www.guardian.co.uk ‘Breakthrough’ hailed as Chinese judge says residents may prosecute government over pollution claims China should see its first lawsuit by an environmental group against authorities within weeks, state media reported today. A member of the All-China Environmental Federation – which is backed by the central government – said a judge in Guizhou province had [...]
Posts from ‘July, 2009’
Cleaner air objectives are inadequate
SCMP We welcome the long-overdue review of air quality objectives and the newly proposed strategies for air pollution control by the Environmental Protection Department. The underlying principles of protecting public health, the long-term goal of adopting the targets set by the World Health Organisation and the need for a regular review of Hong Kong’s air [...]
Clean bill of health
Christine Loh, SCMP The government must be told, in no uncertain terms, that it has a duty to protect the public from pollution Pollution is profitable. Major emitters harm our health and they have got away with it for far too long. But the government, as a whole, hasn’t quite understood this yet. Nevertheless, we [...]
Clean-air investment will reap big returns
SCMP A business plan that projects returns of HK$1.2 billion for a HK$600 million investment sounds like an excellent deal. Company executives would scrutinise the details to ensure that there were no hidden costs or loopholes. Department heads would argue over where cuts could be made to finance the project. Driving all involved, though, would [...]
Air quality should meet strictest WHO guideline, 71pc in poll say
Amy Nip – SCMP The government should set new air quality objectives in line with the toughest guidelines proposed by the World Health Organisation, 71 per cent of respondents to a green group’s survey said. A survey conducted by Lingnan University for Greenpeace polled 532 people this month. Some 380 respondents, or 71.4 per cent, [...]
Business groups back air quality plan, despite activists’ criticism
Cheung Chi-fai and Paggie Leung, SCMP Two major business groups have thrown their weight behind the air quality improvement plan unveiled by the government two days ago, despite reservations voiced by a clean air advocacy group. Teresa Au, deputy chairwoman of the General Chamber of Commerce environment and sustainability committee, said it was worth paying [...]
Report urges wider monitoring of damaging superfine particles
Joyce Ng, SCMP The superfine particles in Hong Kong’s air that critically affect people’s health should be monitored at all 14 air-monitoring stations, consultant firm Ove Arup says, while setting the loosest target for the government to meet. None of the annual average readings of the five stations that record the concentration of the superfine [...]
Tougher steps on air quality rolled out – Goals on pollution, ideas to meet them
Cheung Chi-fai, SCMP The government yesterday rolled out proposals to toughen air quality standards, and measures to achieve this, as Hong Kong seeks to catch up with the developed world. The administration said the steps, which largely meet World Health Organisation objectives, could extend average life expectancy by a month. The proposals include using more [...]
Plans for cleaner air are welcome, if overdue
SCMP If there is one thing on which there has long been consensus it is that we would like to breathe cleaner air – for our health’s sake. The public consultation announced yesterday on an upgrade of the city’s air-quality objectives should therefore convey a sense of urgency. Instead it lacks a timetable and is [...]
Long wait to clean up air is unacceptable
SCMP I could not agree more with the comments made in the report (“Clean-air ideas abound but hard choices rare, green groups charge”, July 15) on the heavy roadside pollution caused by Hong Kong buses. Green Power and Friends of the Earth deserve credit for pointing out the core factor behind the serious air pollution [...]