Growing Campaign against Sugarcane Field Burning

 

 

BANGKOK, Feb 19 (TNA) - The Air Pollution Resolutions Center, sugarcane millers and sugarcane producers in many areas join a campaign against the burning of sugarcane plantations to reduce smog.

 

Attapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department and head of the Air Pollution Resolutions Center, said that the service fees of sugarcane harvesters and square balers remained high and poor sugarcane growers were forced to burn their fields before harvesting.

 

However, the government was inviting operators to support the campaign against smog from sugarcane plantations which covered about 10 million rai in 47 provinces. Most of 58 sugarcane mills nationwide joined the campaign and more were expected to follow suit, Mr Attapol said.

 

Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news/line-today-english-news-640279

 

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6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Attapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department and head of the Air Pollution Resolutions Center, said that the service fees of sugarcane harvesters and square balers remained high and poor sugarcane growers were forced to burn their fields before harvesting.

How about trading in those useless submarines for a few thousand harvesters and square balers?

 

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

However, the government was inviting operators to support the campaign

What, in God's name, does that actually mean?

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

However, the government was inviting operators to support the campaign against smog

Why is a government who hands out prison sentences covering decades for making unhelpful or critical comments shying away from doing their job ?
" Inviting " operators will have little or no impact. Make it illegal to set fires and prosecute landowners who do. By this i mean that it will then be the landowners responsibility to ensure that his fields do not mysteriously self combust overnight, if they do he/she is for the high jump.
When stubble burning was made illegal in Europe farmers railed against it, but is was seen that ploughing in stopped the loss of nitrogen in the soil and crop yields soared. They soon changed their tune, and the same should happen here.

Wake up and smell the coffee, not the smoke.

17 hours ago, webfact said:

the service fees of sugarcane harvesters and square balers remained high and poor sugarcane growers were forced to burn their fields before harvesting.

 

If the thai government would invest a few billions in new harvesters instead of submarines , the poor farmers would not be ' forced ' to burn their crop , and general air quality would ameliorate ... good for everybody .

We are coming in to 'black snow' season here now as they start to burn the sugar but I believe burning the corn fields in the north is a greater problem.

27 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

We are coming in to 'black snow' season here now as they start to burn the sugar but I believe burning the corn fields in the north is a greater problem.

Not to mention burning the rice fields and everything else in sight! It's criminal human rights abuse that these peasants are subjected to for the profits margins of few elite sino/Thai agro cartels that control the industry. ????

In many villages there is no organized garbage collection. Farmers are forced to burn their garbage. So build incinerators to generate electricity, collect the waste and sell back the electricity. I understand that there are issues with the dust filters but still better than blowing everything in the air.

19 hours ago, Surelynot said:

What, in God's name, does that actually mean?

It's still optional to burn or not.... basically.

Get yourself a PM2.5 detector, then you make intelligent decisions as to where you go, and what you do.  Today, some burning in Isaan, but are mixes well with the seasonal winds.

Groups like the World Economic Forum are riding Western governments to enact laws enforcing zero carbon emissions within the next 15 years if not sooner. Thailand is a signatory on the Paris Climate Accords not that it means much.  I don't see how they maintain that status and still turn a blind eye to the sugar cane, corn, and rice burning -  not to mention to widespread arson in the Thai regional and national forests started by locals seeking to clear the underbush so they can hunt mushrooms in the rainy season.  For sure Thailand will never be able to afford the "carbon offsets."  Sure, they pay lip service to it all, but when PM2.5 levels go into the purple Extreme Danger level in the North during Hot Season it's a testament to the fact that in reality the government regulation is doing just about nothing.  Assessment of effective enforcement is easy.  If the air pollution stays bad, then nothing is being accomplished.  If there is significant improvements in the PM 2.5 levels, then something is actually being done.
All this talk?  Just Feel Good hot air for general news consumption - "Look! Over here!  We're doing something!  Take some pictures!!!."  Very little actual mitigation and enforcement by all the various ministries tasked with addressing the 'air pollution problem.'  They'll bust some elderly geezer burning trash at dusk and make a public display of the offender while there is a 1000 rai of sugar cane burning a kilometer away and fires burn all over the surrounding mountains ("What can we do?" <wrings hands>. "We can't catch people starting the fires." <pouts while tears wells in the spokesperson's eye>.

I made an effective inexpensive air filtration unit, for around 1000 baht. I used a blue plastic crate with the many holes in it on 5 sides and keep it up off the floor. It is lined it with 1" fish tank filter material.  I put a wall mounted bathroom fan on the top on plywood to push air through. I mix a strong mixture of dishsoap and water in a spray bottle, then spray it onto the filter cloth so the dried residual soap on the filter helps air particles stick. The airflow is many times higher than a store bought unit, so air goes through it many more times per hour than other units, which I think makes up for a lower filtration efficiency compared to a 15,000 baht unit with 99% HEPA particle filters. By closing all the outside doors and windows, I can filter the whole house quite well as the air goes through the filter many times. It is quiet, cost effective, and you can wash this filter again and again for free as needed.

 

On 2/19/2021 at 3:26 PM, Surelynot said:

What, in God's name, does that actually mean?

no one knows, but it sure sounds good! ????

It's  all really very  simple, Thais and the Govt don't  give a $hit  about it, theyr'e  selfish  in the majority, they really aren't those  happy nice  smiley TAT  approved BS  people they make themselves out to be, selfish me first and ....you  attitude from driving to burning. Even with refuse  collection round near me they still burn their  rubbish inc.  plastics and the amount the collection costs is  paltry, that's when they aren't just throwing it  off their  bikes/school  buses vacant land  etc.