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Are
Hong Kong people spending too much?
A Friends of the Earth (HK) survey shows
that almost 9 out of 10 respondents
think that Hong Kong people spend too
much. Around 30% say they feel more
contented when they buy more. A majority
of the respondents do not weigh the
products's usefulness before making
purchases.
The survey results of FoE (HK) shed
light on the environmental impact of
over-consumption, which will drain our
resources and put further pressure on
the limited space of the territory's
landfills.
The survey shows that women, and housewives
in particular, show a contradictory
behaviour. On the one hand they are
more environmentally conscious, more
willing to buy refillable products.
On the other hand they are more easily
tempted by products, which they don't
need.
Another interesting finding is that
students, especially secondary school
students, are keen consumers. They are
the least environmentally conscious
and are the most skeptical with regard
to environmentally friendly products.
They also constitute the largest consumer
group of single-use consumer products.
FoE (HK) announced the survey results
of A Way out Towards Sustainable Development
in Hong Kong: Survey on the Attitude
and Behaviour of Environmentally Responsible
Consumption on "Buy Nothing Day!",
aiming to raise public awareness of
the problem relating to and the environmental
implications of over-consumption in
Hong Kong.
FoE (HK) researcher Chu Hon-keung said
in 2002, Hong Kong people chucked
3,000 tonnes of food and 6,400 tonnes
of clothing. This is vis-a-vis the fact
that around the world, one billion people
struggle to find enough food to feed
themselves every day, not to say having
enough clothing to keep warm. Globally,
1.7 billion people lack safe drinking
water. Yet the HKSAR Government lets
on average 220 million cubic metres
of Dongjiang water drain to the sea
every year. If this water were supplied
to our global friends desperately in
need of clean water, every person could
obtain 129 litres.
FoE (HK) Director Mrs Mei Ng criticized
the SAR Government for making hollow
promises for sustainable development
without even looking at the crux of
the issue i.e. over-consumption.
The full study is sponsored by the Environment
and Conservation Fund and Woo Wheelock
Green Fund. Hong Kong Chinese University
conducted the above survey. |
