While watching an episode of an internet series on hotels of the world, I learned of the eco-friendly The Brando resort on French Polynesia’s private island of Tetiaroa. It was fabulous to see the steps taken to conserve the environment in all aspects of human life, from fresh water to electricity, food and construction. Environment-friendly steps include solar cells for electricity, seawater air conditioning, an organic vegetable farm and a logistics dock in the middle of the sea to avoid displacement of animal species to maintain the ecological balance of the site. The resort’s “ecostation” gives researchers the space to analyse the species of the area. If you’re wondering why I am promoting the resort here, you might understand when I introduce myself as a resident of Tung Chung , which has changed massively in this decade. We moved from Mei Foo to Tung Chung in 2007, hoping to have a home with a sea view for life. Our home faces the sea with the airport to the left, Tsing Ma bridge on the far right corner, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and cross-border facilities in the centre and vast reclamation work to the right. In the 13 years we have been in Tung Chung, we have seen four residential estates – one more is under construction – and a hotel spring up in front of us. There is no doubt Hong Kong has to develop, but there has been huge reclamation in this area. The sea bridge, the longest sea crossing in the world, rose up before our eyes. All day, we saw hundreds of ships – many carrying refill sand , cranes and vehicles – and thousands of people at work in what was once a breeding ground for pink dolphins . Yes, Hong Kong needs to house its population, but must we sacrifice our marine life? I have now spent 25 years in Hong Kong and experienced the city’s ups and downs. Today, I can confidently predict that the vast sea I was able to see when I moved to Tung Chung is going to be an expanse of land in a decade. While debates about climate change and the environmental crisis go on, the glimpse of eco-friendly environments in other parts of the world reminds me of what I miss now while standing on the balcony of my home. Dr Chitra Sivakumar, Lantau
