Letters | How Hong Kong can better clean up its act on air pollution

I am writing in response to the article titled “Better air quality is within city’s grasp if authorities do their job” (July 11). The problem of air pollution has become increasingly serious in recent years. People begin to pay more attention to their quality of life as society develops and progresses, and air quality plays a big part in that. Measures to help lower air pollution are up to the relevant government departments and the community as a whole, and it mainly comes down to tackling traffic emissions and garbage.

People begin to pay more attention to their quality of life as society develops and progresses, and air quality plays a part in that. I think some relevant departments can take measures to help lower air pollution.

For example, schools should make sure to teach students about caring for the environment. They can offer lectures on environmental protection and hold related activities and competitions on a regular basis so students are trained to think this way while they are young. In our daily lives, we can reduce bad habits like wasting energy by turning off the lights and so help lower use of fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases.

Government departments can also improve air quality through legislation. When advice does not work, it is important to regulate the behaviour of citizens by law, such as rules to classify and quantify garbage. Fines can be imposed if the amount of food waste exceeds the prescribed amount.

This can reduce air pollution caused by overflowing garbage. In addition, Taiwan and other regions have implemented waste classification legislation. This can control the amount of waste produced and reduce pressure on landfills.