Something's in the Air that Influence Public's Health
About 1,100 people die every year as a result of pollutants in the air
. But inter-departmental squabbling has prevented action programs aimed at cleaning up roadside pollution and removing Hong Kong from the list of the world's most polluted cities. Christopher DeWolf reports.
Hong Kong's roadside air pollution hit record-high levels last month, with data from the Environmental Protection Department showing that pollution at roadside monitoring stations reached "very high" levels for 9.5 percent of the time in July, August and early September. The previous record, set in 2004, was 8.2 percent.
The findings have added to growing alarm about the impact of roadside air pollution. Even as Hong Kong's overall air quality improves, pollution in the streets is getting worse. But unlike other environmental problems, like climate change, environmentalists say there are a number of straightforward ways of dealing with roadside air pollution, by implementing stricter emission controls and reducing traffic on the streets.
Stricter emission standards have had a limited impact because commercial vehicles are inspected only for safety and not fuel efficiency, says Hung. "These vehicles are used very intensively. If you're a taxi driver, your first priority is to run the business, and you won't allow the vehicle to have a rest." After several years of such use, even an LPG taxi would exceed emission standards, he says.
What makes the problem even worse is Hong Kong's densely-built urban environment, which reduces air flow and prevents pollutants from being dispersed. "Even if we emitted the same amount of exhaust as in other cities, the urban canyons create a memory effect, so that the pollutants stay there for up to a month if there is no rain," says Hung. Even though Nathan Road has a much lower traffic volume than the city's expressways, it is three times more pollutants, because emissions are trapped by the street's tall buildings.
While environmentalists say that the most pressing issue right now is to deal with the emissions by old vehicles, a long-term goal would be to focus on what Ooi calls "end-of-tailpipe solutions," which would prevent Hong Kong's urban landscape from exacerbating the effects of air pollution. Those include the creation of low-emission zones where traffic is limited, the expansion of Hong Kong's pedestrian precincts, tree-planting and the creation of more green spaces in congested areas.
In a study on Hong Kong's most-polluted streets, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's Institute for the Environment proposed that Des Voeux Road in Central be given over to trams and pedestrians, with wider sidewalks and trees along the sidewalks. Similar plans for Queen's Road Central and some streets in Mong Kok were proposed by the government last year, but inter-departmental squabbles have put them on hold. Recently, the part-time pedestrian scheme in Mong Kok was scaled back, with Sai Yeung Choi Street re-opened to cars at 11 pm each night, an hour earlier than before. (The above article resource from http://www.chinadaily.com/)
The living standard is getting higher and higher; on the contrary, people's health is getting worse and worse. At the same time, the surrounding lose its natural face, instead of foul atmosphere, air muddy, blowing dust. So there are comes to respiratory disease, chronic disease and some diseases that caused by water pollution. Can't learn any lesson from these facts but can be avoid actually. Life is uneasy, but why cannot cherish it? As long as begin with little things such take the public bus instead of drive a car; if not far from your home, you can ride a bike that is also good for your health;do not pollution the water and protect public health. A small distribution will become huge. With the practical action to influence the people around you, let the environmental become their lifelong career. Do it now
Something's in the Air that Influence Public's Health
By: Selina
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