Ro ge r P.K. Ho Ho ng Ko ng pe o ple ’ s “ subje c tive fe e lings” abo ut po llutio n
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m a k e 1 p er cen t of t h e t ot a l. T h is is d es p it e t h e com m u n it y ’s con s t a n t p r oxim it y t o w a t er in r iver s, s t r ea m s a n d t h e fa m ou s Vict or ia H a r b or, a n d in con t r a s t t o t h e h igh p r op or -t ion of gover n m en -t p ollu -t ion con -t r ol effor -t exp en d ed on w a t er is su es.
Alt h ou gh t h e r es p on d en t s t h ou gh t t h a t en v i r on m en t a l p r oblem s w er e s er i ou s i n H on g Kon g, i t s eem ed t h a t en v i r on m en t a l p r oblem s d i d n ot a ffect t h ei r n or m a l li fe ver y m u ch . Ab ou t h a lf (47.1 p er cen t ) of t h e r es p on d en t s felt t h a t t h ei r h ea lt h w a s s er i -ou s ly a ffect ed by en v i r on m en t a l p ollu t i on . A q u a r t er (23.7 p er cen t ) of t h em felt t h a t t h ei r em ot i on s h a s b een s er i ou s ly a ffect ed by en v i -r on m en t a l p ollu t i on . On t h e ot h e-r h a n d , m or e t h a n h a lf of t h e r es p on d en t s felt t h a t t h ei r lei s u r e li fe a n d s oci a l li fe w er e n ot a ffect ed by en v i r on m en t a l p ollu t i on (s ee F i gu r e 2)
Ta ble I s h ow s t h e d em ogr a p h ic p r ofi le of r esp on d en t s for t h e w eigh ed s a m p le.
Discussions: validity and
reliability of Air Pollution Index
To m on it or a ir q u a lit y, t h e E n v ir on m en t P r ot ect ion De p a r t m en t (E P D) of H on g Kon g op er a t es a n et wor k of n in e a ir s a m p lin g a n d t es t in g s t a t ion s cover in g t h e d en s ely p op u la t ed d is t r ict s. T h is is n a m ed t h e Air P ollu -t ion In d ex (AP I) a n d for eca s-t s y s -t em a n d w a s in t r od u ced in J u n e 1995 t o p r ov id e m em b er s of t h e p u blic d a ily a ir q u a lit y in for m a t ion in a “q u a n t ifi a ble” for m a t . Air q u a lit y a s s u g-ges t ed by t h e AP I w a s fou n d t o b e in b et w een ca t e gor ies of “good ” a n d “fa ir ” in H on g Kon g Figure 1
The re lative impo rtanc e o f a list o f e nviro nme ntal me asure s pe rc e ive d by Ho ng Ko ng pe o ple (o ve r 1 8 ye ars o ld)
Do n' t kno w/ hard to say
Re duc e ac id rain Re duc e e ne rgy c onsumption in homes
Sto p killing wildlife Sto p e missio n o f gre e nho use gase s Fine tho se who litte r the stre e ts Sto p po lluting rive rs and stre ams Sto p the thinning o f the o zo ne laye r Impro ve rubbish dispo sal Sto p c utting rainfo re sts Re duc e traffic po llutio n
0 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 3 0 3 5
Enviro nme ntal me asure s
Pe r c e nt
Table I
De mo graphic pro file o f re spo nde nts fo r the we ighe d sample
Number Percentage
Gender
M ale 2 7 8 5 0 .0
Female 2 7 8 5 0 .0
5 5 7 1 0 0 .0
Age
18-20 6 6 1 2 .7
21-29 1 1 3 2 1 .7
30-39 1 6 3 3 1 .2
40-49 7 9 1 5 .0
50-59 3 7 7 .1
60 or above 6 5 1 2 .4
5 2 3 1 0 0 .0
Education
Primary or below 1 2 4 2 2 .7
Secondary 3 5 7 6 5 .3
Post-secondary 6 5 1 2 .0
5 4 6 1 0 0 .0
Housing
Public housing 2 3 9 4 3 .9
Home Ownership Scheme 6 6 1 2 .1
Private housing 2 1 4 3 9 .3
Village 1 5 2 .7
Others 1 1 2 .0
5 4 6 1 0 0 .0
Occupation Professionals and
semi-professionals 7 0 1 2 .7
Clerical and service workers 1 6 7 3 0 .3
Production workers 8 3 1 5 .1
Students 6 1 1 1 .1
Housewives 1 0 2 1 8 .6
Others 6 6 1 2 .1
Ro ge r P.K. Ho Ho ng Ko ng pe o ple ’ s “ subje c tive fe e lings” abo ut po llutio n
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in gen er a l d u r in g t h e p er iod of m ea s u r em en t . Wh y d o t h e r es u lt s of a ir q u a lit ies fr om m ea su r in g su b ject ive feelin gs of p eop le con t r a -d ict w it h t h os e w h ich w er e officia lly a n -d scien t ifi ca lly cla im ed ? F igu r e 3 is a s u m m a r y of t h os e en v ir on m en t a l q u a lit ies r e p or t ed by t h e E P D in t h e May of 1996 (M ay w a s ch osen b eca u s e it h a s t o b e t h e sa m e t im e-p er iod w h ich t h e r es ea r ch on “su b ject ive feelin gs” w a s con d u ct ed ).
T h e v a li d i t y of AP I d e p en d s on w h et h er t h e q u a li t y of a i r w h i ch t h e i n s t r u m en t
cla i m s t o m ea s u r e i s m ea s u r ed a ccu r a t ely. T h e v a li d i t y of AP I for t h e q u a li t y of a i r s h ou ld b e b eyon d r ea s on a b le d ou b t b eca u s e i t i s m ea s u r ed s ci en t i fi ca lly by t h os e h i gh -t ech i n s -t r u m en -t s con cer n ed . T h er e a r e -t w o i s s u es of r eli a b i li t y : fi r s t , r eli a b i li t y d e p en d s on w h et h er t h e i n s t r u m en t s a r e loca t ed a t p la ces w h i ch a r e r e p r es en t a t ive for t h e a r ea w h er e p ollu t i on i s cla i m ed t o b e m ea s u r ed . T h er e a r e t oo m a n y com p la i n t s r eceived con cer n i n g t h e s a m p li n g m et h od . On ly on e of t h e t es t s t a t i on s (M on g Kok ) i s loca t ed a t Figure 2
Pe rc e ptio n o f Ho ng Ko ng pe o ple abo ut the impac t o f po llutio n o n the ir qualitie s o f life (o ve r 1 8 ye ars o ld)
0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0
Qualitie s o f life
Pe r c e nt So c ial life
Le is ure life
Emo tio n
He alth
Key
No t affe c te d
No t s e rio us ly affe c te d Se rio us ly affe c te d
Figure 3
Air qualitie s c laime d by the Enviro nme ntal Pro te c tio n De partme nt o f Ho ng Ko ng in May 1 9 9 6
0 2 4 6 8 1 0 1 2 1 4
Air qualitie s c laime d
Numbe r o f days (to tally 2 7 me asuring days) Ve ry bad
Po o r
Fair
Go o d
Key
Ne w de ve lo pme nt zo ne Urban zo ne
Industrial zo ne
Ro ge r P.K. Ho Ho ng Ko ng pe o ple ’ s “ subje c tive fe e lings” abo ut po llutio n
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E d u ca tion , H od d er & St ou gh t on , Ken t . P os ch , P. (1993), “Resea r ch is su es in en v ir on m en
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