Winners announced in Climate Change Student Project Competition

More than 100 teams participated in the "Climate Change - What can we do?" Student Project Competition, organised by the "Science in the Public Service" campaign. The winners emerged after selection by the adjudicators, and the awards presentation ceremony was held today (June 28) at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Acting Commissioner for Census and Statistics Mr Dominic Leung Kam-to and polar expert Dr Rebecca Lee were guests of honour, and presented the awards to the winning teams in the secondary and primary school categories.

Climate change has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years. The long-term meteorological data indicates that there has been a fundamental change in the atmosphere. In view of the impact climate change may have on everyday life, the "Science in the Public Service" campaign organised the competition with a view to enhancing students'understanding of such phenomena as global warming and the rise in sea level, and their effects.

Mr Leung said the students'work had been meticulously carried out and the information and data collected and analysed were very comprehensive. "I am particularly impressed by their initiative in conducting surveys to find answers for questions they had in mind. One team even went as far as interviewing an expert on polar matters. The spirit of investigation is very invaluable," he said.

The polar expert, Dr Lee, stressed that the effect from climate change was spreading around the globe at phenomenal speed. "The impact of the fast melting glaciers on the ecology at the poles is very likely to be irreversible and catastrophic," she said.

Chairman of the campaign's organising committee Dr Lee Boon-ying said, "Participation by schools in the competition has been very active, and we received more than 100 entries. The adjudicators were academics as well as professionals from government departments. They spent a lot of time selecting the winners, as many of the projects are of a very high standard. The "Science in the Public Service" campaign is proud to provide an appropriate platform for students to explore the close relationship between science and everyday life."

During the ceremony, Professor Ng Cho-nam of Hong Kong University's Geography Department and representative of the adjudicators, said, "Climate change is a very complex subject. Not just natural science, it also touches on social issues. I congratulate the students for completing their reports systematically and presenting the details of their findings to the judging panel brilliantly."

"Science in the Public Service" was initiated in early 2006. A series of activities have been held in past years. With the positive response, the number of partners has increased to 43, including government bureaus, departments, and a number of collaborative organisations.

For details of the "Science in the Public Service" activities, please visit the website http://www.science.gov.hk .

List of winning teams: http://www.science.gov.hk/eng/news_spcompetition_e.htm