Balance between neon lights and starlight

HONG KONG has again been featured on the cover of an international magazine. That,alas, is not a good piece of news. Itsglittering night view is on the cover of a special on light pollution of Sky & Telescope, an authoritative international astronomy magazine. Hong Kong should not and cannot become a pitch-dark fishing village again. However, the idea of "extensive development" that brightly lit streets represent prosperity is already out. Now societies aim at balanced and sustained development. The government should hasten to obtain legislation for tackling light pollution so that people whose flats are near big billboards can get to sleep and so that power consumption will come down. This iswhat citizens want the government to do and what it isduty-bound to do.

The special of Sky & Telescope mentions little about Hong Kong. However, light pollution is an important issue here. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Department received 213 complaints about lights, 2.6 times the number in 2008. Many who live in downtown areas have similar experiences. Roadside billboards are illuminated with glaring and even flashing lights. At night their bedrooms are like a disco.

There being no legislation on light pollution, no government department entertains their complaints.

Energy waste is also a concern. Figures of theElectrical and Mechanical Services Department show that, in 2007, lighting accounted for 16% of HongKong's total power consumption. In the past decade,the SAR's total power consumption of lightingincreased 13%.

Hong Kong is a world city. Many believe its neonlights symbolise its prosperity. They say it is utterly unrealistic for people living in downtown areas to complain that light pollution makes stars invisible. It isimpossible to put the clock back. This view makes sense. However, Hong Kong people are not so unrealistic as to want Victoria Harbour to become an observatory where people can gaze at stars. They only want there to be rules governing street and billboardlighting that would protect their right to sleep and, at the same time, reduce energy waste. This demand is reasonable and would in no way inhibit development.

There are in fact ways of reducing light pollution that meet a commercial society's needs.

The secretariat of the Legislative Council hasreleased a study that shows there are rules governinglighting in Japan, the UK and California, the US. For example, billboard lights should illuminate only billboards, and flood lights placed above a certain altitude should be shaded. There are different rules applicable to residential, commercial and rural areas.

Hong Kong, a city where lights never go out,operates twenty-four hours a day and seven days aweek. It is so brightly lit in the evening that it looks as if it were broad daylight. This scene was considered asymbol of its affluence. Scenes of colourful neon lights,often shown on postcards, are one of Hong Kong'sspecial features. Many a visitor has been intoxicatedwith the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour.

However, a night view created with strong lights is artificial. It erodes the real nocturnal view and makes ithard for people to get repose. In this era when it is considered important to protect human rights, protectthe environment, save energy and live in harmony withnature, the most beautiful night scene is one that represents a balance between neon lights and starlight.

明報社評2010.06.21

在霓虹燈與星空之間作出平衡

香港再次榮登國際雜誌封面，可惜不是好消息。香港璀璨的夜景，成為國際權威天文雜誌Sky & Telescope有關光污染專題的封面圖片。香港不應該也不可能變回烏燈黑火的小漁村，然而，燈火愈光代表愈繁榮的「粗放型」思想已經落伍，現代社會追求的是平衡及可持續發展，盡快立例規管光污染，讓居於廣告招牌旁的居民得以安枕，減少社會能源消耗，是民間的呼聲，更是政府的責任。

雜誌雖然沒有直接提及香港的情况，但光污染在香港同樣是重要議題。環保署2009 年接獲有關燈光的投訴213 宗，是2008 年的2.6 倍，不少居於鬧市的港人都有類同的經歷，街邊的廣告招牌在晚上開着強力甚至閃閃變色的射燈，令睡房變成的士高舞池。由於現時沒有法例監管，居民根本投訴無門。

此外，浪費能源也是社會的關注焦點，根據機電署數字，2007 年照明部分佔全港整體耗電量的16%，過去10年照明用途的總耗電量亦增加了13%。

不少人認為，香港作為國際大都會，霓虹燈是繁榮的象徵，站在市中心投訴光害令人無法看到星空，根本不切實際，社會不可能時光倒流。這說法有一定道理，但港人並非不顧現實地要求把維港變成可以觀星的天文台，港人只是希望對擾人清夢的招牌射燈及街燈作出規管，既能保障港人的「睡眠權」，同時減少能源浪費。這是合理的要求，與社會發展並無衝突。

現實上也有不少可行辦法，既可照顧商業社會的需要，又可減少光污染。

香港立法會秘書處曾發表研究文件，指出日本、英國及美國加州均有相關的規管，包括廣告板照明燈光不可射向廣告之外，射燈光度高於某一水平必須加設遮光設計，在住宅區、商業區及鄉郊地區要實施不同程度的規管。

香港是不夜城，24 小時一周7 日不停運轉，晚上光如白晝曾經是社會富起來的象徵，街上五光十色的霓虹燈是明信片上香港的特色，維港璀璨的夜景叫無數遊人心醉，但由強燈構成的只是人工的夜色，侵蝕了天空上真正的夜色，更侵蝕了人類休息的私人空間。在講求保障人權、講求環保與節能、講求人類與大自然和諧共處的世代，在霓虹燈與星空之間作出平衡，才是最美麗的夜景。

Glossary

entertain

give attention or consideration to.

put the clock back

return to a situation that existed in the past.

repose /rI'pv ʊz/sleep.