Enjoy the views - while they last
Even the chief executive is moved to comment when the city turns on one of its increasingly infrequent clear days
Taking advantage of a blue sky and smog-free harbour, the chief executive yesterday prefaced a speech on clean government and business with a comment on the unusually clean air and low pollution.
'Welcome to the third ICAC symposium. And to all our visitors from out of town, a special welcome from Hong Kong with its blue sky and clean air,' he told an international group of graft fighters and company executives at Wan Chai's Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Donald Tsang was introducing his guests to an increasingly uncommon sight - blue sky, white clouds and buildings clearly visible across the harbour.
Central yesterday recorded its lowest air pollution index range of 16 to 18 on its general above-ground monitors this year. There was not one day with this low range in Central in the first quarter of the year and only one day last month had a comparably low range.
Central's roadside monitors recorded a higher range of 36 to 42; zero to 25 is rated as low pollution, 26 to 50 as medium.
'Today shows how beautiful and attractive Hong Kong could be if we could get our act together,' said Choy So-yuk, a legislator with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. 'Clearly even Mr Tsang recognised the importance of the issue - now let's see if he has the will to do something.'
The Environmental Protection Department and Observatory said an air stream from the South China Sea was bringing clean air to the city and blowing away pollution.
Oceanic air streams come from the south during summer, Observatory scientific officer Ng Kwok-leung said, while similar streams came from the north, across the border, in autumn and winter. Both departments declined to say whether northern air streams bring with them industrial and air pollutants from the mainland.
'The 'golden week' (when most mainland factories close during the holiday) is not part of the explanation - the air stream is the primary cause,' an EPD spokeswoman said.
The forecast for today is for more clear skies and low pollution levels.
Mr Tsang's administration has been under pressure from local activists and outside critics to tackle air pollution. US Time Magazine put on its front cover in December 2004 a photo of a hazy Victoria Harbour and a blurred IFC building. This week, it ran a lengthy article 'Let there be light' praising Korea's efforts to clean up its air while Hong Kong's pollution worsens.
It warned more expatriate professionals would leave and others would not come unless the pollution problem improves quickly.
