To new joiners thinking about staying in HKG

[Cpt. Underpants]

Food for thought (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47777103)

This BBC article deals exactly with the pollution that plagues HKG every day of the year.

Pay attention to the part where the long-term effects of pollution on children is discussed.

[cxorcist]

Forgive me if I have misread the article, but it seems to me that it is all about the pollution in London, and doesn't mention Hong Kong once!

Right, because pollution in London is much worse than HK. Get real!

[Flex88]

Forgive me if I have misread the article, but it seems to me that it is all about the pollution in London, and doesn't mention Hong Kong once!

One can only hope this is NOT flight crew material... (the tyre is only flat on one side).

[ShyTorque]

I moved my family back to UK from HK over twenty years ago because of this increasing problem. The effects of air pollution on our young kids resulted in two of them having to use nebulisers on an increasing basis. As soon as they were out of the territory, they improved. I can't imagine the air's any cleaner now.....

[Busbuoy]

Nicely selected data point. Lambeth's peak vs Central's low.

[Air Profit]

Sure Paul, HK's pollution is less than London's... :rolleyes:

[cxorcist]

Paul’s notion is so absurd that it really doesn’t justify a response. HK is disgusting most of the time and certifiably unhealthy even more than that. Many of the days that appear nice are still very bad for your lungs. I often wonder if my workouts are doing more harm than good.

[cabbages]

Paul....Stop quoting Facts....it's not helping.

[Busbuoy]

Paul I agree with your assertion about the original data that at 0900 on whatever day it was London was worse than HKG. However, that time coincided with a peak in London and a trough in Hongkong. If you had compared 18 odd hours earlier the comparison would have been reversed. Not saying you were being deceitful, just that the data point you picked supported one assertion and another point did not. I suspect those arguing for averages to be compared would be more correct in their assertions. But I don't know, I haven't checked all the data.

[Zapp_Brannigan]

Paul's report only omitted the PM2.5 statistics. The real dangerous one. The one that will go deep into your children's lungs.

9.6 ug/m3 average in London last year.
Not under 20 ug/m3 average in any station in HK last year.
The HK government's target is fixed at an average of 35 ug/m3!

So I'd say, Paul's comments were indeed deceptive.

[cxorcist]

Paul....Stop quoting Facts....it's not helping.

Selective facts!

[CyberT]

I think we can all agree that the air in HK is sh*t


Hedley Environmental Index (http://hedleyindex.hku.hk/historical)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hedley-environmental-index/id1271664570?ls=1&mt=8 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hedley-environmental-index/id1271664570?ls=1&mt=8)

[SloppyJoe]

https://aqicn.org/city/hongkong/

Whenever I compare HKG with London on the above site, HKG is far worse.

How many pilots live in central London? If you come to HKG you can't escape it. Many many stories of kids having health issues in HKG that clear up when they return home to cleaner air. Make of that what you will.

[ShyTorque]

The advantage of UK is that not many aircrew have to live in the relatively concentrated area of London. We are fortunate enough to live over 150 miles from there, in a small village. None of my offspring (now grown up) have to live in London either.

Like it or not, the Far East, imported many of the more pollution producing industries from the Western world.

[ShyTorque]

Up here in the north of England, under a crystal blue (but rather cold) sky, I doubt that the readings are anywhere near either.

[ShyTorque]

OK. So the thing that "New joiners thinking about staying in Hong Kong" need to know is that it's a city, and, like most cities worldwide, the pollution levels are higher than in the depths of the countryside. HK's pollution is not significantly worse than other major cities such as London, but yes, living in the countryside 150 miles from your place of work is not an (easy) option in Hong Kong.

I guess we could all agree on that.

Agreed. My place of work isn't in London, either. Point is, potential newcomers do need to understand that Hong Kong is a small, highly concentrated place and it can be claustrophobic for a number of reasons.

[Steve the Pirate]

I really hate it when facts are quoted to support opinions. What’s happening to this forum? :E

STP

[Air Profit]

Can everyone please get back on point. It isn't that HK (or London) is a toxic place, it's more the fact that this COMPANY IS A TOXIC PLACE, and will do you, your family and your mental/physical health far more harm than the admittedly awful atmosphere on a given day. I can certainly say, living in the UK/AUS/NZ/CAN/USA is going to be a far healthier place on every level. Or are there still some left in HK who think that the next 20 years is going to be something better than the last 20...?

[Steve the Pirate]

Can everyone please get back on point. It isn't that HK (or London) is a toxic place, it's more the fact that this COMPANY IS A TOXIC PLACE

I think everyone else was on point actually. The discussion was about air quality and not the toxicity or otherwise of the airline workplace in HKG. You seem to be the one who's drifted off point.

STP

[Foxdeux]

Having lived in both YYZ and HKG I can say that YYZ>HKG when it comes to raising a family. But if you're not planning on having kids, or if you're well off I think HKG would be a better place. It sucks to be poor in HKG but great if you're rich. In Canada everyone is sort of average, but it's pretty hard to make bank, but it's also pretty hard to die cause of our 'generous' welfare system.

[Jammed]

The advantage of UK is that not many aircrew have to live in the relatively concentrated area of London. We are fortunate enough to live over 150 miles from there, in a small village. None of my offspring (now grown up) have to live in London either.

Like it or not, the Far East, imported many of the more pollution producing industries from the Western world.

Thank you! Finally someone touched a critical point! A important fact.
You all like to live the wonderful lifestyle of western world, will all you commodities, gadgets and plastic crap, and then play the cynical game of being shocked with all the pollution you demand to support your lifestyle.
Asia in general, specially China, are world factories. No matter where you live in the world you have a heavy footprint in china. And, unlike most of so called leading and developed nations, china is truly making an effort to cut it down.
There are pro and cons, is up to each individual and make the math. Not to mention, life is variable. What you want today, may not be what you want tomorrow.

Please, don't be cynical about the pollution you all hate to breath but love to produce...

[cxorcist]

Thank you! Finally someone touched a critical point! A important fact.
You all like to live the wonderful lifestyle of western world, will all you commodities, gadgets and plastic crap, and then play the cynical game of being shocked with all the pollution you demand to support your lifestyle.
Asia in general, specially China, are world factories. No matter where you live in the world you have a heavy footprint in china. And, unlike most of so called leading and developed nations, china is truly making an effort to cut it down.
There are pro and cons, is up to each individual and make the math. Not to mention, life is variable. What you want today, may not be what you want tomorrow.

Please, don't be cynical about the pollution you all hate to breath but love to produce...

Keep your plastic crap. It’s not making anyone’s lives better anyways. As for pollution, the leading reducer of CO2 by far is the USA, not China. Ironically, this has most to do with switching electricity generation to natural gas, not “renewables”. China is disgusting because it produces most of its electricity with coal and has 1.5 billion people crammed into the eastern third of the country. Don’t blame everyone else for China’s problems. Nobody is forcing them to produce all that plastic crap.

[oz_faf81]

Thank you! Finally someone touched a critical point! A important fact.
You all like to live the wonderful lifestyle of western world, will all you commodities, gadgets and plastic crap, and then play the cynical game of being shocked with all the pollution you demand to support your lifestyle.
Asia in general, specially China, are world factories. No matter where you live in the world you have a heavy footprint in china. And, unlike most of so called leading and developed nations, china is truly making an effort to cut it down.
There are pro and cons, is up to each individual and make the math. Not to mention, life is variable. What you want today, may not be what you want tomorrow.

Please, don't be cynical about the pollution you all hate to breath but love to produce...

Another member of the 50 cents army...