Pollution in Hong Kong
香港的污染问题
THE new government of Hong Kong has bungled plenty since taking office in July, but it looks as if it has pulled off a deft move on green issues. Leung Chun-ying, the city’s chief executive, has chosen Christine Loh Kung-wai as his new environmental undersecretary. It is a striking choice, given her background as a green activist and pro-democracy legislator.
新一届香港政府自今年7月就任以来就一直手足无措，但现在看来他们在环境问题上有了一个明智之举。香港行政长官梁振英已任命陆恭蕙为他的新一任环境局副局长。鉴于陆恭蕙身为一名环保激进分子并且还是亲民主派议员，人们对这样的选择着实吃惊。
Ms Loh will need to find creative answers to a nagging question: why is Hong Kong’s air so bad (see chart)? Its air pollution often exceeds the limits set by the World Health Organisation, leading to some 3,200 avoidable deaths a year, according to the University of Hong Kong.
为何香港空气质量如此之差？对于这个令人头疼的问题，陆小姐需给出富有创造性的答案。据香港大学调查，香港空气污染指数经常超出世界卫生组织所设限额，并且这导致了每年3200多个人本可避免的死亡。
One common explanation is that it is caused by emissions blown over from mainland China. But China is unlikely to be the main culprit. Mike Kilburn of Civic Exchange, a think-tank co-founded by Ms Loh, argues that what matters most is not the aggregate volume of a pollutant like nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Rather, he says, the real harm comes from the roadside, where people walk or gather. By this measure, the biggest health threat is home-grown.
有种较为普遍的解释，说香港空气污染是由从中国大陆吹过来的尾气导致的。但是中国不可能是香港空气污染的罪魁祸首。香港思汇政策研究所由陆小姐和他人合办的智囊库，任职于此的麦克•基尔伯恩认为问题的关键不是像二氧化氮这样的污染物积累导致污染。他说，真正的危害反而来源于人们行走或聚集的路边。以这个标准衡量的话，对健康最大的威胁来自于本地。
One problem lies in the local power grid’s use of coal, the dirtiest of fuels. Another is the gritty bunker fuel burned by the many ships in a once-fragrant harbour. The city’s lorries, buses and taxis are meant to have catalytic converters, but these often degrade over the years.
一个问题是当地电力网，因为其运用的是煤这种最污染的燃料。另一个问题是在曾经空气不错的港口，许多船只都使用砂质燃料。并且香港的货车、公交和出租车本打算安装尾气催化转换器，但是这些装置装置过个几年就老化了。
There has been some progress. The government has offered fleet operators subsidies to upgrade technologies, and has introduced a half-hearted ban on vehicles idling. Big shipping firms now support an official push for higher-quality fuels. (A new report suggests cleaning up marine fuels could save many lives.) Power plants are adding scrubbers.
进步也是有的。政府会给渔船上的人家津贴，让他们更新船上的科技设备，并且还煞有介事地下令禁止车辆挂空挡。现在，大型船舶公司支持官方推广优质燃料的使用（最新的一项报告显示，清理海洋中的燃料废渣能拯救许多海洋生命）。发电厂则增加了洗涤器的数目。
Still, two big snags remain. One is outdated standards, says Wong Tze-wai of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He and his colleagues have launched a new air-pollution index that he says captures health risks better than the official index, which has not kept pace with the latest science. Citing international data, the Clean Air Network, another local green group, argues that local air is often three times as foul as in New York and London. Though its overall air quality is better than Beijing’s, a recent study of NO2 pollution still ranked Hong Kong near the bottom of a list of the 32 biggest Chinese cities.
但是解决之道上还有两只拦路虎。第一是过时的标准。香港中文大学的Wong Tze-wai这样说道。他还和同时推出了一项新的空气污染指数。据他所说这个指数更能体现出空气污染对健康的威胁。不像官方指数，已经跟不上先进的科学技术了。另一个当地环保小组“健康空气行动”通过引用国际数据进行对比，发现当地空气比纽约和伦敦的空气要污浊3倍。尽管香港总体空气质量要好过北京。但是近来一项有关二氧化氮污染的调查显示，在中国32个大城市中，香港仍位列期末。
The other problem is politics. Eric Bohm, until recently the boss of WWF Hong Kong, a big green group, believes that citizens badly want a cleaner environment—a view supported by opinion polls. But lobbying often waters down even weak anti-pollution measures.
另一个问题涉及到了政治层面。艾瑞克•博姆在世界野生动物基金会（一个大型环保团体）香港地区担任过一段时间的总裁。他认为市民们的确迫切地想要一个更干净整洁的环境，这点看下民意调查就明了了。但是政治游说经常会削弱甚至减少反污染措施。
When Mr Bohm left his post, he pointed a finger at “the political-representation system, which looks after vested interests before it looks after the general interest.” Ms Loh has her work cut out.
当博姆先生卸任时，他斥责说“政治代理系统将既得利益置于总体利益之上。”而陆小姐应将相对的工作安排妥当。
未知
2012-09-24
经济学家
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