CAN suggests additional monitoring stations would provide comprehensive pollution picture
Clean Air Network (CAN) welcomes the Environmental Protection Department’s (EPD) announcement today about the long-awaited release of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) figures. Starting today, the EPD will begin providing real-time updates of PM2.5 concentrations to the public on the hour. However, the pollu …
China Daily
Li Wenfang and Wang Zhenghua
Environmental authorities of Guangdong province plan to start releasing PM2.5 readings on Thursday, an early-bird approach to meeting the stricter national air quality requirements.
The State Council announced last week that stricter standards would be adopted in cities, including readings for ozone and concentrations of PM2.5 – particulate matter sm …
South China Morning Post
Cheung Chi-fai
After answering four questions from audience on green issues, former chief secretary gets just 2pc support, while Leung is clear winner followed by Ho on 23pc.
The three men vying to become Hong Kong’s next chief executive appeared together for the first time in a debate yesterday.
Tang, once regarded as favourite to take the city’s top job, regis …
South China Morning Post
Joyee Chan
Hong Kong’s dated clean-air targets will be toughened – for the first time in 25 years – starting in 2014, but green groups say they will still fall short of World Health Organisation standards.
The Executive Council on Tuesday endorsed 22 new air quality objectives first put out for public consultation in 2009. The new objectives, which lay down atmosphe …
South China Morning Post
Lai See
Howard Winn
Edward Yau Tang-wah, our secretary for environment, is fond of saying when discussing air quality objectives that it’s useful to have them as a standard but you must also have effective means for achieving them. You never feel that he really gets it. The thinking behind air quality objectives is that if they are exceeded, public health is damaged …
South China Morning Post
Lai See
Howard Winn
We were troubled to receive the photograph that appears in today’s column. The car is a Volkswagen Phaeton with the registration AM13, which means it is a government car. It is clearly parked illegally next to a sign which indicates no stopping at any time.
The photograph was taken yesterday at 7.42am outside the Hong Kong Club in Central by Dav …
South China Morning Post
Op-ed
Nothing is more evident than roadside air pollution. We can see and smell when it is poor and our lungs can tell us how bad it is. The Environmental Protection Department’s annual update showing the worst-ever levels in Hong Kong’s busiest districts therefore comes as little surprise. It is disappointing that government assurances and measures are having limited …
On January 12, 2012, Clean Air Network (CAN) launched a comic drawn by popular local graphic artist, Cuson Lo, satirizing the Government’s reluctance to implement new proposed air quality standards for Hong Kong, called Air Quality Objectives (AQOs). Through their continued delay in renewing Hong Kong’s outdated 25-year old standards, the Government is shirking their responsibility to protect public health. Cuson Lo and Legislative Councillor Audrey Eu were present at the launch and called on the public to sign a petition urging the Government to take action and update the AQOs. …
PM2.5 will be monitored and the data published twice a day on Twitter via @CANalert and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cleanairnetwork.
Disclaimer: the PM2.5 data we release is measured by a portable PM2.5 monitor (TSI SidePak AM510) which is widely used by university researchers. The location is outside of our CAN office (102-106 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan) at ~5m above grou …
SCMP
Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com
The truth sucks
They’re meant to help keep your home clean, but some vacuum cleaners actually contribute to indoor air pollution, say researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. They tested 21 vacuum cleaners sold in Australia and made by 11 manufacturers. The machines were aged six months to 22 years old, and cost f …