Pollution always this bad?
- Thread starter Ali71
- Start date
I get upset when people say we should do something about the pollution- because it is stopping expats from coming to HK etc.
As an expat who calls HK home, and has called HK home for a long time, I couldn't care less if the pollution is driving new or potential expats away.
What I care about is the effect the pollution is having on my son's health, and the health of every other baby/child in HK; and the effect it's having on myself, my husband and every other person who breathes it in!
I think it's a litle selfish to live in a country and to say,' what do I care, I'm only here for two years, let the locals deal with,'
I agree that it is our responsiblity, we after all will be feeling the long term effects of the pollution but I think all of us that currently live in HK (Long term or short term) have a role to play in helping to combat pollution!
We can each do our part and it sounds like a lot of people already are doing what they can.
I see no harm in us voicing our views on this website (it's a great way to vent) but I also don't see how it is going to make anything concrete happen.....so it might prevent other expats from moving to HK...so???? How does that make the air cleaner for my family?
However I think it's also time we started making our voices heard in a bigger way....let's write to the Chief Executive, let's protest....I agree that universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, and with that hopefully will come a more responsive govt. who is determined to do something about the pollution.
If anyone has any ideas for any concrete action they would like to take, I am more than happy to participate!
As an expat who calls HK home, and has called HK home for a long time, I couldn't care less if the pollution is driving new or potential expats away.
What I care about is the effect the pollution is having on my son's health, and the health of every other baby/child in HK; and the effect it's having on myself, my husband and every other person who breathes it in!
I think it's a litle selfish to live in a country and to say,' what do I care, I'm only here for two years, let the locals deal with,'
I agree that it is our responsiblity, we after all will be feeling the long term effects of the pollution but I think all of us that currently live in HK (Long term or short term) have a role to play in helping to combat pollution!
We can each do our part and it sounds like a lot of people already are doing what they can.
I see no harm in us voicing our views on this website (it's a great way to vent) but I also don't see how it is going to make anything concrete happen.....so it might prevent other expats from moving to HK...so???? How does that make the air cleaner for my family?
However I think it's also time we started making our voices heard in a bigger way....let's write to the Chief Executive, let's protest....I agree that universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, and with that hopefully will come a more responsive govt. who is determined to do something about the pollution.
If anyone has any ideas for any concrete action they would like to take, I am more than happy to participate!
Bekyboo44, we all care about our kid's health, as we do the health of all children living in HK but unfortunately it is not expats that will make a difference in this city. HK is a hugely consumer city ruled by the almighty dollar. As is the Mainland. Neither will do anything to combat pollution if it has a negative impact on the economy. You can march and write letters all you want but until there is money to be made from reducing pollution nothing is going to happen. Beijing had a car free day and made it optional. Yeah right.. This is a country that makes token efforts to tackle non-financial issues that are important to its people.
Jonathanmommy
Registered User
I think you have made yourself clear that you are extremely unhappy about Hong Kong: the horrible air condition, the fact that it is hugely money driven, no one cares about non-financial issues, etc. etc. (again, why did you come here if your perception is all so negative?)
You have also made it clear that Hong Kong is not home to you so you will leave the air problem to the locals to fix.
Well, it seems that you just enjoy writing all these for the sake of critcism (it is completely ok, freedom of speech here), which is so easy to do. But it seems a bit hypocritical to sound so righteous about this environmental issue but yet reluctant to even write a simple letter to the authority.
You have also made it clear that Hong Kong is not home to you so you will leave the air problem to the locals to fix.
Well, it seems that you just enjoy writing all these for the sake of critcism (it is completely ok, freedom of speech here), which is so easy to do. But it seems a bit hypocritical to sound so righteous about this environmental issue but yet reluctant to even write a simple letter to the authority.
Bree, you are feisty.
I love the blatant refusal that you and a few others display to actually read what people write, all of it, before trying to shoot them down. If you had read any of my other posts you would see that I love Hong Kong. I've said on many occasions, here and on Geoexpat that if the pollution wasn't so bad it would be an ideal place to live. I've publicly lamented that the pollution is turning what was once one of the most beautiful cities in the world into one of the least desirable places to live for those with a choice.
I didn't realise that criticising two aspects of a country was not allowed and automatically meant I hated it... My criticisms of HK were meant to defend my position that expats will never be able to change the pollution problem- they were not criticisms for the sake of criticising as you say. In a forum it is expected that people will defend their positions, that's what forums are about.
Regardless, I would be very eager to sign any letter you write for any person of consequence that you think would read it. I won't stay here much longer as my children's health is more important to me than everything else but I'm happy to try and do my bit to make HK a better place to live for those who stay.
I love the blatant refusal that you and a few others display to actually read what people write, all of it, before trying to shoot them down. If you had read any of my other posts you would see that I love Hong Kong. I've said on many occasions, here and on Geoexpat that if the pollution wasn't so bad it would be an ideal place to live. I've publicly lamented that the pollution is turning what was once one of the most beautiful cities in the world into one of the least desirable places to live for those with a choice.
I didn't realise that criticising two aspects of a country was not allowed and automatically meant I hated it... My criticisms of HK were meant to defend my position that expats will never be able to change the pollution problem- they were not criticisms for the sake of criticising as you say. In a forum it is expected that people will defend their positions, that's what forums are about.
Regardless, I would be very eager to sign any letter you write for any person of consequence that you think would read it. I won't stay here much longer as my children's health is more important to me than everything else but I'm happy to try and do my bit to make HK a better place to live for those who stay.
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I think a lot of confusion has sprung in this post by the use of the word expat. as it obviously means different things to many people, and there are diff. kinds of expats- for example, those that are here on short term contracts and who don't intend to stay beyond that; and those of us who have made HK home, having been here for many years.
As a permanent resident, and expat., I would like to think that my opinion, voice and vote mattered....wether it does or not with HK's current political system is a diff. argument altogether.
I agree with you aussigal- HK and China are both, rather unfortunetly ruled by the dollar as opposed to anything else and it saddens me that this should be the case! (A good book on this is, 'The Coming Collapse of China,' Gordon S. Chang)
However I refuse to accept that we can not make our voices heard....(naive and foolish as this may seem),
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
(Martin Niemoller)
- So shall we write a letter, I know it doesn't sound like much, but this is obviously an issue that many people quite strongly about
and so why not put our ideas/issues to print and our signatures to it!
- We can address it to, Donald Tsang and perhaps send it to the SCMP, as an open letter from 'The Mothers of Hong Kong.'
Am just throwing some ideas around, so please let me know your thoughts!
As a permanent resident, and expat., I would like to think that my opinion, voice and vote mattered....wether it does or not with HK's current political system is a diff. argument altogether.
I agree with you aussigal- HK and China are both, rather unfortunetly ruled by the dollar as opposed to anything else and it saddens me that this should be the case! (A good book on this is, 'The Coming Collapse of China,' Gordon S. Chang)
However I refuse to accept that we can not make our voices heard....(naive and foolish as this may seem),
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
(Martin Niemoller)
- So shall we write a letter, I know it doesn't sound like much, but this is obviously an issue that many people quite strongly about
and so why not put our ideas/issues to print and our signatures to it!- We can address it to, Donald Tsang and perhaps send it to the SCMP, as an open letter from 'The Mothers of Hong Kong.'
Am just throwing some ideas around, so please let me know your thoughts!
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Jonathanmommy
Registered User
I think it is a great idea, an open letter to Donald Tsang through SCMP. How about the Standard too? I don't know how it works to submit anything to the newspaper. Anyone has any ideas?
Neha, my vote goes for you as you were the first to say we shouldn't discuss problems such as pollution on this forum but should do something else. We also all by now know my belief that however well intentioned such a letter is, it would fall on deaf ears so i fear that if i were to write it it wouldn't be quite as eloquent as anything you could put together.
Oh and Blee, sorry for getting your name wrong earlier. I hate it when people do that.
Oh and Blee, sorry for getting your name wrong earlier. I hate it when people do that.
Neha
Banned
Aussiegal. again u are misunderstanding. I said if u discuss an issue u must act also. u cannot just talk abt and do nothing .It is like my husbands says to our son Only fart and no shit.My suggestion was to talk to your elected officials which I will. I am not very good at writing as I am sure u have seen from this above thread but I am willing to do other stuff, as in giving time, photocopying etc.
Jonathanmommy
Registered User
Aussiegal, sorry if I misunderstood you. I haven't read your other contributions to Geobaby or Geoexpat. But just reading what you have written on this thread makes me feel you absolutely hate this place and have no faith in the system either. And it is a matter of time you will be gladly out of here. So it is just my interpretation of you and maybe it is right maybe it is wrong. So be it. And it is not personal either because I have no idea who you are.
In any case if you don't feel like writing any letter or taking any action because you do not believe it will make a difference, it is ok too. Why do something when you deep inside believe it is a waste of time and effort?
In any case if you don't feel like writing any letter or taking any action because you do not believe it will make a difference, it is ok too. Why do something when you deep inside believe it is a waste of time and effort?
How about we ask geobaby members to post their thoughts on the pollution, e.g how bad it is, how bad is has gotten over the past couple of years, how they worry for their childrens health, maybe some even have children whose asthma is aggravated by the pollution.
Let's also hear from people, like aussiegal, who would leave HK because of the pollution...I am sure their are others....
And then we compile that into an open letter to SCMP, Standard etc.
It's not difficult to submit letter to SCMP- we can e-mail it to the editor and then he will decide to print it or not, but I think with something as topical as this he wouldn't mind! I don't mind contacting SCMP.
Let's also hear from people, like aussiegal, who would leave HK because of the pollution...I am sure their are others....
And then we compile that into an open letter to SCMP, Standard etc.
It's not difficult to submit letter to SCMP- we can e-mail it to the editor and then he will decide to print it or not, but I think with something as topical as this he wouldn't mind! I don't mind contacting SCMP.
No Blee, you are incorrect- it will not be long before I am SADLY out of here. Were it not for the pollution i could happily stay here a long time.
I'm not sure it's possible that us with our nice apartments, nice cars, nice club memberships and nice little ex-pat lifestyle here would be taken seriously by the locals were we to protest against the government. I can just imagine the news around the world -"ex-pats living a cushy life in Hong Kong sulk because the air they breathe is good enough for locals but not for them........''
Neha, it is not about writing ability but passion. If you feel so passionately that someone should write, let it be you. Substance is always more important than style.
I'm not sure it's possible that us with our nice apartments, nice cars, nice club memberships and nice little ex-pat lifestyle here would be taken seriously by the locals were we to protest against the government. I can just imagine the news around the world -"ex-pats living a cushy life in Hong Kong sulk because the air they breathe is good enough for locals but not for them........''
Neha, it is not about writing ability but passion. If you feel so passionately that someone should write, let it be you. Substance is always more important than style.
So it's important that we don't just involve 'expat's concerned about the pollution....but local Mothers do- there are plenty on this site! So please local Mothers, permanent residents, expats. regardless of how long you have lived here- let's hear your views too!
Neha- one step ahead of you, already posted new thread!
Neha- one step ahead of you, already posted new thread!
paul prengel
Registered User
Haze and Air Pollution
Last week I went up on our local hill, the NanShan. While up there I observed a number of aircraft approaching the Shenzhen airport. The entire region - including what I could see of Hong Kong - was covered with a darker layer of air, and as the aircraft descended they disappeared in these darker layers.
Additionally, there were a couple of occasions when the air at ground level had a bad and biting smell to it. So I guess that my earlier comments need to be amended as these experiences make me realize that the hazy air is probably caused in part by pollution and that is bigger than I had thought.
Paul
Last week I went up on our local hill, the NanShan. While up there I observed a number of aircraft approaching the Shenzhen airport. The entire region - including what I could see of Hong Kong - was covered with a darker layer of air, and as the aircraft descended they disappeared in these darker layers.
Additionally, there were a couple of occasions when the air at ground level had a bad and biting smell to it. So I guess that my earlier comments need to be amended as these experiences make me realize that the hazy air is probably caused in part by pollution and that is bigger than I had thought.
Paul