Air Pollution in Hong Kong

From the BBC, July 31st, 2011. "Officials have long blamed factories in China for the city's dirty air, particularly in autumn and winter when prevailing winds blow from the north. But environmentalists say much of the problem lies closer to home. Arthur Lau, a researcher at the Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology, says the city is the main source of its own pollution around half the time, with roadside pollution the main culprit. Hong Kong has many green areas, with 40% of land reserved for nature conservation and recreation. But this means most of the city's seven million residents live and work in less than 25% of the land that is developed, leading to one of the highest traffic densities in the world - 275 vehicles per kilometre. Roadside pollution is also magnified by a street canyon effect created by the wall-like, high rise buildings that line many of the city's roads. Yet the city has no congestion charge or road pricing scheme such as those found in London or Singapore." Read the full article.

The Clean Air Network has tried imaginative approaches to campaigning before, including a spoof infomercial featuring the heartthrob Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu selling canisters of “fresh air,” which became an instant hit among YouTube users in Hong Kong.

Now, the group is roping modern art into its cause. Click here to see some more videos on air pollution in Hong Kong.

Also see

• some interesting presentations on "why today's cities are more congested" and "what are the possible solutions"?
• How bad is spending time on the roads?
• Smog hinders growth in Hong Kong
  

Check out the series of pictures posted on China Daily, summarizing the merits of traffic management system in Hong Kong.