I REFER to the Conservancy Association's views on the recently published Second Review of the 1989 White Paper: A Green Challenge for the Community (South China Morning Post, January 3) and would like to thank them for their kind words, even though the crux of their comments was that the review ''does not go far enough''.
I doubt whether any government's environment policies will ever go quite ''far enough'' to satisfy a green group because governments have to devise plans (and secure resources for those plans) that reflect the interests of the community as a whole. That said, the views of the Conservancy Association - and those of other green groups - assist government in defining an appropriate balance and they are, therefore, welcome.
I also agree that conforming to the objectives of sustainable development is an important task (for us, as for every community). But sustainable development will require us, as a society, to moderate our lifestyles so that we do not continue to harm the environment to the extent that future generations of Hong Kong residents (that is, our children and their children) will not be able to live healthy and productive lives and, as we have, meet their needs from our environment.
However, I believe that the community at large might not be willing to accept the changes to their lifestyles that will be necessary, if sustainable development is to be achieved, unless they are first, more conversant with their environment and more sympathetic to the effects on it of their current lifestyles. This is a key objective of the Second Review.
A. G. COOPER for Secretary for Planning Environment and Lands
