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Why you can trust SCMP
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Lee Fai-wing, 39, believes the latest bird flu outbreaks are a blessing in disguise to keep us alert to deal with health challenges. Ride from Tai Mong Tsai to Quarry Bay. Cost: $195

It is going to be an endless battle as we will be forced to tackle similar health problems in future. When the Sars problem came to an end last year, we knew there would be more to come, except that we were expecting another round of Sars.

I think it's payback time because we have been very selfish for years. Many of our achievements have been at the expense of other living things and our planet.

Years ago we had never heard of these health problems, I think they are partly the result of reckless technological advances. Maybe it's because we are too eager to increase the food supply to meet the growing demand.

Scientists have been injecting hormones into pigs to make them grow faster, bigger and to produce tastier meat. Fish have been modified to increase their size and crops have been scientifically altered to make them more appealing.

All this interference that was originally meant to improve our lives has come back to haunt us. We are now paying for what we have taken from Mother Nature. That's one of the main reasons we are seeing so many weird health problems. I am convinced this is why we are being threatened by super bugs and viruses previously unknown to man.

I would rather be a few years behind in science than lose years in the overall state of health - both as an individual and a community. It's just not worth it. Science has to be sustainable to be beneficial. We have to be aware that some short-term gains could bring long-term losses. And we need to keep reminding ourselves that good science should always try to maintain long-term benefits with the minimum of damage.

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