Dear Editor,
I am writing about the worsening problem of light pollution in Hong Kong.
As Hong Kong is called the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, lights at night are always an essential element to the city. They symbolize how prosperous the city is. They can really help boost the economy of the city, but they do no good to those residents who live nearby. Unfortunately, I am one of those affected.
I live in a busy shopping district and I am surrounded by all kinds of coloured lights from the shops and the billboards every night. Sleeping is almost impossible for me unless I cover all the windows with thick blind cloth. However, ventilation of the room will be very bad if I do so. It is a dead end situation that I am facing right now. I work as a secretary. I need to concentrate a hundred percent at work. Since I cannot get enough quality sleep during the night, I keep making mistakes and I am yelled at many times by my boss. Now my job is in jeopardy and I have to say it is all because of the lights.
Obviously, I am not the only one who suffers from light pollution. People enjoy night life in Hong Kong, which means shops have to be closed late at night, and lights have to be turned on, not to mention how bright the billboards are just in order to stand out in the ‘crowds’ and attract more customers. I am not saying that the night business is a bad thing as I know it helps the tourism and economy in Hong Kong but the condition is it should not affect others, like the residents. All sectors of the society have to put themselves into others’ shoes. Every action we take should take into consideration the pros and cons. Therefore, we have to balance the interests of both the residents and those of the businessmen.
There are many ways to achieve it. First of all, all the shops should try to lower the brightness of their lights or to reduce the number of lights turned on at night. Of course, it will be great for them to switch off all outdoor displays and avoid using or minimize the use of flashing lights. The billboards should also be dimmer. I suggest that a less reflective material should be chosen when making the poster on the billboards. Also, it would be help much if the owners of the billboards can adjust the angles of the light box so that less light can be reflected towards the residential buildings. It is also important that the residents should install a blind at their home. Since a little amount of light coming in the house is unavoidable, it can at least minimize the inconvenience caused by the light. It is crucial that the government should educate the public of the harmful effects of light pollution so that they can start reducing the massive use of lights at night, to protect both our environment and our sleep quality.
I really hope that light pollution will not further worsen in Hong Kong and both businessmen and citizens can get what they want, at night.
Chris Wong
Mong Kok