Rubbish Charge of $30 Seems Okay

( Kar) How much is a reasonable for people to pay a month for handing household waste? A recent survey by World Green Organization shows that 59.1 percent of 1,005 people are willing to pay HK$30 a month while 24.6 percent incline to pay HK$50. It is clean that charging for waste is an effective scheme for the government to launch, which can make the public reduce waste and recycling.

Hong Kong is a small place with a large population. However, some people are lack of the sense of responsibility of source separation of domestic waste and to protect our environment. There is lots of garbage to be disposed of in landfills every day, but those sites will be full. If the public do not change their minds on reducing waste in their daily life, it will be a disaster. On household waste disposal, Hong Kong falls behind other Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. For example, in South Korea 60% of municipal waste is recycled, and 20% of it is still disposed of in landfills and another 20% incinerated.

Charging for waste has been brewing for almost a decade. The government sets the schedule of a four-month consultation on household waste disposal in society. It should seek an opportunity to show concern on handle household waste and to look for ways to successfully implement the policy. In the meantime, people can have a chance to express their views about the waste charge scheme.

The aim of rubbish charge is that the administration hopes the public have a concept of what they should do for saving the Earth, and how to do to prevent from overrun with garbage. It is time for the government educates residents to imitate those Asian countries a little more on Environmental protection, and to support the recycling industry and 2nd hand Furniture. Also, Hongkongers should reflect on the matter of overrun with garbage and to learn how to recycle and reduce waste.

SARS Lessons Must not Be Forgotten

(Kar) Do you remember the deadly SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in early 2003? Do you recall that people were always wearing surgical masks to go out during in SARS? Or do you review the residents of the Estate E of Amoy Gardens Apartment that they were transferred to the quarantined Lei Yue Mun Holiday Camp and Lady MacLehose Holiday Village a decade ago?

I believe many Hongkongers still remember that school closure was around one month during the SARS in 2003. Parents were therefore inconvenient because they needed to arrange someone else to look after their kids. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised travelers to avoid visiting Hong Kong. It means Hong Kong was isolated. Worse still, people were upset and worried when they learnt the increased figures of the deaths on TV News report. However, we have better doctors, nurses and medical staff as well as workers, who are professional and courageous. They were loyal to their duties faithfully and resolved to combat SARS. In the meantime, the public paid attention to personal hygiene themselves. Housewives cleaned and disinfected contaminated areas and items with 1: 49 diluted household bleach and put it into the drains once a week. The streets and public area were clean swept. Fortunately, the virus disappeared in June, 2003. I think the public still remember that they felt sorrow in those days. The employers of catering do not forget the economic depression during in SARS.

 

Unfortunately, the mainland is now hit by a new strain of the deadly H7N9 bird flu. It has infected 47 people, killing 11. The H7N9 bird flu is spreading in society in Shanghai, Zhejian and Jiangsu, and so on.

 

Saying the new virus may not breakout swiftly and it cannot spread from human to human, but some professionals appealed to the public who must not take the matters lightly because of the high fatality rate.
 

The Government had learnt a painful lesson and should take preventive measures to combat the spread of H7N9 bird flu. It is time to activate the preliminary “Alert Response Level” under a preparedness plan for a flu pandemic.

 

Parents Warned over Children's Deaths

(Kar) A recent report by the Child Fatality Review Panel found 238 deaths of children below 18 in 2008 and 2009. It pointed to 82 unnatural deaths due to their parents who lacked a sense of crisis on parenting, and to expect too much of them. Also, thirteen of the deaths were killed by their parents after the latter made a decision of suicide.

It is shocked for the public to learn about this sad news. Were those parents of the murderesses cruel to their kids? I do not think so. Instead, they loved their children very much and did not want to leave them. Maybe some of them did it for revenging to their mates who had betrayed them. Or some suffered from depression. They handled all of matters with low emotional quotient and often felt hopeless and unhappy. Facing difficulties with negative attitude, they did not have the courage to live. However, I do not think they made a decision of suicide which can solve their problems. If those parents had positive attitude to face hardship, they would not have killed those innocent of their kids. After all, the former did not have the rights to kill them.

 

Parents should protect their kids from home accident. Nevertheless, we occasionally read the news about kids fell from an open window by without installing window bars, or they were burnt by a fire breaking out in their flats. Leaving their kids alone at home for shopping, the careless parents might lose their children in seconds. It is too late for them to be sorry for their children by child negligence.

 

Parents should not put pressure on their children’s homework or to compare their results with others. It makes those kids lack of confidence to their peers as well as losing interest in their schooling. Parents no need to do such as meaningless matters. On the other hand, parents and teachers should work together to lead children to improve their thinking, and help them to develop positive study habits. I hope all children to have a happy childhood

Keep Away, Kids

(Kar) Do you support your children to take part in the Occupy Central movement? Do you worry that students are too young to realize the aim of the civil disobedience movement, they may breach the law? Or do you think it is fair to have a “small-circle election” for the Chief Executive?

Most residents are unsatisfied the Chief Executive CY. Leung’s administration, which some top administration officials not only lack for the experience of political views but also the ability of the performance on duty. For example, the former Development Secretary, Mak Chai-kwong stepped down by the scandal of his integrity. He performed the post as a Development Secretary just 12 days. Moreover, Paul Chan who is the Secretary for Development involves the scandal of interest conflict of the northeastern New Territories development plan as well as the Sub-divided flats scheme. Worse still, Leung Chun-ying also lies on the unauthorized alternations and additions in his house. Furthermore, facing challenges, the government lacks long-term planning for improving people’s livelihood. Some complained that the new administration did not question the public before launching the policies.

A forum of Occupy Central was held by a school, which two speakers expressed their viewpoints about it. The advantage of holding the forum is that the two speechmakers’ opinions are different from each other. It makes students widen their sight on the movement; it makes them know what their rights are; and it makes them to understand they should have a positive attitude and to be open-minded to face the Occupy Central. Besides, parents seized the opportunity to attend the occasion. It may help them to realize what their kids think of the purpose of Occupy Central. Teachers should lead their students to discuss the advantage and disadvantage of democracy and universal suffrage, whether the latter intend to take part in the civil disobedience movement or not. It is time for parents and teachers to discuss the matter of Occupy Central with the youngsters.

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上載日期：2009年09月23日

The UN Secretary said that the one-day climate change summit in New York has given fresh impetus to efforts to tackle global warming, and went on to say that momentum has shifted in favour or reaching a deal at December's crucial climate change meeting in Copenhagen.

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