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Air pollution: you have your say

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You have shown courageous reporting in regards to the haze levels in Hong Kong. Now the warning bells have been rung and the government realises that something needs to be done or health problems could soar due to pollution.

As usual, fingers have been pointed at the transportation sector for this mess. Personally, I feel the real-estate sector in Hong Kong has escaped much of the blame. Property developers created high-rise residential buildings with air-conditioners in every room. The attitude of the Hong Kong people is also responsible for this degradation in climatic conditions. Everybody seems to want the luxury of air-conditioning at the cost of environment.

Air conditioners are one of the main culprits of ozone depletion worldwide because of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) contents. I can be sure enough to say that 90 per cent of air conditioners in use throughout Hong Kong are not CFC-free, so we are contributing to the huge rise in temperatures.

The government should give an undertaking that all real estate developers should have fans installed in all the rooms along with the air-conditioners to give homeowners a choice. If this clause does not work then the price of electricity should be increased to make homeowners think twice about whether to pay more for luxury at the cost of environment.

K. SANTOSH

Ap Lei Chau

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