Your Voice: Hong Kong should make all plastics biodegradable to save its oceans; schools must reach out to struggling students (long letters)

Imagine: three decades from now, you are strolling along the beach, but the ocean is not blue any more because it’s full of garbage. If that happens, how could you swim in the sea? We, as swimmers, have witnessed significant environmental problems on Hong Kong Island’s southern coastline.

Big Wave Bay is a hideaway beach which we have been visiting since childhood. Our families have always enjoyed surfing and looking for seashells, and even our dog would look for bones on this beach. However, recently we’ve observed a lot of plastic pollution in the water, including styrofoam, plastic bottles, drink cans and plastic bags. It’s disheartening to see such once-beautiful beaches now covered in plastic waste.

There is a considerable amount of trash that often goes unnoticed unless you surf or swim in the area. Big Wave Bay has two beaches; one is popular, and the other is a concealed place where surfers prefer to ride the strong waves. Unfortunately, these same waves push trash onto the beach. We once swam at the hideaway beach, expecting it to be pristine, but it was littered with bottles, styrofoam and wrappers. The smell was unpleasant and similar to that of a dirty public restroom.

In addition, a small freshwater pool located on the outskirts of Big Wave Bay disappeared. Two years ago, it was bustling with what appeared to be tadpoles. However, last year we observed that there were considerably fewer tadpoles and less water. Recently, we found that the freshwater pool had entirely vanished, leaving nothing but a sandy shore. Since this is the perfect time for tadpoles to thrive, their absence is concerning, and the diminishing number of frogs suggests that the entire food chain may be impacted.

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Lastly, we want to share our experience with red algae, which we encountered at Tai Tam Harbour. As part of the Stingray swim team at HKIS, we are dedicated to training six days a week. Before the pandemic, we trained at our school’s pool, but during online learning, we had to transition to open-water swimming due to pool closures. Open-water swimming is more challenging than pool swimming since you must contend with tides and waves that can push you in unwanted directions. Nonetheless, many people prefer it since it strengthens your physique, and you can even spot marine life, although meeting jellyfish is not ideal and some of us have even been stung.

But during this open-water swimming time in Tai Tam Harbour, we noticed a big problem – sometimes there was red algae. This algae is a natural pollution problem. It produces toxins and can kill fish by damaging their digestive systems. It also makes them dangerous to eat. As swimmers, it is also unhealthy for us.

The presence of red algae is a recurring issue in both Tai Tam Harbour and Repulse Bay. We first noticed it at Repulse Bay Beach in January 2022, and by March the entire body of water had been affected. Although we found online records of this happening in November 2014, we believe that rising ocean temperatures have exacerbated the issue. This is not just a concern for young swimmers like us, but also raises alarms over the health and safety of the elderly swimming community at Repulse Bay.

The government is exploring strategies for improving plastic recycling and considering bans on certain types of plastic. We suggest the government make all plastics biodegradable through legislation. It’s essential to imagine the future of the ocean and the impact it will have on our lives 30 years from now.

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Emily Leung Tsz-ching, St Stephen’s College

School isn’t easy, and it’s especially hard when you’re tired. Tired of countless looming deadlines that you might never meet. Tired of having to drag yourself to school and desperately await the dismissal bell for seven hours straight. Tired of seeing everyone around you seem so happy, while you feel like you’ve got 100 pounds of steel strapped to your ankles and you simply want to lie down and give up.

This is the reality for over half of Hong Kong’s secondary school students, according to MindHK, who say 51.5 per cent show symptoms of depression and 25 per cent demonstrate severe anxiety. In my opinion, there isn’t enough being done to help them.

At primary and secondary school, I attended talks on mental health, but I didn’t find them helpful. They all suggested the same solution: if you’re struggling, talk to an adult. However, I found it challenging to follow this advice since nobody seemed to understand or care about my concerns. How can you reach out for support when you feel disconnected from others?

Schools must understand that reaching out for help isn’t as simple as it seems. This is why schools should start reaching out to students struggling with mental and emotional issues.

Help! I’m so unmotivated in school and I want to give up. What should I do?

One may ask: “Why is it the school’s job to reach out?” Well, firstly, students may not have supportive friends and family who know and care about their mental health. With the social stigma around mental health issues, parents may not want to admit that their child is suffering, and friends may joke about it as the student seems to be fine on the outside. Therefore, the only place a student struggling with mental issues can find help may be at school, whether through a teacher or a counsellor checking up on them.

Secondly, academic studies can heavily affect a student when they are having emotional or mental issues. It can be extremely difficult to feel motivated to study and work, and it is the duty of schools to ensure that their students are learning in the best way possible. By reaching out to students, the students will feel less stressed and anxious about their academics, knowing the school supports them, and therefore regain motivation to continue learning.

Lastly, schools can play a crucial role in helping students recognise their emotional challenges. In a society where mental health is stigmatised, schools can offer a safe space for students to learn about their well-being. By acknowledging and understanding their emotions, students can access necessary support, which can foster better relationships, self-love and personal growth.

There are many ways schools could reach out to students. For example, they could arrange talks between students and school counsellors on a regular basis. Schools could make adjustments for certain students – for instance, they could allow a depressed student to have extra breaks during classes. Schools must pay attention to issues such as failure to submit homework, refusal to socialise and lack of concentration. From there, they can offer counselling services or recommend professional help from outside school.