Good morning,
With the conclusion of ReThink 2022, that concludes another year of environmental sustainability…not! Sustainability is all year round and the talks and businesses featured have only just started to scratch the surface of all the great changes we can make to ourselves and our society (to hopefully stop the world from burning).




Also ReThink has expanded into several charitable arms.
More on that another time but it’s very exciting news…
— Cyril
On Today’s Tide
Environment | Plastic bag levy set to increase to $1 by end of year
COVID |
Champion snooker player gets COVID, fate of others unknown
Culture | HK Tourism Board x Nick Cummins video hard to swallow
Events
Behind the paywall:
Society | [CW] Cop who forced son to get off with him gets jailed
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Plastic bags 100% more expensive…to $1
The plastic bag levy, currently at 50c is expected to be increased to $1 on 31 Dec as environmental groups push for stronger deterents against the use of single use plastics.
The proposal which will be tabled on 19 Oct also sets provisions for stricter control over when one can get a plastic bag. Fully wrapped items - even if chilled or cold - will no longer get a plastic bag. Bags can still be given for takeouts at restaurants but customers will be limited to one bag per person.
There were initially proposals for an increase to $2 but an increase to $1 is expected.
COVID in Hong Kong


COVID-19 in Hong Kong
New cases: 4318 (325 imported)
Total cases: 1,787,655
New deaths: 6
Total deaths: 10,200
Compulsory Testing locations: 62
Zhao Xintong replaced by Mark Williams after COVID scare
Chinese snooker master Zhao Xintong will be replaced by Welshman Mark Williams after testing positive for COVID Wednesday evening. He arrived in Hong Kong from the Mainland on Tuesday.
Hours before his test was confirmed, Zhao held a press conference with several other players all of which are currently still negative and playing. Williams will be playing Australian Neil Robertson at 1:30pm today.
According to HK01, former CE Carrie Lam was also at the conference on Wednesday supporting Marco Fu. Fu had personally texted his buddy Carrie in April about the financial state of Snooker in Hong Kong which she later publicly acknolwedged in a Facebook post.
Fu played the opening match of the masters against Mark Selby on Thursday, beating him 5-2. Fu will play John Higgins in the finals on Sunday.
How out of touch can we make a tourism ad? Yes
Are we doing this? Ok we’re doing this.
Australian Rugby star and TV personality Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins stars in the HK Tourism Board’s latest advertisment. Throughout the series of three ads - which are now delisted, Nick rides the tram, the ferry, walks around Sham Shui Po “like the locals do” and says “culture” to every other thing he sees.
He takes out a straw hat and a red fan on the tram and doesn’t seem to get any weird looks.
But … questionable cultural choices aside, Cummin’s video also drew ire from the online Hong Kong community because it’s clear the video does not reflect 2022 Hong Kong. Shot in pre-COVID 2019, no one wears masks. There are crowds on the street and most ridiculous of all (sorry I’m getting a bit annoyed myself), he goes to eat at restaurants that have been forced to close due to financial loss as a result of COVID regulations.


The tourism board absurdly acknowledges this with the following message below every video:
* This video is for advertising and creative purposes only. Please wear a mask and comply with the latest regulations and guidelines issued by the HKSAR Government.
You can just not post a video if it’s out of date????
He also rides the 5th generation red peak tram which were de-comissioned in June 2021.
I can’t find the 3rd video - which has Tung Po in it. If you have a link, please send it over!
Events and deals
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Moment: Music and Mindfulness is a collaboration between Ponte and music therapist Howard Ho which uses narration and carefully selected classical pieces to combine arts and mindfulness.
Where: Tsuen Wan Town Hall
When: 8 Oct, 8pm
Cost: $180-350 (student and senior discounts applicable)
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