Seriously: Do you believe that CM Air Quality will Deteriorate/Improve in your lifetime?

[GammaGlobulin]

Hi Folks,

 

And, let's get real.

 

Many of us have existed in Asia/SE-Asia for many years.

 

Some, have lived here for more years than they can even recall, being drunk out of their gourds or just slap-happy on some beach.

 

But, I ask you, now, about the air pollution problem which is NOT really Thailand's problem.

 

MUCH, in my opinion, of the air pollution, and the smoke, which wafts toward us here in Thailand, is NOT of our own making.

 

And so, I wonder if you have some unfounded notion that the air quality here in Chiang Mai might suddenly, and miraculously, improve, during your lifetimes?

 

It might.

 

or

 

It might not.

 

And, if the air quality remains, for the foreseeable future, roughly the same as it is now, or if it continues to deteriorate....then....

 

What plans have you considered in order to make your life here more healthy and pleasurable?

 

It seems to me that there is only one solution for the individual:

 

One needs to HARDEN one's Envelope against the Encroaching Pollution.

 

How do you plan to do this?

 

There are many strategies that you have probably already thought of.

And, what are these?

 

Do these include weather-stripping all cracks around your windows?

But, this is just the first line of defense.

 

How many more air purifiers do you anticipate importing/buying from China.

 

What else can one do to minimize the health risks of living in a region which is impacted by three contiguous SMOKING countries?

 

The smoke seems to be getting worse.

And, the heat also seems to be getting worse.

 

One might be a fool if one did not begin to think about how to....

HARDEN one's home against the manmade smoke and warming that will surely get worse during this next decade.

 

Right?

 

So, then, what is your personal strategy to protect your lungs, your heart, and your home?

 

Regards,

Gamma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stoner]

37 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

One might be a fool if one did not begin to think about how to....

HARDEN one's home against the manmade smoke and warming that will surely get worse during this next decade.

 

begin to ? 

 

a few weeks ago they had a thread on here about the spiking cancer numbers. one WOULD BE a fool to even consider remaining in a place where every breath you take is poison.

 

 

[Dioj]

Not sure about CM, but the air quality from the breath of all of GG's polluted posts gasping for attention is about the worst I've ever seen on AN. 

[bkk6060]

It will get worse as it costs to much and people will have to make sacrifices for it to improve. 

[ezzra]

It can be if people will stop, or better yet, the government will not allow the habit and practice of 

crop burnings, what other farmers in other countries are doing? go learn from them...

[spidermike007]

Improvement would require solutions. It will not happen in a vacuum. The govt. needs to grow a set of cajones, and stand up to Big Agra. Much harm is being done by local agricultural fires and forest fires caused by local burning. 

 

Also, using a poorly maintained diesel car or truck needs to result in a very harsh penalty. When extremely cheap and ignorant people refuse to change their oil for years in a diesel, the harm to the air is horrific. They need to meet an unpleasant fate. 

 

There are solutions. Srettha sloth is not helping. 

Edited May 5 by spidermike007

[Sticky Rice Balls]

4 hours ago, Dioj said:

Not sure about CM, but the air quality from the breath of all of GG's polluted posts gasping for attention is about the worst I've ever seen on AN. 

AMEN!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[malibukid]

On 5/5/2024 at 7:14 AM, spidermike007 said:

Improvement would require solutions. It will not happen in a vacuum. The govt. needs to grow a set of cajones, and stand up to Big Agra. Much harm is being done by local agricultural fires and forest fires caused by local burning. 

 

Also, using a poorly maintained diesel car or truck needs to result in a very harsh penalty. When extremely cheap and ignorant people refuse to change their oil for years in a diesel, the harm to the air is horrific. They need to meet an unpleasant fate. 

 

There are solutions. Srettha sloth is not helping. 

there should be a hotline number to call if you see a vehicle that is polluting like in the States. in California we have very strict requirements to have your car tested every year in order to renew the registration.  growing up in Los Angeles i can remember the smog alerts.  well, we cleaned the air up, now smog is a thing of the past.

[newbee2022]

On 5/5/2024 at 3:23 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Hi Folks,

 

And, let's get real.

 

Many of us have existed in Asia/SE-Asia for many years.

 

Some, have lived here for more years than they can even recall, being drunk out of their gourds or just slap-happy on some beach.

 

But, I ask you, now, about the air pollution problem which is NOT really Thailand's problem.

 

MUCH, in my opinion, of the air pollution, and the smoke, which wafts toward us here in Thailand, is NOT of our own making.

 

And so, I wonder if you have some unfounded notion that the air quality here in Chiang Mai might suddenly, and miraculously, improve, during your lifetimes?

 

It might.

 

or

 

It might not.

 

And, if the air quality remains, for the foreseeable future, roughly the same as it is now, or if it continues to deteriorate....then....

 

What plans have you considered in order to make your life here more healthy and pleasurable?

 

It seems to me that there is only one solution for the individual:

 

One needs to HARDEN one's Envelope against the Encroaching Pollution.

 

How do you plan to do this?

 

There are many strategies that you have probably already thought of.

And, what are these?

 

Do these include weather-stripping all cracks around your windows?

But, this is just the first line of defense.

 

How many more air purifiers do you anticipate importing/buying from China.

 

What else can one do to minimize the health risks of living in a region which is impacted by three contiguous SMOKING countries?

 

The smoke seems to be getting worse.

And, the heat also seems to be getting worse.

 

One might be a fool if one did not begin to think about how to....

HARDEN one's home against the manmade smoke and warming that will surely get worse during this next decade.

 

Right?

 

So, then, what is your personal strategy to protect your lungs, your heart, and your home?

 

Regards,

Gamma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course bad air has an impact on your health. 

Solution: move from Jan/Febr up to June to the South or visit Portugal/Spain.🙏

[ms1260]

The village headman where i live makes an announcement on the village speaker system for a week straight not to drink ice water in this heat,says it can kill you.HUH.

on April 30th he announced that the government says burning season is open..the air was bad enough beforehand now all the farmers are burning the stubble.it went from bad to worse.

In this area you certainly cannot blame anyone else but the local farmers. Thailand needs to clean up their own backyard.It might set an example for the neighboring countries.

You can't make this stuff up.cigarette smoking is banned in public places but the farmers can pollute the air that everyone breathes?WTF We went to Samui last year for a month to get away from the smoke.i dont know what was worse the smoke here or Samui.Needless to say Samui sucked and we will never return. Free masks in Chiangmai tho.Totally inept government.

[susanlea]

It will likely get worse. Heat never bothered us but the PM levels did. I think the whole area needs to be avoided for 3 months.

[PumpkinEater]

AQI was in the RED for the entire country this morning! Now in Orange…

This problem should be treated as Covid was treated with the upmost seriousness.

Unfortunately the Blah blah politicians along with the smoker Thais and Tourists really could care less. 
 

We the uncaring people along with our dim witted politicians will certainly be the demise of the human race…slow or fast remains only to be seen.

 

We are hoping for mother nature (rain) to solve our problems as we destroy her!

 

Cheers!

[mogandave]

I can’t speak to CM, but BKK is absolutely better than 20 years ago.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

there should be a hotline number to call if you see a vehicle that is polluting like in the States. in California we have very strict requirements to have your car tested every year in order to renew the registration.  growing up in Los Angeles i can remember the smog alerts.  well, we cleaned the air up, now smog is a thing of the past.

Good idea. A while back they had a campaign and they had posters with phone numbers that you could call to report vehicles that were polluting. We were driving and we saw this truck that was pumping out huge black clouds of smoke and I copied down their license plate and I dialed the number, and handed my phone to my Thai woman, and asked her to speak to the department. She asked the person who answered the phone what can they do? He asked her  why are you calling us, and she said, well you have phone numbers posted to report polluting vehicles? Right? The guy said well I don't know who I would report it to, and she said well that's not really our issue is it? You're supposed to be monitoring polluting vehicles. He said OK, give me the license plate number and I'll see what I can do. My wife said are you going to do anything? He said, I don't know I need to look at the regulations first and see who I'm supposed to report it to, and then maybe somebody will do something. 

[fredwiggy]

On 5/5/2024 at 3:23 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Hi Folks,

 

And, let's get real.

 

Many of us have existed in Asia/SE-Asia for many years.

 

Some, have lived here for more years than they can even recall, being drunk out of their gourds or just slap-happy on some beach.

 

But, I ask you, now, about the air pollution problem which is NOT really Thailand's problem.

 

MUCH, in my opinion, of the air pollution, and the smoke, which wafts toward us here in Thailand, is NOT of our own making.

 

And so, I wonder if you have some unfounded notion that the air quality here in Chiang Mai might suddenly, and miraculously, improve, during your lifetimes?

 

It might.

 

or

 

It might not.

 

And, if the air quality remains, for the foreseeable future, roughly the same as it is now, or if it continues to deteriorate....then....

 

What plans have you considered in order to make your life here more healthy and pleasurable?

 

It seems to me that there is only one solution for the individual:

 

One needs to HARDEN one's Envelope against the Encroaching Pollution.

 

How do you plan to do this?

 

There are many strategies that you have probably already thought of.

And, what are these?

 

Do these include weather-stripping all cracks around your windows?

But, this is just the first line of defense.

 

How many more air purifiers do you anticipate importing/buying from China.

 

What else can one do to minimize the health risks of living in a region which is impacted by three contiguous SMOKING countries?

 

The smoke seems to be getting worse.

And, the heat also seems to be getting worse.

 

One might be a fool if one did not begin to think about how to....

HARDEN one's home against the manmade smoke and warming that will surely get worse during this next decade.

 

Right?

 

So, then, what is your personal strategy to protect your lungs, your heart, and your home?

 

Regards,

Gamma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure where you get the idea that it's not Thailand that is causing the problem, but it is all of Thailand's problem. China has many cities in the top world polluters and Thailand has2 in ther top 5.This isn't pollution drifting in from surrounding countries but started here. There are laws against burning and they are not enforced, just like many other laws  that are routinely broken here. I see burning almost daily, and not just in the fields but on roadsides and in people's yards. They think it's okay to burn anything because it's done so much here and nothing is done to enforce against it. I have to tell my girlfriend to stop burning trash and leaves, but instead use the leaves for fertilizer, but it usually falls on deaf ears for the same reasons. There are  ways to use the chaff from sugar cane and rice that other countries use and they know about them here but again, nothing is done. Air quality here will continue to get worse until they enforce the existing laws, meaning now.        .............https://www.iqair.com/th-en/world-air-quality-ranking

Edited May 6 by fredwiggy
Addition

[malibukid]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Good idea. A while back they had a campaign and they had posters with phone numbers that you could call to report vehicles that were polluting. We were driving and we saw this truck that was pumping out huge black clouds of smoke and I copied down their license plate and I dialed the number, and handed my phone to my Thai woman, and asked her to speak to the department. She asked the person who answered the phone what can they do? He asked her  why are you calling us, and she said, well you have phone numbers posted to report polluting vehicles? Right? The guy said well I don't know who I would report it to, and she said well that's not really our issue is it? You're supposed to be monitoring polluting vehicles. He said OK, give me the license plate number and I'll see what I can do. My wife said are you going to do anything? He said, I don't know I need to look at the regulations first and see who I'm supposed to report it to, and then maybe somebody will do something. 

feckless

[KhunLA]

I think it's gotten worse ever since I've been here, so don't expect it to get better, only worse still.

[sangtip2]

On 5/5/2024 at 7:14 AM, spidermike007 said:

Improvement would require solutions. It will not happen in a vacuum. The govt. needs to grow a set of cajones, and stand up to Big Agra. Much harm is being done by local agricultural fires and forest fires caused by local burning. 

 

Also, using a poorly maintained diesel car or truck needs to result in a very harsh penalty. When extremely cheap and ignorant people refuse to change their oil for years in a diesel, the harm to the air is horrific. They need to meet an unpleasant fate. 

 

There are solutions. Srettha sloth is not helping. 

Changing oil in a diesel engine has little effect on the pollution created by that engine.    Changing the air filter will most of the time solve the problem of excessive black smoke.   

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

feckless

True, but also more importantly incredibly insincere. Srettha for instance seems to have zero interest in cleaning up the air, and has not put forth a single proposal that would do anything to improve the quality of life for the Thai people. 

 

He is simply too compromised, morally bankrupt and sold out, to stand up to Big Agra. 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, sangtip2 said:

Changing oil in a diesel engine has little effect on the pollution created by that engine.    Changing the air filter will most of the time solve the problem of excessive black smoke.   

Incorrect. 

 

These types of engines tend to operate in more severe conditions than gasoline engines, so the oil plays a crucial role in capturing and containing pollutants. This prevents the accumulation of sediment in the engine, improving its efficiency and, of course, prolonging its useful life.  

 

https://lubricants.repsol.com/en/news/como-afecta-aceite-de-coche-a-motor-diesel/

 

Diesel exhaust is incredibly toxic, and filthy, and there is no place for diesel cars in this day and age. 

 

The press releases state that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution. An article on the Environmental Health News website (EHN is a non-profit, independent organization) states that an estimated 6% of lung cancer deaths in the US and in the UK may be due to diesel exhaust, according to a study released in November 2013.

 

https://www.acfa.org.sg/newsletters/clean-diesel-dirty-truth

[cmjl]

1 hour ago, sangtip2 said:

Changing oil in a diesel engine has little effect on the pollution created by that engine.    Changing the air filter will most of the time solve the problem of excessive black smoke.   

Or is it the injectors need cleaning? How about servicing the vehicle properly.

[fredwiggy]

31 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Incorrect. 

 

These types of engines tend to operate in more severe conditions than gasoline engines, so the oil plays a crucial role in capturing and containing pollutants. This prevents the accumulation of sediment in the engine, improving its efficiency and, of course, prolonging its useful life.  

 

https://lubricants.repsol.com/en/news/como-afecta-aceite-de-coche-a-motor-diesel/

 

Diesel exhaust is incredibly toxic, and filthy, and there is no place for diesel cars in this day and age. 

 

The press releases state that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution. An article on the Environmental Health News website (EHN is a non-profit, independent organization) states that an estimated 6% of lung cancer deaths in the US and in the UK may be due to diesel exhaust, according to a study released in November 2013.

 

https://www.acfa.org.sg/newsletters/clean-diesel-dirty-truth

He is right that a clean air filter reduces the black smoke in a diesel. Also using a higher Cetane in the fuel., along with clean injectors as said. All fuel based motors emit pollutants, so they should be eliminated eventually, as long as there are better alternatives like electric, when they are perfected. Burning of chaff and cigarettes are the ones that hurt most people here, especially in country living.

Edited May 6 by fredwiggy

[alien365]

On 5/6/2024 at 1:27 PM, malibukid said:

 in California we have very strict requirements to have your car tested every year in order to renew the registration.  

I thought we have that here too to renew the road tax after 5 years. It may not be as strict though. 

[NotEinstein]

Everybody quotes IQAir, and they always seem to promote Chiang Mai as one of, if not the worst polluted city in the world. Whenever I look at https://www.ventusky.com/?p=17.2;100.9;5&l=pm25   this is never the case, with the eastern half of China and places in India being many times worse, as one would expect given the amount of dirty industry going on there.

Edited May 7 by NotEinstein

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

Everybody quotes IQAir, and they always seem to promote Chiang Mai as one of, if not the worst polluted city in the world. Whenever I look at https://www.ventusky.com/?p=17.2;100.9;5&l=pm25   this is never the case, with the eastern half of China and places in India being many times worse, as one would expect given the amount of dirty industry going on there.

 

The air in Thailand is very clean compared to the air in China.

Just go there if you don't believe me.

 

This has been the case for many, many years.