CAN - Clean Air Needed

In case you haven't noticed, air quality in HK has gotten significantly worse recently. So bad that even I've gone out of my way to figure out how to add this little HK Clean Air Network ("CAN") Air Pollution Index widget on the right hand side over there. 

According to these CAN guys:

• Hong Kong air pollution causes three (avoidable) deaths a day, more than 1,100 per year.
• Hong Kong’s air is three times more polluted than New York’s and more than twice as polluted as London’s.
• By WHO standards, Hong Kong’s air is only healthy 41 days a year (according to data in 2006).
• 53% of the time, the majority of Hong Kong air pollution is attributable to local sources.
• Although overall emissions tonnage has fallen in the past 15 years, roadside pollution has not improved. Because of its high concentration in close proximity to us, roadside pollution poses the biggest threat to human health.

And if that wasn't enough to stuff up your nostrils, take a sniff at this chilling video (the sound effects and animation perhaps a little bit too OTT in my opinion, but does make a point)

Time to get serious about cleaning our air?? I should think so.

What CAN we do?

- raise awareness and promote the www.cleanairnetwork.org/eng website
- join their Facebook group or Twitter site (OK I DO realize Facebook and Twitter won't solve the world's problem so read on)
- donate to and/or volunteer at CAN
- write to LegCo members and/or your District Council members
- read this CAN KIT to find out more

Taking too long to apologise

How long does it take and how many governmental officials or non-governmental doctorates does it take to get an apology out of Japan?

For decades they've been trying to get the Japanese Government to apologies for the atrocities their former government and army committed in Asia during the Pacific War. And yet no progress has made. Perhaps apart from the fact that I managed to buy the book "The Rape of Nanking" in a bookstore in Japan. 

Read this latest letter to the Japanese Ambassador from Peter Stanek, President, Global Alliance to Preserve the History of WWII in Asia.

10.1 crash

October first, twenty twelve.

The national day fireworks was going to be the fantastic finale to a fabulously fun-filled four-day weekend. But the night ended in fatal chaos and tragedy.

Workers of Hong Kong Electric Co. who were "lucky" enough to win tickets to a boat trip in a "lucky draw" were invited to see the National Day Fireworks up close with their families, unbeknown to them that they were about to be part of HK maritime history's worse accident in over 40 years.

The Lamma ferry collision caused 38 fatalities, including children, numerous injuries, and a lasting scar on the mention of the date Oct 1st on all of HK people's hearts.

Will they still continue with the fireworks next year? How do we go on "celebrating" Oct 1st, when the first thing we remember about the date is all those innocent lives lost?

And, to be quite honest, have we HKers ever actually thought of Oct 1st as anything more than just another public holiday? Most other public holidays have fairly legitimate reasons or purposes or origins that perhaps we might feel is more relevant for us to celebrate - e.g. Chinese New Year - it's the most important season of Chinese culture and well you cannot not celebrate the new year; July 1st handover - this is a fundamental date in Hong Kong's modern history; Christmas - we've always celebrated this and gives us more legit excuse to go shopping (as if we need one)...but Oct 1st National Day? Which Nation? Hong Kong wasn't part of China when the People's Republic of China was officially founded on 1st Oct 1949. We were actually a part of the United Kingdom by then. We didn't need to fight anyone off our territory on the night of 30 Sep 1949. We didn't take part in overthrowing any puppet emperor or figurehead political leader or march through the wilderness to get to where we are. The Brits kept us minding our own business while the rest of the country was in upheaval.

Perhaps rather than celebrating the birth of our "motherland" who abandoned us and then took us back 15 years ago, HK people are "celebrating" the business that this long weekend brings since the rest of China gets a whole week off and bus-/boat-loads of Chinese tourists flood into the city with their suitcases full of cash and luxury-brands-shopping-list.

Bickering bad for business

China/Japan/Philippines - please resolve your petty conflicts so that I can at lease get a raise at the end of the year thank you. 

Traffic is falling between China and Japan as well as China and the Philippines as a result of China's dispute with those nations over tiny and largely uninhabited islands. The situation in Japan is young and follows a wave of anti-Japanese protests and sentiment, resulting in some Japanese passengers cancelling tickets over safety concerns while Chinese passengers cancel tickets as a mark of nationalism. All Nippon Airways has reported ticket cancellations while China Southern and Spring Airlines are cancelling some services.

The Philippines has not seen anywhere near the level of public uproar that Japan has, largely due to historical contention between China and Japan. But the Philippines has been hurt from a Beijing-imposed travel ban that has resulted in scores of tour agencies, which carry most Chinese tourists, cancelling trips. Scheduled seats between China and the Philippines are at a near two year low. Restrictions in the Philippines mean service resumption could hinge on slow bureaucracy changes while Japan will need a shift of public attitude, which may take much longer to be restored

 Source: CAPA News