The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is organizing an Environment Week to raise public awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. As a highlight of the event, Mr Dick Lee Ming-kwai, former Commissioner of Police, and HKUST President Tony F Chan demonstrated low-carbon cooking on campus today.
The HKUST Environment Week (18 to 22 April) is organized by the Institute for the Environment and the Health, Safety and Environment Office of HKUST, as well as students. The demonstration on low-carbon cooking aims to raise awareness of the importance of reducing carbon footprint through the consideration of related factors like food production, processing, packaging and transportation. This usually means using local and seasonal food and simple cooking methods to prepare nutritious and environmentally friendly food.
Former Police Commissioner Mr Dick Lee demonstrated his superb cooking skills in making Cherry Tomato Pasta with cherry tomatoes, olives, basil leaves and spaghetti from Mainland China. Spending much of his post-retirement time sharing tips on healthy cooking with the media, Mr Lee described his dish as "convenient and easy to cook, delicious and healthy - and the best for students."
Meanwhile, President Chan prepared Juicy Duck Breast with blueberries and lime. "The lime has been made into the shape of a sun-dial,at our entrance piazza. The pleasures and pains of life are reflected in the sweet-and-sour orange sauce. The green and blue colors of the dish echo the Chinese idiom which refers to students out-performing their masters. The underlying meaning is clear: at HKUST, our students are ready to meet challenges, out-perform their teachers, and build a better future."
President Chan is a firm believer of eco-friendly principles. He walks to work everyday and often uses public transportation on weekends. He brings his own bags while shopping and turns off the lights when not in the office.
Other events held during the Environment Week include exhibitions on recycled and garbage art, electric vehicles, lectures and talks on endangered species, green buildings, green fashion and product design. The awards ceremony of the HKUST Hang Seng Bank Green Ambassador Program, jointly organized by HKUST and Hang Seng Bank, also takes place this week. Prof Bill Barron from the Institute for the Environment at HKUST and the author of The Great Disconnect will be sharing his insights in a lecture. For more details, please visit the website at http://green.ust.hk.
With an aim to fostering education in environmental science, HKUST officially inaugurated the Division of Environment in January this year. Programs being run include MSc / Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science, MPhil / PhD in Atmospheric Environmental Science, and MPhil / PhD in Marine Environmental Science. The Division will also launch an undergraduate program - BSc in Environmental Management and Technology - in Fall 2010. This program has been ranked the second most competitive and the third most popular program at HKUST among the JUPAS applicants.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Ross Lai
Tel: 2358 6306 / 9103 2928
Email: rosslai@ust.hk
