Green Engineering (Ep. 9)

Initial broadcast - 8:00 pm Friday September 11, 2015

To listen to the show's initial broadcast, please visit RTHK's DAB 31.

To listen to the show after the initial broadcast, please visit the archive here. (Skip to 6m30s!)

(Photo K. Davies)

In this episode, our researcher Inga Conti-Jerpe interviews green engineer Dr. Sam C. M. Hui from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Hong Kong. He shared with us about the impact buildings actually have in Hong Kong on the  environment, since we live in a highly dense urban environment. Not only are buildings one of the largest "users" of energy consumption, but they also play a role in how comfortable our environment is. Due to our urban environment and modern conveniences we live in what Dr. Hui explains is an "urban heat island", meaning our urban temperature is higher than our countryside because of the heat our buildings emit and how heat is reflected off concrete. Plants, for example, would convert sunlight instead into biomass, but in our concrete jungles are temperatures are just getting hotter and hotter. Dr. Hui explains the benefits of heat-combating greening. And thank goodness we have Inga to help us breakdown the science of it all!

More information about the "urban heat island" effect can be found here.

Hong Kong has its first "zero carbon building", which is in Kowloon Bay.

Inga, Kathryn, and Prof. Sam Hui

Hiking Hong Kong - Homage to our Countryside! (Ep. 8)

Initial broadcast - 8:00 pm Friday September 4, 2015

To listen to the show's initial broadcast, please visit RTHK's DAB 31.

To listen to the show after the initial broadcast, please visit the archive here. (Skip to 6m45s!)

(Photo by K. Davies)

This episode celebrates Hong Kong's country parks and countryside: Hong Kong is a wonderful place for hiking! We sit down with three experienced hike leaders, Paul Christensen (Hong Kong Hikers), Annie Chow (Hike HK Meetup), and Daisy Linas (Hong Kong Hiking Meetup). Our guests all come from diverse backgrounds, but they all volunteer their time to take any and everyone out on organized group hikes. They tell us about some of the beautiful places you can go hiking in Hong Kong, and share about the importance of keeping secret places secret! We also discuss some of the challenges facing the country parks, including the country park enclaves and trail management. They all conclude, though, that the best part of joining an organized group hike is that they have a meal or happy hour after!

Countryside for Everyone

Join Hiking Groups

Hong Kong Hikers - Traditionally a week-day hiking group to avoid the crowds on weekends. There are usually 1-3 hikes a week.

Hong Kong Hiking Meetup - Perhaps Hong Kong’s biggest hiking group (15,000 members!). Daily hikes: workout hikes, leisure hikes, long distance hikes. Everything!

Hike HK Meetup - Also offers a mix of different kinds of hikes, as well as some different types of activities like snorkeling.

These organized group hikes will provide a detailed description of what to expect and how to come prepared (no jeans!). You only have to find your way usually to an MTR station meeting point, and the organizer leads the rest of the way, so you can just enjoy the view! It’s a great way to learn about new places or routes, as the leaders are experienced with the areas.

What’s really nice about these groups is how welcoming they are. The hiking leaders do their best to accommodate everyone and go at a pace suitable for the whole group. They care to share the hiking experience and countryside with everyone.