Wheezing Thailand needs a clean-air act, government told

[Andycoops]

They can pass all the acts and laws they like until they are blue in the face but if they are not enforced 

it's just a waste of time.

[spidermike007]

There is a very simple solution to this problem. If the authorities were interested in solutions. The burning has to stop. There are alternatives, to this 19th century technique of burning after the sugar cane harvest. Either the government starts to encourage farmers to switch to more environmentally friendly crops, or they start to penalize farmers for burning. This heinous burning, is leading to a tremendous degree of environmental degradation, and alot of lung disease. So here is what I propose-

 

1. Fine the farmers 5,000 baht for a first offense, and give them a stern warning, that burning is now prohibited, and the second fine will be very harsh.

2. For a second offense, fine the farmer 100,000 baht, and warn them that if the burning continues, their land will be confiscated.

3. On the 3rd offense, confiscate their land. Period. No questions. No legal proceeding or appeals on the part of the farmers. Allow others to come in and purchase the land at a fair price, with the caveat that sugar is prohibited as a crop to be grown on that land. 

The news would travel faster than the toxic smoke, and farmers would change their ways overnight, and move into the 21st century. There are so many alternatives to sugar, which is a blight on the nation.

 

Same applies to burning trash. Fine the perpetrators. Fine the hell out of the villagers. Impose 1,000 fines for a first time offense. Payable on the spot. You do not have the cash. Borrow it. You cannot borrow it, ok will will confiscate your vehicle until you can pay. We are serious. What you are doing is wrong. Second time offense, 10,000 baht. Three strikes and you lose your home and land. You were warned!

 

The word would get around. The only way you can convince a tribal people to take the environment seriously, is out of fear. No matter how much they profess to love their nation, they continue to trash it, at an alarming level, without the tiniest thought of the consequences. Scare them into doing the right thing.

[Sir Swagman]

At least they can approach this with a clear and uncluttered mind.

 

[Jimdandy]

Take a deep breath and think about a solution...

[Captain 776]

No matter what law or what country it is in...........it is only as good as its application and enforcement...........look at leading countries that already have clean air acts and have had them for years and the resounding failures they are.........with California being the worst.

 

When you fly into Los Angeles or drive over The Grapevine on Route 99.......and get to where you can see Los Angeles off in the distance..........there is a significantly distinct dull ORANGE rust colored cloud of smog and disgusting pollution hovering over the city from the ocean to San Bernardino and they have some of the strictest air standards in the world........TOTALLY UNENFORCED 

[MadMac]

Nothing is ever going to happen to fix this. Look at pathetic measures like the recently announced high tax for big bikes. How many big bikes are burning in the forest or lay a smoke screen on the streets? And no, they don't do this for pollution but taxes, remember the ridiculous duty on wine? How many Thais drink wine?

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

There is a very simple solution to this problem. If the authorities were interested in solutions. The burning has to stop. There are alternatives, to this 19th century technique of burning after the sugar cane harvest. Either the government starts to encourage farmers to switch to more environmentally friendly crops, or they start to penalize farmers for burning. This heinous burning, is leading to a tremendous degree of environmental degradation, and alot of lung disease. So here is what I propose-

 

1. Fine the farmers 5,000 baht for a first offense, and give them a stern warning, that burning is now prohibited, and the second fine will be very harsh.

2. For a second offense, fine the farmer 100,000 baht, and warn them that if the burning continues, their land will be confiscated.

3. On the 3rd offense, confiscate their land. Period. No questions. No legal proceeding or appeals on the part of the farmers. Allow others to come in and purchase the land at a fair price, with the caveat that sugar is prohibited as a crop to be grown on that land. 

The news would travel faster than the toxic smoke, and farmers would change their ways overnight, and move into the 21st century. There are so many alternatives to sugar, which is a blight on the nation.

 

Same applies to burning trash. Fine the perpetrators. Fine the hell out of the villagers. Impose 1,000 fines for a first time offense. Payable on the spot. You do not have the cash. Borrow it. You cannot borrow it, ok will will confiscate your vehicle until you can pay. We are serious. What you are doing is wrong. Second time offense, 10,000 baht. Three strikes and you lose your home and land. You were warned!

 

The word would get around. The only way you can convince a tribal people to take the environment seriously, is out of fear. No matter how much they profess to love their nation, they continue to trash it, at an alarming level, without the tiniest thought of the consequences. Scare them into doing the right thing.

You forgot to mention the 'mushroom burning' in the forests.

[jackdd]

19 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

You forgot to mention the 'mushroom burning' in the forests.

Or the burning of trash in the forests

Yesterday evening, Doi Suthep, somebody dumped rubbish in the forrest and set it on fire.

[ocddave]

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

Or the burning of trash in the forests

Yesterday evening, Doi Suthep, somebody dumped rubbish in the forrest and set it on fire.

That must be the Thailand version of the "Leave no trace" program, nice.

[cardinalblue]

Captain, 

 

today PM 2.5 - bkk 132 Los Angeles 11

 

please don’t embarrass yourself about your lack of knowledge of the CAA, regional air quality standards and their effectiveness since the 1970s...

 

but I do appreciate your try at creative storytelling...Trump-like 

 

[trainman34014]

5 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Indeed, the UK had one in 1956, the US seven years later. Thailand really needs one. 

 

It takes Thailand at least 100 years to catch up, so it will be a while yet !

[connda]

When pigs fly.  Elites can afford to hole up in air conditioned and air purified offices well away for the PM 2.5 that is slowly killing the North and BKK.  Lip service is all you'll hear, and you'll stop hearing that next month when the rains are here in earnest. 

[batata]

maybe starting to clean the government would be a good start... with new innovative/creative people the air would be much cleaner

[Small Joke]

Indonesia has the 1st, Thailand has the 3rd most powerful military in Asia, and yet neither is aggressively deployed to resolve their respective pollution problems?

 

Too busy chasing drugs, which Thailand has only just half-arse admitted is a health issue, not a criminal one.

 

Do drug pushers and users harm the rest of us?

 

The bronze age farmer/burners and criminal arsonists certainly do!

 

How about deploying the army and police to do something useful for once?

 

 

[soistalker]

Half the buses and tuktuks are spewing black smoke out of the back. You get on one of these tuktuks, and it is seriously bad to be there for 20 minutes or so with the smoke up in your face. And Sonchai driver is of course smoking with a three year old sleeping next to him.

Zero enforcement of toxic vehicles. There's no money in it.

[Billthekiwi]

On Monday I had to take my daughter to Immigration and then to school in Khon Kaen.

 

Along the side of 230 just after the intersection with 2131 heading SE to Terminal 3, there were acres of fire. The air was filled with smoke and visibility was much reduced on the road.

 

The PM2.5 had just reduced to a moderate level the previous week and I thought good the worst is over... BUT

 

Then some dropkick decides to cause harm to all the surrounding district. Where the hell were the police and/or government officials?

 

You could see the smoke for 5-10 kms.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Billthekiwi
Spelling.

[The Deerhunter]

On 5/13/2019 at 10:27 AM, jonwilly said:

"I used to walk outside 2 hours a day. Now I feel tired after about 40 minutes." 

And I thought it was just me who suffered.

 

john

Becomimg 20 years older did that to.me without air pollution.