HONG KONG
LEGISLATIVE 香港立法局——————————一九八九年七月十九日
COUNCIL
19 July 1989
133
environment. I hope the White Paper on pollution is no under-estimate of what is now needed to save the Hong Kong environment. I am confident from this debate that we have the necessary political support to do it.
Sir, I support the motion.
MR. PETER WONG: Sir, it has been more than two decades since world environmentalists started their campaigns to save our planet. The industrialists have seen the threat to their profits but the enlightened ones are trying to strike a balance between what is desirable and what is practical.
Nobody wants to pay more for a product than they have to and it is too easy to go for a cheap disposable against an ecologically sound but more expensive item. Now that we are no longer on the breadline, we must educate ourselves to examine the product and decide which will harm the environment least.
We are continuously reminded that our resources are limited and we must bid for them. Thus we have to prioritize which of the pollutants is the most harmful and has to be eliminated first. Sewage is unsightly, smells and breeds diseases. However it is bio-degradable and if left alone, can correct itself reasonably quickly. On the other hand, chemical and air pollution are less noticeable visually but their damaging effects last much longer.
There is no longer any question that the balance has to be tipped towards the community taking control of pollution very seriously. The real culprit, the production of unnecessary waste and pollution, has to be identified and if not eliminated, then at least minimized. We must act how. There may be no second chance.
Sir, there is no point in saving and building Hong Kong to be our home if it is no longer a fit place to live in. With these remarks, I beg to move.
Question on the motion put and agreed to.
End of Session
MEMBER PRESIDING: Honourable Members, that vote on today's motion brings to an end our official business for this Session. May I please add my thanks to all Members for all the work they have done, and also in particular,
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