Chamber of commerce proposes measures to tackle air pollution

By THE NATION

 

 

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has proposed increasing the use of agricultural waste in biomass power plants to tackle the air pollution problem which is affecting economic growth as well as the health of people, chamber chairman Kalin Sarasin said on Wednesday (January 29).

 

“We urge the government to promote the use of byproducts from agricultural harvesting as fuel in local biomass power plants such as sugarcane leaves, rice straws and corn cobs,” he said. “This will help in reducing the need to burn crop fields as many power plants have closed burning chambers that don’t produce air pollution.”

 

“We wish to see zero burning of crop fields in Thailand by 2022, and agree with the government’s policy to punish those who burn their fields by cutting financial aid to the offenders,” he added.

 

Kalin has also proposed that the government establish a fund for agricultural cooperatives and community enterprises for loans at low interest to buy harvesting machines or hire additional labourers to clean up their fields after harvesting.

 

“Alternately, the government may support the business of harvesting services by a third party, or appeal to agricultural entrepreneurs to help farmers in harvesting and cleaning up their fields by providing tax breaks,” he said.

 

Kalin added that the private sector had previously proposed the draft of the Clean Air Act to the House of Representatives, with more than 30,000 signatures in support nationwide and is currently under the process of finalising the details. “The Thai Chamber of Commerce will soon have a meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which is the responsible agency to make this draft a law as soon as possible,” he added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381276

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-30

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

We wish to see zero burning of crop fields in Thailand by 2022,

By then, the whole Thai population will be wiped out by black lungs.

These days, everybody comes of with measures and proposals...only exactly ZERO of these measures will actually happen!

Basket case of a country!

Several years back when the in vogue topic of sugar  cane burn offs gained some publicity a sugar  mill up Surin way was claiming it would not accept  burnt cane. What seemed to be a promising solution was that they were buying up the biomass waste being a side product of the machine harvesters. The  biomass was being made into round  bales and carted to same  mill for using as an energy supply (supplementary ?) in the sugar refining process.

I saw it happening......... for 1 year/season ! It  may still happen but not around our area.

There is the question of atmospheric CO2 from even efficient burning that purists may object to but at least it removes the more  immediate danger of micro particle pollution.

There is little  recognition of the fact that  biomass that is left to decompose also releases CO2 . The amount varies with the different circumstances under which it decomposes but is undeniably less than combustion.

If recombined  with the soil by turning under it also enhances the soil structure as well as  retaining some organic nutrients and a greater percentage of carbon compounds.

Unfortunately that advantage is lost with sugar cane  because if the  waste is left on the surface the majority of it as it decomposes is eroded by wind and weather. Given the  permanent crop structure of  sugar cane it is  not  very viable to turn in under in the same way biomass from annual crops can potentially be. Despite that it would be environmentally more friendly to let it stay.

The conundrum of biomass burning can only be overcome by a combination of education, strict enforcement against pollution by burning AND fairer trade practices by the  Sugar Cartel !

Sadly I have to admit I am more likely to see several  Flying Pigs  sail past before that happens.

 

 

Talk, talk, talk and then suddenly.....the burning season is over and all forgotten until next year.   Happens year after year, all talk and no action !

2 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Several years back when the in vogue topic of sugar  cane burn offs gained some publicity a sugar  mill up Surin way was claiming it would not accept  burnt cane. What seemed to be a promising solution was that they were buying up the biomass waste being a side product of the machine harvesters. The  biomass was being made into round  bales and carted to same  mill for using as an energy supply (supplementary ?) in the sugar refining process.

I saw it happening......... for 1 year/season ! It  may still happen but not around our area.

There is the question of atmospheric CO2 from even efficient burning that purists may object to but at least it removes the more  immediate danger of micro particle pollution.

There is little  recognition of the fact that  biomass that is left to decompose also releases CO2 . The amount varies with the different circumstances under which it decomposes but is undeniably less than combustion.

If recombined  with the soil by turning under it also enhances the soil structure as well as  retaining some organic nutrients and a greater percentage of carbon compounds.

Unfortunately that advantage is lost with sugar cane  because if the  waste is left on the surface the majority of it as it decomposes is eroded by wind and weather. Given the  permanent crop structure of  sugar cane it is  not  very viable to turn in under in the same way biomass from annual crops can potentially be. Despite that it would be environmentally more friendly to let it stay.

The conundrum of biomass burning can only be overcome by a combination of education, strict enforcement against pollution by burning AND fairer trade practices by the  Sugar Cartel !

Sadly I have to admit I am more likely to see several  Flying Pigs  sail past before that happens.

 

 

I have seen them bailing the leaves where I live wondered what it was used for. Burning it in a power plant the exhaust can be filtered and scrubbed to remove particulates

No believe TIT

1 hour ago, TheFishman1 said:

No believe TIT

You Farang. No understand Thailand ????

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Chamber of commerce proposes measures to tackle air pollution

One day Thailand will wake up and actually do something!

Why would anyone expect a solution from the "Chamber of Commerce", their role is to further the interests of business! not protect the environment, its due to the likes of them that the country is so polluted in the first place, by always putting money first!

Makes too much sense, maidai.

Simples, as the Meerkat would say. Change crop and stop growing Sugarcane. Unfortunately, Thais have less brain than a Meerkat so it aint gonna happen.

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

One day Thailand will wake up and actually do something!

The question is "when"? I fear it may almost be too late...

Greta should come to Thailand...

 

 

19 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

The conundrum of biomass burning can only be overcome by a combination of education...

Education does not work so no time should be wasted on it. Anyone who thinks otherwise should try educating just one farmer and see what happens. Will he become a good samaritan of the earth like a sheep and evangelize other into a happy paradise -OR- will he explain the facts to you that's it's his land and he does what he pleases and that you barging into his life is the only problem? Nothing should delay the end game of strict enforcement of tough laws. Educating farmers has no chance of working.

 

 

1 hour ago, rhyddid said:

Impose heavy fines and high taxations of of sugar, jail for who burn, as well promote the use of bio mass.

Farmers become lazy as well sugar company always try to pay less and less to farmers, kill the disease at the head, apply very heavy tax to sugar producers and sugar trade such money will fund the free bio mass usage as well labour to chop the crops once dried 

And the tax will be passed on to the consumer