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Greens burn up over ‘dinosaur technology’

Feb 14th, 2013
by Editor.
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Submitted by admin on Feb 14th 2013, 12:00am

Business

LAI SEE

Howard Winn

The environmental group Clear The Air is maintaining the pressure on the government to abandon plans to build an incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau. The group’s chairman, James Middleton, has sent a letter to the Legislative Council’s environmental affairs panel urging it not to approve funding for what he terms “outdated dinosaur technology”.

Plans for a traditional mass-burn incinerator were shelved last year to allow the new administration to rethink its strategy for waste management.

Clear The Air’s letter makes the case for plasma gasification technology, which converts waste to syngas that can be used to generate electricity or converted into other fuels such as jet fuel. British Airways’ Green Skies Project is one of 10 such projects being commissioned to convert municipal solid waste into jet fuel.

“It is time for the Hong Kong government to realise that technology has advanced since the decision to use MBT [mass-burn technology] was taken in the absence of legislating mandatory recycling measures, bite the bullet handed to them by the previous non-performing Tsang administration and ENB minister and move on with the gasification technology; this will also make redundant the current medical waste/carcass incinerator at Stonecutters for alternative development as an additional benefit.”

The letter also highlights the dangers associated with incineration that have been noted in other countries.

“There is already enough clinical evidence of deaths and cancers caused to populations downwind of incinerators with more reports in the pipeline,” the letter says. The government has said privately that it will look at the various technologies available for disposing of Hong Kong’s waste.

Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? E-mail them to howard.winn@scmp.com [1]

Topics:

Waste Management

Clear the Air

Incinerator

Shek Kwu Chau

Kiran Bedi

India

Territorial Disputes

Maps

Antiques

Beer

Source URL (retrieved on Feb 14th 2013, 6:06am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1149698/greens-burn-over-dinosaur-technology

Links:
[1] mailto:howard.winn@scmp.c

Confirmation of now TV channel subscription (KMM58869326I23896L0KM)

Aug 13th, 2012
by Editor.
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—–Original Message—–
From: now TV Customer Service [mailto:cs@nowtv.now.com]
Sent: 13 August, 2012 12:46
To: James Middleton
Subject: Re: FW: FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription (KMM58869326I23896L0KM)

Our Reference:6801129/KMM58869326I23896L0KM

Dear Mr Middleton,

With regards to previous message, please be confirmed that an appointment has been arranged on 15th August, 2012 within 2pm – 4pm for upgrading the now TV to HD service. Please be informed that our technician will contact you, Marianne or Jintana at  2693 0136,  2693 0177 or  9140 5144 before visit.

Should you have any further enquiries, please feel free to email us again or call our now TV Customer Service Hotline 1833 888.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Lam

now TV Customer Service

Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited (for and on behalf of PCCW Media Limited)

Hotline – 1833 888

Fax No. – 28880700

Email : cs@nowtv.now.com

Web Site : http://www.now-tv.com

*****************************************************************

We have launched a brand new integrated customer service platform.

Through a single login after free registration, you can manage your NETVIGATOR, now TV, fixed-line/ eye and PCCW mobile services; and also check your bills, appointment details and latest service updates. Check it out: http://cs.pccw.com

Action now & Enjoy the “Easy Life” from our integrated on-line Customer Service platform!

1) Step 1 – Visit http://cs.pccw.com & click “Please click here to register a new login account for this website”

2) Step 2 – Set your Login ID (i.e. valid email address), password and input basic information & then activate your on-line Customer Service account via email reply

3) Step 3 – Use the integrated on-line Customer Service platform to view & manage your services under PCCW

Tips: To ensure the smooth registration, please kindly prepare the account no. of one of your subscribed services, e.g. NETVIGATOR, now TV, PCCW mobile or PCCW fixed-line.

*****************************************************************

This message (and any attachments) may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, privileged or otherwise protected by law. The message is intended solely for the named addressee (or a person responsible for delivering it to the addressee). If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please destroy the message or delete it from your system immediately and notify the sender.

*****************************************************************

Original Message Follows:

————————

From     : now TV Customer Service <cs@nowtv.now.com>

To          : James Middleton <dynamco@netvigator.com>

Date      : 2012/8/11 15:58:35

Subject : Re: FW: FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription

(KMM58719900I23896L0KM)

Our Reference:6801129/KMM58719900I23896L0KM

Dear Mr Middleton,

Thank you for confirmation and please kindly be informed that we are now arranging with relating department and further processing, we get back

to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your kind patience.

If you have any further enquiries, please feel free to email us again or call our now TV Customer Service Hotline 1833 888.

Yours sincerely,

Phoebe Lui

now TV Customer Service

Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited (for and on behalf of PCCW Media Limited)

Hotline – 1833 888

Fax No. – 28880700

Email : cs@nowtv.now.com

Web Site : http://www.now-tv.com

*****************************************************************

This message (and any attachments) may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, privileged or otherwise protected by law. The message is intended solely for the named addressee (or a person responsible for delivering it to the addressee). If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please destroy the message or delete it from your system immediately and notify the sender.

*****************************************************************

Original Message Follows:

————————

From     : James Middleton <dynamco@netvigator.com>

To          : now TV Customer Service <cs@nowtv.now.com>

Date      : 2012/8/9 21:00:44

Subject : FW: FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription

(KMM58668169I23896L0KM)

—–Original Message—–

From: James Middleton [mailto:dynamco@netvigator.com]

Sent: 09 August, 2012 19:14

To: ‘now TV Customer Service’

Subject: RE: FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription

(KMM58668169I23896L0KM)

OK pls proceed

James

– Date (at least 7  days notice )     soonest possible    –there is

always someone here

– Time period (10am – 1pm; 2pm – 4pm; 4pm – 6pm; 6pm- 8pm)     Any

– Contact person  James / Marianne / Jintana

– Contact number 26930136    26930177 91405144

—–Original Message—–

From: now TV Customer Service  [mailto:cs@nowtv.now.com]

Sent: 09 August, 2012 17:50

To: James Middleton

Subject: Re: FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription

(KMM58668169I23896L0KM)

Our Reference:6801129/KMM58668169I23896L0KM

Dear Mr Middleton,

Thank you for your precious time in waiting for our response.

Regarding to your concern about upgrading HD now TV service, first of all, we are truly sorry to learn of the situation, please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused to you and thank you for granting us an opportunity to look into the matter.

Please be informed that we can arrange to upgrade the HD now TV service with $28 HD Connection Fee only and you are not required to subscribe extra channel. Besides, below HD channels will be provided.

110 HBO HD

208 Discovery HD

218 NatGeo HD

660 now Sports HD

672 ESPN HD

For your information, as the maximum bandwidth of your installation address is not sufficient to support bundled NETVIGATOR and HD now TV services, therefore, the services will be separated as standalone broadband and HD now TV service. As a result, you will have 2 connections, one for NETVIGATOR (connect by modem) and the other for HD now TV (connect by modem + HD decoder).

Upon the HD now TV service is installed, the commitment of your existing subscription will be renewed 24 months and the monthly service fee will be HK$642 (channel subscriptions $614 + HD connection fee $28). Below please find the subscriptions details for your reference.

<Select channel For Buy 24 months with free 3 month incentive>

-Subscription: $410 per month

-Free months: 3rd, 9th, 11th month of commitment period

HBO Super Pak ( HBO/MAX PAK Premium + HBO On Demand ) $58

111 – HBO Hits

112 – HBO Family

113 – HBO Signature Plus 1

114 – HBO Signature

115 – HBO

116 – Max

5 Star FOX Pack $68

117 – FOX Movies Premium

515 – Fox – Channel

523 – FoxCrime

524 – FX Channel

528 – Star World

122 – MGM $14

Ultimate Discovery Pack $24

209 – Discovery Channel

210 – Animal Planet

211 – Discovery Science

212 – Discovery Turbo

213 – TLC

214 – Discovery Home & Health

National Geographic VOD Mega Pack $38

215 – National Geographic

216 – National Geographic Wild

217 – National Geographic Adventure

AXN Mega 3 $50

512 – AXN

513 – beTv

514 – Sony Entertainment Television

New Premium Mega Sports Pack $158

670 – ESPN

671 – StarSports

663 – ESPN+

664 – StarSports+

630 – now Sports Prime

631 – now Sports 1

632 – now Sports 2

633 – now Sports 3

634 – now Sports 4

635 – now Sports 5

636 – now Sports 6

637 – now Sports 7

638 – Goal TV 1

639 – Goal TV 2

676 – EuroSport

677 – EuroSportNews

<Channel For Buy 24 months without free incentive>

-Subscription: $208 per month

BBC pack $36

220 – BBC Knowledge

221 – BBC Lifestyle

320 – BBC World

529 – BBC Entertainment

674 – STAR Cricket    $168

675 – STAR Cricket+

If you agree with the above arrangement, please kindly reply us with your confirmation and provide us below information, so that we may arrange an appointment for installation accordingly.

– Date (at least 7 days notice)

– Time period (10am – 1pm; 2pm – 4pm; 4pm – 6pm; 6pm- 8pm)

– Contact person

– Contact number

If you have any further enquiries, please feel free to email us again or call our now TV Customer Service Hotline 1833 888.

Yours sincerely,

Phoebe Lui

now TV Customer Service

Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited (for and on behalf of PCCW Media Limited)

Hotline – 1833 888

Fax No. – 28880700

Email :  cs@nowtv.now.com

Web Site :  http://www.now-tv.com

*****************************************************************

This message (and any attachments) may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, privileged or otherwise protected by law. The message is intended solely for the named addressee (or a person responsible for delivering it to the addressee). If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please destroy the message or delete it from your system immediately and notify the sender.

*****************************************************************

Original Message Follows:

————————

From       : James Middleton < dynamco@netvigator.com >

To            : now TV Customer Service < cs@nowtv.now.com >

Date          : 2012/8/9 07:36:23

Subject : FW: FW: Confirmation of now TV channel subscription

(KMM58277129I23896L0KM)

—————————–

PLEASE CONSIDER OUR ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING  Scanned By PCCW Anti-Spam Infrastructure

<br>—————————–<br>

PLEASE CONSIDER OUR ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING <br> Scanned By PCCW Anti-Spam Infrastructure <br>

NOW TV Live wish to interview Clear the Air on Air Pollution tomorrow at 10:30am to 11:00am Live

Aug 2nd, 2012
by Editor.
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Dear All,

Now TV Live wishes to interview Clear the Air on Air Pollution and recent Hot weather, another guest from WWF.

Tomorrow Morning Live from 10:30am to 11:00am

Any particular issue you want me to bring up during the interview?

Regards

Edwin Town

Vice Chair, Clear the Air

90371186

James Middleton dynamco@netvigator.com
2 Aug (3 days ago)
to sen, kswong, CEO, me
Warnings as pollution hits ‘severe’ levels
Lai Ying-kit SCMP
2:34pm, Aug 02, 2012
Roadside air pollution worsened on Thursday, with Central and Mong Kok at times soaring above the “severe” level of 200.  The air pollution index at roadside monitoring stations peaked at 212 in Central at 7am, before falling slightly to the 190s around noon. The index was 200 at Mong Kok at 7am.

When the index hits 200, children and the elderly are advised to avoid physical exertion and outdoor activities.

The reading at Causeway Bay reached 182 on Thursday morning before falling to the 150s in the lead-up to noon. The air pollution indices in the three districts on Thursday morning were higher than their average levels on Wednesday, when the dirty air began to accumulate.  An index above 100 is classified as a “very high” level when people with heart and respiratory conditions are advised to avoid areas with heavy traffic. Three other districts – Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Kwai Chung – also posted “high to very high” levels of air pollution on Thursday morning. The Environmental Protection Department said pollutants were trapped as the wind was light in Hong Kong under the effect of Typhoon Saola.

Clear the Air says:

The typhoon in Taiwan has caused still air in Hong Kong.

With no wind to blow the smog away , bright sunshine is acting on the photo chemical smog from the engine combusted roadside NOx and so ozone is formed.

This shows conclusively that our pollution source is local and the NOx from old diesels and buses  and ozone remain trapped in our developer-friendly overbuilt urban canyons.

Furthermore 31% of our particulates, 27% of Nox and 23% of SOx comes from ocean SHIPPING vessels in and passing by our waters and burning high sulphur bunker fuels (2.75-4%) whilst we force the use of ULSD in street vehicles.

The USA has a 200 mile Emissions Control Area (ECA) for shipping which enforces the use of low sulphur diesel once entering the ECA.

So why not here too ?

Lest we forget : Yet another omission  that Edward Yau must answer for is a lack of follow-up with China to put this ECA in place.  He was too busy travelling the world 59 times in his 60 months term to concentrate on his supposed job here at the so-called Environment Bureau.

From: Professor Anthony Hedley
Sent: 26 July, 2012 16:38
To: Clear the Air
Subject: Re: SCMP Laisee

Things are beginning to move on the NO2 issue in WHO. The medical literature is now replete with studies on health impacts,especially in Maternal and Child Health,with diverse and serious outcomes (leukaemia,congenital heart disease,growth retardation in pregnancy) at levels considerably lower than the

current WHO annual limit. We have also just shown that compliance with the present short term limit (1 hour=200ug/m3) will not achieve the annual limit of 40 in a high pollution environment like HK.So there is a lot to do here.

T

On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 7:36 PM, CTA > wrote: SCMP Laisee

Kids wheezing Down Under – what about those in HK?

ATTENTION ALL CLEAR THE AIR MEMBERS! SPECIAL AIRFARES

Apr 25th, 2012
by Editor.
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CTA on Backchat

Jan 19th, 2012
by Editor.
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19 Jan 2012

http://programme.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio3/backchat&d=2012-01-19&p=514&e=166215&m=episode

click on link for site to listen

Backchat

Presenters: Hugh Chiverton

  • ·        Listen
  • ·        Window Media
  • ·        Real Media
  • ·        Standalone Player
  • ·        Media
    Real

Air Quality Objectives
2012-01-19 HKT 08:30

Air Quality Objectives

The Government has set its Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) which will be implemented in 2014 and subject to review every five years. On today’s Backchat, we’ll be discussing how good the news is.(Mon~Fri 8.30am-9.30am, backchat@rthk.hk)

Clearing the air

Jan 18th, 2012
by Editor.
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Hong Kong Standard

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=118938&sid=35103473&con_type=3&d_str=20120118&fc=2

Kenneth Foo

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A breath of fresh air is on the way at last – if you can hold out to 2014.

That’s the date for tying Hong Kong pollution gauges to air-quality standards of the World Health Organization.Description: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/newsimage/20120118/5_2012011723351586071yau.jpg

And new measures to clear the foul air will include car-free zones, more railways and scrapping old polluting vehicles.

Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah yesterday revealed a series of steps to update the Air Quality Objectives.

Seven types of emissions will be monitored, and sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead will be subject to the most stringent standards of the WHO.

The remainder – including respirable and fine particulates – will be monitored according to the lower end of WHO standards. The objectives will be reviewed every five years.

But some experts slammed the moves as not tough enough.

Anthony Hedley, honorary professor of the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong, accused the government of setting up ” lax and interim targets that masquerade as long-term solutions to a problem that requires more drastic action.”

Yau said the government will adopt the new standards as the benchmark for conducting environmental impact reports for its construction projects.

But there will be a three-year transitional period for private developments to adjust to the new rules.

“For the standards to be implemented, clearly defined goals, effective means and an emission- reduction package with the consensus of the people ar

e of paramount importance,” Yau said.

He declined to estimate the social and economic costs of the new objectives.

They come as Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who had pledged to clean up the city’s air, enters the last months of his administration.

During his election campaign in 2006, he vowed a ” blue sky” policy.

While pollutants from the mainland have declined following an emission control pact with the Guangdong government, pollution from vehicles has hurt efforts.

The Airport Authority backed the proposed new objectives and will use them if the government allows it to build a third runway.

The authority said it will follow them for conducting air-quality assessments.

It also backed the retirement of old vehicles and a tree-planting campaign.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Chamber supported the moves as it said pollution is the top environmental concern of business.

But campaigners are critical.

The head of environmental strategy at Civic Exchange, Mike Kilburn, said: ” It is a move that we have been waiting years for years but we are extremely disappointed as the objectives are not strict enough to make any positive impact on air quality.”

Hedley said public health safety demands that the cap on sulfur dioxide should be set much lower than the proposed rate of 125 micrograms per cubic meter.

The University of Hong Kong yesterday released an update of its Hedley Environmental Index, which shows the impact of pollution on public health.

The new index will have a map showing real-time levels of pollutants at 14 monitoring stations and will benchmark itself to WHO standards.

Based on calculations made from the index, experts have raised their estimates to an average of 3,200 deaths annually – compared with 1,000 made in the previous study.

Economic loss is estimated to be HK$40 billion a year.

Download PDF : hkstandard

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=11&art_id=118938&sid=35
103473&con_type=3&d_str=20120118&fc=2

Who’s paying the piper?

Dec 13th, 2011
by Editor.
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South China Morning Post

Speaking on RTHK’s Backchat programme yesterday, Jim Middleton, chairman of anti-pollution group Clear The Air, mentioned that it would be interesting to know the funding for the various interests in Legco that succeeded in delaying then watering down the idling engine legislation.

He makes a good point. Do the bus companies fund political parties? Is this why legislative action to reduce vehicle emissions is so painfully slow?

Most developed economies have laws forcing political parties to divulge the source of their funding. It would be interesting, for example, to know where the DAB gets HK$70 million that enables it to provide free rice to older voters in housing estates, bus them to the polling booths and so on. But since those pulling the party strings are unlikely to want this, it’s unlikely to happen.

CTA was onair today

Dec 12th, 2011
by Editor.
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http://programme.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio3/backchat&d=2011-12-12&p=514&e=&m=episode

Vehicle engine-idling law /

On today’s Backchat, we look at the implementation of vehicle engine-idling laws that come into effect on Thursday

Clearing the air over credit for source of pollution data

Nov 26th, 2011
by Editor.
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SCMP Laisee – 26 Nov 2011

Good to see Friends of the Earth pointing to the “disappointing and shameful” air quality in Hong Kong.

It is also a shame and somewhat disappointing it wasn’t so frank about acknowledging how it came by the data.

While the original source of the data was the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Friends of the Earth first heard about the existence of measurements for PM2.5 in Hong Kong in an e-mail from another green group, Clear the Air.

Lai See saw this original data some time ago and it was sent by Clear the Air to the Legco panel on the environment on October 1.

When contacted, Clear the Air chairman James Middleton said the organisation was “somewhat miffed at the lack of acknowledgement” of Friends of the Earth’s source.

But, he added, “any press exposure that shows the horrendous state of lethal PM2.5 and ultrafines’ pollution here caused by incompetent government inaction, prevarication and lack of political will, is good exposure that will be picked up on by the international press and corporations thinking about setting up shop here.”

PM2.5 refers to particles suspended in the air of 2.5 micrometres in diameter. These are smaller and more dangerous to health than PM10, for which the EPD publishes measurements on its website.

The department is doing test-runs for PM2.5. These smaller particles enter the lungs and contribute to acute respiratory symptoms, increase the frequency of child bronchitis, cause premature death owing to their toxicity and carcinogens, and cause cardiovascular illnesses such as heart attacks and heart beat irregularities, according to studies by Harvard University and others.

Middleton says Clear the Air, with help from a donor, plans to buy a Dust Track unit. With a certified expert at the controls, the unit will take PM2.5 readings in our busiest streets which will be published later.

CTA Letter to the Panel on the Environment

Oct 1st, 2011
by Editor.
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Download full PDF : CTAletterPanelPM2.5

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