As the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, C Y Lam has seen first hand how the climate has been changing rapidly over the past decade. Speaking from the perspective of a weatherman as well as one among people of the generation responsible for the -"major culprits" of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere today, C Y divulged to us how he sees Climateering as an essential aspect of 21st Century life.
It's simpler than that. I just think that climate change is a massive global issue and people have to do something about it. We mustn't think that our individual efforts will be useless. Every move counts. As a weatherman I really see that the climate is changing rapidly. When I looked at the figures I found that over the past few decades, from 1970s till now when my generation was at its prime, it's the when global GHG concentration was rising more rapidly than ever. We used so much energy. I feel responsible for the state our climate is in today.
It is true. We were not so well informed back then, plus there are historical reasons for that generation's way of using energy. Back then lots of us were refugees from the Mainland. People's utmost concern was to improve their quality of life and therefore people would not have given second thoughts to using energy. We started at a low point and all out motivation was to develop and develop so that we could get richer and thus have more worldly possessions and comforts.
Just as consumerism and materialism are not peculiar to Hong Kong, neither is this. Few think about why is our society giving so much privilege & respect to people who are actually the worst emitters. The higher your status in the society the more energy you must use-you are judged by the car your drive, the wine you drink, how often you fly and the size of your flat. This is not just a Hong Kong phenomenon, but it gets worse now that this generation is used to having so much around them these days. It will be harder for them to change and get used to a simpler life.
I think it's important to consider the concept of sustainable development in a way that takes care of this-it's not only socio-cultural, economical and ecological, the 4th dimension to sustainable development is spiritual. Climate change serves as a catalyst that requires us to reassess our values in life. When we have more free time, waste less and be closer to nature, we actually get richer spiritually. That's happiness. I think people are very stressed living the way they do these days. Always chasing after the latest this, latest that, working long hours and hardly letting themselves time and space to rest. If we don't change, it is going to push people towards lunacy!
I'm carrying out most of your suggested solutions already. I hardly switch on the air-conditioner at all in the summer. Natural ventilation is much better for health. I walk a lot and live a simple life, so my carbon footprint from waste is really low. Energy efficiency is important, but I also advocate using less-fewer lights, fewer appliances. I set an example for my colleagues-leave work on time, spend more time at home and with nature, cultivate spiritual richness. That's what I'm doing.
I think we can do a lot. Hong Kong to me is the most beautiful city in the world. I look at a night shot of Hong Kong's scenery and I think, with half the lights, half the cars, will Hong Kong still be as beautiful? Yes, I believe so. I think as a city we have a lot of potential to cut. The bottom line is, lifestyles will have to change all over the world, whether we are forced to by the climate or whether we decide to ourselves. This is the real choice confronting us.
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