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Does Hong Kong need to build a third airport runway?

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Jessica Leung, 16, Our Lady of the Rosary College

Recently, the Airport Authority announced that they had decided to build a third runway at Chek Lap Kok. This decision has attracted a lot of attention and controversy. I don't agree with the decision.

Firstly, building a third runway will cause serious pollution. The plan will not only worsen air quality in Tuen Mun and Tung Chung, but endanger Chinese white dolphins, as construction work will take place near a marine park specifically set up to protect these creatures. The Chinese white dolphins are very rare. It's not worth sacrificing them for the sake of more space for planes.

Secondly, this plan is very costly. Building the runway could cost almost HK$140 billion, and around 650 hectares of land would have to be reclaimed.

Of course, all that reclamation is bad news for the environment, but what's worse, the plan to build a runway uses money that could be better spent reducing poverty in the city.

Last but not least, this plan does not promote sustainable development. It should be about balancing social and economic needs while preserving the environment. But this runway appears to only benefit the economy. The environment and the needs of the poor have been ignored.

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