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What Can Steer Us To Driving Electric?

Jun 22nd, 2008
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By Rachel Oliver – For CNN – 22nd June 2008

HONG KONG, China (CNN) — It’s small, affluent, tech-savvy and it has a very obvious pollution problem — Hong Kong is arguably an ideal destination for electric cars.

And despite the absence of a car-making industry, the city can now boast a home-made electric car all of its own. MyCar, a two-seater micro car, will roll of the production line for the very first time in October and will be available for purchase.

But you won’t find it on sale in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong still hasn’t got its act together when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), according to the chief executive of MyCar’s manufacturer, EuAuto Technology, Chung Sin-ling.

She says the city lacks the necessary framework and policies that would make it viable for her company to sell MyCar here. So they are heading to Europe instead.

“In London they have government incentives to get people to switch from gasoline to electric vehicles,” explains Chung, citing the waiver of the congestion charge and free parking for EVs in London as an example.

“But that has to be driven by the government. In Hong Kong they are still debating whether to use diesel or whatever.”

Hong Kong is not without EVs though. Private organizations like local utility Hong Kong Electric has its own small fleet of them.

But according to Chung, the restrictions they have to operate under mean introducing them now into the mass market isn’t practical.

“[Hong Kong Electric] only use them inside their private site and they have to get a very special licence and they can’t drive outside their site and they are restricted to certain uses,” she says.

“We don’t want those kinds of restrictions.”

Make it hip, make it affordable

Europe to date has taken the lead when it comes to encouraging motorists to drive cleaner cars.

Most notably, London has cracked down on car-related pollution with the introduction of a congestion charge and, more recently, with additional fees for heavier polluting cars to pay on top.

Under the rules of the Low Emission Zone, for example, fees as high as $400 can be imposed on trucks and vans trying to enter Greater London that are more than six years old.

“There should be very high incentives for people [to drive EVs],” says chairman of local pollution lobby group, Clear the Air, Christian Masset.

But Masset says the political will is still not there to promote EVs in the city. He believes it is down to the market to stir up interest.

“This will only happen with market pressure – it is hard to see it otherwise,” says Masset.

“If the EV became hip, then it would have an effect.”

But in order for this kind of customer pressure to happen, customers need to want the cars in the first place. That’s about education, says Professor Eric Cheng, director of the Power Electronics Research Center at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, whose team was involved in the MyCar project.

And education needs to come from the government, he says.

“The government is not helping the car user,” says Cheng.

“It hasn’t put any special mechanism in place, any special law or regulation for motorists to drive EVs. I don’t think the government has done anything to persuade motorists to use EVs.”

Hong Kongers are not familiar with EVs he says, and are concerned about the technology so they need to be shown that EVs are just as good as petrol cars.

One obvious way to demonstrate that would be to change the public transportation system from diesel-fueled to electric-powered, he says.

“Taxis, minibuses, buses can be forced to go electric but the government isn’t doing anything,” says Cheng.

The government has in the past offered one-off grants to minibus drivers ranging from $7,000 to $10,000 to encourage them to convert from diesel to either LPG or electric.

However Cheng says stronger measures are needed.

“Voluntary schemes do not work. The government needs to put a mandatory scheme [in place], to start off with public transport so people can get used to it and see that it is good.”

And then there is the question of money. Cheng says the amount of money his department received to design MyCar was nowhere near enough and to him, it told him how important the government view EVs.

“The money involved was very small. It was about $130,000 for MyCar. It’s nonsense. You need tens of millions of dollars. How can we build a new generation of EVs for Hong Kong? We need to train the new engineers, the graduates, technicians,” he says.

“Car-makers want subsidies from the government, as the initial costs are very high. The government needs to give them financial support and I am not talking about one or two million Hong Kong dollars. We also need more investment in R&D.”

In the meantime Chung is making plans to sell MyCar in London, her first stop the London Motor Show in July to stir up some more interest. One day she hopes to come back to Hong Kong.

She says EuAuto Technology is ready now. The market isn’t though. And that, she says, is something that is in the government’s hands.

“We want to come here — as long as the policy is there to make it happen,” says Chung. “It would be sad and kind of ironic if we can sell them all over the world and not in our own home town.

“We have the customer, the market demand, and the product – we just need the government to support it.”

Green Week – Institute of Vocational Education

Apr 29th, 2008
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Green week – April 2008 – IVE School (Institute of Vocational Education)

Government Go Ahead for Ban On Idling Engines

Apr 27th, 2008
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Government to go ahead with controversial bid to force drivers to switch off vehicles

Liz Heron and Zoe Mak – Updated on Apr 27, 2008 – SCMP

The government has confirmed it will push ahead with a ban on idling engines and says most of the 1,500 submissions received from the public in a five-month consultation supported the idea.

But opponents of the legislation are gearing up for a fight over the scope of the ban. Groups representing taxi and minibus drivers are demanding they be exempt. Green groups are calling on the government not to give in to their demands.

A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said the bill would be introduced to the Legislative Council late this year or early next year. It would provide for fines for drivers who leave their engines running and so contribute to air pollution.

The decision follows 40 meetings with interested parties, including transport trade associations, vehicle suppliers, the Heung Yee Kuk – which represents the traditional New Territories interests – and legislators. Most supported a ban.

“We will formulate a widely supported regulatory framework,” he said. “Our plan is to introduce our legislative proposal to the Legislative Council in 2008 to 2009.”

The ban would cover all parts of Hong Kong and all vehicles except those used for emergency response and other special duties, and those with passengers alighting or boarding. The first two taxis or light buses in a queue would also be spared the ban, which would be enforced by about 200 traffic wardens, with offenders facing a HK$320 fine.

Transport trade associations having already lodged scores of objections and demanded exemptions for various types of vehicle.

At special meetings of Legco’s environmental affairs panel, at least seven associations called for taxis to be exempted, while other trade groups demanded exemptions for public light buses, trucks and buses.

“No taxi drivers agree with this,” said Leung Siu-cheong, of the Taxi Operators Association.

“We are now using liquid petroleum gas for our vehicles and switching the air-conditioning on and off would do no good to the driver. We need to provide our passengers with a comfortable journey.”

Lai Ming-hung, of the Taxi and Public Light Bus Concern Group, said the exemption for queuing vehicles would be unworkable for red minibuses because they do not have assigned stops and buses for different destinations queue together.

Mr Lai said taxis would respond to the queuing rules by driving around the block instead of waiting at a stand, which would only create more congestion and air pollution.

Civic Party legislator Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, the Legco panel’s chairwoman, said: “I don’t think you can exempt a specific category of vehicles. But when it comes to implementation, you will need some kind of allowances, considerations and common sense.”

Amy Ng Yuk-man, of campaign group Clear the Air, said: “If you exempt taxis, you are going to have to exempt buses and minibuses and tour buses. The list goes on.”

Edwin Lau Che-feng, director of Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, said: “The government should not expand the exemptions to further categories of vehicle. If there are more exemptions, the legislation will become ineffective. It needs to be across the board, otherwise motorists will question why one person has to comply with the ban while another does not.”

Roadside Air Pollution More Serious This Year

Apr 27th, 2008
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Liz Heron – SCMP – Updated on Apr 27, 2008

Air pollution recorded at roadside stations was at very high levels for 10.69 per cent of the time in the first quarter of this year – up from 6.48 per cent in the same period last year.

Comparable readings in the medium range fell from 7.17 per cent to 4.29 per cent – with no readings in the low range for either quarter. High levels continued to prevail at more than 85 per cent of the time.

General stations also recorded higher pollution levels, with readings in the high range up from 51.77 per cent to 70.53 per cent of the period and very high readings up from 0.16 per cent to 0.37 per cent.

At very high readings of 101 to 200 on the air pollution index, people with heart or respiratory conditions are advised not to do strenuous outdoor exercise. The high range is from 51 to 100 and the medium range from 26 to 50.

The first quarter also saw hours of reduced visibility – an indicator of particulates or dust in the air – increase by 46.4 per cent to 448 at the Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, and at the airport by 11.6 per cent to 807, compared to the same period last year.

Edwin Lau Che-feng, director of Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, said the figures showed that “air pollution in Hong Kong is on a rising trend – and we are using an outdated standard of environmental monitoring. More stringent measures to control air pollution are needed”.

“To have a situation where the roadside API is high or very high for more than 95 per cent of the time should not be acceptable to any person in this wealthy, developed city.”

Amy Ng Yuk-man, of campaign group Clear the Air, said: “These figures show that the government has not yet done enough to reduce air pollution. “The government needs to do more in terms of the power plants, with transportation and also marine pollution.”

But a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said: “In the long run, air quality is primarily affected by emission sources. However, over a short period, say a few days to a few months, air quality can also be significantly affected by meteorological conditions apart from emissions.

“Scientifically, it is not appropriate to gauge air-quality change or the effectiveness of improvement measures by selecting air quality data in a few months and comparing them with the same months of other years.

“Our measurements show that the annual average air-pollution concentrations in 2007 are in general comparable to 2005 and 2006 and better than 2004.”

SBI Green Week Chatteris

Apr 21st, 2008
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Schools’ Air Quality To Be Checked

Apr 2nd, 2008
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Will Clem – Updated on Apr 02, 2008 – SCMP

A green group has launched a campaign to monitor the air quality in schools across the city.

Clear the Air Hong Kong, an environmental pressure group, is offering schools a free assessment of pollution levels in classrooms and expert advice on how to minimise the impact on health.

The project, which the group hopes will gain the support of all primary and secondary schools, will be unveiled today but is expected to take several months to complete.

“The first phase will run until the end of June and then we plan to start up again in September,” chairman Christian Masset said. We want to include as many schools as possible.”

Mr Masset said people tended to underestimate the effect indoor air quality had on health. “We seldom think about pollution indoors,” he said. “But it has been proven that it can be responsible for various kinds of problems. Young people are most likely to be affected.”

Mr Masset said there were steps schools could take to reduce the amount of pollution getting into the classroom and this had been shown to improve students’ health.

“Educators notice that students demonstrate better performance in class and they are sick less often,” he said.

An investigation by the Sunday Morning Post last October found pollution levels were almost as high indoors as they were outdoors at three out of the four schools tested.

Indoor levels of respirable suspended particulates ranged between 76 per cent and 98 per cent of the levels in the playground at the three worst-affected schools.

Four Steps On The Road To Environmental Ruin

Mar 17th, 2008
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Christian Masset – Updated on Mar 17, 2008 – SCMP

In the past three weeks, several government decisions have highlighted our officials’ dubious approach to Hong Kong’s air quality, and public health in general. Regrettably, some of them were contained in John Tsang Chun-wah’s budget.

First, there was the decision to subsidise electricity consumption by granting HK$1,800 per household, ignoring the fact that earlier, we were asked to lower consumption to supposedly reduce pollution from power plants. This sends the message that consumers should ignore the first recommendation, and keep on wasting electricity.

Second, the budget failed to raise tobacco taxes, for the eighth year in a row; they are currently less than in any developed country. This missed opportunity endangers the lives of 32 per cent of our young people and 20 per cent of adults, who risk developing various forms of cancers and respiratory diseases at any time. It also means missing out on an estimated HK$2.5 billion in tax revenue.

The list doesn’t stop there, however. The green light for construction of the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, destined to land in the north of Lantau, is another unfathomable action. No study has so far revealed a workable level of profitability. At an estimated total cost of 60 billion yuan (HK$65.9 billion), and given the present estimated traffic, a return trip would have to cost about HK$2,600 to recover the investment for the bridge in 30 years; the only way to make this bridge work would be for the Hong Kong government to pay HK$27 billion.

To this cost must be added the ecological destruction associated with the bridge, including the increased air pollution from vehicles using low-quality diesel coming into Hong Kong. This would only aggravate the already high level of air pollution recorded daily near Kwai Chung.

If the bridge is intended to delay the irreversible decline of Hong Kong’s shipping activities, the cost looks outrageous, and unfairly places the burden on the public to safeguard private shipping interests from the challenges of losing business to Shenzhen.

And last, but by no means least, we have the decision to welcome back incineration – because our landfills are filling up faster than anticipated due to the dumping of demolition waste, and unmet recycling objectives. We keep consuming more than we recycle. Let’s remind ourselves that, from 2000 to 2005, Taipei reduced its waste by 28 per cent, and its rate of disposal dropped 60 per cent. Why can’t Hong Kong do the same? Is an incinerator capable of solving all our waste problems?

The questions remain: what technology will be adopted? The emissions from incineration contain dioxins – powerful carcinogenic substances. How will these emissions be kept to an absolute minimum? And, how will the highly toxic ash be disposed of? The Environmental Protection Department needs to clarify these points to the public and legislators before any commitment is made to incineration.

These four recent decisions demonstrate that our officials haven’t yet taken measure of their own responsibility in protecting public health and preserving our environment for tomorrow. They are still of the 1970s, business-as-usual mentality.

Hopefully, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology on February 1 will trigger some interest among decision-makers. It revealed a direct link between dirty air and lower IQ among children aged from eight to 11. The researchers detected abnormal oxidisation and inflammation of segments of the brain, causing a loss of IQ points, among children exposed to black carbon-particulate matter emitted from car and truck exhausts, in particular diesel vehicles.

The public needs to know that the administration is taking notice of studies like this. Otherwise, they will be left to rely on environmental non-governmental organisations to take action, and to help them learn more about issues affecting their health.

Christian Masset is chair of Clear The Air. www.cleartheair.org.hk

Hong Kong Air Pollution Reaches Very High Levels

Mar 3rd, 2008
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HK air pollution reaches very high levels

Staff reporters – Updated on Mar 03, 2008 – SCMP

Hong Kong’s air pollution on Monday once again reached very high levels with the roadside station in Causeway Bay recording a worrying level of 153.

Readings taken at Central and Mongkok have reached 148 and 122, respectively, local radio reported.

General stations have also recorded high or very high levels. Readings done in Sham Shui Po reached as high as 116, while those at Kwai Chung were 111, and reading at Central and Western peaked at 110.

The government said people with heart or respiratory illnesses should reduce physical activity and outdoor activities.

Experts say the main factors causing air pollution in Hong Kong are industries, power generation, construction work and an increasing number of motor vehicles.

Pollution also drifts across to Hong Kong from southern China. With the mainland experiencing rapid economic growth, worsening pollution from factories in Guangdong impacts on the territory.

Air pollution is also affecting Hong Kong’s reputation as an international hub. Regional headquarters and offices set up by overseas companies in the territory have said air pollution was one of the top three issues which the government needed to address, a Census and Statistics Department report found.

An American Chamber of Commerce survey has also said the deteriorating quality of the environment was affecting member companies’ continued investment in Hong Kong.

Other studies show that poor air quality was costing companies millions of dollars each year in medical costs and lost productivity.

Clear the Air, is a volunteer environmental group, has warned that air pollution threatens Hong Kong’s public health, as well as its economic and social well being.

“Many districts in Hong Kong are failing to meet statutory health standards for air quality, and the associated health costs to individuals, businesses and society are estimated to cost billions of dollars each year,” it said.

Government projections show that the air quality will continue to deteriorate in the future. This is because of the growth in motor vehicles in Hong Kong and in the Pearl River region.

Bio-diesel Plant To Recycle Used Cooking Oil

Mar 2nd, 2008
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Liz Heron – Mar 02, 2008

A bio-diesel plant that will recycle waste cooking oil from restaurants is to be built in Hong Kong by a Bahrain-based bank.

Al Salam Bank-Bahrain has set up a joint-venture company, ASB Bio-diesel (Hong Kong), with six partners to build and run the plant at Tseung Kwan O industrial estate.

Negotiations with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks on a 40-year lease for a HK$42.3 million waterfront site are expected to be clinched within days.

The plant – the second of its kind in Hong Kong – will produce up to 100,000 tonnes of bio-diesel per year for sale in Hong Kong and Europe. Dynamic Progress International opened a bio-diesel plant in Tuen Mun last year.

Bank chief executive Yousif Taqi said the plant would mainly use cooking oil, waste animal fat and grease-trap waste. This set it apart from the production of bio-diesel from edible vegetable oils, which has caused growing concern over destruction of tropical rainforests.

“This is an innovative investment,” he said. “It illustrates our bank’s strategy to meet clients’ expectations for attractive investment opportunities that are differentiated by sector and geography, and to ensure competitive returns to our shareholders.

“It also underlines our commitment to identify projects that have the potential to add value to the community and positively impact the environment.”

Mr Taqi said the project would have three environmental benefits: reducing harmful vehicle emissions and global warming through the use of bio-diesel; using materials that would otherwise go to landfills; and addressing the destruction of rainforests – felled to make way for vast oil-palm plantations grown to produce biofuels.

Bio-diesel is not subject to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance because it is not based on hydrocarbons, and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen pledged in his October policy address to introduce a duty-free policy on its use.

A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said: “We are drawing up a specification for the use of bio-diesel as motor- vehicle fuel. Our plan is to introduce a statutory specification on January 1, 2009. [After that date], bio-diesel offered for sale here will have to comply with the specification.”

The department also plans to require that all conventional diesel sold in Hong Kong meet the Euro V standard, which allows 80 per cent less sulfur than Euro IV diesel, by the same date.

Patrick Siu, senior development manager with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, said completion of the deal with the joint venture on the 18,000 square metre site was expected within “a day or two”.

“In Europe, they are increasing the percentage of bio-diesel in diesel oil and together with escalating petroleum prices, it’s quite an active area for business,” he said.

“We have quite a few firms showing interest in setting up bio-diesel plants at Tseung Kwan O.”

Christian Masset, chairman of green group Clear the Air, said: “If this plant uses exclusively Hong Kong-produced waste, this is a win-win situation. The waste will not end up in the Hong Kong environment and we will reduce noxious emissions from vehicles. But we will be watching the plant closely to see whether it lives up to expectations.”

Worsening Levels Of Air Pollution Leaves Green Groups Breathless

Jan 18th, 2008
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Environmental management

Government’s ‘obvious reluctance’ to tackle worsening levels of air pollution leaves green groups breathless

Jacqueline Tsang – Updated on Jan 18, 2008 – SCMP

The government has spent HK$23billion on waste management and environmental programmes since 1997, but visibility in urban areas has dropped 33 per cent in the past 10 years and landfill space is only expected to last for another nine years, according to green groups.

Volunteer environmental groups said they felt more could be done by the government.

Christian Masset, chairman of Clear the Air, a volunteer organisation targeting Hong Kong’s air pollution issues, said: “The government is obviously reluctant to put in maximum effort to clean the air for fear that it would frustrate the interests of certain big businesses. The result is that the people and the image of Hong Kong suffer greatly.”

A spokesman from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) denied the government had placed business interests ahead of public safety. She said the government’s goal of improving air quality was “a key priority … and is determined to combat air pollution”.

Mr Masset said the government’s reticence in replacing diesel trucks was a major cause for concern.

Edwin Lau, director of the registered environmental charity Friends of the Earth, said that while the government had introduced a scheme last year that provided incentives for diesel vehicle owners to replace their pre-Euro and Euro-1 standard diesel vehicles for new Euro-4 diesel trucks within 18 months, it was not mandatory.

The government is prepared to allot up to HK$3.2billion in incentives for the scheme, but it appears this is not incentive enough for vehicle owners to take action.

According to Mr Lau, less than 2 per cent of truck owners have applied for the subsidy.

The government also proposed a ban on idling vehicles in November last year, and Clear the Air has been providing help on the legislation in the hopes that it would be passed by this autumn.

But Mr Lau said that the effectiveness of this ban, in terms of improving air quality, was unclear.

“Targeting franchised buses and old diesel trucks would have a significantly larger impact on roadside air pollution,” he said.

“However, the government seems to shy away from harder battles and larger corporations.” Mr Masset explained that emission from diesel trucks was just one of the major causes of air pollution in Hong Kong. Other polluters include ocean vessels and emissions from the two power companies – CLP Power and Hongkong Electric.

He warned that if these issues were not addressed, and preventive measures not immediately implemented, the city’s average Air Pollution Index (API) could reach 200.

An API of 100 to 200 is considered “very high”, while 201 to 500 is listed as “severe”, forcing people suffering from heart and respiratory diseases to stay indoors.

Other major environmental concerns in Hong Kong include water quality and waste management.

According to Felix Leung Ka-wang, senior information officer at the Environment Bureau and EPD, as of last year, 83 per cent of the 41 gazetted beaches in Hong Kong met the Water Quality Objective (WQO) and were declared safe for swimming. However, seven beaches in the Tsuen Wan area couldn’t meet the WQO and were subsequently closed to swimmers.

“Stage 2A of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, which deals with the treatment and disinfection of unsafe effluent in the water, is anticipated to come into operation late next year,” Mr Leung said.

“The ongoing implementation of local sewerage works will facilitate the re-opening of Tsuen Wan beaches.”

As for the problem of waste piling up faster than landfill space can expand, other than disposal charges for construction waste that were introduced in 2006, Mr Leung pointed to other efforts including the development of facilities to reduce the bulk of waste, and the Source Separation of Domestic Waste Programme, in which 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s households were expected to take part in separating out their waste for recycling by 2010.

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