As society has grown and developed over the past fifty years we have ceaselessly consumed nature’s resources while, striving for a better living environment for mankind. However, this skyrocketing consumption has led to changes in world climate owing to the shrinkage of forest cover, soil erosion, desertification, air and water pollution, and the ‘green house gas effect’ caused by excessive emissions of pollutants. The consequences today were unforeseen at the time we launch this strive for economic and social prosperity.
For the sake of those generations to come, sustainability must not be sacrificed for the selfishness and short-sightedness that has been evidenced by the current generation. To ensure future generations will continue to enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature and, given the limited resources of our planet Earth, the continued growth of global consumption and the uneven distribution of those resources must be addressed. As responsible world citizens, we must protect and equalise the benefits for all, leaving our world in the best possible condition. We believe humankind are the managers of the world, but not the owner. We believe all environmental issues must be resolved by addressing their root causes, and that positive thinking is needed to nurture and treasure everything on Earth.
Green Industry involving such concepts as waster management is thriving in developed countries. Recycling has become a profitable business and method of dealing with waste. There is an increasing trend to process reusable items classed as garbage into value- added materials and goods. The increasing amount of garbage in Hong Kong is NOW a critical issue, yet the government keeps resisting the noted worldwide trend of Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. Instead government simply warns us about the limited landfill capacity which will be reached in 2014. Further, government says landfill sites should be expanded, and that an incinerator should be built in different districts!
Hong Kong is an international cosmopolitan city with a healthy rule of law and a free economic system. This should drive the city to be more compatible with other developed cities across the world. To be a true World City, Hong Kong must embrace to principles of sustainable development. We must process waste in accordance with world-class standards of a garbage management rating system, take initiatives in reducing, reusing , recycling, and leave the old methods of incineration and landfill as last resorts. The concept of Green GDP must be adhered to during the development of a comprehensive garbage process system. The city should reinforce environmentalism, implement Green Education, promote Green best practices, while developing the recycling industry - all with the aim to be a "World Green City" and it would be a worthy, to that end, to actively employ our Green Hong Kong Campaign. The result assures enhanced competitive strengths and world class methodologies.
Green Hong Kong Campaign requires leadership by the Hong Kong Government, to be applied in every district, in order for all citizens and all sectors of society to participate and to share in expediting the various measures. We can start with Green Education, to engender a mentality of treasuring all resources be they organic or inorganic, combined with all the human material and cultural resources, and to learn to be more content with that which is sufficient for our needs and not excessive and wasteful.. We can work and live keeping the concept of not creating waste and to reduce harmful emissions in our daily life, moving on with a systematic plan for recycling, as an effective and responsible way of processing the city’s leftovers, the garbage. There is considerable value if waste; we must learn how to turn it into a treasure. The citizenry can work with the government on implementing Green Certification, introducing a Hong Kong Green Purchasing Charter and Ecolabelling System. Green Industry and low carbon lifestyle standards will thereby be encouraged, carrying the Hong Kong Spirit by Going Green.
We believe that now is the time for our city to implement the Green Hong Kong Campaign because:
Hong Kong will enhance its reputation as a World Green City by starting with public education, by the promotion of Green Culture for quality life, by the introduction of a Green Lifestyle and by introducing the wide-ranging methods and potentialities that flow from the implementation of a Green Economy.
Green Culture
As our civilization has progressed, particularly in the past 150 years, humanity has, without comprehending the consequences been consuming its own future by the over use of resources and by not thinking through what ‘living conditions’ really means. We should self-reflect and move from wasteful luxurious cravings, and amend our irresponsible lifestyles. We can realise a healthy and meaningful life with an equitable distribution of the Earth’s resources and thus bring Humanity and Nature into greater harmony.
The Pursuit of Green Culture
During all the years of Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city, the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign won the city a reputation for cleanliness. The promotion of this campaign was hugely successful, gaining a highly receptive public through the processes of education and media coverage spreading into every corner of the city. Locals looked on the mascot of the Litter Bug and were reminded of the woes of littering. We should now assemble an army of Green Models to similar effect, and have a "Green Ambassador" programme promoting the Green Hong Kong Campaign.
Green Ambassador
We propose a community founded on the principles of Green Environmentalism at its core. The contributing sectors of our community can be named or formed by any individual or group. These will abide by a Green Ambassador Charter, providing a basis to promote Green Culture and building a green civil society. The communities’ prime aim will be to bring sustainability into daily life, to carry out Green Practices for public welfare, to promote the Green Hong Kong Campaign, and to fulfill a mission to save the planet with that all important sense of responsibility of the global citizen.
Mission
Our Earth is enduring grievous wounds owing to environmental pollution. As an integral part of the planet, we hope to fulfill our obligations as global citizens and save the world - in the nick of time. We hope to promote green campaigns in all countries, all cities and all communities, so that we can maintain the living conditions to support future generations.
We have our roots in Hong Kong. We are responsible for the protection of our hometowns, to ensure our inherited environment will remain , for the good of all, even for the betterment of all.
Environmental awareness of the local people of Hong Kong has slowly grown in recent years, while environmentalists have organised small-scale campaigns in their different communities. The results however are relatively insubstantial. We should unite all these environmental campaigns to achieve the most effective result and to promote a Green Culture, a Green Lifestyle and a Green Economy, comprehensively.
We call on all people who share our belief to work together under the following principles: