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CitySeen: Still Trying To Clear The Air, 11 Years On

Nov 13th, 2008
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Andrew Sun, SCMP – Nov 13, 2008

Under a clear night sky, the Clear the Air group celebrated its 11th anniversary at the Fringe rooftop on Tuesday, at the same time kicking off a campaign to convince more companies to sign up for the corporate clean-air effort and commit to reducing their carbon footprint.scm_news_clear_the_air

“There are different categories,” Lisa Christensen, the fund-raising and events chairwoman (pictured with ambassadors Jocelyn Luko and Anthony Sandstrom) explained. “Through their involvement, we’ve created a plan for companies that sign up to take action. We’ll offer them a free consultation to start to improve their air quality. That’s the first step. It’s scaled for all levels of corporations, from [small and medium-sized enterprises] to large factories. At one major sportswear manufacturer, we did a four-week consultation and [helped it improve] energy savings by 20 per cent.”

Given how the industry has tanked in the past two months, you would think any sort of socially conscious campaign would get doors slammed in its face as businesses hope to ride out the economic storm. “Surprisingly, not,” Christensen said.

“I’ve been through bird flu and Sars, and traditionally green promotion was the first thing to go, but the reception to our cause has been very good. But we have had no luck with banks.”

Contact Clear the Air at 2886 2655.

Additional reporting by Clara Mak and Vivian Chen. Send tips, tickets and invitations to andrew.sun@scmp.com

Wong Video Targets Wheezy City

Nov 8th, 2008
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Clara Mak – SCMP | Updated on Nov 08, 2008

Like a lot of people living in Hong Kong, Magic Boy director Adam Wong Sau-ping suffers bouts of hay fever. But instead of just blowing his nose into an endless number of hankies, he chose to address the issue of air pollution, which he believes triggers the reaction.

His concerns are probably justified. A recent Greenpeace report states that frequent exposure to air pollution can lower resistance to respiratory diseases and also increase chances of developing conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Greenpeace added that the Hong Kong government’s Air Pollution Index, its daily measure of air quality in the city, doesn’t quite reflect the reality. The index has been neither reviewed nor updated in the past two decades to match the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, so Greenpeace has launched its own “Real Air Pollution Index”.

Meanwhile, Wong (pictured) filmed a short video to help promote the Greenpeace campaign. The 33-year-old recruited a group of children, whom he shot undertaking various activities around the city.

“At the beginning of the video, these 10 lovely children went out after they were reassured by the weather report that the air quality on the day was suitable for them to do outdoor activities,” he says. “So, they went out taking deep breaths in Kwun Tong, running in Sha Tin, blowing balloons in Central, playing music with a pianica and singing on the Tsing Ma Bridge.

“But by the end, you will hear these children coughing and wheezing because the current index just simply does not reflect the true air quality level here. We are using a standard that is some 20 years behind and far below the WHO standard,” Wong says.

Living in the busy district of Mong Kok, Wong has developed ways of dealing with air pollution. He takes a few steps back when he waits to cross the road to avoid breathing in fumes and he rinses his mouth with water when he gets home to prevent a sore throat.

Air pollution, he says, is as serious as the recent Chinese milk powder scare. “It’s like telling a child the milk he drinks is contaminated with melamine. The difference is if you don’t drink the milk every day or eat a large quantity of White Rabbit candies in one go, you probably won’t develop a kidney stone or die. However, you can’t choose not to breathe even though the air is polluted. It’s just scary.”

Wong tries to protect the environment by using fewer plastic bags and recycling plastic bottles. He says he was heavily influenced by Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s films which often touch on environmental subjects.

“One of his films, Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind [1984], talks about the friendship between an insect and a human. The eyes of the bug go red when it is angry and turn blue when the people are being friendly to it. It taught me the relationship between nature and human beings and how the two should live together peacefully.

“Besides, we are not here to conquer the world,” he says.

To watch Wong’s video and to learn more about the Real Air Pollution campaign, visit www.greenpeace.org/china.

Emissions At Least On Par With US: Beijing Admits It May Be World’s Top Polluter

Oct 30th, 2008
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Shi Jiangtao in Beijing – SCMP | Updated on Oct 30, 2008

A top climate official has admitted the mainland’s greenhouse gas emissions are at least on a par with those of the United States, but said the unfolding financial crisis was presenting new economic and technological opportunities to restructure the international campaign against global warming.

Xie Zhenhua , deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, also said yesterday rich countries must take the lead in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing money and technology to developing countries.

It was the first time the central government had publicly acknowledged that China may have passed the US to become the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter.

“Based on information we have at hand, our total emissions are roughly the same as the US,” Mr Xie said at the launch of the country’s first white paper on tackling climate change.

International research institutes and experts have said for two years that China’s output of carbon dioxide, the key greenhouse gas, had surpassed that of the US, given that the latest data on China’s greenhouse gas emissions was from 1994.

But Mr Xie said: “Whether or not we have surpassed the US is not in itself important.” He repeated China’s stance that it was only fair to consider historical and accumulated emissions in determining whether developed or developing countries should play a bigger role in the global fight against climate change.

The white paper says: “Developed countries should be responsible for their accumulative emissions and current high per capita emissions, and take the lead in reducing emissions, in addition to providing financial support and transferring technologies to developing countries.”

Mr Xie said China’s per-capita emissions for its 1.3 billion people remain much lower than those of rich countries, and was about a fifth of the US average. “As China is in the process of industrialisation and urbanisation, it is fairly natural that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions grow very fast,” he said.

He also said it was not fair for China to take responsibility for emissions generated on behalf of countries that consumed Chinese exports, which accounted for 24 per cent of the country’s total emissions.

Both the white paper and Mr Xie played down the growing criticism over China’s refusal to accept a mandatory target in cutting emissions.

“There is no doubt that under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries must take the lead in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Xie said.

Under the UN-sponsored treaty, developing countries are not obliged to accept mandatory caps, but the US has refused to ratify it, citing the framework’s failure to hold China and India more responsible.

“But regardless of the results of international negotiations and how much developed countries honour their commitments, China from its own perspective must realise sustainable development,” Mr Xie said. “We must save energy, raise energy efficiency, develop renewable energies and adopt measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.”

He said the financial turmoil should be viewed as an opportunity for China as well as the whole world to carry out economic restructuring, promoting environmentally friendly technology and cutting pollution.

“Tackling climate change and the financial crisis is not contradictory,” he said. “We will seize the opportunity to increase domestic demand and funding on energy efficiency. We will have to solve climate change and environmental problems through development.”

Mr Xie said developed countries should contribute at least 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic products to help developing countries fight global warming.

Analysts said the release of the policy paper as well as recent remarks by mainland officials were part of Beijing’s strategy amid intense negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

An international climate change seminar on technology transfer organised by the UN and China will be held in Beijing next week, and delegates from more than 190 countries will participate in another key UN conference on climate change in Poznan, Poland, in December.

Yang Ailun , from Greenpeace China, said the white paper was basically a review of the government’s achievements in tackling climate change in the past few years.

“While it may not have much new information, it is clearly aimed at highlighting China’s progress in cutting emissions ahead of international negotiations,” she said.

Clearing The Air Will Take Time And Money, Says Environment Chief

Oct 21st, 2008
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Cheung Chi-fai – SCMP | Updated on Oct 21, 2008

The environment minister yesterday tried to play down expectations about the pace and scope of efforts to reduce air pollution, saying every measure had its price and a public consensus was needed on the way forward.

Edward Yau Tang-wah said boosting natural gas use in electricity generation was one of the ways to help meet the World Health Organisation’s air quality targets – which are much stricter than Hong Kong’s. But those targets would not be met without there being a price to pay, he said. Gas costs up to 50 per cent more than coal, though fuel prices were likely to remain volatile.

“Furthermore, some existing coal-fired generation units will have to be replaced by gas-fired units. It will involve more capital investment and we have to be cautious about that,” Mr Yau said on an RTHK programme.

He said the replacement of coal-fired turbines could be delayed if more effort was put into saving energy.

“Even if fuel prices are getting ever higher, if we are using the energy wisely we will still have a hedge against the rise,” he said.

He would not speculate about the impact on fuel bills of the government asking power suppliers to use cleaner fuel.

Mr Yau said that because he wore two hats as environment secretary and energy chief, he had to balance both carefully with due regard to public sentiment, although he fully supported cleaning up the air.

“We will not restore the blue skies at any cost. The administration will have to be cautious about the direction in which he head, the steps we take and how quickly we take them.

“That’s what we are doing and what the public is asking us to do,” he said.

Mr Yau admitted that meeting the WHO targets would be difficult and required a multi-pronged approach, with measures to cut emissions from power plants and vehicles.

“We need a basket of measures, though they might have varying impacts. But we have to achieve the WHO standards, so we should be ready for the price we have to pay.”

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, in his policy address last week, outlined plans to adopt a set of WHO pollution standards to replace the city’s outdated air quality objectives.

Mong Kok Pollution ‘Three Times’ WHO Levels

Oct 1st, 2008
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Peter So – SCMP – Updated on Oct 01, 2008

A green group and legislator warned the worsening air quality at tourist spots would scare off visitors, and are urging government to tighten the air-quality measuring standards.

Greenpeace have conducted on-site monitoring of the levels of respiratory suspended particulates (PM-10) and fine suspended particulates (PM-2.5) on Monday and Tuesday this week – prior to the peak tourist period of “Golden Week” – in a pedestrian area of Mong Kok.

The experiment discovered that the concentration levels of both particulates had three times exceeded the World Health Organisation’s most stringent standards. It means tourists and local residents’ health could be threatened if they are exposed to the area for several hours.

Paul Tse Wai-chun, a legislator in the tourism sector, said the poor air quality would damage the city’s image in the long run.

An earlier survey found 48.8 per cent of local tourist guides had received complaints from tourists about the city’s air pollution, Greenpeace said.

Meanwhile, Mr Tse called on the government to amend the air-quality measuring standards in accord of the WHO guidelines which [were] established in 2006.

The current government standards had been adopted since 1987, and it did not include PM-2.5 – which research suggests can penetrate deep into human lungs and have more severe health effects than larger particulates.

“The current standards are too loose and outdated,” said Mr Tse.

He said it is the responsibility of the government to update the Environmental Protection Department’s Air Pollution Index to let the public know the real situation of air pollution.

Mr Tse added that initiatives to improve the “wall effect” created by high-rise buildings and the control of traffic flow in busy districts should be undertaken.

Despite the government would commission a study to review the air-quality objectives and development a long-term management strategy, Greenpeace campaigner Prentice Koo Wai-muk said the government has no time-table to amend current standards to meet the WHO’s more stringent standards progressively.

And the green group would update a “Real Air Pollution Index” on the website – www.airtruth.org – which would monitor air pollutants including sulphur dioxide, ozone, respirable suspended particles and nitrogen dioxide with the updated WHO standards.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace has made travel tips on the city’s scenic spots with better air quality to tourists. Mr Tse said the government can promote those spots as a remedy.

Hong Kong Choking On Its Own Pollution

Sep 28th, 2008
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Dirty old town

Hong Kong is slowly choking on its own pollution. Technology may be a major cause, but it could also be a cure

David Wilson – Updated on Sep 28, 2008 – SCMP

Hong Kong survived the bird-flu pandemic and Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the Sars outbreak in 2003. Now many fear that it will be a chronic crisis – air pollution – that will do most harm to the city’s future.

In a place where earnings and acquisition have long been people’s priorities, a dramatic shift in behaviour appears necessary to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a victim of its “toxic sewers”.

Calls have been made, urging consumers to adopt “clean” technologies, and the city’s government and commercial sectors to pursue more green initiatives.

Clean technology, as described by United States-based research firm Clean Edge, is “a diverse range of products, services and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes”. It notes that clean technologies “are competitive with, if not superior to, their conventional counterparts”.

Green initiatives include campaigns against “light pollution” – the excessive use of neon lights and overlit advertising. Government-led efforts include implementing strict guidelines for auditing the carbon emissions of commercial and residential buildings and more stringent air-quality, fuel and vehicle emission standards.

According to research conducted at the University of Hong Kong, the city’s air contains almost three times more soot and other pollutants than New York’s and more than twice that of London. Hong Kong is bedeviled by high particulate matter levels, which are linked to increased mortality risk. It also has high levels of sulphur dioxide, which has been linked to childhood respiratory disease.

The main culprits are coal-fired power plants, wasteful household consumption and traffic. It was reported that Hong Kong’s roads are the world’s most crowded, with almost 280 vehicles for every kilometre. Early this month, Greenpeace China unveiled its Real Air Pollution Index for Hong Kong, to spur the government to fall in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. On the green group’s website, there is the Air Pollution Clock – a free download that counts the number of hours since July 1 this year that Hong Kong’s air has failed to reach WHO standards.

As well as discouraging tourists, the pollution is threatening Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s financial hub. US investment bank Merrill Lynch has warned that the air quality is so lousy it poses a real danger to the city’s long-term competitiveness. Already, multinational corporate executives have given up on Hong Kong’s smog-filled skyline and moved to greener Asian cities, such as Singapore. We have asked a group of local experts to share their views on how members of the community can do their bit to help clean up the city and the planet.

Christine Loh Kung-wai is a former Hong Kong legislator and chief executive of Civic Exchange, an independent, non-profit public policy think-tank.

“Anything that is more energy-efficient can qualify [as clean technology], including bicycles and other pedal-powered devices. Look at the Segway two-wheeled electric transporter. Consider low-energy light bulbs and lightweight hybrid cars such as the Hypercar from the Rocky Mountain Institute [www.rmi.org/hypercar]. The vehicle offers ultra-light construction, low-drag design and hybrid-electric drive. Cars made with strong lightweight materials go further on less fuel.

“Then there is clean water technology – aided by devices such as filters and low-flow shower heads. More and more Escos [energy service companies], architects and engineers, even power companies are providing energy-efficient products.

“But changing our behaviour is more important than buying new technology. We must consume less.”

Christian Masset, chairman of Clear the Air (www.cleartheair.org.hk), a volunteer organisation targeting Hong Kong’s air-pollution issues, suggests that households take the initiative and provide a good example in their local communities.

“To save on energy, install a room temperature controller such as the ION Tx PIR. It’s basically a smart thermostat that controls the overall temperature using a network of occupancy sensors in various rooms in a home. It can be paired with the air conditioner or, even better, with less energy-consuming ceiling fans.

“Whatever electronics you have in your house, it’s best not to leave them on standby. Switch them off when not in use. This simple energy-cutting solution can save up to 20 per cent on your electricity bill.

“If you live in a windy location, install Motorwind [www.motorwavegroup.com] turbines to produce part of your electricity without drawing it all from the [electricity] grid. The nylon turbines can be installed on balconies of flats or rooftops of buildings and generate electricity at wind speeds as low as 2 metres per second.

“For cleaner transport, I think people should support the Hong Kong-made electric car designed by EuAuto Technology [www.euauto.com.hk]. All you need to do is plug the car into a standard household socket for six to eight hours to recharge its batteries. Once the vehicle has been fully charged, you’re ready to go – and at speeds of up to 40mph.”

James Ockenden, publisher of environmental technology, engineering and finance magazine Blue Skies China [blueskieschina.com], believes that prudent investment decisions could make a big difference.

“Buy a clean-tech mutual fund but watch where the money is invested. Some high-street `climate change’ funds invest in Toyota, claiming hybrid development is worthy of green money. That is debatable. Make sure the fund manager’s definition of `green’ aligns with yours. If you have US$50,000 to invest, consider a specialist Chinese venture capital fund. The money will go pretty much directly into a clean technology start-up.

“Watch your carbon offsets [a carbon offset is a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions]. Choose a well-audited scheme such as Carbonfund.org [the non-profit US organisation buys and retires certified carbon offsets for its donors]. You can be sure your money will actually go towards making industry pay more for the right to produce carbon dioxide [CO2] emissions. A tonne of CO2 reduction costs from €20 [HK$230] to €30 in the European market, while some retail schemes charge 10 times that for questionable, even worthless, carbon certificates.

“Don’t pick up the IPO prospectus; try to read it online when possible. The Hong Kong stock exchange is experimenting with electronic market information. If successful, it could be applied to the Chinese stock markets, saving billions of pages of ink and paper each year.

“Ditch the car, get a trolley [to carry bulky goods]. The classic Hong Kong trolley, which costs HK$300 and up, is a remarkable piece of clean-tech engineering – it’s green like a bicycle, carries a decent payload and fits into a taxi for long trips.

“Until there’s a decent environmental building code in Hong Kong, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any energy efficiency benchmark to compare flats to. Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask property developers tough questions. Demand some kind of energy efficiency/social responsibility report when looking at new buildings. Ask if the property has single-glazed windows. Check if the building uses low-VOC [volatile organic compound] paint. Organic vapour from paint is a major cause of brown haze.”

Martin Williams (www.drmartinwilliams.com), a Hong Kong-based conservationist, photographer and writer, sees the internet helping more people live an eco-friendly life.

“Technology tends to go against green living. But using the internet, consumers can get better information than many so-called `green’ television documentaries provide. The Web also allows individuals to take some action. You can join discussions, participate in online campaigns and play a role in making grander changes than simply switching to long-life light bulbs in your home.

“Also important: switch off, reduce, reuse and recycle. Have hi-tech gizmos repaired as soon as possible, don’t just buy new ones for the sake of fashion. Modern condoms may not be thought of as clean technology, but with the planet’s resources already overstrained by the human population, green living also means not having loads of children; future generations must be given a chance of a better life.”

For more information about Hong Kong’s air, visit www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/air-pollution. Take a look at the Air Pollution Clock – if you dare.

Greens Urge Pollution Shake-Up

Sep 12th, 2008
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Joyce Ng – Updated on Sep 12, 2008

Greens have urged the government to step up the tightening of air-quality measuring standards – along international guidelines – after records in the past two months show air quality remains unsatisfactory.

The administration said it had been carrying out a review and would finalise the new measuring standards next year.

Three Greenpeace members yesterday climbed to the top of an air-monitoring station in Central and unveiled banners urging the government to revise its standards to reflect those introduced by the World Health Organisation in 2006.

The group found that in the past two months there had been 44 days when at least one monitoring station had recorded 24-hour-average concentrations of particulate matter that exceeded the WHO standards.

On one day in August, concentrations surpassed WHO standards in all but one of the 14 monitoring stations. In Causeway Bay, the measurement was 1.86 times the standard, but the official index classified the area as only having a “medium to high” level of pollution.

“The government standard, established in 1987, is too loose and outdated, failing to reflect the truth and protect our health,” Greenpeace campaigner Prentice Koo Wai-muk said.

Mr Koo urged the government to monitor minute particulates, known as PM-2.5, which research suggests can penetrate deep into human lungs and have more severe health effects than larger particulates.

In June last year, the Environmental Protection Department commissioned a study to review the air- quality objectives and develop a long-term management strategy.

A spokesman said the study was expected to be completed by the end of this year, after which the department would launch a public consultation and finalise the standards. The study would make reference to the WHO guidelines.

The existing index is calculated with reference to seven pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, respirable suspended particulates, carbon monoxide and ozone.

The WHO has recommended interim targets for governments to meet the more stringent standards progressively.

Tighter Limits On Pollution Sought

Sep 7th, 2008
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Activists, citing ‘real’ air monitor, seek tighter limits on pollution

Yau Chui-yan – Updated on Sep 07, 2008

Green groups and medical academics in Hong Kong say it is time for the government to adopt World Health Organisation air-quality guidelines, with Greenpeace releasing a downloadable “Real Air Pollution Index” software “widget” based on the international recommendations.

The widget, for computer desktops, can be downloaded free from the environmental group’s website and provides instant updates of air-pollution levels according to the WHO standard.

Edward Chan Yue-fai, campaign manager of Greenpeace China, said it was important for the public not to be misled by the Environmental Protection Department’s Air Pollution Index (API).

“The API corresponds to air- quality objectives which have not been revised since 1987,” he said. “The standard is just too vague.”

University of Science and Technology atmospheric scientist Alexis Lau Kai-hon also called for a change.

“API is a tool to communicate with the public. If it fails to communicate with the public about the health risk, then it is time to consider a new standard,” Dr Lau said.

The API ranges from 0 to 500 and is divided into five bands according to the potential effects on health.

It is calculated by comparing the measured concentrations of major air pollutants with health-related air-quality objectives established under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance.

However, the API is out of kilter with the standards applied by the WHO’s guidelines.

There are times with low API readings when pollutant levels are much higher than the WHO’s recommended maximum intake.

For example, the API in Mong Kok at 5pm on August 4 was 30, but some pollutant levels were much higher than the WHO standard.

According to the Environmental Protection Department, no action needs to be taken when the API is 30, which is considered “medium” pollution.

But the actual level of respirable suspended particulates – particulate matter measuring less than 10 microns – was 14 per cent higher and the level of sulfur dioxide 33 per cent higher than in the WHO guidelines.

Long-term exposure to air with high concentrations of particulate matter is associated with a higher risk of mortality, while high levels of sulfur dioxide have been linked to childhood respiratory disease.

Most recreational runners in Hong Kong responding to questions on a popular running website recently said they would check smog levels before exercising but few said they looked at the API.

However, one runner said he called off runs if the API rose above 100.

Although no country strictly follows all the WHO guidelines, Anthony Hedley, professor of community medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said that was not an excuse for Hong Kong to avoid doing so.

“Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta are among the most heavily polluted areas in the world,” he said. “Moreover, the WHO standard has embedded studies conducted in the Pearl River region; it is not something generated in another part of the world. There should be no excuse.”

The government replied that a study scheduled to be completed by the end of this year would recommend a new set of air-quality objectives and a corresponding long-term air-quality-management strategy for Hong Kong.

It said it would make reference to the WHO air-quality guidelines.

Teenage Photographer Takes A Shot At Pollution

Sep 5th, 2008
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Dan Kadison – SCMP – Updated on Sep 05, 2008

A 16-year-old photographer plans to focus attention on Hong Kong’s pollution problem by displaying his work at a Central art gallery.

On September 17, Sam Inglis, a student at Sha Tin College, will unveil nearly 20 of his photos in The Economist Gallery at the Fringe Club.

The teenager’s solo exhibition will be called Suffocation – and his Photoshopped images, some dark, some surreal, some optimistic, are meant to persuade and motivate.

“I wanted to create a number of art pieces based on the pollution – trying to get a message across, through the art, that the pollution of Hong Kong has got to a critical level,” Sam said.

His concern and his efforts have earned him a nomination as an Earth Champion.

The nomination is part of the Hong Kong Earth Champions Quest, a search for people and organisations who are trying to sustain and improve the city’s environment.

The efforts of Sam – who also volunteers at Kadoorie Farm in the New Territories and is building a roof garden at his school with other students – is just one example of how a person or a group can rally and enhance the community.

“It is exciting to see young people stepping up and taking action,” said Fiona Mathews, chief executive of the Earth Champions Foundation.

“With young role models like Sam showing other young people that they can make a difference, we want to invite all young people to let us know what they might be doing to improve where they live or what they are doing at school, or university.”

Sam was born in Hong Kong and had asthma as a child. He says the city’s pollution was to blame.

“There are loads of people trying to stop it – but I just thought it would be good if somebody from the artistic world started to push artwork in that area,” said Sam, whose work has been applauded by local environmental advocacy group Clear The Air.

“I don’t want to be too provocative, but I’m just trying to say that there is a problem and we need to do something about it.”

The teenager has been inspired by the work of his parents.

His father, Peter Inglis, is a professional photographer. His mother, Lindsey McAlister, is the director of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation.

“Sam is passionate about the arts and the environment and creating an exhibition which actually raises awareness about the state of the environment in Hong Kong,” Ms McAlister said. “I’ve been proud of him for wanting to make a difference.”

Nomination forms are available at EarthChampions.org. The South China Morning Post is media sponsor of the initiative.

Support For Tree Preservation

Aug 30th, 2008
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Eva Wu – SCMP – Updated on Aug 30, 2008

Almost all would-be lawmakers say they support legislation aimed at preserving trees in the city.

Five green groups – the Conservancy Association, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Green Power and Greeners Action – initiated a “green charter” this month and sought the support of all Legislative Council election candidates.

Replies from 44 of the 46 individual candidates or party tickets supported a call for a law preserving trees in the city that would comprehensively detail how they would be protected.

On Wednesday, a tree – which experts said could have been diseased for some time – collapsed at Stanley Market and killed a young woman. The accident raised concerns about the health of trees throughout the city.

Conservancy Association campaign manager Peter Li Siu-man said there might be some obstacles to legislation on the issue.

“The government would have to commit much more resources to preserving trees,” he said. “Once a law was passed, the government would be required to remedy cases of neglect.”

The charter, which contains 11 demands covering issues ranging from air pollution to conservation policies, received a cool response from trades-related candidates and business-affiliated political parties.

Of the 59 candidates standing in the 30 functional constituencies, only 10 signed the charter. Some said they needed more time to study it and others rejected it outright. Liberal Party candidates refused to sign it.

Mr Li said the response was disappointing. “Trees are a public concern, as everyone can see after the accident. Their response reflects how much they support conservation policies despite what appears on their platforms,” he said, adding that many platforms failed to meet the charter’s basic demands.

Greenpeace’s Edward Chan Yue-fai said voters should scrutinise the stance of candidates on environmental affairs.

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