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September, 2008:

Move To Rezone The Repulse Bay Site

Sep 10th, 2008
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What do you think of the move to rezone the Repulse Bay site?

Updated on Sep 10, 2008 – SCMP

The Repulse Bay Company (owner of 101 and 109 Repulse Bay Road) strongly objects to the proposed rezoning of the existing Seaview Building and the adjacent public car park from “beach-related leisure uses” and “open space” to “comprehensive development area”.

There needs to be an exhaustive and comprehensive study or vision for the development of the beach in its entirety.

Almost daily, traffic on Beach Road comes to a standstill due to traffic congestion caused by tour coaches, not to mention noise pollution with honking car horns. The lack of a coach parking facility and very limited parking spaces for private cars make the traffic flow on this one-way road unacceptable.

A piecemeal approach to redevelopment of this area would have a detrimental effect on the neighbourhood.

The uniqueness of the pristine beach must be maintained. Any redevelopment should not be overly bulky.

Redevelopment of the site for hotel purposes would not, from our extensive experience in this field, being affiliated with The Peninsula Hotels, enhance this beach in terms of tourism value. It would only increase traffic congestion and the density of the area, thus negatively affecting the beach’s serenity.

From an operational point of view the site does not offer much privacy due to its proximity to a public beach, thereby affecting the potential room rate that could be charged. Finally, the size of the site limits the possibility to offer support facilities for such an operation.

We agree with the government’s suggestion to put the site to better use to enhance the tourism value of the area.

We envision the area being turned into a public space with open areas for staging rotating youth art exhibitions or something similar, sitting-out areas, a playground, skateboard area for teenagers, a boardwalk feature connecting the existing boardwalk from Deep Water Bay with the Kwun Yum and Tin Hau temples at the eastern end of the beach, and limited commercial activity.

This approach would undoubtedly enhance The Repulse Bay as a comprehensive sightseeing destination for the neighbourhood, the public and tourists alike. This beach is one of Hong Kong’s prime beaches and it would have irreversible negative effects to turn this last section of it into an extensive hotel/commercial development.

Palle Ledet Jensen, general manager, The Repulse Bay Company Limited

Higher Risk Of Death For Poor On HK Bad Air Days

Sep 10th, 2008
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Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:00pm BST

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Poor people in Hong Kong have a higher risk of death when air pollution is bad, a seven-year study has found.

“The finding is that people living in highly-deprived areas had higher risk of mortality after bad air pollution days,” Wong Chit-ming, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health, said in an interview.

“Most deaths occurred a day after the air pollution index showed a rise,” said Wong, one of the researchers in the study, which was published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

The researchers pored through 215,240 deaths in Hong Kong between 1996 to 2002 from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. They had details on the districts they lived in, the income they earned when they were alive, whether they were single or married and if they lived alone before they died.

The data was compared against air pollution readings in the territory, taking into account four pollutants — nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter, and ozone.

The researchers found that more deaths occurred in poor neighborhoods right after air pollution readings shot up.

“These areas have more unemployed people, households earning less than US$250 a month, single-person households, and more people living in shared flats,” Wong said.

Such a phenomenon was not observed in richer neighborhoods.

Explaining why poorer people were more susceptible, Wong said: “They may smoke more, have less time to exercise, have poorer nutrition, less access to healthcare.”

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

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.

Traffic Controls Back For Opening Ceremony

Sep 6th, 2008
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Al Guo – SCMP – Updated on Sep 06, 2008

Strict traffic controls will return to Beijing from noon until midnight today for the Paralympics opening ceremony at the National Stadium.

Roads on the city’s north side will be closed off to ensure smooth transport for those attending the event.

Given the odd-even day vehicle ban still in place, traffic jams should not be a great concern.

The measures came as no surprise to residents. Similar, if not tougher, controls had been rolled out during the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, and on peak competition days.

The looming question is whether the odd-even day controls will be extended beyond September 20, the end of the official Games’ period.

A survey of more than 5,000 people sponsored by The Beijing News found that 68 per cent wanted the controls to stay, while 19 per cent opposed an extension.

Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications deputy director Zhou Zhengyu did not give a clear answer when asked to comment on a ban extension yesterday.

“The thinking and discussion on the issue reflect progress in society … but I think it takes a collective effort from both the government and city residents to solve the issue in the long term,” Mr Zhou said.

Beijing’s air quality has improved dramatically since July 20, when the city imposed the odd-even traffic restrictions that restrict vehicles to alternate days on the roads.

The city registered 14 days of “class-one” air quality last month and air quality has been good this month too, with the air pollution index below or close to 50, considered excellent.

Those who support extending the ban argue that the improved air quality was a direct result of the measure.

Others, including Mao Shoulong of Renmin University, say the better air is the result of a combination of measures.

“The shutdown of construction sites in Beijing, in fact, played the key role [in improving air quality],” Professor Mao said.

Fears about tonight’s weather, meanwhile, have been dispelled.

The Beijing Meteorological Bureau said there would be no rain during the opening ceremony, and the temperature would stay relatively cool and comfortable at 19 to 29 degrees Celsius.

Oil Depletion And The Future Of Transport In Hong Kong And China

Sep 5th, 2008
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Civic Exchange Energy Forum IX – 5 Sept 08

Oil Depletion and the Future of Transport in Hong Kong and China

On 5th September 2008 (Friday), Civic Exchange hosted an Energy Forum entitled “Oil Depletion and the Future of Transport in Hong Kong and China” supported by MTR Corporation Limited.

A keynote presentation was given by Dr. Richard Gilbert an expert on Peak Oil and post peak solutions. He has outlined the facts and implications of peaking oil supply, and has compared a number of solutions for transport that reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

Two other panelists – former Commissioner for Transport Robert Footman, and Alex Tancock of Peak Oil Hong Kong Limited have offered additional comments on local implementation of low carbon transport solutions and have led a stimulating discussion, which was moderated by Mike Kilburn, Environmental Programme Manager of Civic Exchange.

At the forum, Dr. Richard Gilbert illustrated the use of electric cars and noted that public awareness of the level of off-the-shelf availability was poor in HK. He believed that HK Government had the means to subsidise such a move, as rising fuel costs drive buses towards a tipping point, where it becomes economically viable (in terms of full life-cycle costs).

Richard commented that in HK’s hilly terrain, electrified systems were much more efficient than hydrocarbon engines and that it would be more efficient to burn hydrocarbons to create electricity than to stay with pure hydrocarbon engines in such an environment.

He then spoke briefly about the spike in energy costs for the extra 20% of speed for ships and trains, and noted that Japan’s bullet trains ran slower than China’s would do for this reason.

Other issues discussed included the failed Citybus trial of electrified buses a few years ago, and the barriers to adaptation of this technology in the future (US$1 million per kilometre of overhead cabling installed), the lack of a manufacturer of skysails for commercial ships, and noted that HK/PRD would be the ideal centre for an Asian base of operations owing to the huge port traffic and manufacturing capabilities of the Delta.

WWF (HK) noted that they had recently produced a book – “Plugged in: the end of the Oil Age”, which closely follows the thinking of Richard Gilbert’s new book “Transport Revolutions”.

Asia’s Sooty Air

Sep 5th, 2008
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Down to Earth – New Delhi,India – PRIYANKA CHANDOLA – 15 Sept 08

Health effects of air pollutants worse in Asian cities

Economic boom in Asia has come with a price. Health effects of particulate pollutants in Asian cities are similar—even greater—than those in most industrialized western cities. Effects of gaseous pollutants are also higher in Asian cities. These are the conclusions of a study conducted in Bangkok and three Chinese cities—Hong Kong, Shanghai and Wuhan. It assessed the effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on mortality.

It is part of the Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) project, undertaken by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) in Boston in partnership with the Pasig City, Philipines-based Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI -Asia).

Researchers used health data, including natural mortality and that of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, provided by health departments. Four pollutants, namely, NO2, SO2, PM10 and O3 were used as air quality indicators. The research teams adopted a common protocol.

PM10 levels were well above WHO guidelines. Wuhan and Shanghai had the highest PM10 levels. NO2 levels in Bangkok were slightly lower than the other two cities but were above WHO guidelines. Wuhan reported high O3 levels. Natural mortality was highest in Shanghai, followed by Bangkok and Hong Kong. Wuhan had the lowest. But deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was the highest in Wuhan followed by Shanghai, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Air pollution levels of the four Asian cities were compared with 20 largest cities in the US using data collected between 1987 and 1994 by the country’s National Morbidity and Mortality Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS). The Asian cities fared poorly in the comparison. Mean PM10 levels were 33 microgrammes per cubic metre in the US cities while the PM10 levels in the Asian cities varied between 52 and 142 microgrammes per cubic metre.

The combined effects of all the four pollutants were equal or greater in the Asian cities compared to the US cities. The excess risk of mortality for all pollutants in Bangkok was higher than reported in the three Chinese cities. “The results provide important information on pollution related health effects in Asia especially for areas known to have high exposures but are underrepresented in the literature,’’ says the study published online on July 9 in Environmental Health Perspectives. Researchers also observed that the effects were stronger for heart diseases than natural causes. The effects of the pollutants were stronger on the aged, particularly in Bangkok.

The second wave of the PAPA studies has finished in three Indian cities—Ludhiana, Delhi and Chennai. “The results are being analyzed and will be released shortly,” says J S Thakur, associate professor, Department of Community Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, who is involved with the papa study in Ludhiana. The researchers say the results will contribute to the international scientific discussion on health effects of air pollution. Multicity studies are very important in Asia as pollution effect estimates for the region can be generated. These in turn can provide relevant estimates of local impacts of environmental conditions to decision makers.

Australia Told To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Sep 5th, 2008
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Associated Press in Canberra – Updated on Sep 05, 2008

A government pledge to slash Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by midcentury would not stop dangerous global warming and should be extended to an 80 per cent target, a report recommended on Friday.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was elected to power last year on a promise to aim for 60 per cent cuts in emissions by 2050 a more ambitious goal than the 50 per cent agreed on by leaders at the Group of Eight industrial countries in July.

But Ross Garnaut, an economist commissioned by the government to investigate how Australia should respond to climate change, released a report on Friday recommending the 80 per cent target for 2050 and a 10 per cent interim target by 2020.

Such cuts are needed if Australia were to carry its fair share of the burden of holding the global carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere to 550 parts per million, he said.

That level of atmospheric pollution still posed “large risks to the Australian economy,” but developing countries would not agree to a safer target of 450 ppm, he said.

“Australia should now indicate its willingness to play its proportionate part in future, and if possible early movement toward a more ambitious global goal than 550 ppm,” Mr Garnaut said in the report.

The government has vowed to introduce a so-called carbon trading scheme by 2010 designed to give companies a financial incentive to reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, believed to contribute to global climate change.

But the government has yet to decide on what price to charge polluters.

Mr Garnaut said a permit for creating 1.1 US tonne of carbon dioxide should cost A$20 (HK$130). That price should be increased by 4 per cent a year.

Mr Garnaut predicted that would be close to the international price for polluting if a global free market in carbon-trading emerges from United Nation’s agreement on the 550 ppm target.

He said he hoped the agreement would be reached at a United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in December next year.

The government has yet to respond to Mr Garnaut’s report.

Mr Rudd hopes to unveil his government’s final blueprint for an Australian carbon trading scheme in December and introduce legislation to parliament next March.

Australia is one of the world’s worst carbon dioxide polluters per capita because of its heavy reliance on abundant coal reserves. As the driest continent after Antarctica, it is also considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

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.

Residents Attack Car Park Plan For Heritage Garden

Sep 5th, 2008
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19th century landmark chosen for 400 parking spaces

Fox Yi Hu – SCMP – Updated on Sep 05, 2008

A plan to build a car park in a World Heritage-listed garden has highlighted the clash between conservation and urban growth in Macau.

Luis de Camoes Garden, also known as Dove’s Nest, was built in the first half of the 19th century and became part of the “Historic Centre of Macau” which acquired World Heritage status in 2005.

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau plans to build a car park at the garden’s nursery site to meet demand for parking spaces in the area.

Bureau chief Tam Vai-man said last week that the government was working to clear some property ownership issues before it could start building the car park, the entrance to which would be located outside the garden on private land.

The car park would provide more than 400 parking spaces for cars and motorcycles.

But Macau historian Chan Su-weng said the project would affect the garden’s historic value and called on the authorities to listen to cultural experts before pressing ahead.

“It is the oldest garden in Hong Kong and Macau,” Mr Chan said.

“And there are prominent World Heritage sites – the Casa Garden and the Protestant cemetery – adjacent to it.”

Although there is no building of consequence on the nursery site where the car park would stand, the site should be protected as part of the garden, Mr Chan said.

“Protecting World Heritage sites is not just about keeping buildings,” he said.

The hilly and heavily wooded garden is named after Luis de Camoes, considered Portugal’s greatest poet and sometimes likened to Homer and Dante. Camoes was exiled to Macau in the 16th century and completed his epic Os Lusidas in the former Portuguese enclave. It is believed he lived in a cave near the garden.

A bronze bust of Camoes has been standing under a grotto in the garden since 1886. Also featured in the garden is a statue of Korea’s first Catholic priest, St Andrew Kim, who went to Macau to study in 1837.

The Historic Centre of Macau, featuring streetscapes and piazzas with more than 20 monuments, was included in the Unesco World Heritage list in July 2005.

The car park plan has annoyed some residents who fear it will spoil the views and natural environment.

Sixty-year-old Vong Kuai said he was worried that the car park would cut into the size of the garden and pollute the air.

“This hilly land is cut out for being a garden. Lots of people come here to exercise,” said Mr Vong, who has been living near the garden for four decades. “There is land elsewhere. Why must they eye this garden?”

A lack of parking spaces in Macau, coupled by an unpopular traffic law, sparked a protest by more than 3,000 motorcyclists in September last year.

There were 95,223 motorcycles and 84,466 vehicles in the city of 29.2 sq km at the end of July.

Transport officials have repeatedly stressed the need to increase parking spaces and ease traffic jams. The number of motorcycles in Macau has been growing at an annual rate of about 8 per cent in the past few years. A lack of parking spaces often leads to illegal parking and riders tend to ignore the parking tickets they receive.

Mr Chan suggested that if the government was determined to push ahead with the car park project it be built underground so as to minimise its impact on the garden.

The Macau government has yet to respond to a South China Morning Post inquiry.

Hong Kong Considers Ban On Fishing Trawlers

Sep 4th, 2008
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AFP – Sep 4, 2008

Hong Kong is considering banning fishing trawlers in its waters to save fish stocks, a report said Thursday. The drastic proposal comes as annual catches were estimated to be 30 percent above sustainable levels, the South China Morning Post said, citing a consultation paper from the Food and Health bureau.

“Most Hong Kong waters are fish spawning and nursery grounds,” said the consultation document, which will be released by the bureau’s committee on sustainable fisheries next week.

“The indiscriminate trawling activity will lead to catches of infant fish that lack… economic value and seriously disrupt reproduction capacity.”

Under the proposals, the government could buy out some of the 550 fishing trawlers operating in Hong Kong waters.

Environmental groups have long said that of all methods used, trawling has the most damaging effect on the seabed and fish stocks.

The document said annual production of fish in local waters has reached 26,700 tonnes, 30 percent above the maximum sustainable yield set by a recent study on sustainable fishing, the Post said.

The proposal is likely to draw opposition from the beleaguered fishing industry, which provides 12,000 jobs in Hong Kong.

Fishermen have been plagued by a string of problems including marine pollution from China, soaring oil prices, ageing operators, and mounting calls to protect international fish stocks.

Financial help and retraining could be offered to the affected fishermen, with the hope that they could turn to the leisure fishing business or fish farming, the report said.

Other suggestions in the paper included limiting new entrants and capping the number of fishing vessels, the English-language newspaper reported.

A spokesman for the department said the report was not yet available to the public.

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