It's nice to see the plastic plague getting coverage at DAVOS. But will Hong Kong step-up?  Many countries around the world are making pledges like the UK which has pledged to eliminate plastic waste by 2025.  Where does Gov.hk stand in all this?  Has the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) made any pledges like eliminating plastic straws or even simply building long needed recycling facilities in Hong Kong so we can properly start recycling here?  Will the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) fulfil their mission to "Conserve our natural environment and safeguard the ecological integrity" by making education of marine waste a priority?

Getting education of marine waste in the AFCD's new marine park visitor centre is just a drop in the bucket of the role they should be playing to prioritise marine waste education in Hong Kong. In their roving exhibitions, plastics and their threat to our natural environment should be a highlight. But, where are they?  Heck, they should have a roving exhibition that is dedicated to marine waste education that can appear at various locations throughout Hong Kong over the year.  The AFCD has full-sized bus wraps on our public buses spreading the word to "protect feral cattle".  Why don't we see the same approach being used for such a critical issue that marine waste is?  The reality is it's a life threatening issue and so it should be taken seriously by gov.hk.

Hong Kong needs to start getting serious about protecting the environment. And it all starts with our leaders like Carrie Lam, the EPD, and the AFCD walking the talk and making it a priority so that we have "a well managed natural environment we can pass on to our future generations".

Chris