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Powerlines

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Why you can trust SCMP
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the public (us) History has shown repeatedly that real environmental change only occurs when the public wants it. But few people in Hong Kong are willing to make the hard decisions that will actually change our environment. Take the simplest of environmental goals: taking your own shopping bag to the supermarket instead of using plastic bags. How many of us do that? Very few ...

green groups Hong Kong has more than a dozen environmental groups. Some, like Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, are branches of international organisations who campaign on global, regional and Hong Kong-wide issues. Others, like ABLE (A Better Living Environment), Green Peng Chau Association and Green Power, are more grassroots and campaign on small-scale, localised issues. In comparison with other developed cities, membership of all these groups is miniscule. Even so, the Government says it listens to environmental groups, although the groups believe it is just going through the motions. Green groups also try to educate the public and raise awareness but admit that lack of resources makes it hard for them to be effective.

the media Although things are slowly changing, Hong Kong's media normally only covers environmental issues when there is something tangible to report on - a red tide crisis or high air pollution readings. In North America, the media has over the past 20 years raised environmental awareness by providing reports that are analytical and often controversial.

professionals Town planners, traffic planners, architects. While 'sustainable' has become the global buzzword for development, its application in Hong Kong is minimal. Individual professionals are often commited members of green groups and want to see change. They are also, because of their jobs, in the private sector and thus in a position to change things. But when it comes to the crunch, few decision-makers in the private sector are prepared to risk a cut in profits to clean up their act.

private sector Hong Kong and the region developed at an unprecedented speed. In Europe and North America, industry developed more slowly and eventually learned it should be sensitive to the environment. In the Pearl River Delta, though, environmental issues were not considered. In Hong Kong, the developer can still play God and the underlying environmental philosophy of Hong Kong's private sector is still that economic development always comes first.

academia Some academics are certainly committed to the environment and much fine research is carried out in Hong Kong. But academic work is slow, cautious and conservative. And unlike in many Western countries, it is not the academics who are pushing for change on environmental issues in Hong Kong.

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