MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1976
SOLUTION TO POLLUTION PROBLEMS DEPENDS ON PUBLIC ATTITUDE ******
THE SOLUTION TO MANY POLLUTION AND CONSERVATION PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY THOSE CAUSED BY URBAN LIVING, DEPENDS ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE PUBLIC, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID TODAY.
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SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR OF THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, HE SAID THAT COMPREHENSIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS WERE NO SUBSTITUTÉ FOR VOLUNTARY EFFORT ON THE PART OF EACH OF HONG KONG'S CITIZENS TO MINIMISE POLLUTION PROBLEMS.
+ IF WE ARE TO HAVE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT, IT HAS TO BE PAID FOR IN MANY CASES THIS HAS TO BE IN THE FORM OF HARD CASH, BUT IT CAN OFTEN BE IN THE FORM OF EFFORT, OR RESTRAINT ON THE PART OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
+WITH VERY CONSIDERABLE DEMANDS ON HONG KONG'S RESOURCES (AND ALREADY THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS GETTING A BIGGER SHARE THAN MOST PEOPLE REALISE), THEN WE NEED TO EXPLOIT PAYMENT BY WAY OF EFFORT OR RESTRAINT ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC.
+AND FOR THIS REASON, IT IS VITAL THAT THE PUBLIC BECOMES AWARE OF THE NEED FOR A GOOD ENVIRONMENT AND OF THE EFFECTS OF NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT POLLUTION= NOT ONLY THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS BUT ALSO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE ENDURED BY FUTURE GENERATIONS.+
MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD FOR MANY YEARS RECOGNISED THE NEED TO TAKE THE THREAT OF POLLUTION SERIOUSLY.
HE DISCLOSED THAT VERY CONSIDERABLE FUNDS WERE BEING SPENT ON TRADITIONAL POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES SUCH AS REFUSE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL AND HARBOUR CLEANSING AND, MORE RECENTLY ATTENTION HAD BEEN DIRECTED TO AIR POLLUTION, AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND NOISE ABATEMENT BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM).
+THIS COMMITTEE WITH ITS SEPARATE SUB-COMMITTEES FOR AIR, WATER AND LAND, AND NOISE POLLUTION, HAS PRODUCED MANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON A VERY WIDE VARIETY OF MEASURE TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND AS FAR AS RESOURCES WILL PERMIT, THOSE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.
IN DECEMBER 1974, HE SAID, CONSULTANTS WERE ENGAGED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE STATE OF HONG KONG ENVIRONMENT, TO ADVISE ON THE ENACTMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION AND TO ADVISE ON IMPROVING GOVERNMENT'S POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCIES,
ONE OF THE PROPOSALS MADE BY THE CONSULTANTS WAS FOR A FLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF POLLUTION CONTROLS FOR HONG KONG, HE SAID.
/+RIGID