MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1991
"THESE EMISSIONS CAN CAUSE ALL MANNER OF HEALTH PROBLEMS AND THEY ADD TO THE AS YET UNQUANTIFIED THREAT FROM THE BUILD-UP OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE."
DR REED STRESSED THAT GREATER EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE USE OF ENERGY WOULD REDUCE ALL THESB ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS.
CITING WAYS TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE WASTAGE HE MENTIONED REPLACING CONVENTIONAL COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS BY COMBINED CYCLE POWER GENERATION USING NATURAL GAS, WHICH COULD BE ONR OF THE OPTIONS FOR FUTURE GENERATING CAPACITY IN HONG KONG, AND A VARIETY OF SIMPLE MEASURES, SUCH AS TURNING OFF LIGHTS AND AIR CONDITIONING WHEN THEY ARE NOT NEEDED.
ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENERGY POLICY IN HONG KONG, DR REED SAID HE AGREED WITH HIS FELLOW SPEAKER DR PETER HILLS THAT THIS COULD PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS, AS WELL AS ENABLE HONG KONG TO COPE WITH POTENTIALLY DRAMATIC FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF FUELS.
"SUCH A POLICY WOULD NOT SIMPLY COVER ENERGY CONSERVATION IN BUILDINGS, IT WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE ALSO CONSIDERATION OF SUCH THINGS AS ENERGY ASPECTS OF TRANSPORTATION POLICY, LABELLING OF ENERGY-CONSUMING PRODUCTS, SETTING OF PERFORMANCE OR EMISSION STANDARDS FOR ENERGY CONVERSION, SUPPLY OR UTILISATION, ORGANISATION OF INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS AND ESTABLISHING AN AGENCY TO PROMOTE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY.
"AN ENERGY POLICY WOULD MAKE GOOD SENSE IN TERMS OF BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY IN HONG KONG," DR REED CONCLUDED.
COMMITTEE SET UP TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (MONDAY) THAT AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SET UP TO CONSIDER PROPOSAL8 TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, HAVING REGARD TO THEIR LIKELY EFFECTIVENESS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, SAID IT IS THE COMMON DUTY OF ALL GOVERNMENTS TO CONSERVE ENERGY.
"THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE LOOKING AT VARIOUS WAYS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND BOTH NEW AND OLD BUILDINGS WOULD BE HIGH ON THE AGENDA, HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT IN A CITY LIKE HONG KONG, DEPENDENT FOR ITS VERY EXISTENCE ON A BUOYANT INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SECTOR, EASY ACCESS TO CHEAP AND PLENTIFUL ELECTRICITY HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF ITS SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
/"A BALANCE