You recently read an article suggesting that Hong Kong should ban firework displays because of financial, logistical and environmental issues. Write a letter to the editor of the Hong Kong Daily stating your opinions. Support your opinion with three reasons.

Dear Editor,

I am writing to air my sentiments regarding the article suggesting that Hong Kong should ban firework display because of financial, logistical and environmental issues. The idea of global warming, air pollution, light pollution and water pollution share one thing in common - they all show that there is a cost for us to pay when we are developing economies or holding events. In recent years, our government has made endeavour to expand the market of Hong Kong, building a good connection with different countries and improve the quality of life for citizens. While some suggest that firework displays should be banned, some believe that firework displays should not be abolished. To me, firework displays should not be allowed because its drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

There are a multitude of reasons contributing to my stance. The first point to be noted is that holding a firework display is a huge waste of financial budget. Every year, our government aims to attract tourists from other countries and to celebrate the start of a year through campaigning a firework show. Statistics have shown that the government has spent at least 5 million annually to hold the firework display. Be that as it may, the effectiveness of the firework is totally different from the expectations from the government. The number of tourists seems to have increased for only few days. However, it does not significantly boost the economic revenue of Hong Kong. Moreover, some citizens claimed that they would rather use the budget to improve community facilities or civil services to the public, for example, to develop a better-established medical system or provide dental subsidies to citizens. It is beyond doubt that having firework display poses a financial burden on the government and fails to achieve its intended purposes.

Another factor that the government overlooked is the environmental cost after holding the firework display in Victoria Harbour. Lighting fireworks aggravate air pollution and since the fireworks simply give out harmful chemicals and contaminate the air. Most importantly, these particles are harmful for the health of the citizens, especially if they live near the harbour front. Furthermore, firework displays also affect the waters in Victoria Harbor. It intensifies water pollution since the chemicals released in fireworks contaminate ground and surface water and can cause harm to aquatic creatures residing in the sea.
Some may counter my stance, holding the opinion that organising a firework display can add to Hong Kong’s fame at the international level, and is a chance to show how prosperous Hong Kong is. At first glance, the argument seems valid. That being said, if we can look at the matter from another perspective, that is not completely true. It is because Hong Kong is a well-known city already. It is unnecessary for Hong Kong to showcase how affluent it is. In fact, global warming is a heated issue which every country cares about. Instead of holding a firework display, wouldn't it be better to establish some good policies to safeguard the environment? It would be conductive to creating a positive, ordered and civilized impression to other countries.

With this line of thinking, it can be clearly seen that having a firework display is a waste of budget and do not generate a substantial outcome. Also, it is disastrous to the nature. It is imperative to ban firework displays and ease the ecological problems at its roots. It is sincerely hoped that our government can do their utmost to address the concerns from the public and listen to the opinions from local citizens.

Yours faithfully,

6A Kelvin Yu Kung Yuen