Press Release 10 Sept 2008

I have received several queries in regard to my decision to run in the functional constituency (Architectural, Surveying and Planning) seat and asked to comment in particular, now that the dust has settled, on the low number of electoral votes my campaign garnered, which unfortunately resulted in loss of my deposit.

From the outset I had no real intention of running a winning campaign. My only aim was to focus the debate solely on spreading the message of building sustainability and conservation. Electors received from me just one letter, printed on recycled paper, and I produced no posters or any other electoral press kit – everything else was done electronically.

I did minimal vote canvassing preferring to present at company / institutional forums and talk to the media primarily to try and get the message of sustainability and conservation over to the attendees, viewers and listeners.

Naturally I congratulate the winning candidate, the incumbent Professor Patrick Lau, and I am pleased that Legislator Lau has corresponded with me and affirmed his commitment to the cause of sustainable buildings and building conservation hence it is my hope my objective has been partly achieved.

The investment I have made in terms of money and time I consider well worth spent if it results, for all citizens, cleaner air, sustainable living environment, and keeping what little is left with our heritage buildings - never again should we accept another piece of wanton destruction of our heritage like the Star Ferry and Queen Pier.

At the end of the this new legislatures current term in 2012 I hope we can look back and see our representatives have made decisive steps to clean our air, make our buildings sustainable and keep our heritage intact.

I am hopeful that message has been delivered.

Professor Lau, our new AS&P LegCo support sustainabilty and conservation

Below is an email from Professor Lau:


Dear David,

We missed you at the vote counting activity.

Please be assured that sustainability & conservation will be high on my agenda.

Don't hesistate to call on me when you have time to do community work in these areas.

Warm regards, Patrick



On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 10:04 AM, David Chan <david.chan@hk.knightfrank.com> wrote:
Dear Patrick,
Congratulation on your win over the AS&P functional constituency. It was a decisive victory and I think overall is good for Hong Kong.
As discussed before, I did not run a campaign to win but to simply spread the message of the importance of the effect of global warming, sustainability and conservation which I hoped that does include you.

I am hence hopeful that sustainability and conservation will remain high up on your political agenda so that we can build a better HK for us all and the next generation.

All the best at LegCo.


David

Today the LegCo result finally came out.

I didn't run a campaign to win so not winning was expected.
I was a little surprise that the imminent effects and consequences of global warming had just so little impact to the AS&P electors. but then I guess I did not do a convincing enough show.

Like the article from SCMP, it took something like Katrina to make Americans start to listen to what it could be like it something is not done.
But what ever it is, I have no wish for something like a Katrina for Hong Kong.

I am hopeful that I am wrong, that the problem really is less serious than scientists are predicting.

I guess at least Dr Lau, the newly re-elected LegCo member did pledge that he will take both sustainability and conservation seriously and will do something about it at LegCo.

It is interesting that we had uses quite a few hundreds of thousands of trees in this LegCo, at least I can say I made the least damage. I also hoped that future elections will be more environmentally friendly, I just don't see in this day and age of technology advances that we need to do this the same way as the last century.

Thank you for those that decided to vote for me, or those that who may not have but considered the message of sustainability and conservation is important and should be much higher up in the political agenda. In the end politics is not going to bring back the star ferry pier and has little impact on global warming, but it does affect our future.