On A Clear Day…

Here’s a picture I took last August, which gives you some idea what Hong Kong looks like on a clear day.

Here’s a picture I took this afternoon, which gives you some idea what Hong Kong has looked like most days over the last few weeks.

The difference is a vicious pollution cocktail, trapped over Hong Kong by a seasonal change in wind directions. It is the visible stain of China’s economic miracle. Yesterday and today the Air Pollution Index has been well over the dangerous 100 mark, where people with heart and respiratory ailments are advised to avoid prolonged time outdoors. In fact, today the school sent an advisory for students to refrain from outdoor after school sport and in the past three weeks the kids have regularly had to play indoors during their breaks because of the poor air-quality.

According to UK guidelines, suspended particle levels of 50 ¬µg/m3 should “…not to be exceeded more than 10 times per year. However, according to the HK Observatory website, in September levels of 50 ¬µg/m3 were exceeded in general readings 42.2% of the time and in roadside readings 82.9% of the time. Of course, these are averages and the picture is worse in the most polluted and built-up parts of the territory. Moreover, the pollution levels thus far in October have been even worse.

Today all three of us, despite spending a minimum of time outdoors over the last few days, are suffering from sore eyes and sore throats.

[tags] Pollution, Environmentalism [/tags]