Updated on Mar 31, 2008 – SCMP Cecille Gamst Berg (“Lantau takes highway to Hell, March 21) is totally correct. Very soon Lantau, a former green lung of Hong Kong, will choke under exhaust fumes. “Improving” the road system by opening up the island for private car use is only the beginning. An increase in [...]
Posts from ‘March, 2008’
Linking bypass and fate of road pricing is deceitful, say activists
Ng Kang-chung Updated on Mar 31, 2008 – SCMP Anti-reclamation activists yesterday criticised the government for linking electronic road pricing with the controversial Central to Wan Chai Bypass. Activists accused the government of using the road pricing issue to speed up reclamation of Victoria Harbour to build the bypass, a road aimed at easing traffic [...]
Crop crisis ignites drive for transgenic rice
Stephen Chen in Beijing Updated on Mar 31, 2008 – SCMP Last summer brought nothing but scarcity for the rice farmers of Licun village in Fujian province. Half of their regular strains of hybrid rice died despite an abundance of rainfall, sunshine, pesticide, fertilisers and sweat. Their big fear is that there will be poor [...]
200 nations aim to bridge gaps over greenhouse emissions caps
Associated Press in Bangkok – Updated on Mar 31, 2008 Governments from nearly 200 countries will launch discussions today on forging a global warming agreement, a process that is expected to be fraught with disagreements over how much to reduce greenhouse gases and which nations should adhere to binding targets. The week-long, United Nations climate [...]
Green Vibes
Karen Wong – The Standard Monday, March 31, 2008 Over the past decade, words like global warming, pollution, and recycling have become part of the everyday vocabulary. Andrew Thomson, chief executive officer of The Business Environment Council, has been one of the strongest proponents of environmental protection, pushing forth agendas to make Hong Kong a [...]
High Levy A Poor Excuse For Delaying Electronic Toll
Updated on Mar 30, 2008 – South China Morning Post Any road scheme that can reduce traffic and air pollution is bound to enjoy extensive support. Survey after survey has shown people are prepared to support tough measures – and pay for them – to improve the environment. A report by the Council for Sustainable [...]
Vertical Plantscapes
SCMP – March 29th 2008 Contrary to H.C. Bee’s assertion (Talkback, March 27), green walls have never been gimmicks. Contemporary vertical “plantscapes” or green walls are a considered approach to the aesthetics of sustainability. Of course, with any new technology there are maintenance issues, however Mr Bee misses the mark here. There are quantifiable returns [...]
Stopping Causes Of Illness Better Policy Than Imposing ‘Health Tax’
Updated on Mar 28, 2008 – SCMP John Yuan (“We must understand what makes people sick”, March 23), gives voice to the misgivings of many overproposed health-care reforms. The government is putting the cart before the horse with this consultation. As Mr Yuan rightly points out, the first step is to find out why so [...]
Proposed Sai Wan MTR Ventilation Shaft
3,000 Sai Wan residents oppose proposed MTR ventilation shaft Scarlett Chiang Updated on Mar 27, 2008 – SCMP About 3,000 residents in Sai Wan are dissatisfied with a proposed ventilation shaft on the MTR West Island line, saying it would pollute the air and make the road surface hotter. Hui Kwan-ying, representative of the Hill [...]
Guangdong Watchdog Backs Refinery Plan
Fiona Tam – SCMP – Updated on Mar 27, 2008 Guangdong environmental authorities say they will not stand in the way of a controversial US$5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical plant in Nansha despite opposition on ecological grounds. Chen Guangrong, deputy director of the provincial environmental watchdog, said on Tuesday that the provincial authorities supported [...]