From SCMP>>> Air Quality in HK Hong Kong's first chief executive candidates' debate has grabbed a lot of media attention despite the predetermined results of the election. Yet, what the general public cares about more is the quality of the air and the environment. The government has tried to shift the blame for the city's poor air quality to the polluting industries in the Pearl River Delta. Yet, Hong Kong's sky remained smoggy during the Lunar New Year holidays, when mainland factories were closed. The so-called Action Blue Sky launched by the government is more a slogan than a pragmatic scheme to make the dream of blue sky a reality. Hong Kong's deteriorating air quality jeopardises people's health and harms the city's status as a preferred tourist destination and international financial hub. Many multinationals have threatened to leave if the air quality does not improve. The problem has also rendered it more difficult to attract talent to work here. Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who has pledged to get the job done, should place air quality at the top of his agenda in his next term as chief executive. The government must not shirk its responsibility to resolve the city's environmental problems. Its lack of town planning and ineffective land policy over the years have turned the New Territories into a collection of ugly estates full of high-rise buildings and chaotic container storage parks. Many people moved to the New Territories or new towns in the past to improve their living conditions - only to find that the environment there has deteriorated so rapidly that it is no longer suitable for living. The government's failure to control the plot ratio of property projects in the New Territories has made it possible for mercenary property developers to erect high-density, multi-storey buildings regardless of the ecology or the public interest. At a meeting of the Legislative Council's planning, lands and works panel on Tuesday, a number of environmental protection groups accused property developers of erecting high-rise buildings throughout the city that have created a wall effect, blocking airflow. However, pro-government legislator Abraham Shek Lai-him, who represents the property and construction sector, was quick to dismiss such accusations, saying developers had every right to make a profit from property developments. Mr Shek may be right. But the point is that the government has for years turned a blind eye to irresponsible acts by developers, and to the sufferings of New Territories residents. Unfortunately, instead of stopping property developers from degrading our environment, the government has taken the lead in ruining it. The notorious high-rise buildings throughout the New Territories are mostly products of the Housing Authority and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. The Housing Authority has blindly modelled the new towns in the New Territories on urban public estates. These buildings are not in harmony with the natural environment; they block the flow of air and trap pollutants emitted by mainland industries. The property projects developed by the KCRC along its railway networks are equally damaging to the environment. The government's transport policy is also to blame. Although the latest budget has proposed tax exemptions to encourage citizens to purchase green cars, studies in the US have shown that some of these cars are not really environmentally friendly since they require so much material to build. The two power companies' reluctance to replace coal with natural gas adds to the city's air pollution problem. Pollution could be greatly reduced if each power plant invested HK$500 million in installing green facilities. It is outrageous that these suppliers have refused to give up burning coal even when people are willing to pay more in exchange for better air quality. Political debates will not improve the well-being of society in general. It is high time that the government and the chief executive stepped up comprehensive measures to tackle the air pollution problem | 
