Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today motion is that should there be laws to combat light pollution in Hong Kong. In 2005, laws were successfully passes to make light a nuisance, the same as noise and smell, in the United Kingdom. The same year in Italy, two new laws were enacted to enforce rules about light fittings and fixtures, both public and private. It is no doubt that light pollution problem has caught the attention all around the world. Being a Hong Kong citizen suffers from light pollution, we support the motion. We absolutely believe that light pollution brings negative effects to Hong Kong in term of economic development, environmental development and living standard.
Firstly, light pollution may cause negative effect on environment and ecosystem. Lightings may change the habits of animals, for example birds live in the urban areas often die because of clash with windows, many types of insects, including moths lacewings, hoverflies, bugs, crane flies.etc are attracted by lights and died since once a bird is within a lighted zone at night, it may become "trapped" and will not leave the lighted area. It would influence the ecological balance of the local living environment. Light pollution also enhances air pollution as we need to generate electricity to produce light. So as to solve this problem, the government should set up laws to tackle the problem.
Secondly, light pollution effect human physiology negatively. The Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong government currently receives about 30-40 complaints on abuse of lightings each year. The number of persons affected may increase in the future due to the growing use of outdoor lighting and due to the increase awareness of the public on the issue of light pollution. Night vision can be severely impacted. Night lighting can cause disability glare. Disability glare is glare from roadway lighting that is so bright it causes us to avert our eyes. Ability to distinguish...