From the Editor

Five years ago, less than three months before we celebrated the grand opening of the MoCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its fifth assessment report, which concluded with the following ominous warning:

‘It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.’

This warning helps to explain why we established the MoCC. Climate change is real, and we need to act now to combat the threat it poses.

Earlier this year, while we were about to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of our Museum, the IPCC published a high-profile special report on the planetary impact of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. We have taken the opportunity in this issue of Oceans and Sky to highlight the key findings of this report. Immerse yourselves in our infographic in ‘Number Matters’ to discover how very different the world would be if it warmed by only 1.5 °C instead of by 2.0 °C.

This issue of Oceans and Sky also features an interview with Mr Shun Chi-ming, Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, who tells us how both he and the Hong Kong Observatory have ‘evolved’ over time, assimilating various technological advances and witnessing the gradually unfolding drama of climate change. Thanks to technology, we can now access a weather report and other meteorological information whenever we want, through our mobile phones. We can now check the level of air pollution anywhere in Hong Kong whenever we want, again through our mobile phones. An article on CUHK scholar Professor Huang Bo’s awarding-winning research on applying the technology of geographic information systems to air pollution studies shows how technological advances can help us articulate some of the challenges that we face in ensuring the sustainability of our city and our planet.

In 2019, let us join hands to bring about positive change and make our planet Earth a greener, healthier and happier place to live in. With best wishes