In Beijing, they have started selling oxygen in pubs. In New Mexico, a scheme was considered whereby residents could pay for a gulp of clean air from roadside vending booths.
How much would you be prepared to pay to enjoy clear views, to ensure your asthmatic child could play outdoors, to avoid the effects of chronic ill-health which could result from long-term exposure to air pollution? In short, what is the price of clean air? Friends of the Earth (FoE) now have completed the first comprehensive report on the financial costs of air pollution. The results were startling.
Health costs alone were estimated at HK$1.3 billion a year, not including the financial burden to business, tourism, individuals and damage to vegetation resulting from the excessive levels of pollutants.
Pollution is certainly affecting the economy of Hong Kong and other Asian cities.
The Asian Development Bank estimates that pollution is costing Asian economies the equivalent of nine per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), while also affecting quality of life. Thirteen of the world's 15 most polluted cities are in Asia; many are in China. Air pollution accounts for about three per cent of GDP in Europe and the United States. Hong Kong is not a healthy place to live.
The air quality regularly exceeds acceptable health standards.
Of particular concern are the levels of Respirable Suspended Particulates (RSP), very fine pollutant particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs.