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Lights Out Hong Kong

香港熄燈

How Three Minutes in August Can HELP Clean UP OUR ACT

八月三分鐘引領我們回正道

The haze surrounding Hong Kong is damaging our health and threatening our economy. Today, our city enjoys 37% less sunlight than in 1950 — the highest drop recorded in the world, according to The New York Times. Air pollution has led to a dramatic increase in respiratory illness and is responsible for an estimated 1600 deaths annually — at a public cost of $19 billion a year — and reduces our average life expectancy by seven months, according to research from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Our declining environment is driving talented workers away from the city — in just one year, Hong Kong slipped from 20th to 32nd of places attractive for expatriate workers in a recent survey by ECA International. The reason? Worsening air quality, the survey said.

籠罩香港的毒霧正在損害我們的健康，並且威脅我們的經濟。據《紐約時報》報道，我們城市現在享受的陽光，比一九五零年少了百分之三十七，跌幅紀錄為世界之最。又據香港科技大學一項調查所得，空氣污染導致呼吸系統疾病數字暴升，估計每年造成約一千六百人死亡，每年浪費公帑達一百九十億元，甚至使我們的平均壽命縮短七個月。另外，國際人力資源公司ECA International近期的一項調查顯示，我們日益惡劣的環境正使各方才俊卻步 －僅在一年之間，香港在吸引外國僱員的排名，由第二十位急跌至第三十二位。箇中原因？該調查指出：空氣質素每況愈下。

The path we are on is perilous, and to reverse this trend will require the effort of all —business, government and individuals. To kick-start the community to action, a grassroots group from a cross-section of Hong Kong will launch a novel protest to reclaim our beautiful skies:

我們已踏上一條危險的道路，要改轅易轍，就需要匯集各界的力量，包括商界、政府和個人。由香港各界人士組成的一個基層團體，即將發起一個前所未有的抗議行動，目的是喚醒社會全體一同努力，以取回我們美麗的天空。行動的內容是：

On the 8th of the 8th at 8pm (August 8) the city will go dark for three momentous minutes.

八月八日下午八時，全城轉暗，共度歷史性的三分鐘。

Lights Out Hong Kong asks all residents and businesses to together turn off their lights for three minutes at 8 pm. on Tuesday Aug. 8th as a simple sign of solidarity and a call for government action. This non-partisan demonstration is designed to show both a personal commitment toward solving our environmental problems and to prod city leaders to be more proactive in the clean air efforts. "This is to tell the government the community wants a strong stance on eliminating pollution," says Alastair Robbins, a local businessman and Lights Out Hong Kong organizer. "We are not anti-government — this is the only government we have, and we need to work together." 行動名為「香港熄燈」，希望所有市民、店舖和公司，在八月八日星期日下午八時一起關掉電燈，為時三分鐘，簡單而有力地象徵我們團結一致，並促請政府採取行動。這個不分黨派的行動，目的在於顯示個人對解決環境污染的決心，同時激勵各社會領袖在改善空氣質素方面更加主動。「我們希望藉這次行動告訴政府，社會要求他們在消除污染上採取堅定的立場。」「香港熄燈」的發起人羅便士（Alastair Robins）是個本地商人，他表示：「我們並非反政府 －我們只有這個政府，而政府和民間需要一同努力。」

The problems of pollution may seem daunting, but many cities around the world are effectively facing the challenge:

污染問題看似令人氣餒，但世界各地有很多城市正在勇於接受考驗，而且取得可觀的成效：

• For years, New Delhi was ranked one of the world's most polluted cities. Since changing all public transportation to compressed natural gas, eliminating sale of leaded petrol and tough enforcement by the government against heavy polluters, sulfur dioxide levels have dropped 63% from 1996 to 2003.
  
• 長久以來，新德里一直是世上污染情況最嚴重的城市之一。但自所有公共交通工具改用壓縮天然氣、禁售含鉛汽油以及政府嚴厲對付嚴重污染者後，空氣中的二氧化硫水平在一九九六至二零零三年間降低了百分之六十三。
  
• In an effort to reduce crippling summer energy consumption, the Japanese government and businesses in 200 launched the "Cool Biz" campaign to turn air conditioners down and strip off neckties and suit jackets in the office. Popular with the public — and spawning a similar "Warm Biz" program in winter — the campaign reduced carbon-dioxide emissions by 460,000 tons last year: the same amount a million homes dispel each month.
• 為了減低夏季嚇人的能源消耗量，日本政府聯同商界於二零零五年發起了「涼快辦公」運動，調低辦公室冷氣機的力度，鼓勵市民上班時不結領帶、不穿西裝外套。由於這運動廣受國民歡迎，因此日本在冬季又舉行類似的「暖和辦公」運動，結果在去年減低二氧化碳排放達四十六萬噸，相等於一百萬個家庭每月的排放量。

• In the past few years, Seoul has shed its addiction to concrete and gone green — the city has ripped down highways to create huge urban parks, planted 3.3 million trees, and overhauled and expanded the city's bus system to encourage use of public transportation.

• 在過去數年，首爾擺脫了過去對混凝土的沉溺而進行綠化 － 他們拆卸公路來興建大型市區公園，植樹三百三十萬棵，同時徹底重整並擴大了公共汽車網絡，以鼓勵市民使用公共交通工具。

For Hong Kong to truly claim its mantle as "Asia's World Class City," we need to show the world we can lead by example in protecting the air we breathe.

為了讓香港成為名副其實的「亞洲國際都會」，我們要以保護我們所呼吸的空氣為例，向世界證明我們有領導的能力。

As a first step toward that, we ask every home, business and office to switch off their lights on Aug. 8 — and turn on a bright new future for our city.

作為第一步，我們邀請每個家庭、每家商戶、每個辦公室在八月八日關掉電燈片刻，為我們的城市燃起璀璨的將來。

To learn more, go to the "Lights Out Hong Kong" website
(www.lightsout.com.hk) or contact: Alastair Robbins

如欲了解詳情，請瀏覽「香港熄燈」網站（www.lightsout.com.hk）或與Alastair Robins聯絡。

Tel 電話：: 2982 6003

Email 電郵l: edgeltd@hotmail.com