# Where Did the Smog Go? Hong Kong Experiences a Clear Summer



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Disagreements cloud Hong Kong's blue skies *
AFP
Aug 4, 10:56 PM ET










As Hong Kong basks in one of its finest summers for nearly a decade, the government and environmentalists are at loggerheads over the reason for the clear blue skies residents of this usually smog-ridden city are enjoying.

Air quality in Hong Kong has taken a dramatic turn for the better this year. Official figures show the number of low-pollution days between May and July is up more than 70 percent on 2006, with air quality better than at any time since 1999.

The conditions are in stark contrast with Beijing, where a thick blanket of haze has at times reduced visibility to just a few hundred metres (yards) in recent weeks.

The Hong Kong government believes it should get the credit for the transformation, citing the efforts it has made to reduce air pollution levels in the city.

"Apart from the weather factor, the measures implemented over the past years have also had a positive impact on our air quality," said a spokeswoman at the Environmental Protection Department.

Hong Kong authorities have introduced a series of measures to combat pollution, which business groups warn is deterring investment and tourism and making expatriates think twice about coming here.

Diesel taxis and mini-buses are being replaced with vehicles that run on cleaner liquefied petroleum gas, and the government has tightened emissions caps on power plants.

But environmentalists say emission reduction targets are too low, and air pollution figures are not telling the real story because the danger limits are set much higher than those of the World Health Organisation.

They believe it was too early for the government to claim it has beaten the smog.

Alexis Lau, an atmospheric scientist from the University of Science and Technology, attributed the improved air quality to the stable winds and lack of typhoons in the region. Typhoons are common in Hong Kong at this time of year.

"The wind is much more steady this summer," he said, adding that the approach of a typhoon often makes the air more stagnant, reducing the dispersal of pollutants.

Edwin Lau, assistant director of Friends of the Earth Hong Kong, also said recent weather conditions were the likely reason for the clear skies.

"The prevailing wind effect is a major factor for the clear days because (when) the wind blows to the north, the bad air from the China factories doesn't come this way," he said.

"The government shouldn't reach this conclusion so quickly. If this situation lasts until spring and autumn, the government can then boast about their strategies," he added.

Hong Kong's skies are generally clearer in summer than in winter, as the oceanic air stream blowing from the south brings cleaner air and disperses pollutants.

On the mainland, it is a different story -- Beijing suffered its worst air pollution for June in seven years and many residents of the city said pollution was the worst in recent memory.

The growing problem is blamed on the staggering growth in the number of cars in the Chinese capital -- 1,200 vehicles are added daily. And the forced closure of the city's most polluting factories has not proved enough to solve the problem.

The Hong Kong government has been quick to blame the mainland for the city's pollution woes, attributing them to emissions produced by factories in the neighbouring Pearl River Delta region of southern China, many of them Hong Kong-owned.

But local academics and environmentalists dispute this, blaming local vehicles, marine traffic and power plants.

Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has said tackling pollution will be one of his top priorities, and Edwin Lau looks forward to the days when clear blue days are a more frequent sight.

"The clean sky reminds me of the Hong Kong I remember 20 years ago. You can look miles into the distance, you can see the shape of the mountains. Hong Kong can be such a beautiful place," he said.

"The government has the responsibility to keep the skies clean, put in the right strategies, keep up their efforts and don't be complacent."


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## SYDNEYAHOLIC (Nov 3, 2006)

I'm with the environmentalists on this one!


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## _00_deathscar (Mar 16, 2005)

Surely the answer is a large fan blowing wind?

Been a photographer's wet dream this summer...


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Its the best time to take photos of the HK skyline.


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## hinto (Jul 15, 2005)

I went back for 2 weeks in June, and I was pleasantly surprised at how clear the sky was.


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## gladisimo (Dec 11, 2006)

_00_deathscar said:


> Surely the answer is a large fan blowing wind?
> 
> Been a photographer's wet dream this summer...


Hey I came up with that idea first!

I was surprised by the clear weather, nearly everyday was a good day to take pictures!


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## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

Wet, literally. But that's the same every summer, just a bit hotter this year.

Imagine lugging a backpack of professional camera gear...


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## LMCA1990 (Jun 18, 2005)

It's clearly China's fault 'cause most ppl in HK use massive transportation systems.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

lmcm1990 said:


> It's clearly China's fault 'cause most ppl in HK use massive transportation systems.


HK does but they are *non-pollutant* unlike those in South East Asian cities.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Studies have shown over 80% of Hong Kong's air pollution is blown across the border from China, which is why winters tend to be fairly bad when the winds come from the north.

However, street-level pollution does exist and come from vehicles and air conditioner exhaust that is trapped in the street canyons.


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## LMCA1990 (Jun 18, 2005)

WANCH said:


> HK does but they are *non-pollutant* unlike those in South East Asian cities.


I didn't word it right. I meant to say that it's China's fault, not HK since most ppl use massive trans. systems which are non-pollutant.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

lmcm1990 said:


> I didn't word it right. I meant to say that it's China's fault, not HK since most ppl use massive trans. systems which are non-pollutant.


Yes the Guangdong province is a major industrial centre. Its the same with Johor Baru in Malaysia but nearby Singapore rare face pollution


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

WANCH said:


> Yes the Guangdong province is a major industrial centre. Its the same with Johor Baru in Malaysia but nearby Singapore rare face pollution


Depends on the nature of industry. Many factories dot the Pearl River Delta, which pollute a lot more to the air than electronics assembly plants or more high-tech industries.

Meanwhile, SE Asia has to live with air pollution from Indonesian forest fires every year.


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## urbanfan89 (May 30, 2007)

Has HK govt ever considered reigning in pollution in from those factories in Guangdong, most of which are owned by HK based companies anyways?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

urbanfan89 said:


> Has HK govt ever considered reigning in pollution in from those factories in Guangdong, most of which are owned by HK based companies anyways?


The government has encouraged Hong Kong investors to clean up factories in the mainland, but due to lax environmental laws and enforcement in China, actual implementation has been fairly difficult. However, there is a lot more talk about it at the government level these days on both sides of the border.


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## ♣628.finst (Jul 29, 2005)

A clear summer in our city? Not a good sign at all.

That's a problem indicating the lack of sufficient rainfall in our city. The weather was unusually stable throughout last month, brings little rainfall and relatively high temperature. 

It reminds me of drought years back in Saskatoon or Winnipeg. The air is in general better than normal, but also much hotter than normal. We hope the weather condition in August would bring more frequent storms, and a cooler average temperature than normal. We do need to have clean air, but the normal rainfall pattern should be maintained, especially in summer months.


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## Skybean (Jun 16, 2004)

It's back to hazy normal today! A cyclone is heading this way!


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Gherkin said:


> A clear summer in our city? Not a good sign at all.
> 
> That's a problem indicating the lack of sufficient rainfall in our city. The weather was unusually stable throughout last month, brings little rainfall and relatively high temperature.
> 
> It reminds me of drought years back in Saskatoon or Winnipeg. The air is in general better than normal, but also much hotter than normal. We hope the weather condition in August would bring more frequent storms, and a cooler average temperature than normal. We do need to have clean air, but the normal rainfall pattern should be maintained, especially in summer months.


I'm in Manila now and the city had these problems last month. What they do is create *artificial rain*. Now there's a typhoon here


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

But the air got really bad today even as a typhoon nears. Perhaps the air flow stagnates as a storm approaches so the conditions worsen dramatically.

Beijing has been thinking about using artificial rain to clean the air for the Olympics.


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## forzagrifo (Oct 2, 2004)

There has been a string a really blue-sky days before today. I'd say the emission control is doing its job.


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