Kevin Wong Wong Sai Fung (6C)
The problems of environmental degradation have grown so serious that the Government just "running to keep still", according to Lisa Hopkinson, the Citizens' Partys' environmental researcher. Lisa summarized the worst problems in Hong Kong as air, water and noise pollution, waste disposal and the threat to our plants and animals.
What struck me during Lisa's interview is how terrible it is that we live in such a polluted city. Our air, water and beaches are intolerable by world standards. There really is a state of environmental emergency here. Respiratory illnesses are striking our people in record numbers. Even healthy people are getting sick! It is depressing, isn't it? What Lisa told me wasn't all bad news though. She had many suggestions how Hong Kong students can improve our city's environment. Lisa thought that student should organize petitions and letter campaigns; writing letter to the editor’ on environmental issues. Writing to the Chinese and English language newspapers could reach hundreds of thousands of people. According to her,"the Hong Kong Government pays attention to such letters as it is very sensitive to public complaints in the media." Students can also arrange to clean beaches, she suggested, or start by just cleaning up the area around our schools. We could join green groups and promote recycling at our schools and homes. Lisa believes the Government has a range of policies to tackle environmental issues’ but they haven't kept up with economic and population growth. Therefore sewage facilities haven't kept up with housing construction’ for example. Nor is the conversion of vehicles from polluting diesel fuel to cleaner LPG going quickly enough.
But the main thing I learned was that its not just up to the Government or its watchdog, the Citizens' Party, to improve our environment. It's also up to all of us who live and work in Hong Kong. Lisa showed me that there were many things we could do as students to help the situation. So come on students. Let's go. Here's hoping for a greener Hong Kong.
English Channel, April, 2000