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Hong Kong to tighten vehicle emission standards

Mar 23rd, 2012
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http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90778/7767570.html

HONG KONG, March 23 (Xinhua) — The 2012 Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) amendment regulation was released here Friday to tighten emission standards for newly registered vehicles to European levels, according to the Hong Kong government website.

The city’s Environmental Protection Department said the regulation requires newly registered vehicles to comply with Euro V standards from June 1. Newly registered diesel vehicles of less than 3.5 tons must comply with the standards from Dec. 31.

Compared with Euro IV vehicles, Euro V heavy diesel vehicles emit 40 percent less nitrogen oxide, while light diesel vehicles emit 80 percent less respirable suspended particulates and 30 percent less nitrogen oxide. Euro V petrol or LPG vehicles emit 30 percent less nitrogen oxide.

The amendment will be tabled at the Legislative Council on March 28. If approved, it will take effect on June 1, 2012.

Half Shenzhen’s buses to be electric or hybrid

Mar 13th, 2012
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Plan to replace more than 50pc of its combustion engine fleet would reduce dangerous air pollution
Fiona Tam 
Mar 13, 2012

In a bid to become China’s electric vehicle capital, Shenzhen has set a goal to replace more than 50 per cent of its combustion engine buses with electric or hybrid ones by 2015, a move that would reduce air pollution, especially of dangerous fine respirable particles.

Shenzhen mayor Xu Qin said during the current National People’s Congress in Beijing that within three years the city would ban from the road all vehicles that failed to meet the country’s advanced emission standards.

The “green” credentials of electric cars is controversial. Some researchers say that only when renewable sources – such as solar, wind or hydropower – are used in making the car and generating the electricity to run it will emissions truly fall to zero. Nevertheless, Xu said adopting electric would greatly reduce air pollution in Shenzhen, which ranks second to Beijing as having the most vehicles on the mainland.

“Electric cars consume electricity rather than petrol, so at least there’ll be zero emission of PM2.5 from the public transport system,” he was quoted as saying by yesterday’s Nanfang Daily. PM2.5 refers to respirable suspended particulates of 2.5 microns or less, which include cancer-causing particles.

Xu said 3,000 electric or hybrid vehicles were put into use in Shenzhen last year, and a further 2,000 were planned for this year.

Shenzhen’s transport commission said earlier that the city planned to put on the road 5,000 hybrid and 1,000 electric buses, and 3,000 electric taxis, by the end of 2015.

This could cut 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, The Economic Observer reported.

According to Shenzhen’s environmental protection bureau, the city’s roughly 2.3 million vehicles emitted nearly 50 per cent of total PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides. Official figures suggest that 23 per cent of the city’s emissions come from its 13,000 buses and 14,000 taxis.

Professor Eric Cheng, a specialist in electric vehicles at Polytechnic University, said Hong Kong, which offers fewer government subsidies to promote use of electric vehicles, was unlikely to follow Shenzhen’s example. “Everybody wants such a move,” he said. “But it’s nearly impossible for Hong Kong’s privately owned bus operators to replace half of their vehicles with electric or hybrid ones, as the cost is too high. Without abundant government subsidies, it could take a decade for Hong Kong’s bus companies to replace half of the buses with electric or hybrid ones.”

Although coal accounts for more than 80 per cent of the fuel mix in China’s power plants, Cheng said: “Filters in power plants are much more advanced than those on buses or taxis, and the percentage of electricity from coal will surely decrease if we have an eye on the future.”

In Shenzhen, every electric bus put on the road has received a one million yuan (HK$1.22 million) subsidy since 2010, half from the central government and half from Shenzhen’s. Subsidies for hybrid buses have increased from 300,000 to 600,000 yuan last year.

fiona.tam@scmp.com
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A taxi is charged in Shenzhen. The city, which ranks second to Beijing as having the most vehicles of all kinds on the mainland, is concerned about fine respirable particles.
Photo: Edward Wong

“GE & Chesapeake Energy Corp. Announce Collaboration to Speed Adoption of Natural Gas as Transportation Fuel”

Mar 7th, 2012
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Press Release

GE and Chesapeake Energy Corporation Announce Collaboration to Speed Adoption of Natural Gas as Transportation Fuel

· Initiative Targets Natural Gas Fueling Infrastructure Development

· Agreement Designed to Develop Products and Services for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Transportation and Home Fueling Solutions

· Chesapeake to Deploy More than 250 of GE’s ecomagination™-Qualified “CNG In A Box™”Fueling Systems across the United States through 2015 through its Affiliate, Peake Fuel Solutions

7 March 2012

HOUSTON—March 7, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) today announced a collaboration to develop infrastructure solutions that will help accelerate the adoption of natural gas as a transportation fuel. This groundbreaking technology and services project marks a significant milestone toward increasing energy independence in the United States through the increased use of natural gas—an abundant, reliable and cleaner-burning source of energy for both consumers and commercial users.

To formalize the agreement, GE and Chesapeake have signed a memorandum of understanding on a product and services development partnership, representing a multi-year collaboration between the two companies to develop and bring to market compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation and natural gas home-fueling solutions. By improving access to CNG, which is most commonly used in light- to medium-duty vehicles such as pickups, vans, SUVs, taxicabs, transit buses, refuse and delivery trucks as well as consumer vehicles, along with LNG, which is commonly used for heavy-duty industrial purposes, dependence on foreign energy sources can be reduced while simultaneously lowering fueling costs and vehicle emissions.

The collaboration is designed to leverage GE’s global Oil & Gas technology portfolio with Chesapeake’s expertise in developing innovative fueling solutions to lower the ownership and operational costs of natural gas vehicle (NGV) fueling stations. With the development of shale resources dramatically increasing the amount of low-cost natural gas in North America, the GE-Chesapeake collaboration can help incentivize operators to put more NGVs on the nation’s highways.

As part of today’s announced collaboration, beginning in the fall of 2012 GE will provide more than 250 modular and standardized CNG compression stations for NGV infrastructure. These units, also known as “CNG In A Box™,”have gone through GE’s rigorous ecomagination-qualification process and will provide the core infrastructure to enable expanded access to CNG at fueling stations and other designated installations.

A vehicle using CNG can reduce annual fuel costs up to 40 percent, assuming 25,700 miles per year driven, gasoline priced at $3.50/gallon and CNG at $2.09/gasoline gallon equivalent. This represents savings totaling as much as $1,500 per fleet vehicle per year. In total, for each fleet vehicle using fuel provided by CNG In A Box instead of gasoline, a fleet operator can reduce CO2e emissions from fuel combustion by about 24 percent, or 2.2 metric tons per vehicle annually, assuming an average fleet vehicle travels approximately 25,700 miles per year.

“Both GE and Chesapeake are known for taking on tough energy challenges and putting the best minds and technologies to work to develop solutions,” said Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s Chief Executive Officer. “The partnership announced today between GE and Chesapeake’s affiliate, Peake Fuel Solutions, combines Chesapeake’s natural gas expertise with GE’s extensive global manufacturing capabilities and will bring transformative products to industries and individual consumers across the U.S. These products and services will allow customers to enjoy the clear advantages of clean, affordable and abundant American natural gas at about half the cost of gasoline.”

Said GE Energy President & CEO John Krenicki, “GE is fundamentally committed to natural gas—our technologies help extract it, move it and turn it into power, whether it’s highly efficient gas turbines delivering electricity at the utility scale or, in the near future, a vehicle at a refueling station. What makes this project particularly exciting is thatit paves the way to taking the immense reserves of natural gas being discovered in the U.S. and using them right here in the U.S. That paves the way for faster economic growth, energy security, more jobs and reduced environmental impact.”

This CNG technology will be brought to market by Peake Fuel Solutions—a Chesapeake affiliate—which has extensive experience with natural gas vehicles, vehicle emission controls and natural gas market dynamics. Chesapeake also brings considerable in-house expertise in CNG market development to the GE collaboration, including retail station relationships, fleet outreach and education programs and policy engagement.

CNG In A Box takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive refilling station to then turn it into CNG. A CNG vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or small truck, can then refill its tank using a traditional fuel dispenser, much like those used for diesel or gasoline refueling.

Key features include:

· The gas compression, storage, cooling, drying and controls are easy to ship and maintain due to its compact “In Box” design.

· The units come in two configurations: an 8 foot x 20 foot container or 8 foot x 40 foot container, depending on the site’s need.

· Its modular and intuitive design makes it “Plug & Play” on-site.

· The offering includes GE Wayne branded dispensers with credit card capability and provision for “Point Of Sale” interface.

· The fuel dispenses at a rate of about 7 gasoline gallon equivalent per minute.

Other elements of the new collaboration include:

· Aftermarket services for natural gas fueling infrastructure.

· GE’s LNG fueling plants, which adapt GE’s proven large-scale LNG liquefaction technologies to smaller-scale operations. Using LNG as a substitute for diesel or fuel oil can reduce combustion emissions up to 25 percent.

· Development of home refueling technologies.

· Co-marketing of products and services resulting from the partnership.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company’s website atwww.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

About Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) is the second-largest producer of natural gas, a Top 15 producer of oil and natural gas liquids and the most active driller of new wells in the U.S. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company’s operations are focused on discovering and developing unconventional natural gas and oil fields onshore in the U.S. Chesapeake owns leading positions in the Barnett, Haynesville, Bossier, Marcellus and Pearsall natural gas shale plays and in the Granite Wash, Cleveland, Tonkawa, Mississippi Lime, Bone Spring, Avalon, Wolfcamp, Wolfberry, Eagle Ford, Niobrara and Utica unconventional liquids-rich plays. The company has also vertically integrated its operations and owns substantial midstream, compression, drilling, trucking, pressure pumping and other oilfield service assets directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries Chesapeake Midstream Development, L.P. and Chesapeake Oilfield Services, L.L.C. and its affiliate Chesapeake Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CHKM). Further information is available at www.chk.com where Chesapeake routinely posts announcements, updates, events, investor information, presentations and news releases.

About ecomagination

ecomagination is GE’s business strategy to help customers meet their environmental and operational challenges. It is based on GE’s belief that solving environmental problems is good business around the world. It represents a pledge by the company to continually improve operations and invest in research and development that will produce more innovative ecomagination products. Through ecomagination, GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology.

About Peake Fuel Solutions

Peake Fuel Solutions (PFS) advances innovative fuel solutions with products and services that create demand for clean, affordable natural gas. A significant focus of PFS is to increase compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure across the U.S. Other PFS projects include development of on-road and off-road technologies that reduce emissions and dramatically cut fuel expenses for the trucking, maritime, rail and oil and gas industries. An affiliate of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, PFS leverages the expertise of other Chesapeake affiliates to implement many of its fuel solutions. Further information is available at www.chk.com.

PRESS CONTACTS

Sean Gannon
GE
+1 212 587 5059(mobile)
sean.gannon@ge.com

Rob Discher
Edelman
+ 1 512 634 3654
robert.discher@edelman.com

Jim Gipson
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
+1 405 795 9247
jim.gipson@chk.com

GE news
Masto Public Relations
information@mastopr.com

Vehicle pollution increases risk of stroke – Autos.ca

Feb 15th, 2012
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http://www.autos.ca/general-news/vehicle-pollution-increases-risk-of-stroke

February 15, 2012

Boston, Massachusetts – Air pollution, primarily from vehicle exhaust, increases the risk of stroke by 34 per cent even at levels generally considered safe by U.S. federal regulations, according to researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers who  studied more than 1,700 stroke patients in the Boston area over a ten-year period found that exposure to ambient fine particulate matter, generally from vehicle traffic, was associated with a significantly higher risk of ischemic strokes on days when the EPA’s air quality index for particulate matter was in the yellow warning zone instead of green.

The researchers focused on particles with a diameter of 2.5 millionths of a meter, known asPM2.5. These come from a variety of sources, including trucks, automobiles, power plants, factories, and burning wood. They can travel deeply into the lungs and have been associated in other studies with increased numbers of hospital visits for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks.

“The link between increased stroke risk and these particulates can be observed within hours of exposure and are most strongly associated with pollution from local or transported traffic emissions,” said Dr. Murray Mittleman, the study’s senior author. “Any proposed changes in regulated pollution levels must consider the impact of lower levels on public health.”

The researchers used the patients’ medical records and matched the onset of stroke symptoms in each patient to hourly measurements of particulate air pollution taken at the nearby Harvard School of Public Health’s environmental monitoring station. The team was able to estimate the hour the stroke systems first occurred, rather than when patients were admitted to the hospital.

The team was able to calculate that the peak risk to patients from pollution exposure occurs 12 to 14 hours before a stroke. They also found that black carbon and nitrogen dioxide, two pollutants associated with vehicle traffic, were closely linked with stroke risk, suggesting that pollution from cars and trucks may be particularly important.

Related posts:

1.       Car-charging program shows little air improvement

2.       Study shows cell phone use increases collision risk

3.       Older drivers at risk from medications: AAA

4.       Trucking industry workers show elevated lung cancer risk

5.       Cummins fined for pollution violations

Particulates from vehicles cause significant issues in urban environments. Emma Davies uncovers the chemistry that is causing and potentially solving the problems

Feb 4th, 2012
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Download PDF : Air Pollution-Hold Your Breath_tcm18-208016

China quietly shelves new diesel emission standards

Feb 1st, 2012
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/feb/01/china-shelves-plan-diesel-emissions

The government has quietly postponed plans to clean the fumes from truck and bus exhaust pipes

Description: china motorway has 60-mile tailback

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou highway in China’s Hebei province. Photograph: Alexander F. Yuan/AP

It ought to have been a centrepiece of China‘s efforts to reduce smog, but the government has quietly postponed plans to clean the fumes from truck and bus exhaust pipes.

The 18-month delay of new diesel emission standards, which was announced this month, runs contrary to the authorities’ promises to tighten controls on air pollution.

Environmental scientists say the move shows public health concerns remain far less of a priority for China’s leaders than the economic interests of state-owned petrol companies, PetroChina and Sinopec.

It was not supposed to be this way. China is trying to shake the notoriously filthy hazes that envelop many of its cities and result in hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year.

After years of obfuscation and inaction, the government has taken a series of high-profile steps recently to show that it is serious about addressing the problem.

Last year, state planners announced a new goal to reduce emissions of Nitrogen Oxides by 10%. Last month, Beijing began releasing hourly data on fine particulates, known as PM2.5, that cause smog and can enter the bloodstream.

But even as it announced ambitious new targets and improved transparency, the central government has repeatedly delayed one of the most important policies for clearing the air.

The China IV Standard for diesel emissions was issued in 2005 and was originally supposed to have been introduced nationwide on 1 January 2011. Similar to the Euro IV Standard, it would force truck manufacturers to install cleaner engines. But to be effective, it requires petrol stations to sell higher-grade fuel with lower levels of sulphur, which is currently not the case.

This is crucial because traffic – particularly heavy trucks that burn diesel – is increasingly more significant than coal burning as a source of air pollution. Studies suggest vehicle exhaust pipes contribute more than 70% of the nitrogen oxides in downtown Beijing and are the dominant source of roadside PM2.5 levels – and the biggest threat to health.

But it has proved difficult for the relatively weak environment ministry to impose the extra costs on the state’s biggest petrol companies, which have an equal political rank and considerably greater lobbying resources.

The oil firms are technically capable of improving the fuel quality – as they have shown in Beijing, which has higher standards than elsewhere – but they are reluctant to bear the costs. In other countries these would be passed on to drivers, but in China, pump prices are determined by the government rather than the market.

Last year, the government announced a one-year delay in introducing the tighter controls. In January this year, that was further extended to July 2013.

To the frustration of many of those involved in drafting the new controls, there appeared to be no fresh pressure from the ministry to overcome the logjam. The notice posted online simply stated the problem – “The current supply of diesel in China is still incapable of meeting the China IV standard” – rather than indicating how it might be overcome in the next 18 months.

Without the new rules, environment officials lack a vital tool for achieving pollution reduction targets. Truck and bus makers and fleet operators also have a weaker impetus to offset the impact of this setback.

Michael Walsh, who chairs the International Council on Clean Transportation, which has been working with the environment ministry for several years on the project, said the delay threatened the effort that China has made in dealing with air pollution.

“The irresponsible failure of the oil industry to respond to the serious environmental problems by providing the necessary low sulfur fuels is seriously hampering further progress especially with diesel trucks and buses, jeopardising public health and undercutting the government’s efforts to substantially reduce nitrogen oxide emissions as called for in the 12th five year plan.”

Walsh, a winner of the government’s “friendship award” last year, said the government now has to work harder to ensure the policy is next year.

• Additional research by Cecily Huang

First fold-up car, Hiriko, unveiled to beat urban stress in EU

Jan 24th, 2012
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http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/01/24/first-fold-up-car-hiriko-unveiled-to-beat-urban-stress-pollution-in-eu/

Agence France-Presse Jan 24, 2012 – 12:49 PM ET | Last Updated: Jan 24, 2012 2:40 PM ET

Description: Yves Herman/Reuters

Yves Herman/Reuters

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso attends the international presentation of the first self-folding electric vehicle, Hiriko, at the EU headquarters in Brussels January 24, 2012.

  • CLEAR THE AIR SAYS: does not look good for a head on collision – they should provide a can opener.

BRUSSELS • A tiny revolutionary fold-up car designed in Spain’s Basque country as the answer to urban stress and pollution was unveiled Tuesday before hitting European cities in 2013.

The “Hiriko,” the Basque word for “urban,” is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible stroller for easy parking.

Description: http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hiriko.jpg

The idea for the vehicle came from Boston’s MIT-Media lab; the concept was developed by a consortium of seven small Basque firms under the name Hiriko Driving Mobility, with a prototype unveiled by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

The idea for the vehicle came from Boston’s MIT-Media lab; the concept was developed by a consortium of seven small Basque firms under the name Hiriko Driving Mobility, with a prototype unveiled by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

Related

Description: http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/parked-hiriko.jpg

Hiriko

The Hiriko folded up and parked! The two-seater is Spain’s answer to urban stress and pollution.

Demonstrating for journalists, Barroso clambered in through the fold-up front windshield of the 1.5-metre-long car.

Description: http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/driving-hiriko-crop.jpg

Hiriko

Hiriko on the road! The “Hiriko,” the Basque word for “urban,” is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible stroller for easy parking.

“European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an American idea is being made in Europe,” says consortium spokesperson Gorka Espiau.

Its makers are in talks with a number of European cities to assemble the tiny cars that can run 120 kilometres without a recharge and whose speed is electronically set to respect city limits.

They envisage it as a city-owned vehicle, up for hire like the fleets of bicycles available in many European cities, or put up for sale privately at around 12,500 euros ($16,368).

Description: http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hiriko-eu.jpg

Francois Lenoir/Reuters

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, left, poses with Jesus Echabe, president of Hiriko who takes the wheel at the EU launch of the Hiriko.

Several cities have shown interest, including Berlin, Barcelona, San Francisco and Hong Kong. Talks are underway with Paris, London, Boston, Dubai and Brussels.

Description: http://nationalpostlife.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/hiriko-top-up.jpg

Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images

No doors? Climb in and out of the Hiriko through the fold-up front windshield of the 1.5-metre-long car.

The vehicle’s four wheels turn at right angles to facilitate sideways parking in tight spaces.

The backers describe the Hiriko project as a “European social innovation initiative offering a systematic solution to major societal challenges: urban transportation, pollution and job creation.”

Swap dirty diesel trucks for cash

Jan 20th, 2012
by Editor.
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South China Morning Post

How many more insults can this administration take over its proven failure to provide us (and itself) with such a basic human requirement as clean air?

Your editorials and correspondents have suggested taking filthy diesel trucks and buses off the streets without delay, even at taxpayers’ expense. It is argued that the benefits will far outweigh the costs.

This is my attempt to convince the government to act.

These cash-for-clunker programmes in some countries (where the government offers cash incentives to replace dirty vehicles) were a huge success during the last financial crisis. They can help the environment and the economy and have proved to be a very effective way to get old and dirty vehicles off the roads. Previous incentives were too small-scale to work.

The offers that are made must be substantial so that the pre-Euro IV vehicles are removed from our roads without further delay.

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah has asked citizens to suggest the best use of taxpayers’ money ahead of next month’s budget. It would be a major breakthrough if he listened to us so we could all breathe more easily.

H. P. Kerner, Sai Kung

Roadside pollution is worse than ever

Jan 9th, 2012
by Editor.
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South China Morning Post – 9 Jan 2012

Time to update 24-year-old air quality objectives, greens say; officials blame weather and old vehicles

Hong Kong’s roadside pollution levels were the worst ever last year, according to the Environmental  Protection Department.

Readings at the three roadside monitoring stations in Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok showed that pollution levels were above the 100 mark more than 20 per cent of the time. This was 10 times worse than in 2005, when very high readings were recorded only 2 per cent of the time.

Exposure to bad air pollution can cause or aggravate respiratory problems or heart disease.

Environmentalists renewed their calls for the immediate introduction of new air quality objectives, claiming that the government had deliberately delayed their introduction to ease the way for major infrastructure projects.

The department blamed the figures on unfavourable weather conditions, worsening background pollution and the ageing vehicles on our streets.

It said a number of measures were in the pipeline to improve air quality, while the new air quality objectives would be tabled to the legislature as soon as possible.

At the roadside stations, hourly readings are taken throughout the year on major pollutants such as  respirable suspended particles and nitrogen oxides. A reading over 100 means at least one pollutant fails the air quality objectives.

The station in Central showed the worst figures, with excessive readings a quarter of the time, followed by Causeway Bay at 21 per cent, and Mong Kok at 17 per cent.

The total number of hours with excessive readings was even more than in 2010, when a sandstorm hit the city in March and pushed up the figures. In that year the three stations had an average excess API reading of 17 per cent.

Pollution readings at 11 general stations, which reflect more background and regional pollution, however, remained steady and similar to previous years.

The department said increased nitrogen dioxide levels at the roadside and poor weather conditions were behind the worsening air pollution readings. While other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide have fallen, the department said the nitrogen dioxide level by the roadside has reached the highest since 1999, at 123 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

It said the increase was related to the formation of photochemical smog, which was more active last year because there was 16 per cent more sunshine. The lack of rainfall, down by almost 40 per cent on 2010, was another unfavourable factor as it lessened the removal of pollutants from the air.

To combat the nitrogen dioxide pollution, a department spokeswoman said, catalytic reduction devices were being tested on older buses, while remote sensing technology would be used to strengthen the control of petrol and LPG vehicles.

James Middleton of Clear the Air said people did not need reminders from the department to tell them that air quality was getting worse, and officials were obviously turning a blind eye even at the health risk to themselves and their children.

“The government servants working for the EPD have children too – they share the filth in our air. The deliberate prevarication obviously comes from the very top,” Middleton said. “This is a complete disrespect and disregard of the duty of care the administration owes to the health of the people of Hong Kong.”

Middleton said he suspected the government’s failure to update air quality objectives enacted 24 years ago was deliberate so that infrastructure projects such as a third airport runway and waste incinerator could pass environmental impact studies.

In a separate set of monitoring  results, on the concentration of fine particles, those with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, the annual  average roadside reading at both Central and Mong Kok marginally failed the proposed new air quality standard of 35 micrograms.

The department has not published the data, but the figures were obtained recently by Clear the Air. Fine particles are not a statutory air pollutant at present. Scientists say these particles can infiltrate the blood vessels and lungs, causing more damage than larger particles.

The department said the average concentration of fine particles at monitored locations had declined by more than a quarter over the past five years. It also said at least 60 per cent of the fine particles were generated across the border.

chifai.cheung@scmp.com

Harry's view

Hydrogen cars

Dec 27th, 2011
by Editor.
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http://news.discovery.com/videos/tech-is-it-future-yet-hydrogen-cars.html


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