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TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2003
Insight Development has taken its toll on Hong Kong’s beautiful harbour, rolling green hills and air quality. In celebration of Earth Day, our writers look at ways to reverse the damage GOVERNMENT POLICY I LISA HOPKINSON
Conservation costs, but inaction costs more
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satellite photo of the Pearl River Delta shows Hong Kong as a green oasis at the edge of an increasingly urbanised and industrialised region. Hong Kong’s green spaces, country parks and coastal areas are invaluable assets, not only in terms of fresh air, amenities and scenic value, but because of the habitat they offer to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. Who would think this city of skyscrapers was home to many rare and endangered species of plants and animals – in some cases their only home on earth? Yet Hong Kong’s wildlife and wild areas are under constant stress due to ever-growing pressures for development. Hong Kong had the wisdom and foresight in 1974 to set aside 40 per cent of its land as country parks, for conservation and recreation. However, many areas of high ecological value are actually outside the country parks. Many wetlands (fishponds and former paddy fields), woodlands, streams, and marine and intertidal habitats have little or no legal protection. These are being gradually degraded and destroyed, with sometimes irreversible consequences. Government policy for the protection of these valuable habitats has been under review for several years, but still there is no sign of any concrete action. In his 2000 policy address, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa pledged to develop a comprehensive nature conservation policy and consult the public within a year. In this year’s policy address, he again pledged to “promulgate in 2003 a comprehensive nature conservation policy including practicable measures to better conserve ecologically important habitats in close partnership with academics and non-governmental organisations”.
LAMMA ISLAND I BOBSY JUREIDINI AND TOBIAS FORSTER
Seeds of inspiration
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he vision is simple: create a forest on the scenic northern hills of Lamma Island, in what is possibly one of that island’s most beautiful spots. The site is 10 minutes’ walk from Yung Shue Wan village and 40 minutes from Central, but it is surrounded by rich flora and fauna in nearby valleys. It was a barren spot when the tree-planting project started, but the vision is to blanket the nearby valleys with forest, creating one large ecosystem. Our first trees were planted in 1997. The task was to plant 1,000 trees – 500 on April 25 and another 500 on the next day. Since then, with the exception of one year, more trees have been planted every year. Sometimes we had lots of people helping, and at other times just a handful, but we considered every event a success. Fortuitously, Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department decided to plant thousands of trees right next to our site. One can see a forest coming together in the not-to-distant future; all we have to do is be persistent. Aside from planting trees, we also maintain the forest and look after the trees as they grow. This is achieved by organising “tree maintenance days”, consisting of rubbish clean-ups, pruning, mulching, feeding and so on – all great fun. We generally invite schools and companies to help with the events. To date, 15,000 trees have been planted in the Lamma Forest Project, consisting of 12 species of indigenous and exotic trees. It is amazing to compare photographs taken in 1997 with more recent ones. The trees are attracting wildlife and many birds. The land feels alive. Proposals and plans for the forest include placing signs at the four entrances and creating a sculptural centrepiece to be a welcome sign and a landmark. On May 10, we will plant another 500 trees in the forest to celebrate Earth Day. Planting trees on Lamma will improve the air for people in the region; the Lamma vision goes beyond creating a beautiful forest.We took a decision to focus on our own backyard and to act locally. By focusing our efforts on our own community, we thought we could make a bigger impact and generate awareness of global issues. Bobsy Jureidini is chairman and Tobias Forster is secretary of Able Charity, Lamma Island
Why is it taking so long to come up with a workable and effective conservation policy? The issue is not helped by the fact that the department in charge of conservation, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), is underresourced and lacking in leadership. It is unwilling to take on New Territories landowners opposed to more protection of rural areas which would restrict development, or their own colleagues in the more powerful works departments. So, for years the AFCD has sat on the issue of conservation of areas outside country parks. In some exceptional areas, such as Sha Lo Tung in the northern New Territories and Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung, where imminent development has threatened areas of unique ecological, heritage and landscape value, the government has intervened by zoning these areas for conservation under the Town Planning Ordinance. However, this is not a long-term solution since it only gives partial protection. It prevents development, but not human activities such as recreational war games – a policy that can be detrimental to ecological value and is at best a passive form of protection. In this year’s policy agenda, the chief executive pledged to consider the introduction of a rating system for ecological values in various locations. There is a limited number of highly valuable sites that need emergency protection, most of which are in, or adjacent to, lowland village areas. Some of these sites are privately owned, and must be acquired to ensure their long-term protection. While the government regularly expropriates land for public purposes such as building roads, reservoirs and new towns, it has never considered conservation a public purpose. Yet, what could
be a clearer public purpose than the conservation of species and habitats for the benefit of future generations? To avoid an open-ended drain on the treasury, expropriation of land for conservation as a public purpose could be limited to about 10 priority sites. The government needs to bite the bullet and recognise there must be some financial outlay for conservation. While this may not seem the appropriate time, because of Hong Kong’s growing government deficit, the current downturn in the property market means this is actually the best time to be buying up land for conservation. Conservation creates tangible economic benefits. The quantifiable conservation value of Hong Kong’s natural resources could be as much as HK$6.5 billion annually. Ecotourism, education and enjoyment of outdoor recreation provide both direct and indirect economic value. Ecotourism alone could increase Hong Kong tourist receipts by HK$4.3 billion a year, if even a small proportion of our visitors could be convinced to extend their stays by one day to enjoy the countryside. The quality of the natural environment and the existence of wild and unspoiled tracts of land affect people’s willingness to live and invest here. On Earth Day 2003, Hong Kong needs to be reminded that all life and economic activity depends on the biosphere. We are not the only inhabitants of this planet and we owe it to ourselves and our children to protect and conserve what little remains of our dwindling life-support system. Lisa Hopkinson is head of research at the Civic Exchange think-tank
SMOG WATCH I DON LATTER AND ANNELISE CONNELL
Why a go-slow approach does not work
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s the smog lifting in Hong Kong? A little bit. Calculations show that the air pollution index for Causeway Bay went down about 5 per cent, on average, from January 2001 to last month. This is a pleasant surprise. Anyone who lived in Hong Kong five years ago will remember how our old diesel taxis belched black smoke. No longer. By the end of this year, all Hong Kong taxis will have converted from diesel fuel to liquefied petroleum gas, thanks to handsome subsidies provided by the government since 1999. New diesel taxis have been banned. The government has turned some roads into pedestrian walkways, giving a bit of a breather to the poor pedestrians suffocating in the fumes in high-traffic areas. People who have experienced the pleasures of reclaiming those streets should encourage the government to extend the scheme to other areas, and to turn these sites into permanent pedestrian precincts. That is the good news. Unfortunately, reasons to be cheerful give way to reasons to be fearful. And there are lots of them. One area of concern is the emission of respirable suspended particulates – bits of toxic filth that we breathe into our lungs and which affect our respiratory systems and cause cancer.
Sources of airborne pollution in Hong Kong Motor vehicles
Currently, 44 per cent of all particulates come from motor vehicles. Diesel fuel is one potent source of particulates, and old diesel vehicles are the worst. The government’s co-operative and non-confrontational approach has been to set high standards for new vehicles and to retrofit the older ones with anti-pollution devices, relying on attrition to reduce the number of dirty vehicles. Unfortunately, no deadlines have been set to remove all the old, dirty vehicles from our roads. Since many diesel engines last 10 years or more and emissions standards are not as high as they could be, this approach will keep us choking for quite a while yet. Hong Kong’s “big market, small government” philosophy is not applied to the renewal of vehicle licenses. Minibus licences, for example, are automatically renewed if the vehicle meets the bare minimum requirements for emissions. Lack of competition means there is no incentive to upgrade to the most environmentally sound technology. Within the confines of its gentle approach to environmental control, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has not been idle. It has installed catalytic converters and particulate traps on old diesel vehicles, introduced ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and
Don Latter is a member of Clear the Air and Annelise Connell is vice-chairman. www.ClearTheAir.org.hk
44% 30% 26%
Big buses, heavy goods vehicles
Private cars
3%
Taxis
20%
Mini buses, passenger vans, light goods vehicles
29%
48%
Source: Clear The Air, April 2002
RENEWABLE ENERGY I DAPHNE MAH
Reducing our use of fossil fuels: a first step to cleaner air
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one are the days when everyone talked about Hong Kong as a blessed land. With no end in sight to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak, one positive aspect is that it has rapidly sharpened our public awareness of health, and has finally made the health of our living environment a top priority. For now, wearing masks, washing hands and cleaning our apartments are merely the first steps. To enjoy a genuinely healthy living environment, we must be prepared to tackle a much more insidious health risk – air pollution. Air pollution may seem too daunting to tackle, but it really is not. We have the tools. Renewable energy is one of them. It is worth remembering that our next-door neighbour, Guangdong, has gone far ahead of us in applying renewable energy technology. We have not even started yet, in Hong Kong. Since wind energy is already technically and commercially viable in many parts of the world, all we need in Hong Kong is merely the political will to change. Air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and carbon dioxide have extensive negative effects on our health, and also on the Earth. People with heart or respiratory diseases are most vulnerable to these pollutants, while global warming is being promoted by another pollutant, carbon dioxide. Hong Kong has depended entirely on fossil fuels for power generation. That is the root of the problem. Adding renewable energy sources to our power grid would make a substantial improvement in our air quality. Recent research by Friends of the Earth shows that if just 5 per cent of Hong Kong’s energy supply came from a renewable source, it
Bill Savadove
Safety first
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he inhabitants of the mainland’s most cosmopolitan city are coping with the atypical pneumonia scare in their own special way: panic with panache. Face masks have yet to become popular street fashion in Shanghai, but white-collar workers are donning the gear for their commute on the subway. Some Shanghai women are making a fashion statement by wearing masks with cute cartoon characters but little protective value. The precautions being taken by many residents come amid widespread scepticism over the city’s official tally of only two confirmed cases. Two months ago, when the outbreak was building in Guangdong province, press inquiries to Shanghai’s Health Bureau met with hostility. Now the local government holds weekly news briefings, and officials have invited journalists to lunch to ask how to spread the word that Shanghai is safe. What a difference two months makes. The presence of three reporters, all foreign, all wearing face masks, at one recent news conference caused a frenzy of pushing as photographers and television cameramen scrambled to capture the odd sight. At another news conference, as officials launched into statements about Shanghai’s safety measures, the persistent coughing of a cameraman drew worried looks and frantic whispering from the podium. Some local companies have capitalised on the Sars outbreak. Jiangsu Hengshun Vinegar Industry has opened a “vinegar bar” on busy Nanjing Road to promote its products. Hot vinegar is a common folk remedy for killing bacteria. The products include white vinegar in a convenient spray bottle, for disinfection. Another is “Vinegar Bean” – chocolate candy surrounding a creamy core of vinegar. A brochure for an anti-ageing vinegar pill says: “Beautiful women love to eat vinegar”, with a picture of a woman in a skimpy outfit drinking what appears to be a bottle of vinegar. The line draws many laughs since “eat vinegar” means to be jealous, usually of a rival in love. Shanghai Gangkai Purifying Products took out a timely advertisement in a local newspaper promoting its full line of surgical masks and respirators. The ad shows a woman in full personal protective equipment with the line, “We give you better protection.” But popular nightspots are still doing a booming business. At one bar, a Shanghai socialite hesitated for a moment before proffering her cheek to the manager for the traditional air kiss: good manners trumped caution.
Sources of airborne motor vehicle emissions
Power generation
Others
explained to the motor trade the concept of turning off engines instead of letting them idle. (Yes, absolutely everything has to be taught in Hong Kong, because environmental awareness among the trades is so low.) The key ingredient lacking in government environmental policy is the voice of the majority, the people doing the breathing. We should remember what happened with the EPD consultation document on idling engines. The transportation sector claimed that if drivers were not allowed to idle their engines, they would just drive around in circles. Since nobody challenged that claim, it became the assumption of the rest of the consultation. The conclusion? Driving in circles creates more pollution than idling, and therefore idling engines are acceptable. So, back to the original question. Is the smog lifting? Only a little. So why not make your voice heard and try to do your bit to change things? You cannot usually do much alone, but by joining an environmental group you can have an effect on government decisions. It is time for things to change. Get active, make a difference and fight for clean air!
SHANGHAI
would remove from the air 8,150 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 7,150 tonnes of nitrogen oxides and 440 tonnes of particulates. Two hundred deaths and 2,102 hospital admissions for heart and respiratory diseases would be avoided each year (see the full report at www.foe.org.hk). Compared to the health impacts of air pollution, climate change is an even more remote issue to most Hongkongers. It should not be. The sea levels on China’s coasts have been rising at an average rate of 2.6mm a year. Sea levels in the Pearl River Delta have been forecast to rise by 7.6cm, 14.8cm and 55.8cm by 2030, 2050 and 2100 respectively. With much of the Pearl River Delta barely above sea level, flooding already poses a constant danger. Nor can Hong Kong rid itself of this potential threat. From a purely economic perspective, renewable energy also has a role to play. In Germany, the university town of Freiburg is known far and wide as the “sunniest city in Germany” because of its towering solar-powered downtown train terminal and the Zero Emissions Hotel Victoria, which is the first European hotel powered completely by alternative energy sources. Back home, on outlying islands such as Lamma, we see an
“Sars has sharpened our awareness and made the health of our living environment a priority”
exciting potential for wind turbines to add a unique green component to this island – already famous for its hiking routes and seafood. We could turn it into a world-class model of sustainable development with vigorous eco-tourism. Eco-tourism is a burgeoning opportunity that Hong Kong as a tourism paradise cannot afford to overlook. Work started long before the government took any initiative. From 2001 to last year, Friends of the Earth conducted wind resource assessments on Lamma and Po Toi islands, and has drawn up wind maps showing that Hong Kong has a rich potential for developing wind energy. A renewable energy network has also been established, with Friends of the Earth as the moderator. Participants include major regional stakeholders including power utilities, government officials and wind experts from Guangdong. To keep the momentum going, and to set the development of renewable energy in Hong Kong in motion, the government should now take the lead in formulating a renewable energy policy. This year’s interim review of the existing Scheme of Control Agreements offers an opportune time for the government to act, and to show a genuine commitment to the development of renewable energy in Hong Kong. April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day, was a glorious spring day which many environmentalists still remember with awe and reverence. On April 22, 2003, the 33rd Earth Day, as the Sars death toll mounts daily in Hong Kong, is it not clear that the health of the environment should be the top priority? Daphne Mah is campaigns co-ordinator of Friends of the Earth in Hong Kong
SINGAPORE Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop
Cashing in
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all them opportunistic or business-smart, depending on your point of view: advertisements in Singapore are full of references to severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars). Sandwiched between the run-of-the mill ads for mobile phones, computers and slimming centres, you can now find all sorts of products that claim to keep Sars at bay. Scientists have not yet found a vaccine for the virus, and they say it could take years. But advertisers say their products will protect you and your family right now. Playing on fears of Sars, vendors are putting cleaning products and antiseptics at the forefront of the ad blitz. Some are proving a hit with buyers, as supermarkets are reporting a huge jump in the sales of such products. “Sars starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throats, dry cough, shortness of breath. Protect your family now. Our product (a well-known international brand) will kill 99.9 per cent of germs, including the virus that causes Sars,” promises an advertisement for one cleaning-product firm. It stresses that one of its products can even kill airborne germs. “Sars!!! Mold!!! Odour!!! Dust!!!” screams another ad for a decontamination service, which promises to “improve your indoor air quality”. The advertisement carries photographs of germs under a microscope; other photos show men wearing serious-looking cleaning suits and masks, adding a note of scientific rigour for those who need further convincing. Firms dealing in natural remedies are also trying to entice customers to fight Sars with their products. An advertisement for qi gong classes reads, “Sars – Want to enhance your health through qi gong?” Some advertisers are more subtle about capitalising on the public’s fears. Rather than making any direct reference to Sars, they stress the anti-bacterial nature of their products, from toilet cleaner to paint. A new breed of products related solely to Sars has also been created, such as health insurance programmes. A “Sars Protect” kit is being advertised for S$19.90 (HK$87.70) including a digital clinical thermometer, surgical masks, vitamin C tablets, alcohol swabs and a Sars health advisory. In this commercial world, wherever there is the prospect of loss, it seems somebody always stands to gain.