SCMP | Updated on Nov 06, 2008
Many expatriates find Hong Kong a heavily polluted city with extremely poor air quality.
The government seems to be taking action with, for example, the Action Blue Sky campaign and the ban on smoking in public places. But they have shown limited progress in improving air quality. We can still see people lighting up in restaurants, parks, and places where smoking is prohibited.
Stricter penalties are needed. Take the issue of illegal dumping of waste, where the maximum penalty is HK$200,000 and imprisonment for six months. Has anyone ever been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment?
If the government is not going to enforce the stricter penalty, I wonder whether our citizens will be environmentally aware enough to keep Hong Kong clean.
Hongkongers want our city to become an international financial hub, but what people are doing now is the exact opposite. Hongkongers should not just be money-minded. We should focus more on environmental problems which are the real concerns hurting Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
Artemis Cheung, Kwun Tong