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SCMP Reporter

Q Do you find it hard to find an alternative to charcoal?

I have been in the barbecue business for more than 25 years now and I have this to say.

From the barbecuing experience, taste and flavour, there is no real alternative to charcoal. For convenience, gas is the best way to barbecue, especially here in Hong Kong.

There are many ways to overcome the destruction of tropical rain forests but still use charcoal and briquettes as a fuel for the outdoor barbecuing adventure we all so much like.

The data you quoted in your report WAS not fully correct. According to the latest survey conducted by the Freedonia Group in the US, the figures are as follows:

Fifty-eight per cent of all barbecue units sold in the US are gas-operated, 37 per cent use charcoal and about 5 per cent use electricity or  other fuel.

Why not offer charcoal/briquettes that come from well-managed forests? Some of these charcoal/briquettes products even have the Forest Stewardship Council  logo on the bag.

Why not offer charcoal/briquettes that conform to a standard? In Europe it is common for retailers to offer fuel that complies with a standard, ensuring good quality and also that the raw material does not come from rainforests.

As an alternative to charcoal, definitely briquettes are a better fuel, longer burning, higher heat output and less fuel is needed for cooking. With briquettes there is only the danger in regard to quality. Most of the briquettes originating from North America and Asia have volatile ingredients which, in some cases, are even toxic. The good quality briquettes come from South Africa and Australia.

In your report you say about 9,000 tonnes of charcoal are used annually in Hong Kong. I hope  readers realise that about 45,000 to 50,000 tonnes of raw wood is needed to produce the 9,000 tons.

Being a barbecue lover, I will continue using charcoal/briquettes, but I lay emphasis on buying the right stuff. It would be of great advantage to speak to Wellcome and ParknShop and see whether there is any interest to also introduce some fuel that does not have a negative impact on the rainforests of Asia.

It is all a matter of price, there is no doubt, but don't we want our children and their children still to be cooking outdoors?

Andreas Schubert, Shouson Hill

Q How can disadvantaged youth be helped to find jobs?

Your City front-page survey on young New Territories workers (December 30) made a number of overly simple claims.

The survey attempted to compare the salary levels of youngsters in the New Territories with those on Hong Kong Island. But such a very small sample was used (only 194 of the interviewees were actually employed) that it is unrealistic to draw any general conclusions.

It was claimed that similarly-qualified young people would receive an average monthly salary of $5,000 in Yuen Long, but $9,500  on Hong Kong Island.

What is needed here is a comparison of like with like. For example, would a branch bank clerk in the same company really receive almost double, simply because of the location? Most unlikely. In reality, as in every major city of the world, there is a concentration of higher-paid positions available downtown.

Many of the office jobs available in abundance on Hong Kong Island  are simply not available in such numbers in the remote New Territories.

The job requirements for entry-level applicants may differ between a Yuen Long office and one in Central. For example, an 'international' outlook and strong English-language skills may be needed to land a well-paid job in an international firm on Hong Kong Island. Neither may be required in a local firm based in the New Territories. The higher skills required would be reflected in higher salaries downtown.

What would 12-year-olds know about the needs of big corporations when hiring? And yet their opinions are included in this report, and general conclusions drawn from their comments.

It seems some  youngsters need to brush up on their basic mathematics. Some  say that high transport costs make it impossible for them to commute from the New Territories to much higher-paid jobs on Hong Kong Island.

There is a contradiction here. If the only thing stopping a Yuen Long youngster from doubling his/her salary by working on Hong Kong Island is the bus/MTR fare, what's the problem? Public transport in Hong Kong is excellent. To commute six days a week would cost about $1,000 a month - and yet it is said that even after paying such fares, the youngster could still pocket an additional $3,500 a month in additional salary by working on the island!

There is clearly a serious shortage of better-paid jobs in the far-off  satellite towns. Nevertheless, by looking at the morning rush-hour traffic away from the New Territories, it will be clear to see that by commuting to the island, better-paid jobs could be had.

By upgrading their work-related skills, NT youngsters can better fit themselves for the more remunerative downtown employment.

Name and address supplied

Q Who would you choose as icon of the year and why?

Among all the famous people, I definitely choose Chan Yik-hei, the Form Five student. Although he did not carry out any political reform, like Donald Tsang he contributed to society. He joined the 55th Intel International Science and Engineering Competition and came second. The young inventor's prize is out of this world: an asteroid named after him. His reward not only impressed the world but also Hong Kong people are proud of it. He showed that the standard of science in Hong Kong has not fallen behind other developed countries.

Apart from spreading fame for the Pearl of the Orient, Yik-hei also reflected that youth can devote themselves to serving the community. This  icon of the year sets an example to other students that age is not an obstacle for them to show their eagerness to engage in public affairs and their hobbies.

He is only 16 but his persistence in robotics has been rewarded; he finally has a breakthrough in his inventive life and being accepted by the world.

'When there is a will, there's a way.' This is what his action implies.

In spite of the economic status of his family, he did not give up his study. Instead, he put more effort than others into invention. He didn't give up, not because he wanted to be praised by others but to achieve his dream.

This is what adults should also learn from him. Most grown-ups have relinquished their childhood dreams.

Even a Form Five student can clearly set his target and pave the way to it, so why can't adults? They have more resources and time to fulfil their dreams but they don't cherish their opportunity, and they put the dream aside. What about him?

Yik-hei still took one step forward on the road of his dream although it was full of barriers. This encouraging student should be the icon of the year!

Alton Ma Choi-cheung, Siu Sai Wan



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