EPD ready to grant idling exemption for hot weather
LegCo Diary: Anti-idling Bills Committee Session of July 7th
This Wednesday, the Legislative Council continued deliberations on the anti-idling bill. After the recent death of a minibus driver, several LegCo members pushed for further exemptions to grant relief during severe weather conditions. EPD appears ready to concede on this point. Read our account of the proceedings here.
Air Pollution Increases Heat Stroke Risk
The death of the 81-year old minibus driver, mentioned above, was widely reported as a heat stroke incident, but this characterization ignores the grave risks posed by chronic exposure to diesel fumes – especially to professional drivers. There is a lot of medical research demonstrating that air pollution leads to significantly increased risks of stroke and heart attacks. The death of this driver is actually more attributable to air pollution, especially roadside emissions, than to the heat. You can read more here.
