https://www.scmp.com/rss/318895/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Plastic pollution, long associated with marine degradation and contaminated soil, is increasingly recognised as a pressing urban health concern. Recent scientific findings indicate that Hong Kong’s residents may be inhaling large quantities of microscopic plastic particles daily.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3345727/hong-kong-cannot-afford-ignore-threat-microplastic-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3345727/hong-kong-cannot-afford-ignore-threat-microplastic-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Nora Mankel,Sam Phillips Nora Mankel,Sam Phillips Over the past decade, clean-up efforts in East Asia have reduced air pollution significantly, improving quality of life and health in the region. But they may also have inadvertently contributed to speeding up global warming, by removing particles that helped to cool the Earth. Pollutants are made up of aerosols, liquid and solid particles suspended in the air. Although their removal is good for public health, this can lead to less cloud and less ground protection from the sun, and may have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320546/new-climate-study-revisits-tie-between-air-pollution-east-asia-and-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3320546/new-climate-study-revisits-tie-between-air-pollution-east-asia-and-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Laura Wilcox,Bjorn H. Samset Laura Wilcox,Bjorn H. Samset Global warming has picked up pace since around 2010, leading to the recent string of record hot years. Why this is happening is still unclear and is among the biggest questions in climate science today. Our new study reveals that reductions in air pollution – particularly in China and East Asia – are a key reason for this faster warming. Clean-up of sulphur emissions from global shipping has been implicated in past research. But that clean-up only began in 2020, so it is considered too weak to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318806/asias-cleaner-air-driving-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318806/asias-cleaner-air-driving-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Leung Chai-yan was our friend before she became a public figure. We knew her as our boarding school dorm mate and, later, neighbour with a unique sense of humour, a mercurial energy and a brilliance... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3306553/friends-who-loved-her-leung-chai-yan-was-kind-brilliant-and-brave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3306553/friends-who-loved-her-leung-chai-yan-was-kind-brilliant-and-brave?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:30:07 +0000 Hong Kong’s air quality in 2022 was the best in a decade, thanks to anti-pandemic measures that shut down much social and economic activity. You would not know it from pollution and reduced visibility this week. A return to “normal” last year, with slight increases in key pollutants, did not prepare us for plunging air quality in the past few days. Pollution readings in more than 10 areas in Hong Kong reached the highest health-risk levels on Monday evening, as a dusty northerly airstream that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306671/raise-awareness-air-pollution-hazards-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306671/raise-awareness-air-pollution-hazards-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 23:45:07 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Air pollution indexes in more than 10 areas in Hong Kong reached the highest health risk levels on Monday evening, as a dusty northerly airstream brought pollutants to the city for a second day in a row. The government’s air quality health index (AQHI) had already reached “very high” levels in the morning, climbing to “serious” by late afternoon. As of 6pm, 14 out of 18 general and roadside stations had reached “serious” levels, including in Central, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tuen Mun, Tai Po and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3306490/hong-kong-hit-highest-air-pollution-risk-levels-more-10-areas-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3306490/hong-kong-hit-highest-air-pollution-risk-levels-more-10-areas-city?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:23:05 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hongkongers woke up to a dry and hazy Sunday with multiple districts enduring serious air pollution under the influence of a dusty airstream from the north, and conditions are expected to remain the same for the next few days. The Observatory said the city experienced its driest April morning since the automatic weather station was set up in 1984, with relative humidity falling to as low as 21 per cent. The Environmental Protection Department said visibility would not improve until the middle of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3306322/health-warning-hazy-hong-kong-chokes-under-serious-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3306322/health-warning-hazy-hong-kong-chokes-under-serious-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Apr 2025 04:24:42 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng HSBC has signed Hong Kong’s first deal for the direct corporate purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cut its travel-related carbon emissions, ahead of government policies aimed at driving the use of the fuel to help the city meet its climate goals. In a three-party agreement announced on Tuesday, the city’s largest bank agreed to a one-time deal to buy 3,400 tonnes of SAF from EcoCeres, a biofuel maker spun off in 2021 from the city’s dominant piped gas supplier, Hong Kong and China... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3287260/hsbc-cathay-pacific-ecoceres-join-forces-hong-kong-sustainable-aviation-fuel-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3287260/hsbc-cathay-pacific-ecoceres-join-forces-hong-kong-sustainable-aviation-fuel-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2024 11:15:36 +0000 1. Diabetes expert insights and 9 key facts on the disease, from prevention to ‘diabesity’ For World Diabetes Day on November 14, we highlight crucial facts on diabetes prevention and management, focusing on type 2’s preventability. With 422 million global cases, understanding symptoms, treatments and lifestyle changes is crucial. Learn how to lower risk, manage blood sugar and avoid complications. 2. Beat seasonal affective disorder, discover its symptoms, explore treatments like light therapy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3286532/diabetes-facts-you-need-know-air-pollution-link-dementia-secrets-longer-life-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3286532/diabetes-facts-you-need-know-air-pollution-link-dementia-secrets-longer-life-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2024 07:10:42 +0000 This is the 49th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. Clean air is fundamental to health. Yet the World Health Organization estimates that 99 per cent of the global population live in areas where the pollution exceeds its air quality guidelines. Pollutants include carbon monoxide, dioxides such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide – common by-products of burning fossil fuels – and ozone, caused by a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3286039/how-air-pollution-increases-dementia-risk-and-ways-limit-your-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3286039/how-air-pollution-increases-dementia-risk-and-ways-limit-your-exposure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:15:07 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to the article, “Uproar in Malaysia after China flags waved at Perak cultural event” (October 26). Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has rightly cautioned people against... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3284553/public-display-flags-subject-malaysian-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3284553/public-display-flags-subject-malaysian-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 03:30:08 +0000 My grandfather on my dad’s side was a judge in Pennsylvania. He and his wife travelled the world on cargo ships. They played checkers and dominoes with the crew, visited different ports of call and sent us postcards. Following his adventures gave me the travel bug. I was born in California and grew up in North Bay near San Francisco. My dad was in private financial planning and very outdoor-centric. He took my younger brother and me camping a lot. I was a sporty kid and got into swimming when I... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3271115/hong-kong-environmental-entrepreneur-doug-woodrings-serial-start-ups-his-own-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3271115/hong-kong-environmental-entrepreneur-doug-woodrings-serial-start-ups-his-own-words?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 03:15:08 +0000 Pollution from man-made emissions and other sources like wildfires have been linked to around 135 million premature deaths worldwide between 1980 and 2020, a Singapore university study found. Weather phenomena like El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole worsened the effects of these pollutants by intensifying their concentration in the air, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University said, unveiling the results of a study led by its researchers. The tiny particles called particulate matter 2.5, or... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3266127/singapore-study-links-air-pollution-135-million-premature-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3266127/singapore-study-links-air-pollution-135-million-premature-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jun 2024 05:43:57 +0000 Environmental protection tends to be an afterthought rather than a priority for governments the world over, especially when such measures may take a long time to produce concrete results. But it justifiably becomes a pressing agenda when put against the actual health and economic benefits for the people and society. From fighting air and water pollution to cutting waste and promoting recycling, there is no shortage of studies and data to prompt a greater sense of urgency for actions. A fresh... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255672/link-between-clear-air-and-fewer-suicides-another-reason-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255672/link-between-clear-air-and-fewer-suicides-another-reason-act?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:14:06 +0000 Slowly and steadily, Hong Kong is recovering from the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. While the city is arguably no longer the same in many respects, the return to normality means many old problems have also come back. Pollution is undoubtedly one of them. According to the latest air quality report released by the government, air pollution returned to a “normal level” last year. This followed “slight” increases in pollutants such as respirable suspended particulates (PM10), fine suspended... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3252114/avoid-complacency-hong-kong-air-pollution-creeps-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3252114/avoid-complacency-hong-kong-air-pollution-creeps-back?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:15:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s air quality is at risk of a return to pre-coronavirus levels, an environmental group has warned after it was revealed concentrations of some pollutants climbed last year. But despite the increase environmental authorities said air quality last year was the “second best since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland” after 2022 as emissions had “returned to their normal levels”. “The air quality indeed worsened from the best level in 2022 and it may further dip to the pre-Covid level in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3251449/hong-kong-air-quality-risk-deteriorating-pre-coronavirus-levels-environmental-ngo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3251449/hong-kong-air-quality-risk-deteriorating-pre-coronavirus-levels-environmental-ngo-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 13:47:51 +0000 Hong Kong environmental authorities have warned of “very high” or “serious” health risks from air pollution in some parts of the city, pointing to a recent lack of strong winds to disperse pollutants. In Hong Kong, air pollution levels are graded on the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which uses a scale of 1 to 10 and a special “10+” reading that are grouped into the categories of low, moderate, high, very high and serious health risks. The Environmental Protection Department on Saturday said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3246765/hong-kong-clocks-very-high-serious-health-risk-readings-air-pollution-across-city-amid-lack-strong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3246765/hong-kong-clocks-very-high-serious-health-risk-readings-air-pollution-across-city-amid-lack-strong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Dec 2023 12:16:47 +0000 Hong Kong air quality standards could be tightened by early 2025 in a bid to prevent more than 3,000 premature deaths a year and about a million hospital outpatient cases, environmental authorities have said. Officials on Tuesday also proposed a further reduction in the sulphur content of diesel fuel for ships and industrial use. The move would reduce sulphur dioxide emissions, a major source of air pollution that can irritate people’s eyes and respiratory systems. “To continuously improve air... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3238294/hong-kong-air-quality-standards-could-be-tightened-bid-prevent-3150-premature-deaths-year-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3238294/hong-kong-air-quality-standards-could-be-tightened-bid-prevent-3150-premature-deaths-year-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:48:13 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. On Clean Air Day yesterday, the harsh reality of outdoor air pollution and its devastating effects was inescapable. Whether we live in rural or urban areas, the air we breathe could increase the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3233678/air-pollution-still-silent-killer-needs-global-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3233678/air-pollution-still-silent-killer-needs-global-action?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Sep 2023 03:30:17 +0000 Environmental campaigners have appealed to the Hong Kong government to be more aggressive with its pollution-reduction targets as it kicked off a two-month public consultation on its latest review of air quality objectives (AQOs). The government proposed to tighten five present AQOs and introduce three new parameters based on World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks following assessments of a working group tasked with evaluating air quality improvement measures and setting targets to be met in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3232996/green-groups-urge-hong-kong-authorities-be-more-aggressive-setting-air-quality-targets-two-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3232996/green-groups-urge-hong-kong-authorities-be-more-aggressive-setting-air-quality-targets-two-month?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:09:21 +0000 Typhoon Mawar is having a far-reaching impact on Hong Kong as it brings record-breaking temperatures for the month of May and causes serious air pollution, despite bypassing the city, according to meteorologists. The Observatory on Wednesday said the typhoon was about 520km (323 miles) east of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan at around 4pm. “The outer subsiding air of Typhoon Mawar is bringing extremely hot weather to Guangdong,” it said. Since last Friday, the forecaster has warned residents to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3222492/why-typhoon-mawar-causing-hong-kongs-soaring-temperatures-intense-pollution-without-making-direct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3222492/why-typhoon-mawar-causing-hong-kongs-soaring-temperatures-intense-pollution-without-making-direct?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 12:47:01 +0000 Hong Kong drivers will soon have to pay to use electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at government car parks, authorities have said, explaining the move will ensure the “sustainable development” of the service. But an industry representative on Tuesday urged the government to keep the price low, while a lawmaker called on authorities to set the rate at HK$2 (25 US cents) per kilowatt-hour. The pair were responding to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, in which the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217364/hong-kong-aims-install-7000-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-government-car-parks-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217364/hong-kong-aims-install-7000-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-government-car-parks-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2023 12:53:01 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Exposure to outdoor air pollution has long been linked to negative respiratory health effects, including worsening asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. The World Health... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3214694/improve-hong-kongs-air-quality-reduce-risk-long-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3214694/improve-hong-kongs-air-quality-reduce-risk-long-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2023 03:30:22 +0000 It’s no secret that air pollution is a serious problem facing the world today. Just how serious? A new study on global daily levels of air pollution shows that hardly anywhere on Earth is safe from unhealthy air. About 99.82 per cent of the global land area is exposed to levels of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) – tiny particles in the air that scientists have linked to lung cancer and heart disease – above the safety limit recommended by the Word Health Organization, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3212595/asia-has-worlds-worst-air-quality-australia-new-zealand-have-some-best-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3212595/asia-has-worlds-worst-air-quality-australia-new-zealand-have-some-best-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Mar 2023 02:31:09 +0000 CLP Holdings will continue to invest in Australia to improve the reliability of its coal power plants there while installing low-carbon alternatives to achieve long-term decarbonisation, after posting a big loss Down Under that contributed to a worse-than-expected 51 per cent profit drop. The impact of the global energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will linger despite having moderated, according to the larger of Hong Kong’s two power utilities, which also has operations in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211692/climate-change-hong-kongs-clp-continue-investing-australia-secure-clean-power-despite-profit-drop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211692/climate-change-hong-kongs-clp-continue-investing-australia-secure-clean-power-despite-profit-drop?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:30:12 +0000 We can breathe a bit easier knowing the city recorded its best air quality in a decade last year, but the whiff of success is at risk of being soured by complacency. An air quality report released by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) last Thursday showed “discernible improvement” in 2022 with annual average concentrations of the main air pollutants falling. The roadside concentration of PM10 – tiny particulates that can get deep into our lungs – was 29 micrograms per cubic metre,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210088/no-time-relax-push-cleaner-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3210088/no-time-relax-push-cleaner-air?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 14:34:02 +0000 Hong Kong recorded its best air quality in a decade last year amid reduced economic activities brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, senior environmental officials have said. They also expressed optimism on Thursday that the city’s air quality would continue to improve in the years to come with greater adoption of electric cars and clean energy, despite the expected boost in traffic as the city returned to normality. Environmental Protection Department assistant director Stephen Siu Chi-wai... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209688/hong-kong-records-best-air-quality-decade-amid-reduced-economic-activities-caused-covid-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209688/hong-kong-records-best-air-quality-decade-amid-reduced-economic-activities-caused-covid-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Feb 2023 13:57:03 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The financial secretary expects the Hong Kong economy to have shrunk last year. This is not the only challenge Hong Kong faces. Climate change, air pollution and waste also threaten us. Surrounded... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3207270/climate-air-waste-3-fronts-which-hong-kong-must-do-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3207270/climate-air-waste-3-fronts-which-hong-kong-must-do-better?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jan 2023 03:30:16 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The indoor air quality (IAQ) of workplaces and homes has caught the attention of scientists, entrepreneurs and the public in recent years. Studies have found pollutant levels to be greater indoors than outdoors. Good IAQ is very... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3200022/hong-kong-must-have-indoor-air-quality-standards-protect-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3200022/hong-kong-must-have-indoor-air-quality-standards-protect-children?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2022 03:30:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased for the third year in a row in 2020, the latest statistics from the government revealed on Monday. But environmentalists called for more control over energy use and increased use of renewable energy sources in the long term. Concern groups said that, although greenhouse gas emissions amounted to about 4.5 tonnes per head in 2020, around 16 per cent lower than the 5.3 tonnes per head recorded in 2019, there was still a long way to go to achieve... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3183262/hong-kongs-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fall-third?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3183262/hong-kongs-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fall-third?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2022 12:23:58 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. As a person with a physical disability who was recently hospitalised, I request that the Hospital Authority allow primary caretakers to stay with disabled patients while they are hospitalised.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3182671/carers-should-be-allowed-stay-disabled-patients-pandemic-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3182671/carers-should-be-allowed-stay-disabled-patients-pandemic-or-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jun 2022 03:30:25 +0000 Governments around the world are committed to ending the sale of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles from 2030 onwards as part of the battle against climate change. Environmentally conscious Hongkongers are playing their part towards meeting targets of carbon neutrality and zero carbon emissions. The 38,894 new private cars registered in the city last year included 9,730 electric models, or one in four. That is a dramatic increase from one in eight in 2020, a factor in the reduction of roadside... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3179620/road-clean-air-hong-kong-smoother-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3179620/road-clean-air-hong-kong-smoother-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 May 2022 22:00:37 +0000 The relaxation of social-distancing measures that have protected us from Covid-19 can be expected to expose our health to an increase in another hazard – air pollution. This was the experience last year, with the relaxation of restrictions as the pandemic stabilised being blamed for more road traffic and other polluting activity before the Omicron variant forced their reimposition. As a result, non-governmental organisation Clean Air Network found that average concentrations of major air... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3179167/pollution-threat-hong-kong-cannot-be-ignored?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3179167/pollution-threat-hong-kong-cannot-be-ignored?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2022 00:00:22 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. With some franchised bus operators launching new electric buses in the last fortnight, zero-emission transport in Hong Kong has taken a small step forward. Yet without government leadership, we are... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3176633/hong-kongs-new-government-must-break-gridlock-deliver-zero-emission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3176633/hong-kongs-new-government-must-break-gridlock-deliver-zero-emission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2022 03:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong needs to catch up on electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities to meet demand, as EV use could more than double to 10 per cent by 2025, according to Cornerstone Technologies. “Hong Kong’s EV fleet has been growing at 30 to 40 per cent per year in the past few years,” Vincent Yip Siu-hong, the CEO of Cornerstone, a key installer in the city, told the Post. “We expect the penetration to reach around 10 per cent in a few years.” Hong Kong had 27,860 registered private EVs in January,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3174434/hong-kong-needs-more-charging-facilities-ev-sales-are-expected-more-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3174434/hong-kong-needs-more-charging-facilities-ev-sales-are-expected-more-double?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Apr 2022 05:30:21 +0000 The UN health agency says nearly everybody in the world breathes air that does not meet its standards for air quality, calling for more action to reduce fossil-fuel use, which generates pollutants that cause respiratory and blood-flow problems and leads to millions of preventable deaths each year. The World Health Organization, about six months after tightening its guidelines on air quality, on Monday issued an update to its database on air quality that draws on information from a growing number... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3173063/who-millions-dying-across-world-due-poor-quality-air-were-nearly-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3173063/who-millions-dying-across-world-due-poor-quality-air-were-nearly-all?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Apr 2022 14:26:38 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The northern metropolis project is one of the large-scale plans Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor proposed in her last policy address and it has received a fair bit of attention in recent... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3166484/hong-kong-doesnt-need-two-metropolises-solve-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3166484/hong-kong-doesnt-need-two-metropolises-solve-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 06:30:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s air quality has improved over the past decade, in part due to reduced road and marine traffic during the coronavirus pandemic, but most of the major pollutant concentration levels still fall short of the goals set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Only one pollutant, sulphur dioxide, had a concentration low enough to meet the WHO standard for the maximum allowable level last year, according to the Environmental Protection Department. “Hong Kong’s air quality has been improving... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3165187/hong-kongs-air-quality-mend-most-pollutant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3165187/hong-kongs-air-quality-mend-most-pollutant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jan 2022 13:09:17 +0000 Air pollution in Hong Kong was worse in 2021 than it was the year before, with the relaxation of social-distancing measures as the pandemic stabilised blamed for bringing more traffic back to the roads. Analysing government data, the Hong Kong NGO Clean Air Network found that the annual average concentrations of major air pollutants – nitrogen dioxide (NO2), respirable suspended particulates (PM10), fine suspended particulates (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) – all increased last year from 2020 levels by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3163713/air-pollution-hong-kong-rose-last-year-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3163713/air-pollution-hong-kong-rose-last-year-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:52:28 +0000 How important is sustainable development to our future policymakers? The Legislative Council election is just a few days away, with 90 seats being contested by 153 candidates, but how green are they? Over the past week, we surveyed the legislative candidates via email to try and find out where they stand on environmental topics from climate change to green finance. Only 16 bothered to respond and 10 did not even have an email address – we can see where priority lies for our candidates.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3159811/legco-election-hong-kongs-green-future-priority-too-few-candidates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3159811/legco-election-hong-kongs-green-future-priority-too-few-candidates?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Dec 2021 22:00:21 +0000 I refer to the report “Reservoir gets ready for flow of visitors” (November 19). While citizens anticipate the reopening of the Sham Shui Po service reservoir, there are lessons to be learned by the government in the aftermath of the public outcry for conversation of this invaluable site. It is a shame that district councillors were not told about the site changes, particularly the glass canopy. Following the weakening of district councils’ power, the inability of communities to engage in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3157287/sham-shui-po-reservoir-conversation-why-has-government-failed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3157287/sham-shui-po-reservoir-conversation-why-has-government-failed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Nov 2021 22:30:23 +0000 China recently published its ambitious five-year plan to curb plastic use, encourage alternatives and reduce plastic environmental pollution. Hong Kong has echoed this sentiment in its updated Climate Action Plan 2050. One form of plastic hidden in plain sight – and the most problematic and widespread, accounting for 35 per cent of all the plastic polluting the oceans – is synthetic microfibre. It’s smaller, easier to ingest, harder to clean and could have more far-reaching consequences than... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3153747/how-hong-kongs-nastiest-plastic-pollutant-microfibre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3153747/how-hong-kongs-nastiest-plastic-pollutant-microfibre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Oct 2021 01:15:13 +0000 I refer to your editorial on September 28, “Take action now to end the bad air days”. The government is committed to improving Hong Kong’s air quality to protect public health. In the past decade, we have invested more than HK$22 billion (US$2.8 billion) to improve roadside air quality by phasing out the most polluting diesel commercial vehicles, promoting trials and applications of different types of electric and new energy vehicles and expanding the electric vehicle charging network, among... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3151129/hong-kong-determined-follow-who-standards-air-quality-step-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3151129/hong-kong-determined-follow-who-standards-air-quality-step-step?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:05:17 +0000 When it comes to good living standards, air quality is arguably the most defining factor. But the urban environment and government’s inertia make clean air more an afterthought than policy priority. If official data is anything to go by, air quality in Hong Kong has significantly improved over the years. Whether citizens feel the difference is another matter. A lot more can and needs to be done if the government genuinely cares about people’s health and the environment. The latest report by the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150334/take-action-now-end-bad-air-days-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150334/take-action-now-end-bad-air-days-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:04:20 +0000 Yesterday, the World Health Organization updated its guidelines for the quality of our air for the first time in 15 years. Air pollution is one of the leading factors affecting health and mortality globally. It is a key contributor to heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, asthma and many other health problems. Yet a decade and a half after the previous WHO air quality guidelines were published, nine out of 10 people around the world are still breathing unsafe air. This time we need to do better,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3149579/governments-have-no-more-excuses-delaying-action-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3149579/governments-have-no-more-excuses-delaying-action-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 22:45:08 +0000 Air pollution in parts of Hong Kong reached “serious” levels on Wednesday – the most extreme on a five-tier scale – with environmental authorities expecting the same conditions for another two days. Professor Alexis Lau Kai-hon, an air pollution expert at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the bad air was likely to have been an effect of Typhoon Chanthu, which was located in the East China Sea near Shanghai and expected to head towards South Korea and Japan. “This is quite... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3148848/hong-kong-air-pollution-hits-highest-mark-serious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3148848/hong-kong-air-pollution-hits-highest-mark-serious?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:41:30 +0000 A Hong Kong scientist has developed a route-planning mobile app with a difference – it directs users through areas with the lowest levels of air pollution. Dr Alexis Lau Kai-hon of the University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hopes it will help people most susceptible to the effects of bad air, such as asthma patients. He said: “Most people seek the fastest or cheapest routes, or those with the least amount of walking, but our new app lets people ask another question – which route will lower... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142335/escape-bad-air-hong-kong-scientist-develops-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142335/escape-bad-air-hong-kong-scientist-develops-app?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jul 2021 23:00:25 +0000 I refer to the letter from Alison Ng (“Practical suggestions to help realise Hong Kong’s plan of becoming electric vehicle city”) published on July 12. The Hong Kong government has been sparing no efforts to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and, in March this year, announced the “Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles”, setting out long-term policy objectives as well as plans to push ahead with the popularisation of EVs towards the goal of zero vehicular emissions... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3142192/hong-kong-firmly-focused-zero-emissions-future-ev-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3142192/hong-kong-firmly-focused-zero-emissions-future-ev-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jul 2021 22:45:17 +0000 Air pollution in many parts of Hong Kong reached serious levels on Friday afternoon under the influence of Tropical Cyclone In-fa, the city’s environmental authority warned, with the situation expected to worsen over the weekend. Readings were at their worst around 5pm, when the Air Quality Health Index reached the highest level on the scale, 10+, in a number of areas. They included Central and Western district, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tung Chung, Sha Tin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142285/hong-kong-air-pollution-reaches-serious-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3142285/hong-kong-air-pollution-reaches-serious-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jul 2021 10:14:14 +0000 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... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3141196/how-hong-kong-can-better-clean-its-act-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3141196/how-hong-kong-can-better-clean-its-act-air-pollution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 23:00:10 +0000