questions for parents with young kids

[Dirty Lungs]

Your blurb says you are in HK?
Short answer - it is disgusting and it's getting worse. It is the one thing my family genuinely struggles with here. Consider this:

We have friends who are leaving expressly because of their concerns about air quality (they have children). My wife's mother's group is losing two families because of this. Small statistical sample I know but there you go.

Other industries that attract expats in HK are regularly paying a penalty percentage on salary packages to compensate for dragging families here. This is not rumour, reported in SCMP, The Standard. Figures quoted 5-10% on top.

Front page reports only recently in SCMP quote that the sky is obscured (overcast) due pollution one day in three. Think about that - you can't see the sky one day in three. Finding a horizon on those days is a challenge as well. I don't know if you fly into HK but if you do you would know there are days where the viz precludes you seeing the other end of the airport when you're on short finals. Pretty disconcerting when the dew point split means there is no natural phenomena that is reducing viz. It's all filth.

Singapore and HK are fierce rivals for business, investment etc. Both attract expats. Merrill Lynch recently issued a report comparing the two from an expat perspective and recommended that given the choice of relocating to either, then one should take the family to Singapore, and NOT to bring them to HK. The reason given - air quality. Can try to find the link if you want it.

It's not going to get better anytime soon. Not when it is the by-product of 10% growth in China and the burgeoning middle class across the border.

HK has an EPA, but frankly it is all smoke and mirrors. Case in point - their Pollution Index would lead you to believe things are not to bad if you check it. However, the index used is completely out of step with any index used in western countries. For an actual conversion and comparison of HK air quality to indexes in UK/US, go to www.cleartheair.com.hk. Whilst you are there, put the kettle on, make a brew and slowly peruse the site and draw your own conclusions.

Hopefully your thread will generate some debate about this issue. My opinion is only that, I'm sure there may be some counter-views.

My post here may trigger a fair question - "Why are you still here then?" There's the old saying that as an expat you arrive with two empty buckets; one that will fill with money, the other with bullsh@t, and you leave when the first one fills up. In Hong Kong you arrive with those two empty buckets, as well as empty lungs. You'll leave when the first one fills up. Just remember that your children have smaller lungs than you.