Dolphin relocation unrealistic Supporters of the third runway project at the airport argue that the potential benefits it will bring will be lost if it does not go ahead, especially as it will make possible more departures and arrivals at the airport. However, I have not been convinced by the arguments put forward by the Airport Authority in defence of the project. Available airspace is close to capacity. Even with one more runway at the airport, realistically, how many more flights will be able to take off and land? You can make it logistically possible to accommodate more flights, but that is of little help if the airspace is saturated. It is claimed that the designation of new marine parks will provide a temporary habitat for the Chinese white dolphins displaced by the runway construction project. However, these animals cannot necessarily adapt as easily as humans who are displaced. There is no assurance that the dolphins will be able to settle in their new designated environment and will simply swim back to the habitat they occupy when the construction project is completed. There are already concerns about their long-term viability in these waters and I am concerned that we could see the dolphins being killed off by this project. Stephanie Wong Wing-shuen,Sha Tin Not enough workers to build runway I refer to the report, "Third runway financing viable, experts say", (March 19). I do not think it is a good idea to spend the estimated HK$141.5 billion it will cost to construct a third runway. I do not see this additional runway as increasing the capacity of the airport by that much in terms of extra number of flights. I certainly do not think the government's projections about how many increased flights will be possible are realistic. Second, there are regional problems over airspace, despite an agreement with mainland authorities on airspace in the Pearl River Delta in 2007. Finally, the projected manpower shortage will be a problem when it comes to actually building the runway. As you reported, the Construction Industry Council has predicted a shortage of about 10,000 to 15.000 skilled workers in the next few years. If there are not enough workers for all the different specialist skills needed for such a large infrastructure project, it may be subject to delays and the cost could rise to a prohibitive level. This runway plan will remain controversial and will lead to a lot of public discontent. Dorothy Chiu, Kowloon Tong The way we watch TV is changing The popular US television series Community has returned for its sixth season. However, unlike the last five seasons, it will not be coming back to NBC but rather to Yahoo's new online streaming service. Community will be joining the list of television shows including Arrested Development that, although incredibly popular, were cancelled by their networks. One might wonder why a network would cancel a popular show. The answer is simply that shows such as Community and Arrested Development were incredibly popular with a younger demographic. These younger people are proving to be a problem for major networks because, in today's world, no one who can use a computer will be willing to wait until a new episode airs at a scheduled time. Instead, they would rather load the episode onto their computer or tablet and watch it when they have the time. The days of a family sitting around a TV together are numbered. Instead, we watch our preferred programming alone in our rooms. This trend helps explain the huge success of shows that are being produced by online streaming services - such as Netflix's House of Cards and Orange is the New Black . While some large networks have been very successful in dealing with these innovations, others are still faltering, deciding to stream old content rather than new. It is undeniable that these changes in the way we acquire our entertainment will put an end to unjust cancellations of popular shows, but they could also bring about the demise of networks that are unwilling to adapt. Asif Khan, Mid-Levels Moving classes a bad system for students I think the home-room policy (meaning teachers have their own classrooms) should be abolished in Hong Kong schools. It causes a number of problems. If the teacher has not arrived and the door to the classroom is locked, then students have to stand outside in the corridor. As they wait, some of them may misbehave and the situation gets unruly and fights can break out. The home-room set-up can be very inconvenient if students are on the ground floor and the next lesson is on the sixth floor, especially if the previous lesson ends later than scheduled, which means they will be late for the start of the next subject. It is much more sensible for them to be based in one classroom and wait there for the teacher. The system also makes it easier for students who wish to play truant. Their classmates can say they are absent that day. It is more difficult to do that based in a single classroom. Also, with all the possible disruption I have described, teachers will have to spend time dealing with unruly pupils instead of teaching. I think the home-room policy does more harm than good. Gabriel Lew Chun-hei, Tai Po Lee's views on democracy profound Lee Kuan Yew was the outstanding Asian statesman of his generation. It is true that he imposed his austere, incorruptible and often dislikeable persona on Singapore life, yet stability and economic progress were, for him, unequivocally higher priorities than Western notions of freedom. In a withering attack on Chris Patten, he derided the then newly arrived governor for his views on democratic reform. He said: "I have never believed that democracy brings progress. I know it to have brought regression. I watch it year by year, and it need not have been thus." Perhaps these are words we should continue to reflect upon in Hong Kong. Mark Peaker, The Peak Traditional taboos lead to fewer donors In Hong Kong, there is a dire need for more organ donors. There are more than 2,500 patients waiting for organ transplants in Hong Kong. Only a few will get that generous gift from a donor. This is due in part to cultural taboos. Many Chinese still believe the body should not be damaged after death and so the organ donation rate here is lower than in other developed societies. The people who do register as donors are setting a fine example that other Hongkongers should follow. It is such a pity that so many patients die waiting for that transplant operation they will never have. With the right education and promotion by the government, I believe that attitudes can change and we will eventually see more people registering as organ donors. Edwin Tong, Tseung Kwan O
