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January, 2009:

Only Way To Ban Idling?

Jan 3rd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Giving in to drivers may be only way to ban idling

Updated on Jan 03, 2009 – SCMP

The good news is that the government will finally press ahead with introducing a ban on idling engines. The bad news is that the draft ban will be significantly watered down by the time it is presented to lawmakers later this month. Under pressure from the public-transport trade, the government has devised complicated rules that will exempt more taxis and minibuses queuing to pick up customers. The rules are likely to make the law more difficult to enforce when it comes into effect.

A ban is long overdue. Leaving a vehicle engine idling not only causes pollution, but is also an annoying form of antisocial behaviour. A consultation last year showed the public overwhelmingly supports such a ban. But taxi and minibus drivers have vehemently opposed it, citing several reasons, some of them arguable, others spurious. Still, the government has promised to have legislation in place this year. Given the general public’s wish to see a ban introduced without delay, the latest compromises with the trade may be the only expeditious way forward.

The government had originally proposed that only the first two taxis in a queue be allowed to keep their engines running. Under the revised proposal, the first five would be allowed to do so. And if the queue is moving, every waiting taxi would be able to keep its engine on. Unless they are in long queues which move little – like those at the airport – most drivers waiting in line in urban areas would be able to claim they are in a moving queue. Similarly contrived rules will apply to minibuses. For example, green-top minibuses often wait in one queue but serve different destinations. The new rule would allow the first and second minibuses travelling on the same route to keep their engines on, regardless of their places in the queue.

Without going into all the details, it is easy to see that police officers and traffic wardens would face a tough time handing out tickets. Traffic conditions are fluid, especially in a city like Hong Kong; vehicles in queues are constantly moving. Often, minibuses switch places while waiting at stops. Some stops are busier than others; and conditions can vary greatly at the same stop during different times of day.

The trade probably wants these rules in place because they will make enforcing the new law difficult. If so, it is to be regretted that professional drivers cannot be more public-spirited. Understandably, they face declining business in the current downturn. But the ban will not affect their livelihood. At most, it will cause inconvenience, such as not being able to cool themselves with air conditioning.

It is now clear the city will not have the toughest ban many people were hoping for. However, breaches of the new law would carry a substantial fine of HK$320, so it does not lack teeth. It should still serve as a serious deterrent and have an educational effect on drivers and pedestrians alike. Even if police officers may be hamstrung, they can cite the law and warn drivers – professional and private – to operate their vehicles more responsibly.

Despite the new steps taken to placate the trade, some representatives of the taxi trade still oppose the revised proposal. It is unlikely anything can be done to satisfy these people short of dropping the legislation altogether. Let us hope officials will stand firm from this point on and move ahead to impose the ban. The discomfort drivers will suffer from not having air conditioning will be small relative to the serious impact on pedestrians’ health from their vehicles’ roadside emissions.

Hong Kong Air Pollution Worst Since Records Began

Jan 3rd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Hong Kong – January 3, 2009 – 8:06PM – The Age

Air pollution across large swathes of Hong Kong last year reached its highest level since records began, despite government efforts to improve the environment, official figures showed yesterday.

Hong Kong suffers high air pollution, caused partly by huge numbers of factories over the border in southern China, and there have been fears the problem could compromise its position as an international finance centre.

The number of hours for which street-level pollution exceeded the danger level in some of the city’s busiest districts rose by 14 per cent in 2008, according to Environmental Protection Department figures.

The department said air pollution levels in the three main shopping and business districts were dangerous for more than 2,000 hours last year — the highest figure since it began taking roadside recordings in 2000.

An Air Pollution Index (API) of more than 100 is considered dangerous, indicating immediate health risks, especially to people with respiratory or heart problems.

The latest figures are for Central, Hong Kong’s main business district, and the Causeway Bay and Mongkok shopping areas.

They were released as Hong Kong’s acting environment secretary proposed a ban on running engines of parked vehicles, the latest in a series of measures to improve the city’s air quality.

The city’s Chief Executive Donald Tsang has called improving air quality a “matter of life and death” for Hong Kong, and said he expects the full backing of Chinese authorities.

A report released last year by the Hong Kong-based think tank Civic Exchange said that at least 10,000 deaths every year in Hong Kong, Macau and southern China are caused by the area’s worsening air pollution.

A spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Department cautioned that the figures did not give a full picture of air quality because they reflected only the level of the pollutant that posed the greatest health risk.

However, Edwin Lau, director of pressure group Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, said this meant the true picture could be even worse than the figures indicated.

“You can look at the data from another perspective and say the problem could be even more worrying if the levels of the other pollutants were also taken into account,” he told AFP.

Lau said the government needed more effective policies to improve roadside air quality, such as banning heavy diesel vehicles from driving in busy districts during peak hours.

Air Is Cleaner, Government Claims

Jan 3rd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Despite high pollution readings, air is cleaner, government claims

Daniel Sin – SCMP – Jan 03, 2009

Concentration of Pollutants

The Environmental Protection Department has insisted Hong Kong’s air quality has improved over the past decade, despite its air pollution index showing big rises in the number of hours pollution hit dangerous levels.

A departmental spokeswoman said concentrations of individual pollutants were a better means than the API to assess the long-term air quality trend and had been decreasing over the past 10 years. These air pollutants include respirable suspended particles (RSP), nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur dioxide and ozone.

The department was responding to a South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583, announcements, news) report that showed the number of hours in which street-level pollution exceeded dangerous levels at three crowded areas had increased over the past year, in some cases to record levels.

The department’s data shows the average level of roadside RSP last year was 72 micrograms per cubic metre, down 13.3 per cent from 2004. In the same period, the concentration of nitrogen oxides fell 2 per cent, while that of sulfur dioxide was constant.

Statistics from general stations suggested that the concentrations of individual pollutants they recorded had dropped by an average of 1.7 per cent to 5.3 per cent each year between 2004 and last year.

The department attributed the improvement to the success of control measures taken by Guangdong province in recent years.

To improve regional air quality, the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments agreed in 2002 to reduce the emissions of four major air pollutants by 20 to 55 per cent from their 1997 levels by 2010. To achieve this, they drew up a regional air quality management plan focusing on key sources of emissions, the spokeswoman said.

But Simon Ng Ka-wing of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology questions this.

“The levels of RSPs and NOX concentration recorded last year still exceeded the respective one-year air quality objectives, and have in fact breached our lenient air quality objective every year over the last 10 years,” he said. “They are much higher than the safety margins recommended by the World Health Organisation, which is 20 micrograms per cubic metre for RSP and 40 for NOX.”

Last year, the average concentration of NOX at roadside stations was 99 micrograms per cubic metre.

“Roadside air quality is still posing a serious health threat to Hongkongers,” said Dr Ng.

Mike Kilburn, of think-tank Civic Exchange, said the government should adopt the WHO’s air quality guidelines.

Proposals To Ban Drivers Idling Engines

Jan 2nd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Government revises proposals to ban drivers idling engines

Regina Leung – SCMP – Updated on Jan 02, 2009

The government has revised a legislative proposal to ban drivers from running the engines of their vehicles when they were idle, Acting-Secretary for the Environment Kitty Poon Kit on Friday.

The government launched a five-month public consultation on the proposal in November 2007.

To reduce the air pollution problem, a consultation document on the issue proposed that if drivers did not switch off a vehicle’s engine when it was idle, they would be given a fixed-penalty ticket.

However, Ms Poon said restrictions on drivers of taxis, minibuses and coaches would be eased.

Sources said the original proposal suggested giving exemptions to the first two taxis at a taxi stand. This has now has been revised to the first five taxis.

The first two minibuses at the same public light bus (PLB) stand, with different routes, will also have exemptions.

The exemption will be given to taxis and PLBs in a moving queue at their designated stops and stands, local media reported

“The revised proposal was due for consideration of the industry’s practical needs and we have proposed appropriate exemptions to meet operators’ demands,” she said.

“We have tried to strike a balance between the needs of the public and the transport trade,” added Ms Poon.

She said Environmental Protection Department officials would meet transport industry representatives to discuss the details about the revised proposal in the coming two days.

“The proposal would be submitted to Legislative Council’s environmental affairs panel later this month. We hope that the new law will be enacted some time this year,” she said.

Eastern Hong Kong Island Enjoys Best Air

Jan 2nd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Pollution worst in western areas that are close to container terminals

Daniel Sin – SCMP – Updated on Jan 02, 2009

While many districts suffer rising levels of health-threatening pollution, residents in the east of Hong Kong Island have the cleanest air, and it has been improving over the years.

Eastern district has not recorded a reading of more than 100 on the Air Pollution Index since 2005 and, with the two other cleanest districts, Tai Po and Sha Tin, has recorded consistently improved readings.

In contrast, ambient readings at general stations in Yuen Long, Kwai Chung, Sham Shui Po, Central and Western, and Tung Chung are consistently worse than the rest of the city. In particular, in Kwai Chung last year, the number of hours when the API exceeded 100 – an alarm threshold of poor air quality – increased by 166.6 per cent from 2007.

Visibility has improved, with more blue skies creating an illusion of cleaner air. A visibility level of below 8km is defined as “reduced visibility”.

In the first 11 months of last year there were 1,654 hours of reduced visibility at the airport – an improvement of 10.4 per cent from the same period in 2007.

During the same period, there were about 1,000 hours of reduced visibility at the Observatory, the same level as last year. But experts said more clear days did not necessarily mean the air was cleaner.

“Improved visibility has little to do with the reduction of pollutant concentration, especially in areas at close range to people,” said Angus Wong Chun-yin of Friends of the Earth.

Simon Ng Ka-wing of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, explaining why western areas usually suffered poorer air quality, said: “These districts are close to the container terminals. The emissions from vessels are high in sulfur dioxide concentration that could explain the high readings of the API from general stations in these districts.

“Besides, the air quality in these areas is more affected by the emissions from factories in the Pearl River Delta than the rest of the city.”

One exception was the isolated Sai Kung island of Tap Mun, which suffered high pollution despite having no traffic.

“This is because Tap Mun is close to a sea route to [the Shenzhen container port of] Yantian .”

Dr Ng said the impact of high pollutant concentration could be reduced with better town planning, building designs, and energy conservation measures.

Air quality objectives adopted in 1987 define the highest concentration of pollutants that can be tolerated within a given time without causing immediate health risks.

These include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and breathable respirable suspended particles. For example, sulfur dioxide should not be allowed to exceed 800 micrograms per cubic metre of air in one hour.

Samples are collected at three roadside monitoring stations and 11 general monitoring stations that check ambient air quality in urban areas, new towns and rural areas.

The Environmental Protection Department compares the concentration of each of the pollutants against the respective air quality objective and picks the highest sub-index as the API.

Hong Kong Air Pollution

Air pollution danger days rise in 2008

Jan 2nd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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API shows street-level air worsens

Daniel Sin – SCMP – Updated on Jan 02, 2009

Despite clearer skies and government efforts to switch vehicles to cleaner fuel, the air was dirtier than ever across much of the city last year, according to air pollution index data.

The number of hours in which street-level pollution exceeded danger levels at three of the most crowded areas rose by 14 per cent – and by more than 40 per cent in one area.

Meanwhile, in the western parts of the city, which have the worst air quality, the number of hours in which the ambient air pollution exceeded danger levels also rose, although cleaner areas of the city saw an improvement in air quality.

The figures prompted a warning from a university expert of the long-term health effects on residents.

But the government insisted air quality was in fact improving, saying the API as now calculated did not give the full picture – a response that raised questions from an environmental group about why it is still being used.

The number of hours last year when roadside pollution, measured by monitoring stations in Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok, exceeded an API of 100 totalled 2,007, up 14 per cent from 1,760 hours in 2007, and a six-year high.

An API of over 100 indicates the pollutants in the air pose immediate health risks, especially to people with respiratory or heart illnesses.

The API figures, published by the Environmental Protection Department, show that roadside air quality was the poorest in Central, where 1,013 hours of API readings over 100 were recorded, up 34.2 per cent from 2007. This was followed by Mong Kok, which had slightly fewer than 600 hours above the threshold, a drop of 18.1 per cent. In Causeway Bay, there were 402 hours of poor air quality, up 42.6 per cent from 2007.

An Environmental Protection Department spokeswoman said that as the API was based on just one of a list of pollutants that recorded the highest concentration on a given day, the readings did not represent the trend of air pollution concentrations.

“A more scientific, robust and commonly adopted approach by professionals to assess long-term air quality trends is to examine the annual trends of air pollutant concentrations,” she said.

Friends of the Earth environmental affairs officer Angus Wong Chung-yin found the explanation confusing.

“[It] shows the API is not sufficient to give the public an accurate picture of the air pollution if people are not able to draw a conclusion from the trend figures,” he said. “In this case, the government should review the approach and develop better indicators to help people understand the changing situation in air quality.”

On the department’s claim that roadside concentrations of some pollutants had fallen, Mr Wong admitted there had been an improvement, but it appeared to have levelled off since 2004.

Professor Wong Tze-wai, of Chinese University’s department of community and family medicine, said the health impact could be long-lasting. “Our research shows that an increase in 10 micrograms of a pollutant in every cubic metre of air will increase the rate of death, hospitalisation or treatment in a clinic by 1 to 1.5 per cent, depending on the type of the pollutant,” he said.

Roadside Air Pollution Levels Cannot Be Ignored

Jan 2nd, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Jan 02, 2009 – Leader

More frequent clear skies over our city have helped boost the government’s claim that its efforts against air pollution are succeeding. To an extent, the claim is merited. The levels of some major pollutants have indeed fallen sharply. Their roadside concentrations have been reduced by about 20 per cent in the past decade. Among these are respirable suspended particulates, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, all of which pose a major health risk.

Improved visibility also means better safety for vessels and planes; and clear blue skies are good for Hong Kong’s international image, which has been tarnished by high air pollution. No one wants to remember the Pearl of the Orient as being engulfed in choking gray smog. But picture-perfect skies do not tell the whole story. What we see is not a good indicator of what we actually breathe into our lungs.

As we report today, the number of hours that roadside monitors have clocked up above the alarm level of 100 on the air pollution index has soared in the past year. The three monitoring stations in Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok recorded a total of 2,007 hours, up 14 per cent from 1,760 hours in 2007. Central alone recorded 1,013 hours, a jump of 34 per cent from the year before. Causeway Bay had 402 hours, up 42.6 per cent, but Mong Kok dropped about 18 per cent with 592 hours.

The Environmental Protection Department has argued that air pollution trends are best measured by the concentrations of pollutants rather than the number of hours the API goes above 100. To be sure, unfavourable weather patterns often contribute to high API levels, but they are not necessarily the cause of a long-term trend. Admittedly, the overall decade-long trends of major pollutants have seen their concentrations either falling or levelling off. Positive contributing factors include the conversion of taxis and minibuses to LPG, the introduction of ultra-low-sulfur diesel and tighter vehicle emission standards for buses. Tougher control measures imposed by Guangdong authorities are also a significant contribution.

However, the department’s arguments are not entirely convincing. Weather patterns work both ways. Just as unfavourable conditions can push up the API, favourable ones can help bring about clear skies. More misleading is the department’s claim that frequently high API readings at roadside levels are not a good indicator of air quality trends. The department itself sets up the index as a simple way to inform the public about air quality. Surely the amount of time the index measuring roadside pollution as being above alarm levels is a highly relevant factor to consider. Otherwise, the index has no use for the public.

Many air-quality objectives the department has achieved deserve recognition. But contrary indicators may also be a warning signal. During the recent economic boom years, the number of private cars has shot up. People should be discouraged from driving in congested districts, such as by pedestrianising more roads.

More importantly, a government review panel is close to finalising a study of stronger World Health Organisation standards on air quality introduced two years ago. Despite the tougher standards, the WHO does not impose them, but encourages individual cities to adopt a realistic plan to introduce them in phases. The panel should make adopting the WHO standards a matter of urgency. A world city needs clean air and world-class standards to maintain it.

Beijing To Remove 350,000 Vehicles Off Inner-City Roads

Jan 1st, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Updated on Jan 01, 2009 – Reuters

Beijing, beset by choking traffic and heavy air pollution, will take more than 350,000 high-polluting vehicles off inner-city streets from today, local media reported. The capital has banned cars from the roads on one out of five weekdays based on the number of licence plates as part of a six-month trial in the wake of broader restrictions during the Olympic Games in August that cleared skies and eased congestion. Drivers of high-emissions vehicles, known as “yellow-label” cars, would be fined 100 yuan (HK$114) if found to be driving within the city’s Fifth Ring Road, a highway on Beijing’s outskirts, after a three-month grace period, The Beijing News reported. The measure stands to take about 10 per cent of the city’s cars off the road. Beijing currently has about 3.5 million registered cars.

Citizens Are Now Standing Up To Developers

Jan 1st, 2009
by AdminCTA.
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Updated on Jan 01, 2009 – SCMP

John Cheng (“Strike balance between causes”, December 25), is concerned that one of our developers is being unfairly picked on.

Given that all of Hong Kong’s richest people are in property, one finds is difficult to view them as innocent victims. There are ample reasons to pick on all developers – Sino Land, and others, for massive tower-wall projects over MTR stations; Cheung Kong and Henderson Land for blocking natural light and air in North Point; New World and Wharf hell-bent on building concrete walls on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront; Swire for its controversial Castle Steps project in Mid-Levels; and Sun Hung Kai for its Manhattan Hill podium. The list is endless but, as Mr Cheng has written a number of letters supporting the Mega Tower project, the developer he refers to is presumably Hopewell Holdings.

He says: “Hong Kong needs mature political leaders to lead us into the future.” We certainly do and these leaders must have the courage to stand up for their constituents who have had their basic human rights to fresh air, natural light and public open space trampled upon by long-standing cosy arrangements between our government and developers.

The Mega Tower saga is a textbook example of such collusion.

A lapsed application is the basis for this development. To date, no document that validates the extension of building approval in 1996 has ever been produced.

The approval was not extended and the developer and the administration will do anything to avoid any legal process that rules on this and reveals collusion and lapses in due process.

Then there is the question as to how Hopewell was allowed to build QRE Plaza on a designated green site and why the secretary for development is trying to manipulate the Town Planning Board to retrospectively rezone the site. Here, we open another can of worms. Hopewell is not being picked on. Opposition to the Mega Tower is the beginning of the revolt of the middle class against the forces that leave us with a quality of life well below that of the working class in other communities. Young and upcoming politicians are astute enough to recognise this.

Citizens have found their voice and will no longer tolerate being peasants in their own land. Projects that are not compatible with the general good will be contested.

Candy Tam, Wan Chai

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