WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1982
HK LOOKS AHEAD IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
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SOME OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST SOPHISTICATED PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS ARE NOW BEING USED OR ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG TO ENSURE THAT WE DO NOT CREATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS OF THE FUTURE.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DR STUART REED, IN A TALK GIVEN THIS EVENING TO A MEETING OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS.
+THE WIND TUNNEL MODEL BUILT TO TEST DIFFERENT HEIGHTS OF CHIMNEY FOR THE TAP SHEK KOK POWER STATION IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST IN THE WORLD AND THE TOLO HARBOUR WATER QUALITY MODEL IS PUSHING PRESENT TECHNIQUES TO THEIR LIMITS,+ HE SAID.
+IT IS NO GOOD JUST MONITORING LEVELS OF POLLUTION OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, NECESSARY AS THAT IS, WE MUST BE ABLE ALSO TO PREDICT THE EFFECTS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON THE ENVIRONMENT.+
HE CAUTIONED, HOWEVER, IT IS EASY TO CLAIM TOO MUCH FOR THE POWER OF MODELS TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, BUT PROPERLY CONTROLLED AND SENSIBLY USED THEY ARE AN INVALUABLE TOOL.
DR REED SAID THAT IN HIS VIEW PLANNING IS THE KEY TO
A SATISFACTORY ENVIRONMENT.
+GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, HE SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT GIVE REASONABLE GROUNDS FOR OPTIMISM. +
AMONG THESE DEVELOPMENTS, HE CITED:
(1)
THE SHIFT IN EMPHASIS FROM PURELY TACTICAL OR PROJECT PLANNING TO A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WITH GREATER EMPHASIS ON OVERALL STRATEGY, WITNESS THE RECENT CREATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING UNIT-
(11) THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL STAFF WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AS THEIR SOLE REMIT-
(111) THE CREATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY WHICH IS NOW SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST TO PROVIDE REAL COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY ON ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING MATTERS-
"V)
THE COMPRdad.
T:
LL