XN000022-1983-03-14 — Page 3

MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1983

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A NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF EYE CARE, DR THONG SAID.

THE HONG KONG OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES FOR PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN CO-ORDINATING LOCAL SOCIETIES CONCERNED WITH MEDICAL AND OPTICAL TREATMENT OF EYE DISEASES, PUBLIC OCULAR HEALTH, WELFARE AND REHABILITATION OF THE VISUALLY DISABLED.

+WITH THE JOINT EFFORT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT BODIES, WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS A VERY MUCH IMPROVED AND EXPANDED OPHTHALMIC SERVICE FOR THE PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE CARE OF EYE DISEASES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, DR THONG SAID.

HK'S WASTE RECOVERY SYSTEM MOST EFFECTIVE

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POLLUTION CONTROL IN DENMARK HAS GENERATED ECONOMIC GROWTH RATHER THAN SUPPRESSED IT, AN EXPERIENCE ALSO FOUND IN OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, THE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DR STUART REED SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

DR REED WAS SPEAKING AT THE ENERGY AND POLLUTION CONTROL SYMPOSIUM IN HONG KONG ORGANISED BY THE FEDERATION OF DANISH INDUSTRIES.

HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE STRONG PARALLELS BETWEEN THE DANISH AND THE HONG KONG APPROACH TO POLLUTION CONTROL.

+THE EMPHASIS ON PREVENTION THROUGH PLANNING, THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE NEED TO BALANCE THE COSTS OF ANTI- POLLUTION MEASURES AGAINST THE BENEFIT DERIVED BY THE COMMUNITY FROM THE ACTIVITIES THAT GIVE RISE TO POLLUTION, ARE ALL VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HONG KONG, DR REED SAID.

BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT THE HONG KONG EPA WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1981, 10 YEARS AFTER ITS DANISH COUNTERPART, AND ADDED THAT THE TASK WE FACE IS EVEN MORE DAUNTING THAN THE ONES FACED IN DENMARK OVER A DECADE AGO.+

AMONG THE DIFFICULTIES IN HONG KONG CITED BY DR REED ARE THE HIGH PROPORTION OF INDUSTRY IN FLATTED FACTORIES, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CARS PER KILOMETRE IN THE WORLD, AND A TOPOGRAPHY, METEOROLOGY AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT WHICH ALL CONSPIRE TO RESTRICT DISPERSION AND CAUSE POLLUTANTS TO ACCUMULATE.

+BUT ON THE PLUS SIDE, WE HAVE ALREADY PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WASTE RECOVERY SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD WITH SOMETHING LIKE 20 PER CENT OF WASTES CREATED EACH DAY BEING RECOVERED AND RECYCLED AT A NOT INCONSIDERABLE BENEFIT TO HONG KONG'S BALANCE OF PAYMENTS.

+AND ABOVE ALL, WE HAVE THE HONG KONG SPIRIT WHICH INSISTS THAT THE POSSIBLE IS DONE TODAY AND THE IMPOSSIBLE TOMORROW,+ DR REED SAID.

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