The average number of “good quality air days” increased 21.5% in February, compared to the same period last year, according to China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. A similar pattern has emerged with carbon dioxide (CO2) — released by burning fossil fuels such as coal. | Contact Us | Newsletter | Annual & Transparency Report. HKU researchers concluded that if the government complied with WHO air quality guidelines it could avoid 1,860 avoidable deaths, 92,745 hospital bed-days, and 5.2 million doctor visits, saving the community about HK$20 billion. The EPD spokesperson rebuffed the criticism, saying that the reference to air quality policies in those countries was appropriate and in line with established scientific practice. Unless people make an effort to curb toxic emissions, air quality will soon go back to pre-Covid conditions.
But Fung also took issue with what he said was the public’s powerlessness to hold the government to account in the event it fails to abide by AQOs by, for example, imposing penalties on those responsible. “Under the established principles, they are ambient stations serving the same function as the ambient stations in Hong Kong. Hong Kong sweltered through its hottest summer this year since records began in 1884, according to data issued this week. Hong Kong’s measures were nowhere near as drastic as those in mainland China, but there was still a significant impact. “They do not take public health seriously,” he explained.
A drop in pollution in mainland China during this period also resulted in less regional smog from the industrial powerhouse cities in the southern province of Guangdong. Sir — The level of air pollution in Delhi saw a marked improvement during the Covid-19 induced lockdown, recording five “good” air quality days since March. “The largest consumers of coal — coal-fired power plants — have been affected a lot because electricity demand is down,” said Myllyvirta. “The reduction in air pollution has been very clear so if the pollution does come back, because of stimulus measures, because of heavy industry going into overdrive to make up for lost time, there could be a counter reaction.”. So we’re out of the review process already,” he added. Satellite images released by NASA and the European Space Agency show a dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions — those released by vehicles, power plants and industrial facilities — in major Chinese cities between January and February. That should have been completed at the end of December last year. [iii]         Fine suspended particulates means suspended particles in air with a nominal aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less. “Based on the assessment of the air quality health experts, the air quality improvement in 2025 will result in substantial health gain. “These bad health outcomes will be directly related to non-compliance with the WHO guidelines and the government’s permissive approach to allowing additional exceedances of already lax limits,” it added. 9 Hong Kong pollution falls In neighboring Hong Kong, air quality has also improved since the city entered partial shutdown mode to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Sir — We, the undersigned teachers of the Department of History, Jadavpur University, strongly and unambiguously condemn the vilification and the rancorous trolling on social media platforms of our colleague, Dr Maroona Murmu. At the core of the problem is the government’s failure to prioritise public health, said Loong Tsz-wai, Senior Community Relations Manager of Clean Air Network. “For instance, in London, in Frankfurt, in Berlin, when they fail to achieve an AQO, the EU court will fine that country for exceeding the AQO. Sir — As the Hong Kong police clashed with the pro-democracy activists on Sunday, a horrifying video began circulating on social media showing several officers brutally tackling a 12-year-old girl to the ground.
“Upon completion of the public consultation, the government will consider all the views collected and consult the ACE [Advisory Council on the Environment] and the LegCo… and, if [adjustments are approved], how the AQOs should be revised,” they said. PM with particles less than 10 and 2.5 microns refers to solid and liquid atmospheric particulates that penetrate deep into the lungs. As the world’s biggest polluter, China contributes 30% of the world’s CO2 emissions annually, so the impact of this kind of drop is huge, even over a short period.
“Due to different urban forms, many air quality monitoring stations in Europe and the United Kingdom located at lower levels in fact are sited far away from major traffic,” they said. “We would very much advocate for China to foster this opportunity to transform its economy, to break apart from the old,” said Li Shuo, a senior climate policy adviser for Greenpeace East Asia. Their work focuses on enhancing the public’s understanding of air pollution by collecting data from monitoring stations while lobbying the government to implement green policies. File Photo: Wikicommons. More information about these indices Select date: 2020 Mid-Year 2020 2019 Mid-Year 2019 2018 Mid-Year 2018 2017 Mid-Year 2017 2016 Mid-Year 2016 2015 Mid-Year 2015 2014 Mid-Year 2014 2013 2012 Based on the results of an air quality assessment for 2025, a spokesperson for the EPD defended the measures as beneficial to the public’s health. Hong Kong’s government did introduce a raft of green policies in its recent budget, including a roadmap on cleaner public transport vehicles. Anti-mask culture spread early at White House
Hong Kongers thus assembled in hundreds — it was one of the largest gatherings since China’s implementation of the anti-sedition laws in the region — to fight for their democratic rights. One of them is located far away from the city and measures the background air quality, two were built after the study period, and the rest measure roadside air pollution. “We can’t sue them or put any kind of pressure to push them to do it because AQO itself is not legally binding,” he said. Fit factor over 10,000 and there aren’t designed to last decades. The international community must do all it can to come to the aid of Hong Kongers in this hour of need. The Hong Kong … “These have important implications for maternal and child health, children’s lung growth and development, the prevention of heart disease, strokes, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and many other health problems which may lead to premature deaths.”. The Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. Founded in 2015, Hong Kong Free Press is a non-profit, English-language newspaper – run by journalists and completely independent. Out of control. His concerns come amid a number of so-called white elephant projects including a controversial plan to build a metropolis on reclaimed land — Lantau Tomorrow Vision — from 2025, which was estimated to cost HK$624 billion in its first phase. Fifty-two per cent said they were unsatisfied with the city’s current air quality, while 23 per cent said they were satisfied.
Using transboundary pollution from mainland China as an instrument, we show that air pollution leads to higher cardio-respiratory mortality in Hong Kong. “I think it’s clear that this effect will continue for the next weeks and months, because there has also been a major impact on the demand side of the economy.”. Hong Kong was originally scheduled to go to the polls last Sunday, but the elections were ultimately pushed back citing public health concerns. Fung has been campaigning about the long-term health impact of the air pollution in Hong Kong, which he says causes on average 1,500 premature deaths per year in the city.