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Roadside
Air Pollution Index raises public awareness
"The
Roadside Air Pollution Index (API) is a world first and is
certainly helping to raise people's awareness of our air pollution
problems," the Director of Environmental Protection,
Mr Rob Law, said today (Tuesday).
"As a result, there has been a rapid growth in the intensity
of demand from the public for urgent action to attack our
air pollution problems," he said.
Speaking
at a press conference to review his department's work in 1998,
Mr Law said: "without strong public support, EPD has
little chance of getting the agreement of all relevant parties
for the required solutions.
Mr Law
said the air pollution problem had been costing Hong Kong
heavily.
"Diesel
vehicles produce large quantities of fine particulates that
can get deep into our lungs, as well as oxides of nitrogen
and other unhealthy pollutants. Many also produce vast quantities
of dark smoke that we can all see.
"Based
on studies conducted elsewhere, and looking at our actual
pollution levels, there is no doubt that air pollution levels
in Hong Kong account for at least 2,000 premature deaths each
year. There is equally no doubt that our air pollution problems
cause many thousands more people to seek medical treatment
for a variety of illnesses," he said.
Mr Law
said it also had a direct impact on Hong Kong's international
image.
"People
react to what they see, and many tourists and business visitors
are going away with an impression of Hong Kong as a dirty,
polluted city. They are unlikely to return or set up businesses
here if they think their families' health will be at risk,"
he said.
Mr Law
went on to outline a number of measures he believed were needed
to tackle the air pollution problems.
End/Tuesday,
February 23, 1999
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