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1. This case study focuses on the habitat loss of pink dolphins in Hong Kong. This environmental problem arises mainly from urban development, land reclamation, increased vessel traffic, and pollution, which have significantly reduced the dolphins' coastal habitats. As a result, their living and foraging areas are shrinking, leading to a decline in their population and posing a threat to their survival.

2. The habitat loss of pink dolphins has saddened local communities for years. The construction project was meant to serve humans but it came with the cost of irreversibly disrupting neighbouring marine ecosystems and reducing biodiversity. Dolphins play a crucial role in maintaining the health of fish populations which is pivotal to the overall health of our oceans. From an anthropocentric lens, their decline also affects eco-tourism, as they are a major attraction for dolphin-watching activities. This can eventually lead to economic challenges for communities that rely on tourism.

3. Hong Kong has implemented several initiatives. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established to protected certain areas.

4. I don't believe Hong Kong is doing enough. The issue of habitat loss has been around for years, yet everywhere you go in Hong Kong, you can see a major construction project. Unless it is a UNESCO protected site, it is unlikely that the land will be left alone.

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1. Air pollution in Hong Kong is the biggest major problem with serious health risks, such as breathing issues and the high cost of healthcare. The main causes include car emissions, factory pollution, and construction. Hong Kong's layout can trap these pollutants, making smog worse.

2. Air pollution harms health, such as the cause of breathing problems and heart diseases. It may lead to early deaths and affects vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. Environmentally, it damages plants and water. Economically, it raises healthcare costs and reduces productivity.

3. Hong Kong has strict vehicle emission standards to decrease air pollution. This means vehicles such as cars and trucks must produce less harmful smoke. The government also encourages electric and hybrid vehicles, making it easier for people to choose cleaner transportation.

4. The measures taken in Hong Kong are a good start, but they may not be enough. More action is needed, like improving public transport, increasing green spaces, and stricter rules for industries. Public awareness is also important.

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When air pollution reaches ‘serious’ levels in HK, do students need to do PE?

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Keep an eye on the Air Quality Health Index and take proper precautions.

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Noise pollution is a annoying or unwanted sound that happen around you for example, vehicles, people shouting, Tv on full max etc. In Hong Kong this can be caused by construction work, vehicles and people playing majhong

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Factories and construction sites discharge heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and plastic waste into water bodies.Shipyards and oil spills from vessels further contaminate marine environments. Plastic pollution, including microplastics, plastic bags, and Styrofoam, is a major issue.

Many plastics from local waste and neighboring regions wash onto Hong Kong’s shores. Hence, water pollution caused may lead to the destruction of the habitat of sea animals, creatures, which may cause othertyps of pollution or biodiversity loss.

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Food waste is problem that takes place everyday, with everyone no matter what, as people often order or buy too much food that they fail to finish them all, and the food would end up in the landfills. Food waste may be a problem they can never be solved fully, but there are things we car do to minimise our food waste. We can feed our left ever to birds or stray animals or we can use it fer plants. There we 4000 tons of food waste everyday! In Hong Kong! Crazy right? So lets make a difference by not propoligaste.

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Hong Kong generates over 70,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, consisting of discarded phones, computers, and appliances. Rapid technology renewal and consumerism drive the waste stream. The majority of older products end up in landfills or are exported, since proper recycling facilities trail behind. Inadequate awareness and easily available disposal are factors in the issue.

The city's rapid tech consumption, brief product lifecycles, and low repair culture contribute to e-waste. People dispose of electronics rather than recycle them because it is inconvenient or not worth the incentive. Some e-waste is smuggled to mainland China or Southeast Asia, where improper recycling harms the environment and laborers.

When e-waste is sent to landfills, toxic chemicals like lead and mercury leach into water and land. Burning of e-waste releases toxic emissions, exacerbating air pollution. Ineffective recycling in neighboring places also affects Hong Kong, since pollutants can reverse their path via air and water currents.

Poor e-waste disposal puts workers and communities in contact with hazardous chemicals. Landfill leakage is a risk for water source contamination in Hong Kong, while overseas illegal processing may expose migrant workers. Cancer, neurological damage, and respiratory disease result from prolonged exposure.

The WEEE·PARK building in EcoPark, Tuen Mun, operates officially to treat e-waste, reclaiming metals and safely eliminating toxins. The Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS) demands that suppliers subsidize recycling. Citizens can resort to government drop-off points or arranged collections for large appliances.

Regardless of these efforts, many are still disposing of electronics in the wrong way due to low awareness levels. Illegal exportation is ongoing, and there is low recycling. The process is highly reliant on public contribution, which must be improved.

Enforcement and public involvement need to pick up the pace. More convenient drop-off points, increased penalties for fly-tipping, and incentives for recycling might just do the trick. Without more concerted action, e-waste will keep on increasing, harming health and the environment.

Hong Kong needs increased education on e-waste risks, longer recycling networks, and business responsibility to sustainable products. Consumers must recycle and refurbish equipment rather than discarding them. A circular economy solution can turn this new problem into a resource recovery opportunity.

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When air pollution in Hong Kong reaches serious levels, students are advised to suspend outdoor physical education (PE) activities. The Education Bureau emphasizes the importance of safeguarding health by staying indoors, especially in high-traffic areas. If students must go outside, wearing masks can help mitigate some effects of pollution, though effectiveness depends on the mask type and proper usage. Protecting health is the priority during these hazardous air quality conditions.

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When air pollution reaches ‘serious’ levels in HK, do students need to do PE?

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Keep an eye on the Air Quality Health Index and take proper precautions.

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people have to be quite before 11pm and they can be loud after 7am. If people do not follow this rule, the will be fined of a $10,000HkD

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Different people may respond differently to the same level of noise. But above certain levels, noise can affect everybody. It can lead to irritation, mental stress and hearing loss. It can also impact the quality of life and interfere with daily activities such as rest and sleep, doing homework, watching television and talking on the telephone.

The department said shops had been seen using loudspeakers of increasingly high volume to compete for business over recent years, and this was “causing a great nuisance to the public in the vicinity”.

“Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of complaints against peddling noise increased drastically from 197 in 2017 to 544 in 2022

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Air pollution is contamination of air by hazardous gases, smoke, and chemical substances. Among the main causes may be included exhaust from motor vehicles, emissions from factories, burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, and indoor sources such as cooking with wood or coal. Natural events such as forest fires or dust storms can be contributors too. The result of this is that these pollutants render the air dirty and unfit for breathing, thus adversely affecting human health, animals, and the environment.

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Air pollution in Hong Kong is a serious issue that affects everyone living in the city. With so many vehicles on the road, bustling industries, and constant construction, the air quality can often be quite poor. The city's unique geography plays a role too, as it can trap pollutants, making the situation worse, especially during certain weather conditions.

This pollution isn't just an environmental concern; it has real health impacts. Many residents face increased risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Although the government is working hard to tackle these issues by encouraging the use of electric vehicles and improving public transport there are still significant challenges. Keeping the air clean, particularly during times of high pollution, remains a tough battle for the community.

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This case study focuses on the waste products disposed to 3 landfills separately which were West New Territories Landfill, South East New Territories Landfill and North East New Territories Landfill which will soon be exceeded in their capacity respectively. The landfills occupies an area of about 300 hectares but to restore them, it can take up to about 30 years and during this time, it may take place in filling up the buildings and facilities of Hong Kong in order to accommodate the waste products

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Describe the specific environmental problem and its causes (e.g., air pollution, plastic waste, habitat loss):

Air pollution refers to environmental contamination of the atmosphere by harmful substances. Causes are industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, burning of fossil fuels, agricultural activities, construction and natural disasters.

Discuss the impacts of this issue (local communities, wildlife, and the ecosystem in the area being studied):

Respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and mortality rate decrease in humans

Acid rain, ozone pollution -> wildlife harm, toxic particles that disrupt the food chain in animals and wildlife

Greenhouse gasses increase, reduced visibility and potential rising healthcare costs in economy and society

Describe any initiatives, policies, or solutions implemented to mitigate the environmental problem outlined in the case study

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1. This shows that many construction projects, vehicles, industrial activities caused negative impacts on our environment. The High traffic density leads to substantial emissions from cars, buses, and trucks so as factories and power plants contribute to air quality degradation. The Ongoing construction projects generate particulate matter snd the pollution from nearby regions, particularly from mainland China, affects local air quality.

2. According to The GovHk, it is shown that Smog is caused by a combination of pollutants mainly from motor vehicles, industry and power plants in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. The Government released the first Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong in March 2013 which sets out in detail the various measures to tackle air pollution from power plants, land and sea transport, and non-road mobile machinery and to strengthen collaboration with Guangdong to deal with regional pollution. A progress report was published in June 2017 which gave an account on its implementation and achievements. The Government announced the Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong 2035 in June 2021 setting out the long-term goals and strategies to further enhance the air quality with a view to leading Hong Kong to become a liveable city with air quality on par with major international cities by 2035.

3.

The initiatives that is being implemented is the Adopting tighter fuel and vehicle emission standards and cleaner alternatives to diesel vehicles where practicable. Controlling the emissions from the remaining diesels with devices that reduce pollutants and also Strengthening vehicle emission inspections and enforcement against grossly emitting vehicles.

In promoting the use of EVs, the Government announced the first Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in March 2021, setting out the long-term policy objectives and plans to promote the adoption of EVs and their associated supporting facilities in Hong Kong.

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4.Do you feel like the measures taken to prevent this environmental issue from worsening are enough?

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4.Do you feel like the measures taken to prevent this environmental issue from worsening are enough?

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If fines are too low, they may be seen as just a "cost of doing business" rather than a punishment. For example, construction companies or loud venues might prefer paying occasional fines over fixing noise issues.

Even high fines are ineffective if enforcement is weak. Many cities lack the resources to monitor noise violations consistently.

Fines alone may not be enough; other strategies like noise barriers, restricted hours for loud activities, or community mediation can help.

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Initiatives and Solutions

Government targets: Hong Kong aims to ban single-use plastics by 2025.

https://greenearth.org.hk/en-GB/news/plastic_issue/370#gsc.tab=0
Hong Kong has passed a law to ban single-use plastic items, marking a significant step towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. This monumental legislation will come into effect on the 22nd April 2024, which will be Earth Day, making it a truly memorable occasion.