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Ex-Observatory chief Lam Chiu-ying urges Hongkongers to rein in air-con use

Most Hongkongers can’t wait to crank up the air-conditioning when they get home, and savour the blissful coolness of a shopping mall during the city’s sweltering summers. But a 72-year-old retired civil servant is making it his mission in life to spread an unpopular message: it’s time to switch off.

Lam Chiu-ying, director of the Hong Kong Observatory from 2003 to 2009, would never think of forcing someone to turn off the aircon despite his social media posts promoting USB-charged electric fans as an alternative. Nonetheless, many commenters mock his attempts to cut down on AC use whenever he speaks up about the dangers of climate change.