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Hedley Environmental Index reveals external costs of air pollution (update)

Originally posted Dec. 29 2008:

Civic Exchange has launched The Hedley Environmental Index (the Index), the worlds first website to quantify the external public health and monetary costs of air pollution in real-time. The address for the Index is
http://hedleyindex.sph.hku.hk

Named in honour of Professor Anthony Hedley, Chair in Community Medicine, Hong Kong University School of Public Health, the Index, plots real-time data on four specific pollutants from the Governments air quality monitoring stations, and determines the numbers of premature deaths, hospital bed days and doctor visits that are caused according to a peer-reviewed methodology. From this information the Index also calculates the financial costs of air pollution.

The Index shows that air pollution has cost Hong Kong 2.2 billion dollars, over 1,100 deaths, 79,000 hospital bed-days and over 7 million doctor visits so far this year.

People see smoggy days and know that air pollution damages their health. Now they can see for themselves the cold hard facts, and they make ugly reading. said Professor Hedley. The Hedley Environmental Index makes clear that we are facing an epidemic of pollution-related illness. We now know exactly how much it is costing the community.

However, Professor Hedley also noted that the dollar cost is a conservative estimate that does not yet take into account any cost of suffering, of self-medication, or the impacts on two vulnerable groups pregnant mothers and very young children.

Setting the context for the development and release of the Index, Christine Loh CEO, Civic Exchange noted that the current review of the Hong Kong Air Quality Objectives proved an opportunity to bring Hong Kongs air pollution standards and controls up to par with world cities such as Los Angeles and London, that have succeeded in reducing air pollution without harming economic development.

Hong Kong currently lacks the legislation, the air quality standards and the administrative procedures to address air pollution, said Ms Loh. By showing how far our pollution exceeds the World Health Organizations Air Quality Guidelines, and how much this is costing us in dollars and affected lives, the Hedley Environmental Index lays down a marker, minute by minute, that tells us all exactly how much we have to do.

Already Friends of the Earth (HK), and Commercial Radio have placed a link to the Hedley Index on their website.

Friends of the Earth has linked the Hedley Environmental Index to our website because we believe it is essential for people to be properly informed of the risks our air pollution imposes on our daily lives, noted Edwin Lau, Director of Friends of the Earth (HK). We believe that the more people know how toxic our air is, the harder it is to downplay the seriousness of the problem, and the sooner we will see meaningful action. We hope more NGOs and media organizations will link to the Index.

On January 10th 2009 the Index will be demonstrated at Civic Exchanges public conference to discuss solutions to Hong Kongs air pollution: The Air We Breathe a Public Health Dialogue. Admission is free but registration is essential.

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