Hong Kong has a pollution problem. Air pollution there regularly soars above the levels deemed safe for humans by the World Health Organization. A major contributor to the problem is the city's proximity to deep sea ports, and the ships that dock there. Container ships that dock in Hong Kong as well as other Asian cities use bunker fuel, a cheap fuel that is high in sulfur and nitrogen. When the same ships traverse European shipping lanes, however, they have to use a far cleaner low-sulfur fuel. Now, Maersk shipping lines is voluntarily adopting the use of low-sulfur fuel for all its ships that dock in Hong Kong port. The move will cost the company $1 million a year, and already other companies have said they will follow suit. The most interesting thing about this story is that the Hong Kong government had nothing to do with this move to clean up the air. It dd, however, issue a statement that it welcomed the move.
Maersk to Use Cleaner Fuel in Hong Kong Shipping - nytimes.com
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