He’s not giving up just yet:
I am writing in response to Alastair Robins of Lights Out Hong Kong. Specifically his request (Talkback, July 15) to explain the principle that man must reshape his environment to survive.
Survival, in this context, does not mean living a hand-to-mouth subsistence level that so many environmentalists advocate. Rather it means thriving in an environment where modern technology has added 50 years to average human life expectancy, and in the case of Hong Kong, an environment that attracts over 20 million visitors a year.
The principle of man reshaping his environment to survive means clearing land to build homes, infrastructure and places to work; extracting minerals from the ground for use in bridges, appliances and operating theatres; and taking raw materials, and turning them into food, pharmaceutical products and furniture.This is what has extended our lives significantly, and what every producer should actively defend. (More details can be found in the book Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, by Leonard Peikoff.)
This principle that man must reshape his environment to survive stands in direct contrast to the typical environmentalist’s insistence of preservation and privation at all costs. I believe this includes Mr Robins’ plan to plunge Hong Kong into darkness. As such, I call upon him to end the Lights Out campaign.
Simon Patkin, Causeway Bay
Good grief…
Saying "in this context" is like trying to justify using the word "literally" when you mean exactly the opposite. Why use "survive" when there are other perfectly good words such as "thrive", or phrases such as "have a good life" that would be more appropriate? Oh, I see…
Gotta love the examples. Who could argue that we need to extract minerals to use in operating theatres. Er, well, yes, if you say so. Totally irrelevant to the argument of course, but never mind. Oh, and of course these operating theatres full of minerals would be operated in the private sector rather than by the nasty old government. What’s not to like about that?
Still no word on whether Simon believes that it is necessary to fill in the harbour as part of man’s relentless struggle to "reshape his environment to survive". Maybe it would provide more badly-needed pharmaceutical products, bridges, appliances and furniture. I hope I have understood the argument correctly.
Ordinary Gweilo 
Leave a reply to dave Cancel reply