Spring into Summer

I always enjoy the first couple of days after a spring typhoon in Hong Kong. The typhoon blows all the air pollution out to sea and the sky is blue and my eyes don't itch.

The government is beginning to look into ways to reduce the air pollution but the problem is they are just "looking."

They know what needs to be done. It doesn't take a Ph.D. to know that when 70% of your air pollution is from coal burning power plants that you need to put pollution controls on your power plants. But, they don't have the spine to say it. That would mean standing up to Li, Kai Shing or CLP or Hong Kong Electric. The power plants here have absolutely no pollution control. The busses have only minimal pollution control.

Heaven forbid that some shareholder in the UK should loose a single penny because the public utilities and transportation system has to abide by the same environmental regulations that other modern nations require.

The government officials don't want to have to tell their golfing buddies that the electric companies cannot make a measly 17% profit anymore.

If I were Donald Tsang, I'd tell China Light and Power, Hong Kong electric and the buss companies to "Clean up in 18 months or we will nationalize your assets and sell them to someone who will. In the mean time you will not have a rate increase and all of your stock is frozen. It cannot be bought or sold." The shareholders who have allowed these companies to put profit over the well being of Hong Kong citizens should be made to bear the cost of the clean up.

I am in no way, shape, or form a socialist. A socialist would do this because they think the government would do it better. I think if the government kept the utility companies the problem would get worse. What I am suggesting is that the government nationalize these industries and then sell them to another corporation that would do a better job.

Oh well, I'll enjoy the clear days while they last.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Breathing Easy Blogger