The air conditioner has been something of a poisoned chalice for the people of Hong Kong. It has enabled us to work through the summers in reasonable comfort, and perhaps contributed to overall productivity in Hong Kong, which sets this city apart from others which have taken a more relaxed approach to working during the heat of summer.
But at the same time, it has created a need to wear warmer clothing indoors than outdoors and has perhaps contributed to the phenomenon of summer colds. Meanwhile roads are being built within a few metres of human living space, since nobody is expected to open windows any more.
This is an unhealthy state of affairs. And as we all know, keeping air conditioners on all day long throughout the year has an enormous environmental cost.
With the gradual increase in environmental awareness in recent years, Hongkongers have begun trying to reduce their use of air conditioners. But a recent survey by Green Sense shows just how difficult it is to be environmentally responsible when those around you do not share that sense of responsibility.
Of the 1,262 residents polled, 53 per cent said they were forced to switch on their air conditioners because of the hot exhaust from the air conditioners of their neighbours. In other words, one family turned on the air conditioner because someone else had turned theirs on. No doubt, once the second family had turned their air conditioner on, blowing exhaust fumes into another household, a third, and then a fourth would have turned theirs on too.
Civic responsibility is a fragile concept and can easily be undermined by the fact that others have not subscribed to it.