Q Is it worth losing 500 trees for a park?
It may indeed sound cynical that the planned park with a bonsai garden attached in Stanley calls for 500 trees to be cut down in order to plant 1,000 new ones. Is it worth it? It all depends.
It is a common belief that cutting down trees is bad. We have been forced to give up many development opportunities in the past in the name of environmental protection, and even sustainable development.
My former colleague, Professor C.J. Jim, of the University of Hong Kong, suggested giving each tree a price tag as a good solution to this problem.
If the trees to be axed are worth more than the social, cultural and economic cost of the planned garden park, including the new trees, then perhaps there is a case against cutting them. Notwithstanding that, the proposed project should spare as many existing trees as possible.
The idea of public-private partnership is urgently needed in the city. The public sector has failed in its capacity to improve our environment. We should make every attempt to strengthen the desire to contribute to - and especially to participate in - the private sector.
L.H. Wang, Urban China Research Foundation
