Hong Kong: Something's in the air

Editorial in today's New York Times about Hong Kong's air (registration-free link): NYT

There are problems, however, with comparing Mexico City and Hong Kong. For instance, Hong Kong has the Pearl River Estuary -- in its backyard but across the border. This is a locality which in the past twenty years has become one of the premier workshops of the world. Yes, many of the manufacturies are Hong Kong owned. Many others are Taiwanese, South Korean, Japanese and mainland Chinese owned. Yet others are British, European and American-owned enterprises.

But most of those air-polluting plants are subcontractors for American, British, European and Japanese brands and retailers, and are funded by American, British, European and Japanese banks and finance houses. Ironically, most all of those brands, retailers, banks and finance houses have regional offices in Hong Kong. . .

Still, there are plenty of things Hong Kong can do to lower the amount and types of air pollution the city itself produces. But as long as they can get away with it, those foreign-funded subcontractors across the border in mainland China will continue to crank out local and regional air pollution as by-product in their manufactory of price-busting goods for over-extended consumers in the West.

Yippee! Profits for some, pollution for others.