The View | Confidence in Hong Kong undermined by air pollution, handling of Occupy movement
Poor air quality and political uncertainties undermine confidence in HK, to the benefit of Singapore
In Beijing last week, I gasped through an air pollution index of 540, breathing air that tasted of coal dust.
That made me think - how does Hong Kong's atmosphere, measured by the US Environmental Protection Department's Air Quality Index (AQI), compare to that of our nation's capital?
The answer was breathtaking. In the past two months, according to the smartphone app, Airpocalypse, the AQI at the Central roadside meter has exceeded that of Beijing (measured at the US Embassy) a third of the time.
As I write, we have a clear day in Hong Kong, with an AQI of 64; but at the same time, Beijing is 46. The AQI definition of "good air" stops at 50.
Since November last year, that level has been exceeded in Hong Kong 96 per cent of the time (Beijing 93 per cent), putting children, people with lung diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart or circulation problems, over 65s, or those who exert themselves outdoors, to lose some lung function.
The general public becomes affected over 150 and masks are recommended over 200. The index officially stops at 500 but can still be calculated, although human life becomes less and less sustainable.