If you love Hong Kong, watch and share this

We’ve launched our first animated video. It’s a funny, but scary depiction of the health impacts of air pollution. So far, the response to the video has been overwhelmingly positive. However, we’ve been asked a few times, where did you get your facts? And why did you choose such exaggerated, extreme imagery? Aren’t you afraid of alienating important supporters?

It’s important to address all of these concerns squarely:

All the facts and statistics stated in the video can be found, with original source citations, on our website. Moreover, the Hong Kong Government itself computes the adverse health impacts using the same methods (Hedley Environmental Index) and cites the same mortality statistics. The facts about the effects of pollution on unborn children and heart rate come from internationally recognized medical journals. In short, all our facts and figures are well documented and, to those of you who are already Friends, you are probably aware of most of them already.

One of the core challenges of educating the general public about air pollution is the fact that the symptoms of respiratory illness attributable to air pollution are not sudden or acute. A person rarely drops dead suddenly from air pollution. However, it doesn’t mean that air pollution is not deadly. Indeed, air pollution is undermining our health and mortality every day, around the clock, slowly leaching away the time remaining in our lives. To make the point, the video depicts suffering in terms which actually impact the viewer in his gut – a reaction which the issue deserves, but does not receive often enough. That three people die from air pollution in Hong Kong every day is a truly shocking fact, which deserves equally shocking (visual and artistic) treatment.

Again, we state loud and clear that it is our duty to support and assist the Government in all of its efforts to clean up air pollution. Thus, even though a handful of people might find this video controversial, it is our sincere aim to deliver a wake-up call to the people of Hong Kong through such educational messages. This is just one way to smooth the way for the passage of the Government’s 19 proposed abatement measures.

On that note, we hope that you will not only watch the video – tongue firmly in cheek — but share it widely by email and on facebook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_QaOjOHzw

Thank you.