(Arranged earlier entries on top)
July 19, 2008 One of our bright engineering alumnus wrote:
It has been known for some time that in the next few years Hong Kong would have no winter. That is to say the winter season would be so warm that no overcoats would be needed and air temperatures would be so unbearable that air conditioning would be required to run year-round. Consequently air pollution problems would intensify and the air quality would seriously affect the health of many residents.
In order to combat the impending worsening of environmental conditions, the author proposes that a number of vertical forced-air ducts be erected in the most congested districts like the Causeway Bay and Wan Chai areas. The ducts would be placed strategically around street corners and would extend from the street level to above the top of most buildings. In this way they could create a vacuum at the street level and allow fresh air from the surrounding neighborhood to rush in to replace the polluted air; and it also provides a refreshing breeze. Such a scheme would need some investments from the HK government and it may ultimately alleviate the suffering of residents around the areas. If this scheme works, the system could be implemented in various high-density locations around Hong Kong.
It was also rumored that the extended escalator system in the Central District up to the mid-hill was at first conceived and proposed by one of St. Joseph’s old alumni possibly in the graduate class of 1958. The author has verbal confirmation from one of the ’58 classmates that the rumor may in fact be true. People could do some research to authenticate the origin of the proposal.
The author also welcomes any additional ideas or criticisms and would be glad to entertain other counter-proposals.
July 19, 2008 Joseph Ku responded:
With the neigbourhood airs equally polluted all over Hong Kong, sucking the air from one neighbouring area into another will not make much difference to the air quality. What is needed are tunnels out to the open sea where the air is fresher. Windmills will be installed on the ocean tunnel end platforms to generate the power to drive the turbines that pump the fresh air through the tunnels into the various neighbourhoods. In summer the cooler fresh ocean air will cool the neighbourhoods and also the cooler air is heavier than the warm polluted air, thus sinking closer to the ground and automatically displacing the warmer polluted air. In winter the ocean air is warmer, will warm the neighbourhoods and will tend to rise and force the colder polluted air up and out of the way.
I think automated sidewalks was first proposed (in the early 1950's) by Walt Disney in one of his "City of the Future" animated movies.
Joseph Ku
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