More On China and Coal

Whenever you hear that China wants to build more nuclear power plants, keep stories like this one in mind:

Environmentalists hope to turn out the lights of Hong Kong's dazzling skyline in a protest aimed at telling the world about the city's rapidly worsening air pollution, organisers said.

Organisers of Lights Out Hong Kong are urging residents and businesses to switch off the lights in their homes and offices for three minutes at 8pm on August 8.

(snip)

Daily inundations of choking smog -- produced in large part by the factories, vehicles and power stations of neighbouring southern China's heavily industrialised Pearl River Delta region -- have gravely reduced the number of days on which one side of the famous harbour is visible from the other.

Recent surveys suggest the smog has also begun to harm the city's economy: tour operators say one in 10 tourists falls ill with pollution-linked respiratory ailments and business groups say fear of smog-caused illness is deterring expats from relocating here.

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