SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1993
OUR
MOST THIS
IN THE PAST WE HAVE, AS MUCH AS ANYBODY, SACRIFICED ENVIRONMENT ON THE ALTAR OF ECONOMIC SUCCESS, BUT UNLIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE TODAY, WE'RE NOT IN THE DOLDRUMS OF RECESSION. YEAR AND OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WE EXPECT GROWTH OF 5 TO 6 PER CENT. WE'RE IN THE UNUSUAL BUSINESS OF CONSTANTLY UNDER ESTIMATING OUR RATES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AS WE WERE REMINDED THE OTHER DAY BY THE ASIA DEVELOPMENT BANK. I'VE BEEN USED TO A SCHOOL OF POLITICS IN WHICH I'M BOUND TO CONFESS THE OPPOSITE USED TO HAPPEN. WE HAVE A HEALTHY SURPLUS SO WE SHOULD NOW BE DEVOTING SOME OF OUR RICHES TO PROTECTING THE WEALTH OF OUR ENVIRONMENT OR AS PEOPLE IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND WHERE MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS CAME FROM USED TO SAY, WHERE THERE'S MUCK, THERE'S MONEY! BUT I BELIEVE IT'S EQUALLY TRUE THAT WHERE THERE'S MONEY, THERE'S NO NEED FOR MUCK.
OF
BEFORE I OUTLINE THE ACTION WE WILL TAKE TO TACKLE THE TASK CLEANING UP HONG KONG, I SHOULD SAY THAT WE'RE NOT STARTING ENTIRELY FROM SCRATCH, WE DO HAVE A FOUNDATION UPON WHICH TO BUILD.
IN 1989 ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED ITS FIRST WHITE PAPER ON THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS BROUGHT TOGETHER EXISTING PROGRAMMES AND SET OUT A NEW COMPREHENSIVE TEN YEAR PROGRAMME OF SOME 100 INITIATIVES TO FIGHT
POLLUTION.
THESE HAVE PRODUCED SOME GOOD INITIAL RESULTS. LET ME JUST CITE A FEW EXAMPLES. SINCE 1987 WHEN WE STARTED TO MAKE A DETERMINED EFFORT TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION, THE TREND OF DETERIORATION HAS BEEN LARGELY HALTED. POPULAR BEACHES THAT WERE ONCE CLOSED OR THREATENED WITH CLOSURE ARE NOW SAFE AGAIN FOR SWIMMING.
SINCE 1988 ANIMAL WASTE WITH A POLLUTION LEVEL EQUIVALENT, IT'S A TERRIFYING THOUGHT, TO THE SEWAGE PRODUCED BY ONE MILLION PEOPLE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM OUR STREAMS AND WATER COURSES.
SINCE 1990 WHEN LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED TO REDUCE THE SULPHUR CONTENT IN THE FUEL, HONG KONG'S LEVEL OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE HAS DROPPED BY 45 PER CENT. JUST THINK WHAT OUR AIR MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE BEFORE.
AND LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE, WE INTEND FIRST OF ALL TO INVEST OVER 7 BILLION DOLLARS IN A COMPREHENSIVE WASTE DISPOSAL STRATEGY WHICH WILL HANDLE THE 20,000 TONNES OF SOLID WASTE WE PRODUCE EVERY DAY. IT WILL ENABLE US ALSO TO PHASE OUT THE OLD INCINERATORS SO THAT IN SOLVING ONE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM WE WON'T CONTINUE ΤΟ CREATE ANOTHER. WE'RE GOING TO TREAT PROPERLY THE 100,000 TONNES OF CHEMICAL WASTE THAT WE PRODUCE EVERY YEAR IN OUR NEW CHEMICAL WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO OPENING OFFICIALLY IN JUNE AND WE'RE GOING TO EMBARK UPON A MASSIVE BUILDING PROGRAMME OF SEWERS AND SEWAGE TREATMENT FACILITIES WHICH WILL REDUCE THE POLLUTION IN OUR HARBOUR BY A STUNNING 70 PER CENT,
/WHILE WE
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