Hong Kong and China have reacted with shock to the air pollution study reported on Fairplay Daily News yesterday, which shows that Asia will bear the brunt of deaths from ship emissions. The American Chemical Society’s journal “Environmental Science and Technology” estimates that up to 30,000 people in Hong Kong and Asia could die in the coming year from ship emissions.
With 191,940 commercial vessels calling at Hong Kong last year, the city is one of the world’s busiest waterways and the report found that emissions from the ships directly entered 3.6M homes in the city. The effect on seafarers themselves was not quantified. Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association managing director Arthur Bowring told Fairplay: “The figures are quite frightening. It shows that the waste fuel we use is a dirty product, and as refiners go for the more lucrative fuel at the top of the barrel it is becoming even dirtier.” Bunker fuel is believed to have almost 2,000 times the sulphur content of the diesel fuel used by trucking.
Bowring added: “We are working very closely with the Marine Department and the [independent think tank] Civic Exchange to look at ways to reduce ship emissions in Hong Kong.” Civic Exchange last year brought out an extensive report on “Marine Emission Reduction Options for Hong Kong and the PRD Region”. In the report, CEO Christine Loh said, “We must operate the cleanest ports otherwise we will be overwhelmed by the sheer density of polluting activities.
With 191,940 commercial vessels calling at Hong Kong last year, the city is one of the world’s busiest waterways and the report found that emissions from the ships directly entered 3.6M homes in the city. The effect on seafarers themselves was not quantified. Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association managing director Arthur Bowring told Fairplay: “The figures are quite frightening. It shows that the waste fuel we use is a dirty product, and as refiners go for the more lucrative fuel at the top of the barrel it is becoming even dirtier.” Bunker fuel is believed to have almost 2,000 times the sulphur content of the diesel fuel used by trucking.
Bowring added: “We are working very closely with the Marine Department and the [independent think tank] Civic Exchange to look at ways to reduce ship emissions in Hong Kong.” Civic Exchange last year brought out an extensive report on “Marine Emission Reduction Options for Hong Kong and the PRD Region”. In the report, CEO Christine Loh said, “We must operate the cleanest ports otherwise we will be overwhelmed by the sheer density of polluting activities.