Pollutions back!
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boxjockey; Good to see someone admit they know which side their bread is buttered on. The answer to your two questions is yes and I must add to that by telling you I have yet to find a city as enticing as Hongkong, pollution and all. Prince of Dzun.
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Hong Kong Air Kills More Than SARS, Pressuring Tsang - Bloomberg
Hong Kong’s record roadside air pollution is prompting health and business groups to step up pressure on Chief Executive Donald Tsang, saying the blight kills more people annually than the SARS outbreak did in 2003.
As Tsang prepares to give his annual policy address next week, figures updated daily by the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health show air pollution this year may kill more than twice the 299 who died during the SARS epidemic.
“This has to be the priority for the government,” said Joanne Ooi, chief executive officer of the advocacy group Clean Air Network, which drove a truck covered in black balloons through the city last week to highlight the issue. “The impact of roadside pollution on health is getting worse and it’s extremely dangerous. There is no bigger problem in Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong’s roadside smog, which was the worst on record during the six months ended March and set another high in the third quarter, is harming the city’s ability to attract top talent, according to the General Chamber of Commerce.
“You’ve got decision makers with families who could be based in Singapore or Shanghai and they have to decide whether they want to put their kids in school here,” said Alex Fong, chief executive officer of the chamber, which has 4,000 corporate members in Hong Kong. “People in the business community, particularly the expatriate community, are saying the air in Hong Kong is not improving and that’s affecting their ability to recruit.”
‘Continuous Efforts’
The chief executive is still working on his Oct. 13 policy address and his department can’t comment on its content before the delivery, a written statement from Tsang’s office said.
“The government has been making continuous efforts to improve our air quality and these efforts rank very high on the priority list of the administration.”
Tsang said in January it was unacceptable that air quality had reached “dangerous” levels one in every eight days last year.
Progress has been made in tackling overall air pollution and yearly measurements of some pollutants are falling, the city’s Environmental Protection Department said in an e-mailed statement on Sept. 24. Sulfur dioxide levels fell as much as 22 percent since 1999 after emissions from power plants were curbed and cleaner vehicle fuels introduced.
University of Hong Kong figures show air-pollution-related deaths fell to 830 last year, from 1,349 in 2004.
Roadside Smog
Hong Kong’s roadside smog during the six months ended March, registered “very high” or “severe” 18.7 percent of the time. In the third quarter the index hit “very high” at roadsides 9.3 percent of the time, government data indicated, another record for the period. At those levels, the government automatically warns Hong Kong’s 7 million people that anyone with heart or respiratory illnesses should avoid prolonged stays in heavy traffic areas. Roadside air pollution measured 100 at 8 a.m. today in the Central district, just under levels when a health warning is triggered.
By Oct. 7, an estimated 582 people died this year from illnesses related to air pollution, according to the Hedley Environmental Index, a website run by the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong. During the 2003 spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, Hong Kong was the world’s second most-infected area after China, with 1,755 cases and 299 deaths.
Hong Kong’s smog is “a cancer on the attractiveness of this place,” Richard R. Vuylsteke, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, said in April. “There should be the wherewithal and willpower to address it.”
Unhappy Residents
Hong Kong people are the unhappiest in the world with their air quality, with 70 percent of those polled expressing discontent about the levels of smog, according to a Gallup survey of adults in 153 countries released in April. The next most disgruntled country was Chad.
The government has not updated air quality objectives since 1987 and current targets are less strict than World Health Organization guidelines, said Mike Kilburn, environmental program manager at the Hong Kong policy think-tank Civic Exchange.
“Current government targets to reduce pollutants are too low,” Kilburn said. “They’re environmental and political targets, not public-health targets.”
WHO Guidelines
The WHO guideline for ozone, found in roadside pollution, is 160 micrograms per cubic meter an hour, compared with the Hong Kong government’s objective of 240 micrograms.
The government said it’s assessing the results of a public consultation on air quality objectives that ended in November. Measures being considered include pilot “low-emission zones” where the most-polluting vehicles would be barred and it is also introducing laws to stop drivers running their engines while parked, a government report said.
Tsang’s speech “will focus on the economy, just as it always does,” said Stephen Vines, political commentator and author of “Hong Kong: China’s New Colony.” “There will be a mention of air pollution, but I think the government is high on rhetoric and low on action in this area.”
Hong Kong’s air pollution is contributing to the deaths of hundreds of people each year and target levels should be closer to WHO standards, said Wong Chit-Ming, associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong.
Death Estimates
“The estimates we give for the numbers killed through illnesses related to air pollution are conservative,” said Wong. “The problem particularly is roadside pollution. It can lead to problems with lung functions in young children, to coughs, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and contribute to serious illnesses like cancer,” he said.
Hong Kong children’s doctor Aaron Yu said that every time the air pollution index reaches a high level, more youngsters are brought to his hospital.
“A noticeably higher number of children will attend our outpatients department with respiratory problems, asthma, bronchitis or chest infections,” said Yu, 50, a consultant at the inner city Caritas Medical Center in Kowloon. “You’ll likely see the same effect on old people and other areas of the population.”
As Tsang prepares to give his annual policy address next week, figures updated daily by the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health show air pollution this year may kill more than twice the 299 who died during the SARS epidemic.
“This has to be the priority for the government,” said Joanne Ooi, chief executive officer of the advocacy group Clean Air Network, which drove a truck covered in black balloons through the city last week to highlight the issue. “The impact of roadside pollution on health is getting worse and it’s extremely dangerous. There is no bigger problem in Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong’s roadside smog, which was the worst on record during the six months ended March and set another high in the third quarter, is harming the city’s ability to attract top talent, according to the General Chamber of Commerce.
“You’ve got decision makers with families who could be based in Singapore or Shanghai and they have to decide whether they want to put their kids in school here,” said Alex Fong, chief executive officer of the chamber, which has 4,000 corporate members in Hong Kong. “People in the business community, particularly the expatriate community, are saying the air in Hong Kong is not improving and that’s affecting their ability to recruit.”
‘Continuous Efforts’
The chief executive is still working on his Oct. 13 policy address and his department can’t comment on its content before the delivery, a written statement from Tsang’s office said.
“The government has been making continuous efforts to improve our air quality and these efforts rank very high on the priority list of the administration.”
Tsang said in January it was unacceptable that air quality had reached “dangerous” levels one in every eight days last year.
Progress has been made in tackling overall air pollution and yearly measurements of some pollutants are falling, the city’s Environmental Protection Department said in an e-mailed statement on Sept. 24. Sulfur dioxide levels fell as much as 22 percent since 1999 after emissions from power plants were curbed and cleaner vehicle fuels introduced.
University of Hong Kong figures show air-pollution-related deaths fell to 830 last year, from 1,349 in 2004.
Roadside Smog
Hong Kong’s roadside smog during the six months ended March, registered “very high” or “severe” 18.7 percent of the time. In the third quarter the index hit “very high” at roadsides 9.3 percent of the time, government data indicated, another record for the period. At those levels, the government automatically warns Hong Kong’s 7 million people that anyone with heart or respiratory illnesses should avoid prolonged stays in heavy traffic areas. Roadside air pollution measured 100 at 8 a.m. today in the Central district, just under levels when a health warning is triggered.
By Oct. 7, an estimated 582 people died this year from illnesses related to air pollution, according to the Hedley Environmental Index, a website run by the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong. During the 2003 spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, Hong Kong was the world’s second most-infected area after China, with 1,755 cases and 299 deaths.
Hong Kong’s smog is “a cancer on the attractiveness of this place,” Richard R. Vuylsteke, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, said in April. “There should be the wherewithal and willpower to address it.”
Unhappy Residents
Hong Kong people are the unhappiest in the world with their air quality, with 70 percent of those polled expressing discontent about the levels of smog, according to a Gallup survey of adults in 153 countries released in April. The next most disgruntled country was Chad.
The government has not updated air quality objectives since 1987 and current targets are less strict than World Health Organization guidelines, said Mike Kilburn, environmental program manager at the Hong Kong policy think-tank Civic Exchange.
“Current government targets to reduce pollutants are too low,” Kilburn said. “They’re environmental and political targets, not public-health targets.”
WHO Guidelines
The WHO guideline for ozone, found in roadside pollution, is 160 micrograms per cubic meter an hour, compared with the Hong Kong government’s objective of 240 micrograms.
The government said it’s assessing the results of a public consultation on air quality objectives that ended in November. Measures being considered include pilot “low-emission zones” where the most-polluting vehicles would be barred and it is also introducing laws to stop drivers running their engines while parked, a government report said.
Tsang’s speech “will focus on the economy, just as it always does,” said Stephen Vines, political commentator and author of “Hong Kong: China’s New Colony.” “There will be a mention of air pollution, but I think the government is high on rhetoric and low on action in this area.”
Hong Kong’s air pollution is contributing to the deaths of hundreds of people each year and target levels should be closer to WHO standards, said Wong Chit-Ming, associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong.
Death Estimates
“The estimates we give for the numbers killed through illnesses related to air pollution are conservative,” said Wong. “The problem particularly is roadside pollution. It can lead to problems with lung functions in young children, to coughs, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and contribute to serious illnesses like cancer,” he said.
Hong Kong children’s doctor Aaron Yu said that every time the air pollution index reaches a high level, more youngsters are brought to his hospital.
“A noticeably higher number of children will attend our outpatients department with respiratory problems, asthma, bronchitis or chest infections,” said Yu, 50, a consultant at the inner city Caritas Medical Center in Kowloon. “You’ll likely see the same effect on old people and other areas of the population.”
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Just moved to Singapore and cant believe how we stuck out the grime and pollution for so long.
They have blue skies and clouds here
Yeah, Sings not perfect either for many other reasons but for the sake of my kids health, best move we ever made
They have blue skies and clouds here
Yeah, Sings not perfect either for many other reasons but for the sake of my kids health, best move we ever made
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air pollution this year may kill more than twice the 299 who died during the SARS epidemic.
University of Hong Kong figures show air-pollution-related deaths fell to 830 last year, from 1,349 in 2004.
and then this :
The estimates we give for the numbers killed through illnesses related to air pollution are conservative
