Fighting over the environment

When I read this article (extracted from today's The Standard), I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"A 58-year-old woman was slapped and hit by a flying plastic soda bottle in an altercation over environmental protection at a Tin Shui Wai store.

A 58-year-old woman was slapped and hit by a flying plastic soda bottle in an altercation over environmental protection at a Tin Shui Wai store.
The incident happened at 8.30am yesterday in a ParknShop at the Tin Shui Shopping Centre in Tin Shui Estate during a reusable bag giveaway when long queues for the freebies disrupted other checkout lines.
A ParknShop spokeswoman said two women "had a disagreement over their views on environmental protection," and were not fighting over giveaways.
The victim, surnamed Ngai, allegedly bumped into another woman with her trolley and the two then started to argue.
Ngai told police the other shopper then slapped her across the face and hurled a plastic soda bottle at her before running away. She was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment.
Police are looking for a 1.64-meter-tall woman, aged 30 to 40 years, who was wearing jeans and a pink shirt. "


Then, I read this. I can't believe it!

"Meanwhile, the environmental chief has hit out at prepackaged goods threatening to undermine the plastic bag levy. Some manufacturers - from drinks to detergent makers - have started to package goods in plastic bags complete with handles.
Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah said it goes "against the spirit of the levy, public consensus and environmental protection. Stores that stock these prepackaged goods could see their reputation damaged."
To drive the message home, Undersecretary for the Environment Kitty Poon Kit handed out refrigerator magnets in Chinese, English, Tagalog, Indonesian and Thai to domestic helpers in Central.
But a green group's survey has found that the public does not understand the 50 HK cents-per- plastic-bag scheme and its purpose, which is to change consumer behavior and not to create another source of government revenue, as many think.
The levy, which starts tomorrow, applies to any chain store that sells either food, drink or hygiene products and has at least five locations with over 200 square feet of retail space each. Dedicated checkout counters are required for items covered in the levy in department store grocery areas. "