Clean air, not hot air, is what we need – now
SCMP
Editorial
May 03, 2010
The good news about air pollution should not lead us to ignore the significance of the bad news.
The good news is that official action to reduce sources of air pollution produced improvements, as results from the recent regional air quality report showed. This is a sign that the government is taking a step in the right direction.
However, at the same time, annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in Hong Kong rose 13% last year. These roadside pollution measurements exceed the WHO guidelines twice over.
The direct effects of roadside pollution on the health of the HK community should make this the top priority to government officials when considering air quality policies. But they have continually failed to offer effective incentives for voluntary incentives or enact forceful enough regulation on power and tranport operators.
“In the absence of a popular mandate, consultation and striving for government by consensus is a way of life in Hong Kong. But in this case it has resulted in more hot air from vested and sectional interests than clean air, which is a universal right. There comes a time when our unelected government must act decisively, as if it were elected, for the greater good.”
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