XN000022-1975-12-29 — Page 6

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1975

ON SCHOOL PROGRAMMES FOR MEASURING LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. MR. LAI RECALLED THAT 18,440 PUPILS TOOK PART IN A CLEAN WATER SURVEY IN MID-1973 WHEN ABOUT 100 FRESH WATER STREAMS IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE INVESTIGATED.

THE SURVEY RESULTS WERE SENT TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM) IN SEPTEMBER 1974. THE REPORT WAS FAVOURABLY RECEIVED AND IT WAS LATER REPORTED THAT THIS SURVEY WOULD BE USED AS A MODEL FOR SIMILAR SURVEYS IN EUROPE.

AS PART OF THE PURE AIR SURVEY, +PROJECT WINDSHIFT,+ WHICH AIMED AT SURVEYING AIR FLOW CARRYING POLLUTANTS, WAS LAUNCHED IN MARCH 1975.

IN MID-APRIL 1975 THE ACID RAIN SURVEY WAS LAUNCHED AND THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT HONG KONG'S RAIN WAS INDEED ACID. SINCE THIS SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT AT A TIME OF QUITE HEAVY RAIN WITH SOME THUNDERSTORMS, IT IS PLANNED TO REPEAT THE MEASUREMENTS IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1976 WHEN THE RAIN IS MORE GENTLE.

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ANOTHER PROJECT - ESTIMATING PARTICLES IN THE AIR AND STUDYING PLANTS AND AIR POLLUTION WAS LAUNCHED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ACID RAIN SURVEY.

MR. LAI SAID THAT BEFORE THE END OF THE 1975/76 ACADEMIC YEAR +IT IS PROPOSED TO HAVE YET ANOTHER PROJECT CALLED SHORELINE ECOLOGY, WHICH IS BEING PLANNED BY A COMMITTEE WITH MEMBERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS.+

THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE A STUDY OF THE SHORELINE OF HONG KONG AND THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIVING ORGANISMS FOUND THERE.

MR. LAI IS ONE OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS AT THE TEN-DAY COURSE WHICH IS BEING ATTENDED BY DELEGATES FROM HONG KONG AND A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE NETHERLANDS, INDIA, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, BORNEO, MALAYSIA, THAILAND, NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. THE COURSE ENDS TOMORROW.

OTHER SPEAKERS INCLUDE PROFESSOR L.B. THROWER AND DR. M.H. WONG OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND MR. CHRIS REIJ, THE INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FEDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND CONSERVATION, ONE OF THE ORGANISERS OF THE COURSE. THE OTHER ORGANISERS ARE THE INDIAN ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY, THE HONG KONG CONSERVANCY ASSOCIATION AND THE YOUTH ENVIRONMENT ACTION GROUP.

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