See the graph and real-time camera monitoring from the Hedley Environmental Index Air Pollution Tracker, Hong Kong’s unofficial and real air pollution index.
March 23rd, 2010:
Air pollution level hits record high in Respirable Suspended Particulates
The toxic legacy of Texaco-Chevron in Ecuador – Sign the petition
Support justice for the rainforest communities of Ecuador!
Over three decades of oil drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Texaco (now Chevron) dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest, creating an environmental tragedy experts call “the Amazon Chernobyl.” This systematic contamination has left tens of thousands of local indigenous people and campesinos suffering an epidemic of cancer, miscarriages, birth defects and other ailments. The residents of the rainforest region, known as the Oriente, have filed a monumental lawsuit to hold Chevron accountable, and an international solidarity campaign is supporting their demand for justice.
Help us pressure Chevron to do the right thing in Ecuador. For a good, informative background on the issue, watch this watch this 60 Minutes investigation called “Amazon Crude.” Then, join me by signing the petition to incoming CEO John Watson, urging him to do the right thing in the Ecuadorian Amazon by funding a full-scale environmental clean up.
You can also this recent article in influential Washington news outlet Politico, detailing the ways in which Chevron’s aggressive attempts to evade responsibility for its mess in the Amazon are increasingly backfiring.
The Clean Up Ecuador Campaign at Amazon Watch is working hard to secure justice for the rainforest communities of Ecuador. Check out ChevronToxico.com to learn more about how you can help.
Old buses to be retired by 2019
First published: March 17, 2010
Source: Hong Kong Government
Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau anticipated all pre-Euro and Euro I buses will be retired no later than 2012 and 2015, respectively, while Euro II buses will retire by 2019.
Mr Yau told lawmakers today if all pre-Euro, Euro I and Euro II commercial vehicles including franchised buses are retired, the economic benefit will be about $24.3 billion.
(more…)
LCQ15:Reduction in the emissions from franchised buses and the resultant pollution problems
First published: March 17, 2010
Source: Hong Kong Government, via 7th Space
Following is a question by Hon Kam Nai-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (March 17): Question: Regarding the reduction in the emissions from franchised buses and the resultant pollution problems, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the current number of buses in each of the bus fleets of franchised bus companies, with a breakdown by the emission standard met by the buses; (b) of the number of old buses replaced by each franchised bus company in the past five years, the replacement cost per bus and the total replacement costs involved; how these figures compare with the corresponding estimated figures in the next five years; whether it knows if such companies have finalised their respective bus replacement timetables for the next five years; if the timetables have been finalised, of the details; if the timetables have not been finalised, the reasons for that; and (c) whether it has studied and estimated the losses suffered and social costs borne by Hong Kong as a result of the pollution problems caused by emissions from franchised buses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and what solutions the Government has to reduce the losses and costs in this regard?