean water and CLEAN AIR?
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Friday, January 15, 2010
BLOG: SHOCKED BY NY TIMES REPRINT OF OFFICIAL EPD STATEMENT ABOUT HK'S AIR
Yesterday, the NY Times published a Q&A about air pollution, interviewing an Environmental Protection Department spokesperson. We were shocked that the EPD's statements were reprinted without any additional research, qualification or comment from air experts or community leaders in Hong Kong. The NY Times' blog post was tantamount to reissuing under the banner of good journalism an official press release from a stakeholder with very obvious vested interests in spinning a certain story, i.e., Hong Kong's air is safe. Below is the link to the dubious article --
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/qa-hong-kongs-air-pollution-problem/
In the words of an emininent public health scientist, reacting to the NY Times article this morning:
"This makes me feel seriously unwell. What a ghastly,cynical,disingenuous, misleading pack of nonsense. However, quite skillful I suppose to be able to navigate a swamp with such coyly crafted responses."
You can expect us to issue an official response soon enough....
_________
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
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http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/qa-hong-kongs-air-pollution-problem/
In the words of an emininent public health scientist, reacting to the NY Times article this morning:
"This makes me feel seriously unwell. What a ghastly,cynical,disingenuous, misleading pack of nonsense. However, quite skillful I suppose to be able to navigate a swamp with such coyly crafted responses."
You can expect us to issue an official response soon enough....
_________
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
BLOG: GOVT'S FOCUS ON MONITORING GENERAL, INSTEAD OF ROADSIDE, AIR QUALITY SHOWS THAT PRIORITIES ARE UPSIDE DOWN
In the wake of the news that Hong Kong's roadside pollution reached life-threatening levels in 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gE0Vya-Hwgdo2D2YLPT0skOGy1Gg, DAB LegCo member Chan Hak-kan rightly posed the question to the EPD, will the EPD consider installing more roadside monitors? No, was the answer from Kitty Poon Kit, the EPD's spokesperson. Apparently, the Government feels that the current monitoring network is sufficient.
But a quick analysis of results derived from HKUST's recent mobile air pollution monitoring study shows that the roadside pollution in Wanchai was actually the worst in HK, even though the Government monitoring stations are located in only Central, Causeway Bay and Mongkok. The Government's justification for not needing additional monitors is that these three monitors are sufficiently accurate proxies for roadside monitoring at other highly trafficked locations all over Hong Kong. The case of Wanchai obviously challenges the prudence of this assumption. Furthermore, the HKUST study showed big variations between different streets in the same district and between different districts.
http://hongkongcan.org/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Mapresult.pdf
What's more disturbing, however, in the big picture, is the fact that the Government's monitoring network -- 11 of 14 stations measuring ambient air quality, rather than roadside emissions -- is predicated on their outdated concern about overall pollutant tonnage, rather than adverse impacts to human health. OBVIOUSLY, it's the spumes of diesel particles blowing in a person's face, on the street, which affect human health the most. One ton of PM emitted by a coal-fired power plant 30 meters above ground is obviously going to be a lot less damaging to human beings than the same weight of emissions beging emitted at street level.
The mentality which dominated 20 years ago is no longer relevant or useful to the public health crisis we are confronting today. If a resident of Hong Kong needs to know the pollution reading on any given day, it is the ROADSIDE reading which is highly relevant and useful -- NOT an ambient reading! In the same vein, Government should be formulating air quality management policy based on COMPREHENSIVE readings of ROADSIDE pollution throughout Hong Kong. When it comes to human health, these are the MAIN readings which count. And, lest anyone have failed to read the newspaper recently, roadside pollution is, at best, the same, if not deteriorating.
(For the sake of argument, let's assume the 3 roadside monitors ARE a decent proxy for all of HK's roadside pollution, the fact that there are only 3 compared to 11 general monitors STILL points to the outmoded policy and mentality which led to the building of such a network in the first place. Unfortunately, the mentality which led to the building of the monitoring network is the same one proposing public policy today.)
Thus, the locations of the official monitors should actually be inverted if the Government wants to live up to its stated intention of protecting public health.
_____________
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
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But a quick analysis of results derived from HKUST's recent mobile air pollution monitoring study shows that the roadside pollution in Wanchai was actually the worst in HK, even though the Government monitoring stations are located in only Central, Causeway Bay and Mongkok. The Government's justification for not needing additional monitors is that these three monitors are sufficiently accurate proxies for roadside monitoring at other highly trafficked locations all over Hong Kong. The case of Wanchai obviously challenges the prudence of this assumption. Furthermore, the HKUST study showed big variations between different streets in the same district and between different districts.
http://hongkongcan.org/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Mapresult.pdf
What's more disturbing, however, in the big picture, is the fact that the Government's monitoring network -- 11 of 14 stations measuring ambient air quality, rather than roadside emissions -- is predicated on their outdated concern about overall pollutant tonnage, rather than adverse impacts to human health. OBVIOUSLY, it's the spumes of diesel particles blowing in a person's face, on the street, which affect human health the most. One ton of PM emitted by a coal-fired power plant 30 meters above ground is obviously going to be a lot less damaging to human beings than the same weight of emissions beging emitted at street level.
The mentality which dominated 20 years ago is no longer relevant or useful to the public health crisis we are confronting today. If a resident of Hong Kong needs to know the pollution reading on any given day, it is the ROADSIDE reading which is highly relevant and useful -- NOT an ambient reading! In the same vein, Government should be formulating air quality management policy based on COMPREHENSIVE readings of ROADSIDE pollution throughout Hong Kong. When it comes to human health, these are the MAIN readings which count. And, lest anyone have failed to read the newspaper recently, roadside pollution is, at best, the same, if not deteriorating.
(For the sake of argument, let's assume the 3 roadside monitors ARE a decent proxy for all of HK's roadside pollution, the fact that there are only 3 compared to 11 general monitors STILL points to the outmoded policy and mentality which led to the building of such a network in the first place. Unfortunately, the mentality which led to the building of the monitoring network is the same one proposing public policy today.)
Thus, the locations of the official monitors should actually be inverted if the Government wants to live up to its stated intention of protecting public health.
_____________
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Sunday, January 10, 2010
BLOG: "Conserving Central": a slap in the face to HK's people
I just walked by the HK Govt's display at IFC on the same level as the footbridge, describing its plans to preserve some of Central's most historic architectural landmarks. This initiative was the centerpiece of Donald Tsang's policy address in 2009. While such a project is laudable and important if HK is to retain some of its unique historic character, it is ironically short-sighted.
The apparent purpose of such an initiative is to make HK a more attractive city -- literally. But the emphasis on optics is misplaced when one of the very pillars of our daily urban existence has crumbled. Of course, I refer to our air quality. Along with safe food and clean water, can there be a more universally important precondition to living in a society, ostensibly governed by leaders who seek to protect and advance the health and livelihood of residents? That said, spending money on buildings instead of people is actually a sort of slap in the face of the HK people!
No doubt "Conserving Central" is the centerpiece of Donald's effort to boost HK's standing among world cities. But fewer media and opinion leaders around the world take note of the paucity of historic buildings than our city's appalling air pollution. Thus, even if we do manage to upgrade the aesthetics of our urban center, will it upgrade our standing in the world? Of course not! Let's not forget that HK occupied the lower ranks of Gallup's recent Net Migration Index, with the likes of Iraq, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. Respondents explained that our low ranking was the result of air pollution, traffic congestion and overcrowding.
"Conserving Central" is obviously a politically easy and facile way to demonstrate Tsang's leadership. After all, virtually all the affected buildings belong to the Govt itself, thereby sidestepping issues of vested private sector interests. But it is just a bandaid on the gaping wound of HK's environment.
When it comes to fiscal and policymaking priorities for HK, "Conserving Central" should be dessert, not the main course!
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
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The apparent purpose of such an initiative is to make HK a more attractive city -- literally. But the emphasis on optics is misplaced when one of the very pillars of our daily urban existence has crumbled. Of course, I refer to our air quality. Along with safe food and clean water, can there be a more universally important precondition to living in a society, ostensibly governed by leaders who seek to protect and advance the health and livelihood of residents? That said, spending money on buildings instead of people is actually a sort of slap in the face of the HK people!
No doubt "Conserving Central" is the centerpiece of Donald's effort to boost HK's standing among world cities. But fewer media and opinion leaders around the world take note of the paucity of historic buildings than our city's appalling air pollution. Thus, even if we do manage to upgrade the aesthetics of our urban center, will it upgrade our standing in the world? Of course not! Let's not forget that HK occupied the lower ranks of Gallup's recent Net Migration Index, with the likes of Iraq, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. Respondents explained that our low ranking was the result of air pollution, traffic congestion and overcrowding.
"Conserving Central" is obviously a politically easy and facile way to demonstrate Tsang's leadership. After all, virtually all the affected buildings belong to the Govt itself, thereby sidestepping issues of vested private sector interests. But it is just a bandaid on the gaping wound of HK's environment.
When it comes to fiscal and policymaking priorities for HK, "Conserving Central" should be dessert, not the main course!
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
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http://twitter.com/joanneooi
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Friday, January 8, 2010
THE FRUITS OF NON-CONFRONTATION
Today, we had an excellent meeting with the vice-chairman of the Central/Western district council. Much to my surprise, he suggested that CAN do a project with the District Council. Not only was this music to my ears, but totally unprecedented because, customarily, we work with individual district councillors, rather than the full councils, due to political divisions and, frankly, an absence of interest in environmental affairs. It is hard enough to find one councillor in each district who is supportive of environmental concerns, let alone the support, cooperation and endorsement of an entire DC! Importantly, he repeated several times that his willingness to work with us, as opposed to other NGOs in the past who had approached the council on the same issue, was was largely based on the fact that our stance and approach were non-confrontational. Today's meeting is significant vindication of our decision NOT to antagonize the Government. I continue to believe that it is NOT necessary to protest or demonstrate -- at least not until we complete our mass media campaign, which will commence in February and continue through the end of March. We will see if peaceful, coordinated efforts, intended to give MORE ammo to the Govt, are sufficient to bring public opinion to a tipping point. We must remain dynamic and open to new ideas and political realities as each new day of campaigning unfolds...
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events.
Learn more about air pollution: watch and SHARE this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
Please sign the Petition for Clean Air, http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
FOLLOW US, FOLOW ME
http://twitter.com/cleanairnetwork
http://twitter.com/joanneooi
http://cleanairnetwork.blogspot.com/
JOIN US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Thursday, January 7, 2010
BLOG: THOMAS FRIEDMAN, HK'S CARBON FOOTPRINT & BUMPING INTO EDWARD YAU
***CO2 emissions and climate change ARE integrally related to energy use and transport emissions. HOWEVER, they are not inherently harmful to health. thus, as a rule, CO2 emissions are NOT treated as an air pollutant governed by HK's Air Pollution Control Ordinance and neither should they be, since the dominating principle of the APCO should be the protection of public health from the immediate, direct, adverse health impacts of air pollution. HOWEVER, from time to time, I may mention CO2 emissions because it's of interest to CAN's environmentally minded audience.
today, i was lucky enough to be invited to the inauguration of HK University of Science and Technology's NEW Division of Environment. BRAVO! thomas friedman, the brilliant american author and commentator, was invited to give the inaugural speech. edward yau, secretary of the environment, was also there to preside over the inauguration of the school.
the main course was friedman's abbreviated exposition of his seminal book, hot, flat and crowded, which states the case for why a green technology revolution is 1) good business; 2) indispensable to saving human civilization and 3) necessarily predicated on visionary government leadership -- the sort made impossible by a broken, sclerotic, pork-barreling democracy such as the US'. (i am a huge fan and brought my personal copy for his signing. i'm not someone who typically falls into the category of "fan", but i couldn't help myself in this extremely rare case : )) the main point of friedman's book is to point out the severe deficiencies of american political-environmental leadership resulting from its hamstrung political structure (something he terms a "one-party democracy"), while shining light on the path forward (price signals which afford investors in clean technology a stable predictable economic environment within which to recoup their investments over the medium- to long-term, family planning, a mentality of conservation, etc.)
the failure of leadership we see in the HK government, to date, is largely the result of our stillborn hybrid political system which defeats most notions of political accountability. whereas american legislation, such as the recent health bill, is customarily riddled with obvious instances of chit-trading, the end result is the same: policies and laws which are toothless and hardly up to their originally intended purpose. as edward yau aptly pointed out, only "huge public pressure" will bring green changes to our city. it would be, after all, a laughable pipe dream to believe that we could rely on the vision and courage of donald tsang! so my work is cut out for me!
....
at the end, there was a rather dry panel discussion. but it was relieved by some interesting factoids adduced by edward yau about hong kong's carbon footprint. in hk, 63% of all carbon emissions come from buildings, whereas 16% (only) come from vehicles. for comparison, those numbers are 40% and 30% respectively in the US. the comparatively low proportion of emissions attributable to vehicles in HK is due to the (literally)unrivaled efficiency of HK's public transport system which is responsible for 90% of all passenger trips. another fact: there are 500,000 "cars" in hk and 40,000 buildings according to yau. while i'm very proud of hk's public transport efficiency, i am appalled by the dirtiness of the comparatively few diesel vehicles hk has: 100,000 are causing the life-threatening levels of roadside pollution we experience almost every day! anyway, for more on that, you can read my blog post entitled "beware of red herrings" from a few days back.
...
at the end, i chatted with yau, who told me that the new air quality numbers for hk would be coming out shortly. he was pleased to report that the 2009 numbers showed some improvement over 2008. i'm glad he mentioned it so we can prepare the refutation NOW for what will undoubtedly be a self-congratulating press release about these figures. not to launch into a full court press rebuttal now, but it's crazy to take solace from such numbers when a recent study demonstrated extremely dangerous levels of roadside pollution one out of every 8 days in highly trafficked districts and emissions levels consistently 2-3 times those metered at official govt monitoring stations. i also asked yau about the engine idling ordinance and the timing of its introduction. he told me "i'm still working on some back room stuff" but apparently it should be introduced soon. i asked him to give us a head's up so we can mobilize public opinion to assist the ordinance's passage in legco this year. on that, boy oh boy, do we have some interesting stuff planned! just watch this space!
---
If you care about Hong Kong, please WATCH this,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
The #1 resource for health, news, policy about HK air pollution. JOIN
US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Have you signed the Petition for Clean Air?
http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
today, i was lucky enough to be invited to the inauguration of HK University of Science and Technology's NEW Division of Environment. BRAVO! thomas friedman, the brilliant american author and commentator, was invited to give the inaugural speech. edward yau, secretary of the environment, was also there to preside over the inauguration of the school.
the main course was friedman's abbreviated exposition of his seminal book, hot, flat and crowded, which states the case for why a green technology revolution is 1) good business; 2) indispensable to saving human civilization and 3) necessarily predicated on visionary government leadership -- the sort made impossible by a broken, sclerotic, pork-barreling democracy such as the US'. (i am a huge fan and brought my personal copy for his signing. i'm not someone who typically falls into the category of "fan", but i couldn't help myself in this extremely rare case : )) the main point of friedman's book is to point out the severe deficiencies of american political-environmental leadership resulting from its hamstrung political structure (something he terms a "one-party democracy"), while shining light on the path forward (price signals which afford investors in clean technology a stable predictable economic environment within which to recoup their investments over the medium- to long-term, family planning, a mentality of conservation, etc.)
the failure of leadership we see in the HK government, to date, is largely the result of our stillborn hybrid political system which defeats most notions of political accountability. whereas american legislation, such as the recent health bill, is customarily riddled with obvious instances of chit-trading, the end result is the same: policies and laws which are toothless and hardly up to their originally intended purpose. as edward yau aptly pointed out, only "huge public pressure" will bring green changes to our city. it would be, after all, a laughable pipe dream to believe that we could rely on the vision and courage of donald tsang! so my work is cut out for me!
....
at the end, there was a rather dry panel discussion. but it was relieved by some interesting factoids adduced by edward yau about hong kong's carbon footprint. in hk, 63% of all carbon emissions come from buildings, whereas 16% (only) come from vehicles. for comparison, those numbers are 40% and 30% respectively in the US. the comparatively low proportion of emissions attributable to vehicles in HK is due to the (literally)unrivaled efficiency of HK's public transport system which is responsible for 90% of all passenger trips. another fact: there are 500,000 "cars" in hk and 40,000 buildings according to yau. while i'm very proud of hk's public transport efficiency, i am appalled by the dirtiness of the comparatively few diesel vehicles hk has: 100,000 are causing the life-threatening levels of roadside pollution we experience almost every day! anyway, for more on that, you can read my blog post entitled "beware of red herrings" from a few days back.
...
at the end, i chatted with yau, who told me that the new air quality numbers for hk would be coming out shortly. he was pleased to report that the 2009 numbers showed some improvement over 2008. i'm glad he mentioned it so we can prepare the refutation NOW for what will undoubtedly be a self-congratulating press release about these figures. not to launch into a full court press rebuttal now, but it's crazy to take solace from such numbers when a recent study demonstrated extremely dangerous levels of roadside pollution one out of every 8 days in highly trafficked districts and emissions levels consistently 2-3 times those metered at official govt monitoring stations. i also asked yau about the engine idling ordinance and the timing of its introduction. he told me "i'm still working on some back room stuff" but apparently it should be introduced soon. i asked him to give us a head's up so we can mobilize public opinion to assist the ordinance's passage in legco this year. on that, boy oh boy, do we have some interesting stuff planned! just watch this space!
---
If you care about Hong Kong, please WATCH this,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw
The #1 resource for health, news, policy about HK air pollution. JOIN
US at www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork
Have you signed the Petition for Clean Air?
http://hongkongcan.org/eng/
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
HOW I GOT HERE
Please describe your career path?
The trajectory of my career can only be likened to a pinball game. How did you get into your profession? I never imagined I would work at an NGO. But, as with most of my career, I ended up at CAN through a combination of serendipity and an enduring desire to influence people's minds. Over the years, I have built up quite a rolodex and a solid bully pulpit. It seemed like a waste of my skill set, credibility and relationships to just keep on selling "stuff". It's obvious that there is a dearth of zealous, committed, able people in the NGO world, especially in HK, where most people think you're crazy if you leave your well-paid private sector job to head up an NGO.
Have there been any low times?
Besides the constant ribbing of jokes like, "Look outside. You haven't cleaned it up yet," NO! Honestly, I've never been happier in my entire life. I'm one of those people who never gets depressed. EVER. Also, 95% of the individuals and corporations we've approached have supported Clean Air Network. How can I complain or feel low?
Were you always ambitious?
Being too ambitious is probably my greatest character defect. The frisson of achievement or recognition lasts a maximum of 24 hours. Then, it's back to the grindstone, because I'm never satisfied. I also take an eagle's-eye assessment of my career every few months to determine if it all makes sense in terms of trajectory, learning and gratification.
Could you have imagined doing this job when you started?
NEVER. Being the daughter of two Chinese immigrant doctors growing up in the Midwest, I was trained to desire a career that was obvious, prosaic and remunerative. Even I myself am frequently surprised by the twists and turns of my career.
What do you like best about what you are doing now?
I love educating and inspiring people. That's always been my forte. At heart, I'm a preacher. I also love communicating with younger people, because they're still idealistic -- like me. At an NGO, you can give your idealism full rein. How many situations, let alone job situations, permit you to do that -- without apology or compunction?
What are your greatest challenges?
Waking up every day and believing that I can make a difference to a problem which so difficult and enormous.
What are your future aspirations?
I never give conscious thought to this issue. It is my innate tendency to seek bigger, more daring challenges. But, to answer your question, in the short term, to use social media to enable greater civic engagement and democratic participation in Hong Kong society -- inspired, of course, by the weathervane issue of air pollution. Since it's an issue that virtually everyone agrees on, it's easy way for first-timers to get involved in civil society and engage - with each other, with Government. Another reason I got involved with this issue and cause is because I think it takes someone from the private sector to demonstrate that this is NOT an issue confined to treehuggers or radicals.
How have you been able to balance your career and your life?I'm not a balanced person. Full stop. When I'm not talking about air pollution, I'm reading up on it -- or social media. I can't do Stairmaster without my Blackberry and at least 2 newspapers. I'm obsessed with productivity and efficiency. I don't really care about balance. Trying to become balanced would be like trying to withdraw from heroin. At the same time, I do have some new rules in my life: for example, at least 10 hours per week with my 10-year old son with NO devices. With me, it can't work unless there are very strict rules and concrete guideposts. That's the most "balance" I can do.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
In terms of career, I haven't done anything I was proud of for more than 24 hours. I'm referring to a specific achievement. But I'm a good mom. Actually, being a good parent is incredibly difficult because it's not something you can decide you're going to master. It's not really within your control to a large extent. Parenting is not subject to the same rules of achievement as all the other projects and goals in my life.
What would you change if you were to have your time again?
Honestly, I wish I cared more about money, because, then, I'd have some -- and that could be a cushion which could afford me more freedom and flexibility. I was also recently thinking that I should have had some sort of career in media -- as a talking head. Finally, I would have learned Chinese instead of French when I was growing up. This is probably the biggest regret of my life -- that, despite studying Mandarin for many years, I still cannot speak it fluently -- indeed, far from it.
What is the most useful lesson you have learned?
That, as a general rule, never be overprepared. It's an utter waste of time. For that matter, barring a few exceptional situations (like a board meeting or a major photo shoot), I strongly prefer to do things at the last minute. it's a personal style which isn't for everybody, but it's a very efficient way to get enormous amounts of stuff done.
What do you like to do in your free time?
If not sleeping, then, some form of learning. "Free" time means I can enrich my mind with activities which fall outside the remit of my professional responsibilities. These days, I'm catching up on all the bit.ly's in my twitter stream!
The above is excerpted from an upcoming interview.
JOANNE OOI IS THE CEO OF CLEAN AIR NETWORK, THE FASTEST-GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL NGO IN HONG KONG AND THE BIGGEST SINGLE-ISSUE NGO FOCUSED ON HONG KONG AIR POLLUTION. www.hongkongcan.org. Prior to heading CAN, Joanne was the Chief Marketing Officer of Filligent, the biotech company, and the Creative Director of Shanghai Tang, the Chinese luxury brand owned by the Richemont Group.
The trajectory of my career can only be likened to a pinball game. How did you get into your profession? I never imagined I would work at an NGO. But, as with most of my career, I ended up at CAN through a combination of serendipity and an enduring desire to influence people's minds. Over the years, I have built up quite a rolodex and a solid bully pulpit. It seemed like a waste of my skill set, credibility and relationships to just keep on selling "stuff". It's obvious that there is a dearth of zealous, committed, able people in the NGO world, especially in HK, where most people think you're crazy if you leave your well-paid private sector job to head up an NGO.
Have there been any low times?
Besides the constant ribbing of jokes like, "Look outside. You haven't cleaned it up yet," NO! Honestly, I've never been happier in my entire life. I'm one of those people who never gets depressed. EVER. Also, 95% of the individuals and corporations we've approached have supported Clean Air Network. How can I complain or feel low?
Were you always ambitious?
Being too ambitious is probably my greatest character defect. The frisson of achievement or recognition lasts a maximum of 24 hours. Then, it's back to the grindstone, because I'm never satisfied. I also take an eagle's-eye assessment of my career every few months to determine if it all makes sense in terms of trajectory, learning and gratification.
Could you have imagined doing this job when you started?
NEVER. Being the daughter of two Chinese immigrant doctors growing up in the Midwest, I was trained to desire a career that was obvious, prosaic and remunerative. Even I myself am frequently surprised by the twists and turns of my career.
What do you like best about what you are doing now?
I love educating and inspiring people. That's always been my forte. At heart, I'm a preacher. I also love communicating with younger people, because they're still idealistic -- like me. At an NGO, you can give your idealism full rein. How many situations, let alone job situations, permit you to do that -- without apology or compunction?
What are your greatest challenges?
Waking up every day and believing that I can make a difference to a problem which so difficult and enormous.
What are your future aspirations?
I never give conscious thought to this issue. It is my innate tendency to seek bigger, more daring challenges. But, to answer your question, in the short term, to use social media to enable greater civic engagement and democratic participation in Hong Kong society -- inspired, of course, by the weathervane issue of air pollution. Since it's an issue that virtually everyone agrees on, it's easy way for first-timers to get involved in civil society and engage - with each other, with Government. Another reason I got involved with this issue and cause is because I think it takes someone from the private sector to demonstrate that this is NOT an issue confined to treehuggers or radicals.
How have you been able to balance your career and your life?I'm not a balanced person. Full stop. When I'm not talking about air pollution, I'm reading up on it -- or social media. I can't do Stairmaster without my Blackberry and at least 2 newspapers. I'm obsessed with productivity and efficiency. I don't really care about balance. Trying to become balanced would be like trying to withdraw from heroin. At the same time, I do have some new rules in my life: for example, at least 10 hours per week with my 10-year old son with NO devices. With me, it can't work unless there are very strict rules and concrete guideposts. That's the most "balance" I can do.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
In terms of career, I haven't done anything I was proud of for more than 24 hours. I'm referring to a specific achievement. But I'm a good mom. Actually, being a good parent is incredibly difficult because it's not something you can decide you're going to master. It's not really within your control to a large extent. Parenting is not subject to the same rules of achievement as all the other projects and goals in my life.
What would you change if you were to have your time again?
Honestly, I wish I cared more about money, because, then, I'd have some -- and that could be a cushion which could afford me more freedom and flexibility. I was also recently thinking that I should have had some sort of career in media -- as a talking head. Finally, I would have learned Chinese instead of French when I was growing up. This is probably the biggest regret of my life -- that, despite studying Mandarin for many years, I still cannot speak it fluently -- indeed, far from it.
What is the most useful lesson you have learned?
That, as a general rule, never be overprepared. It's an utter waste of time. For that matter, barring a few exceptional situations (like a board meeting or a major photo shoot), I strongly prefer to do things at the last minute. it's a personal style which isn't for everybody, but it's a very efficient way to get enormous amounts of stuff done.
What do you like to do in your free time?
If not sleeping, then, some form of learning. "Free" time means I can enrich my mind with activities which fall outside the remit of my professional responsibilities. These days, I'm catching up on all the bit.ly's in my twitter stream!
The above is excerpted from an upcoming interview.
JOANNE OOI IS THE CEO OF CLEAN AIR NETWORK, THE FASTEST-GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL NGO IN HONG KONG AND THE BIGGEST SINGLE-ISSUE NGO FOCUSED ON HONG KONG AIR POLLUTION. www.hongkongcan.org. Prior to heading CAN, Joanne was the Chief Marketing Officer of Filligent, the biotech company, and the Creative Director of Shanghai Tang, the Chinese luxury brand owned by the Richemont Group.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
HK PARKING SURVEY (FOR CAR OWNERS)
Parking policy directly affects traffic congestion and urban planning, all of which impact public health. For example, free (reliable) street parking can result in undesirable outcomes like greater traffic congestion and more drivers in a city. Similarly, the parking behavior of private vehicle owners can determine whether an open space or multi-story enclosed parking lot is built, affecting traffic flows and even dispersion of air pollutants ("the wall effect"). Recognizing that YOUR parking behavior could affect public policymaking about parking, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO COMPLETE THIS ONLINE SURVEY FROM CIVIC EXCHANGE, OUR SISTER NGO -- http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGUwcEdRendDZzZGSjhTaF9HVkZoUHc6MA
Thank you!
Thank you!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
WATCH OUT FOR GOVT RED HERRINGS!
The leading article on the front page of today's SCMP screams, "Air quality good above street level for all of 2009: ROADSIDE POLLUTION A BIGGER LIFE THREAT". I have highlighted the most important sections of the original article below, WITH SOME IMPORTANT CAVEATS IN BLUE CAPS.
TO BEGIN, THE TITLE STATEMENT, "AIR QUALITY GOOD ABOVE STREET LEVEL FOR ALL OF 2009", IS A WILDLY MISLEADING STATEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE GENERAL (AS OPPOSED TO ROADSIDE) MONITORING STATIONS DID NOT CONSISTENTLY SHOW API READINGS IN EXCESS OF 100 DURING 2009, HK'S API IS SEVERELY OUTDATED (1987) AND PERMITS EMISSIONS LEVELS 2-4 TIMES GREATER THAN THOSE RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES). THUS, API READINGS BELOW THE HK GOVT'S DANGER LEVEL OF 100 DO NOT MEAN THAT THE GENERAL POLLUTION LEVEL IS ACCEPTABLE.
Roadside air pollution in Central hit life-threatening levels on an average of one in every eight days last year, while the number of very high pollution days on Mong Kok streets has increased 37-fold over the past five years, analysis by the South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583, announcements, news) has found.
But above street level, the air quality was good throughout last year. The 11 rooftop general monitoring stations recorded no days of very high pollution - when the air pollution index exceeds 100 and when people with heart and respiratory conditions are advised to avoid areas with heavy traffic.
Academics said the stark difference meant that the severe roadside pollution was a result of traffic emissions.
THE DRAMATIC AND SYSTEMATIC DIFFERENCE IN READINGS BETWEEN THE ROADSIDE AND AMBIENT STATIONS MEANS THAT THE ROADSIDE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM AND THAT OUR FOCUS ON OUTMODED HIGHLY POLLUTING COMMERCIAL DIESEL VEHICLES IS WELL WARRANTED. JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS MUCH WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO IMPROVE THE EMISSIONS (ROADSIDE VEHICLES) WHICH ARE AFFECTING OUR HEALTH THE MOST. THE PUBLIC WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT THE EPD'S EXPLANATION THAT "CHINA IS TO BLAME".
The Environmental Protection Department attributed more days of very high pollution to unfavourable weather conditions last year, adding that there was a drop in the annual average concentration of major pollutants in the past decade.
THIS STUDY POINTS, IRREFUTABLY, TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WEATHER PATTERNS ARE NOT THE MAIN CULPRIT. WE HOPE THAT, INSTEAD OF CONTINUING DOWN THE PATH OF DISINGENUOUS BLANKET DENIAL, THE GOVT WILL USE THIS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AS POLITICAL AMMO TO DEVISE A SOLUTION SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AT TRANSPORT EMISSIONS.
But the explanation drew criticism from academics who said it was unsatisfactory that the government was blaming pollution on the weather. They criticised the administration for relying too much on an annual drop in pollution concentrations, while failing to consider air pollution as a public health issue. An increase in very high pollution days meant people were exposed to a greater danger to their health more often.
When the weather played a part in local air pollution, the government should take that into account when drawing up measures to deal with persistent air pollution rather than simply blaming the weather conditions, they said.
The Post analysis, based on air pollution index records provided by the Environmental Protection Department, found that roadside monitoring station in Central last year registered 44 days of very high pollution, at an average of once every eight days. This compared with 39 days in 2008 and 13 days in 2005.
The Mong Kok station recorded 37 such days last year, compared with one five years ago. In Causeway Bay, the figure was 25 days, up fivefold from 2005. Central has recorded the most days of very high roadside pollution in the past five years.
A monthly breakdown of the data shows the three roadside stations recorded the highest number of very high pollution days in October, with both Mong Kok and Central having 11 and Causeway Bay eight.
The department said air pollution index readings reaching life-threatening levels were usually recorded under unfavourable weather conditions last year.
It said the number of days Mong Kok recorded very high pollution levels fluctuated over the years. Before one such day was recorded in 2005, 38 days had been recorded in the year before. It said changes in pollutant concentration readings were more reliable than the index to assess air quality trends.
The department's data showed that roadside concentrations of respirable suspended particulates fell 33 percent, nitrogen oxides 31 per cent and sulphur dioxide fell 48 per cent in the past decade.
However, the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, a major pollutant contributing to ground-level pollution, rose 11 per cent during the same period.
Professor Chan Chak-keung, acting head of the environment division at the University of Science and Technology, said the frequent occurrences of very high pollution in Central were alarming.
With air quality better above ground, he attributed roadside pollution to heavy traffic rather than regional pollution.
Roadside pollution was also linked to poor dispersal of pollutants, caused by urban design favouring high-rises, which might result in a wall effect, he said.
Angus Wong Chun-yin, a senior campaign officer with environmental group WWF, said that when there was no drastic change in traffic flow in the areas affected, more days of very high pollution might be due to the number of old vehicles on the streets.
He said the government should consider the worst-case scenario. "People should not be asked to wear masks in the streets whenever pollution is high because of the weather. The air should be good to breathe anytime."
Professor Anthony Hedley, head of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said the department failed to see air pollution from a public health point of view.
Such a high number of very high pollution days posed a very serious threat to the health of young people, the elderly and the sick who faced a greater risk of heart and lung problems and strokes, he said.
LAST WEEK, A U.S. STUDY SHOWED THAT 12 MONTHS OF EXPOSURE TO HIGH POLLUTION CAN DOUBLE SENIORS' RISK OF CONTRACTING PNEUMONIA, ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG THE ELDERLY. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/mu-apl122109.php
Hedley called on the government to enforce a law requiring people to comply with policy, such as replacing smoky vehicles. Everything the government was doing was based on voluntary involvement and it was not working, he said. "We must take immediate action to make environmental policy mandatory."
TO BEGIN, THE TITLE STATEMENT, "AIR QUALITY GOOD ABOVE STREET LEVEL FOR ALL OF 2009", IS A WILDLY MISLEADING STATEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE GENERAL (AS OPPOSED TO ROADSIDE) MONITORING STATIONS DID NOT CONSISTENTLY SHOW API READINGS IN EXCESS OF 100 DURING 2009, HK'S API IS SEVERELY OUTDATED (1987) AND PERMITS EMISSIONS LEVELS 2-4 TIMES GREATER THAN THOSE RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES). THUS, API READINGS BELOW THE HK GOVT'S DANGER LEVEL OF 100 DO NOT MEAN THAT THE GENERAL POLLUTION LEVEL IS ACCEPTABLE.
Roadside air pollution in Central hit life-threatening levels on an average of one in every eight days last year, while the number of very high pollution days on Mong Kok streets has increased 37-fold over the past five years, analysis by the South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583, announcements, news) has found.
But above street level, the air quality was good throughout last year. The 11 rooftop general monitoring stations recorded no days of very high pollution - when the air pollution index exceeds 100 and when people with heart and respiratory conditions are advised to avoid areas with heavy traffic.
Academics said the stark difference meant that the severe roadside pollution was a result of traffic emissions.
THE DRAMATIC AND SYSTEMATIC DIFFERENCE IN READINGS BETWEEN THE ROADSIDE AND AMBIENT STATIONS MEANS THAT THE ROADSIDE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM AND THAT OUR FOCUS ON OUTMODED HIGHLY POLLUTING COMMERCIAL DIESEL VEHICLES IS WELL WARRANTED. JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS MUCH WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO IMPROVE THE EMISSIONS (ROADSIDE VEHICLES) WHICH ARE AFFECTING OUR HEALTH THE MOST. THE PUBLIC WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT THE EPD'S EXPLANATION THAT "CHINA IS TO BLAME".
The Environmental Protection Department attributed more days of very high pollution to unfavourable weather conditions last year, adding that there was a drop in the annual average concentration of major pollutants in the past decade.
THIS STUDY POINTS, IRREFUTABLY, TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WEATHER PATTERNS ARE NOT THE MAIN CULPRIT. WE HOPE THAT, INSTEAD OF CONTINUING DOWN THE PATH OF DISINGENUOUS BLANKET DENIAL, THE GOVT WILL USE THIS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AS POLITICAL AMMO TO DEVISE A SOLUTION SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AT TRANSPORT EMISSIONS.
But the explanation drew criticism from academics who said it was unsatisfactory that the government was blaming pollution on the weather. They criticised the administration for relying too much on an annual drop in pollution concentrations, while failing to consider air pollution as a public health issue. An increase in very high pollution days meant people were exposed to a greater danger to their health more often.
When the weather played a part in local air pollution, the government should take that into account when drawing up measures to deal with persistent air pollution rather than simply blaming the weather conditions, they said.
The Post analysis, based on air pollution index records provided by the Environmental Protection Department, found that roadside monitoring station in Central last year registered 44 days of very high pollution, at an average of once every eight days. This compared with 39 days in 2008 and 13 days in 2005.
The Mong Kok station recorded 37 such days last year, compared with one five years ago. In Causeway Bay, the figure was 25 days, up fivefold from 2005. Central has recorded the most days of very high roadside pollution in the past five years.
A monthly breakdown of the data shows the three roadside stations recorded the highest number of very high pollution days in October, with both Mong Kok and Central having 11 and Causeway Bay eight.
The department said air pollution index readings reaching life-threatening levels were usually recorded under unfavourable weather conditions last year.
It said the number of days Mong Kok recorded very high pollution levels fluctuated over the years. Before one such day was recorded in 2005, 38 days had been recorded in the year before. It said changes in pollutant concentration readings were more reliable than the index to assess air quality trends.
The department's data showed that roadside concentrations of respirable suspended particulates fell 33 percent, nitrogen oxides 31 per cent and sulphur dioxide fell 48 per cent in the past decade.
However, the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, a major pollutant contributing to ground-level pollution, rose 11 per cent during the same period.
Professor Chan Chak-keung, acting head of the environment division at the University of Science and Technology, said the frequent occurrences of very high pollution in Central were alarming.
With air quality better above ground, he attributed roadside pollution to heavy traffic rather than regional pollution.
Roadside pollution was also linked to poor dispersal of pollutants, caused by urban design favouring high-rises, which might result in a wall effect, he said.
Angus Wong Chun-yin, a senior campaign officer with environmental group WWF, said that when there was no drastic change in traffic flow in the areas affected, more days of very high pollution might be due to the number of old vehicles on the streets.
He said the government should consider the worst-case scenario. "People should not be asked to wear masks in the streets whenever pollution is high because of the weather. The air should be good to breathe anytime."
Professor Anthony Hedley, head of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said the department failed to see air pollution from a public health point of view.
Such a high number of very high pollution days posed a very serious threat to the health of young people, the elderly and the sick who faced a greater risk of heart and lung problems and strokes, he said.
LAST WEEK, A U.S. STUDY SHOWED THAT 12 MONTHS OF EXPOSURE TO HIGH POLLUTION CAN DOUBLE SENIORS' RISK OF CONTRACTING PNEUMONIA, ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG THE ELDERLY. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/mu-apl122109.php
Hedley called on the government to enforce a law requiring people to comply with policy, such as replacing smoky vehicles. Everything the government was doing was based on voluntary involvement and it was not working, he said. "We must take immediate action to make environmental policy mandatory."
Chan said in the long term the government should aim to deal with air pollution on a 24-hour basis, rather than on an annual one.
ANOTHER RED HERRING ALWAYS CITED BY THE GOVT: WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT ANNUAL LEVELS OF EMISSION TONNAGE HAVE FALLEN IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, ROADSIDE LEVELS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME, WORSENED OR DIMINISHED SO LITTLE THAT THERE WILL BE NO APPRECIABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE NEAR TO MEDIUM TERM. PROFESSOR TONY HEDLEY'S SUBMISSION TO LEGCO RE: CHILD HEALTH GIVES AN EXCELLENT SNAPSHOT (SEE PAGE 3) OF ROADSIDE EMISSIONS AND THEIR TRAJECTORIES FROM 1997 TO 2008. http://www.hongkongcan.org/eng/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Legco_air-pllution-and-child-health.pdf
He said to achieve this the administration should work on urban planning. He also called for more collaboration between the Environmental Protection Department and the Transport Department to deal with traffic pollution.
CONSIDERING THAT THE MAIN FOCUS OF EMISSIONS CLEAN-UP IS TRANSPORT, SUCH COORDINATION SEEMS INDISPENSABLE. BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE INTERESTS OF THESE TWO DEPARTMENTS ARE OPPPOSED. FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE THE EPD SEEKS EARLY RETIREMENT OF OLD BUSES, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WANTS TO KEEP BUS FARES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
According to the Hedley Environmental Index, developed by the professor and other academics, air pollution led to 831 premature deaths, 63,424 hospital bed days and a HK$1.88 billion financial loss.
A department spokesman said it would continue to encourage vehicle owners to voluntarily replace pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles with Euro IV models through a HK$3.2 billion one-off grant scheme to improve roadside air quality.
Since the introduction of the scheme in 2004, it has received 13,050 applications. There are still 39,100 such vehicles on the road.
GOING BACK TO HEDLEY'S POINT ABOVE, IN THE ARTICLE, "We must take immediate action to make environmental policy mandatory", WE CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF STICKS TO ACCOMPANY CARROTS. THE GOVT'S SUBSIDY SCHEME ENABLING EARLY REPLACEMENT OF OLD DIESEL VEHICLES HAS BEEN A RESOUNDING FAILURE WITH TOO FEW VEHICLE OWNERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SUBSIDY. A CARROT ALONE IS A JOKE! IN A RECENT MEETING WITH THE EPD, THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING HIGHER LICENSE RENEWAL FEES FOR OLDER VEHICLES, BUT THE PENALIZING INCREMENT UNDER CONSIDERATION WAS "JUST A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS". PER THE EPD, SUCH DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT WOULD APPARENTLY "SEND THE RIGHT SIGNAL". BUT, HONESTLY, SUCH A DE MINIMIS PENALTY IS LAUGHABLE.
The department had proposed in a review of air quality objectives cutting bus trips in non-peak hours by 10 per cent to improve roadside air quality, but no timetable has been set. The public consultation on the review ended in November.
In 2002, the department set a 2010 target to cut emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, respirable suspended particulates and volatile organic compounds in the Pearl River Delta region by 40 per cent, 20 cent, 55 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, from 1997 levels. By 2008, emission levels of the pollutants, except sulphur dioxide, had already or almost met the reduction target.
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