bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

How can we better protect our rivers and streams?
I refer to the director of drainage services' reply (Talkback, February 18) to my previous letter on the above subject (Talkback, February 14).
With the prospect of significant climate change arising from global warming, I agree that it is wise to take action to prevent flooding.
However, it is the enormous scale of the flood-prevention works to the Ho Chung and other rivers  that the community is objecting to.
There is no way that even a very small percentage of the recently excavated river basin of the Ho Chung River will be filled by future flood waters.
In the dry season and at low tide, the river will indeed be a sorry sight.
A minimalist approach to designing these projects is what is required so as to reduce the impact on the environment and protect the ecology of the areas.
Regrettably, the Drainage Services Department and its consultants have clearly not examined other possible design solutions.  This is evidenced by the contradictions in the director's letter. He states that the riverbed adjacent to Ho Chung Road will not be disturbed yet then goes on to state that the large reinforced concrete retaining walls are built to stabilise Ho Chung Road.
This is not the case,  as the walls are being constructed on the opposite side of the river far from the road and existing property.
There would be no need for retaining walls if the scope of the work was reduced.
He then goes on to mention that the new river banks will be formed of 'rock-filled gabions'.
These are unsightly structures comprising metal cages filled with rubble that do not support vegetation such as trees and shrubs.
What is required here is a soft landscaped river bank throughout the entire length of the affected area so that wildlife can flourish again.
Could the Drainage Services Department (and for that matter, other project proponents and their designers) revisit  their projects to place environmental protection and the reduction of visual impact as priorities?
As a checking mechanism for public works projects, I would reiterate the need for independent technical audits to discourage the over-engineered designs that are ruining our rivers and streams.
Eric Taylor, Sai Kung
What do you think of the nude photos scandal?
Correspondent Katie Wong Ho-in ('How can obscenity on the internet be controlled?' Talkback, February 12) said obscenity on the internet had 'distorted young people's perceptions on sex' and that internet access to minors should be restricted.
While I have no doubt there  is quite a lot of distasteful, inaccurate and even corrupt information  on the internet, nanny-state solutions (ban it, restrict it or control it) are not really solutions.
The  nude photos that  sparked such a furore show actions  that many couples  do privately.
The reasons why they have been so talked about are because of the people  involved and the fact that they have been made public.
Many parents have reportedly said they have been  embarrassed by the front-page coverage of these  pictures because they don't know what to say to their children.
I would be very interested to see a survey done to gauge adults', and more importantly, parents' perceptions about sex.
If there is no distortion detected we should celebrate that with a parade chanting 'sex education is near!'
Ms Wong proposed that the government produce educational TV programmes 'to ensure people have a more mature and correct perception of sexual matters'.
It is a good  idea and has already been adopted.
RTHK  has an  excellent series called Sex Education. Many of its episodes have won awards overseas.
But the real issue is, would parents be willing to get off their high horses (or leave their mahjong tables) and sit down with their kids to watch the programmes and discuss the subject on an equal footing?
Ho Lai-kit, Mid-Levels
As things are settling with regard to the nude photos story, we can now reflect on what has happened.
We live in the age of the Web. Citizens can decide what they want to see and not see on  the internet.
How to protect minors from seeing obscene and indecent material on the internet and to ensure the free flow of information and freedom of expression are challenges faced by parents, teachers, law enforcers and social workers.
The draconian approach to regulate everything will simply invite a backlash and it is inappropriate in the age of the Web.
The old methods of forcing values down youngsters' throats is not going to work.
They can appear obedient, but when they are in the privacy of their bedrooms or at internet bars, teachers, social workers and parents will have no influence. What they must do is have  an open dialogue and treat teenagers as equals.
The adults must listen without being judgmental.  Youngsters today will not respond to those methods our parents and grandparents used.
Virginia Yue, Tsuen Wan
How should residents be charged for waste disposal?
Charging Hong Kong residents rates based on the quantity of waste disposed will be difficult to calculate and could prove costly.
This is because it involves high costs to check how much waste has been disposed of by each resident every day.
I therefore think the best solution would be for the government to charge a fixed amount according to residents' income. I think this would be an easy and convenient solution.
The government divides Hong Kong residents into different income groups.
For example, residents who earn HK$1,000 to HK$7,000 a month, can be put in one group, those who receive HK$7,001 to HK$12,000, would be separately designated, and so on, with a fixed charge designated to each group.
Then the government could set different fixed amounts for the different income groups.
I think the charges should be high and residents should be encouraged to try their best to cut down on the quantities of waste they dispose of.
Ken Yiu, Shun Lee



Talkback