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Air pollutant levels recorded in all monitoring stations exceeded WHO’s standards‏

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CAN’s Mid-Year Air Quality Review  
Last Friday, CAN released its Mid-Year Air Quality Review on Hong Kong’s air quality. CAN found that, from January to June 2012, all monitoring stations in Hong Kong recorded air pollutant levels exceeding the WHO’s annual air quality guidelines, with only two exceptions. The poor air quality for the first six months of 2012 has resulted in 1,459 premature deaths and 18.5 billion dollars lost.In view of this dire situation, CAN has initiated a “Clean Air Pledge” for candidates of the coming Legislative Council election. CAN hopes that the candidates who sign will urge the Government to take stronger action to improve air quality. Click and view CAN’s full report and press release.Please view the press coverage of the press conference [Chinese only].

Long Win discovered selling old buses to KMB

  Long Win Bus Company was revealed to be selling a hundred of its old and dirty buses to Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB). The original franchise agreement, signed in April 2012, stated that the old buses should be replaced, but did not state what should be done with them afterwards.CAN views the actions of Long Win as highly misleading to the public, given the expectation that the removal of their old buses is meant to improve air quality. Such actions demonstrate KMB and Long Win’s lack of sincerity towards improving roadside pollution conditions and protecting public health. CAN strongly urges the bus companies to replace all of their old buses and ensure that they are properly scrapped.

Click to view the media coverage [Chinese only].

800 take part in The Airmazing Race 2


 Last Saturday, CAN held its second annual Airmazing Race! Approximately 800 participants from over 100 schools participated in this event to raise awareness about the impacts of air pollution on our society. One highlight of the Race was a moment when all 800 kids “died” and lay on the ground in a joint gesture to convey the mortal dangers of the air we breathe.The Grand Prize went to Du Sui Ling and Zong Pei Ying from Holy Family Canossian College, and the second place winners were Du Jin Wei and Wong Ying Bin from Wah Yan College.CAN would like to thank everybody who participated and all those who helped make The Airmazing Race such a success!Click and view the event album. Participants or volunteers can share their photos, taken during the day, on the event Facebook page.

Air quality-related news this week
  • The Airport Authority (AA), in response to the Director of Environment (DEP)’s request, submitted supplemental information on the AA’s Third Runway Project Profile. After examination, CAN believes the submission greatly fallsshort of exploring major health and air quality issues raised by the DEP and CAN, such as the failure to provide any mitigation measures to relieve the negative effects of the third runway on air pollution. Click here to view a full report of CAN’s comments and suggestions.
  • Reuters reports on how Hong Kong’s poor air quality is threatening the city’s status as Asia’s World City. To view the news story, click here.
  • Should you want to receive tweets about levels of PM2.5 in Shanghai, you can follow the US Consultate General at @CGShanghaiAir.

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CAN is the #1 resource for health, news, policy about air pollution with a special focus on Hong Kong policy and events. Plese visit CAN at http://www.hongkongcan.org/eng

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One thought on “Air pollutant levels recorded in all monitoring stations exceeded WHO’s standards‏”

  1. Today (August 2) is reported to be the worst ever in Hong Kong for air pollution. I left home wearing a N95 face mask, and travelled from Lantau Island to Shaukeiwan and did not see any other person wearing a mask. People were even jogging outside the Central ferries. I was amazed that the public does not seem to even realize or care about the dangers. Perhaps it would be a good idea during periods of severe air pollution, for your organisation to have people wear masks and carry placards outside ferries and in Central and TST warning of the dangers, to bring this to the public’s attention, and gather more support.