Environment DSPA to contact Zhuhai following light pollution complaints

Macau residents have complained about bright lights emitted from buildings in Zhuhai that disturb the ambience of several locations across the city, including around Sai Van Lake and parts of Taipa. The concerns, which were vocalized recently after one building began projecting messages across the river, has now prompted authorities in the MSAR to contact their environmental counterparts across the border.

Critics say that the brightness of the lights, which often surpass the neon extravaganza of Macau’s casino district, constitute a form of light pollution in the territory. They say that the reason these buildings exist is due to a lack of cooperation between Macau and Zhuhai municipal authorities.

In one particular example, the light emitted from a 330-meter structure called the Zhuhai Center Tower drew complaints for dominating the night skyline. According to a report from Macau Concealers, many residents “complained that the lights from the Zhuhai side are very strong, filling the sky with colors like green and purple.”

Other large-scale buildings in Zhuhai have come under fire not only because of the brightness of their lighting, but because they are also used as giant advertising structures, projecting messages such as “Hello Macau” in Chinese.

Since they are being used for advertising purposes, it seems less likely that their dominance on the Macau skyline is an incidental side effect of Zhuhai’s development but rather a deliberate attempt to draw the attention of consumers and businesses in the MSAR.

However inconvenient the light pollution might be for those living in these areas, a number of local scholars and environment commentators told the Times that the issue is not nearly as problematic as that of noise and air pollution.

Richard Whitfield, an independent researcher and MDT columnist who writes frequently on environmental issues, told the Times that he doesn’t see light pollution coming from Zhuhai as a serious issue.

“I don’t see it being a big issue,” he said. “There is a negligible influence from light pollution on the quality of peoples’ lives […] you get used to it after a while.”

“There is a lot of neon here [in Macau] anyway, so I am more concerned with industrial and vehicle pollution, as well as [the promotion of] healthy lifestyles and city walkability,” he added.

Lun Veng San, the chairman of the Green Environment Protection Association of Macau, said that “light pollution can be found in any flourishing city” and “compared to other forms of pollution, light pollution is the least [problematic], because it is relatively simple to prevent.”

Vizeu Pinheiro, a local architect and scholar, was in agreement that light pollution is far from Macau’s biggest environmental concern but stipulated that it could present a danger to drivers in the MSAR.

“Light pollution [coming from] Zhuhai is very strong and could be a distraction to drivers on the bridge,” warned Pinheiro. “But otherwise there is a lot of light pollution already in Macau – particularly at the casinos. […] Light pollution is quite common to us.”

He also believes that “air pollution and noise pollution have a stronger impact on the health of the people.”

Meanwhile, University of Macau scholar Agnes Lam advocated that “the light pollution issue needs to be examined from a new perspective.”

“Zhuhai people also complain about our light pollution coming from Cotai and Nam Van [lake area],” she told the Times. “We need to move away from the blame game – we blame you and you blame us – and away from the idea that the mainland is invading our space again.”

“This kind of neon lighting might symbolize economic prosperity and modernity, so in Zhuhai they also want these new buildings with attractive lighting. In Macau we have moved toward a new stage of development – we have had this sort of lighting for a long time now – and so people are more concerned with the environment,” she explained.

“Of course it is fair for Macau residents to complain, but when we complain we must also think about other issues connected between the two cities,” continued Lam. “If I was living in that area I might not be so happy, but we cannot just blame others because [in environmental terms] we are not doing a great job either!”

Macau authorities say they are taking the complaints seriously. The director of the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) has informed the public that he is aware of the situation and that his agency has communicated the concerns expressed by Macau residents to Zhuhai municipal authorities. According to a report from Macau Concealers, Raymond Tam said that a cooperation mechanism exists between the neighboring cities and that he was confident the situation would be dealt with properly through this mechanism.

The DSPA did not reply to a request from the Times for an update to the matter by press time.

Speaking on the alleged lack of coordination, Whitfield told the Times that he is confident that there is little to no cooperation between Macau and Zhuhai authorities.

Lam also stressed that although there are regular “working meetings” between officials from Macau and Guangdong Province, much more needs to be done to step up cooperation with mainland environmental agencies. The scope of this cooperation should be extended past concerns over light pollution to air quality, water treatment and recycling.

Chairman of the Green Environment Protection Association of Macau Lun Veng San told the Times that the cooperation mechanism with Zhuhai was very important because it can be used as a platform for the negotiation of certain policies to reduce inter-territory light pollution and its effects.

“There are two ways to prevent it [inter-territory light pollution], in my opinion,” said Lun. “Firstly, we can try to use more environmentally-friendly light bulbs. Secondly, there can exist a mechanism implemented to oversee a community-wide reduction in light emissions – for example during certain times [of the day].”

“I also think that neighborhoods affected by the lighting could apply for compensation from the government. This does not need to be paid by the government; it can be paid by the light polluters,” he added.

However, Pinheiro pointed to a problem that underlines any effort from the government to seriously approach the issue: a lack of genuine intent.

“The problem is that there is no will or intent [from the government] to create more policies to protect the environment,” he commented on the issue. Daniel Beitler, Julie Zhu

Buildings with ‘a brutal scale, poor quality’

Architect Carlos Castanheira, who has been working with Pritzker Prize laureate Siza Vieria, told newspaper Ponto Final in September 2014 that the scale of the buildings being constructed in Zhuhai dwarfs the scale of construction in the MSAR. “I find far more concerning what is happening close to Macau: China is nearer and nearer,” he told the newspaper. “If these buildings [casinos] in Macau are mega, the ones on the other side of the river have a huge, brutal scale. That scale almost crumbles this euphoria [from the integrated resorts in Macau]. The extraordinary thing is the brightness of all these buildings, which shine. On the other side [of the border], in my opinion, they are building with very poor quality, and on a brutal scale. The little that remains of Macau is starting to get very, very muffled.”

Obtrusive artificial light

Light pollution is usually defined as the presence of excessive or obtrusive artificial light, which is sometimes thought to have negative effects on an environment. Aside from obstructing natural light sources in the night sky, potentially disrupting natural ecosystems such as the birds on their migratory path through Macau, abundant light emissions can represent a significant source of energy wastage. One term used by environmentalists when discussing light pollution is “light trespass”, which refers to light falling where it is not intended, wanted or needed. This occurs whenever light shines beyond the intended target and onto adjacent areas. This would not be the case in the example of the Zhuhai Center Tower, which prompted local authorities to contact their Zhuhai environmental counterparts. As it projects a message intended for Macau audiences, it would not normally be considered unintended.