Slash And Burning In Chiang Mai... You Are Thai, What Do You Think?

[xenophanes]

Many influential and intelligent Thais read and contribute to this forum and it would be fascinating to know their views on the slash and burn pollution that has now reappeared in Chiang Mai and will worsen for the next four months.

Doi Suthep has disappeared into the smog and the air smells acrid and scorched. Particulate airborne matter is a proven killer which especially threatens the very young and the more senior members of society.

A Thai view please?

What are you doing to stop this? Do you want it stopped?

In Copenhagen, the green wheels are grinding. In Thailand?

[Mario2008]

Topic discription added, to make clear this is about slash and burning.

[Ulysses G.]

I was thinking that it is really nice at this time of year.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[gotlost]

I can see for 15 kilometers. Wait tell February and March.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

<deleted>... Most beautiful time of the year and someone finds the time complain?!

[BlackArtemis]

Can't see any wheels grinding in Copenhagen... All that smog from the private jets and fleet of limos.

Maybe all that hot air will blow it away though

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Or, the same "<deleted>!?" but expressed in a factual numerical format:

Please dude.

[jerrylee]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

[gotlost]

I thank the OP is the one in red. .

Monks and foreign activists in Santa costume protest to mark Asian Climate Action Day outside the US consulate general in Chiang Mai Wed. They campaigned for the US to cut down on emissions and mitigate destructions.

Edited December 10, 2009 by gotlost

[vagabond48]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

and other well fed Caucasians will probably pass 2 to 3 times more methane into the air we breath, not counting the additional methane from the animals that are bred, killed and consumed to satisfy their larger appetites.

Edited December 10, 2009 by vagabond48

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

has the win an award for most over emotional thread title attempt.

The air is great now. enjoy it while it lasts.

[elektrified]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

<deleted>? They eat meat and other animal products like there is no tomorrow!

Wake up. Have you ever looked at the size of some Thais these days?

Put your head back in the sand. Go back to sleep.

[mamborobert]

God/Darwin gave me incisors to eat meat not carrots.

The air here now is great in the morning and night, nice fresh and crisp.

Walking around in the day is different though, a bit thicker, a bit odorous. Then again there are a lot more hippies in singlets, fisherman pants, and sandals walking round in the day time.

[roger1999]

Looking right out my window I can easily see a haze over Doi Suthep, and, given that it is December, wonder where it is coming from? True, come Feb. - March it will be much worse.

[vagabond48]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

<deleted>? They eat meat and other animal products like there is no tomorrow!

Wake up. Have you ever looked at the size of some Thais these days?

Put your head back in the sand. Go back to sleep.

You are right there are some over weight Thais out there, but the overall the average Thai (ie Asian) is smaller compared to fast food well fed Westerners.

The Thais may eat a lot of meat but in smaller portions.

I can't vouch for this survey but it can't be far from the truth. The Japan and South Korea listed as dead last, are the only Asian countries. Maybe it's a coverup.

Rank Countries Amount

# 1 United States: 30.6%

# 2 Mexico: 24.2%

# 3 United Kingdom: 23%

# 4 Slovakia: 22.4%

# 5 Greece: 21.9%

# 6 Australia: 21.7%

# 7 New Zealand: 20.9%

# 8 Hungary: 18.8%

# 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%

# 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%

# 11 Canada: 14.3%

# 12 Spain: 13.1%

# 13 Ireland: 13%

# 14 Germany: 12.9%

= 15 Portugal: 12.8%

= 15 Finland: 12.8%

# 17 Iceland: 12.4%

# 18 Turkey: 12%

# 19 Belgium: 11.7%

# 20 Netherlands: 10%

# 21 Sweden: 9.7%

# 22 Denmark: 9.5%

# 23 France: 9.4%

# 24 Austria: 9.1%

# 25 Italy: 8.5%

# 26 Norway: 8.3%

# 27 Switzerland: 7.7%

= 28 Japan: 3.2%

= 28 Korea, South: 3.2%

Sorry to be off topic.

Back on topic, as a bicyclist, the air does appear to be fresh and clean for this time of year.

[Gonzo the Face]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

<deleted>? They eat meat and other animal products like there is no tomorrow!

Wake up. Have you ever looked at the size of some Thais these days?

Put your head back in the sand. Go back to sleep.

You are right there are some over weight Thais out there, but the overall the average Thai (ie Asian) is smaller compared to fast food well fed Westerners.

The Thais may eat a lot of meat but in smaller portions.

I can't vouch for this survey but it can't be far from the truth. The Japan and South Korea listed as dead last, are the only Asian countries. Maybe it's a coverup.

Rank Countries Amount

# 1 United States: 30.6%

# 2 Mexico: 24.2%

# 3 United Kingdom: 23%

# 4 Slovakia: 22.4%

# 5 Greece: 21.9%

# 6 Australia: 21.7%

# 7 New Zealand: 20.9%

# 8 Hungary: 18.8%

# 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%

# 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%

# 11 Canada: 14.3%

# 12 Spain: 13.1%

# 13 Ireland: 13%

# 14 Germany: 12.9%

= 15 Portugal: 12.8%

= 15 Finland: 12.8%

# 17 Iceland: 12.4%

# 18 Turkey: 12%

# 19 Belgium: 11.7%

# 20 Netherlands: 10%

# 21 Sweden: 9.7%

# 22 Denmark: 9.5%

# 23 France: 9.4%

# 24 Austria: 9.1%

# 25 Italy: 8.5%

# 26 Norway: 8.3%

# 27 Switzerland: 7.7%

= 28 Japan: 3.2%

= 28 Korea, South: 3.2%

Sorry to be off topic.

Back on topic, as a bicyclist, the air does appear to be fresh and clean for this time of year.

Very nice post..... but begs the question ?>???????? what is it a chart on?????

Is it supposed to be a ranking from 1 - 28 of the fattest people or what....?????

KA-toot .... I see it now ,,,,,,, obese instead of fat...

Edited December 10, 2009 by Gonzo the Face

[el jefe]

I don't know where Vagabond has been riding but I've seen dozens of fires in the countryside over the past several days. In one of the National Parks, all the maintenance workers were sweeping leaves into big piles and burning them. Wouldn't be so bad if they didn't throw garbage in with the leaves. The air may be cool but it's certainly not clean. From where I live, my view of Doi Suthep makes me think it's early March.

But I'm not worried. I think the air quality this March will be much better than in the past. All the burning will be done long before then!

[Sparkles]

My daughter came down fropm Pai a couple of days ago and there were fires burning in many places, mainly undergrowth. Driving from Hang Dong to the City the other day Doi Suthep was invisible. Maybe they have started early.

[PhilHarries]

A lifetime diet based on rice is a lot greener than diets based on animal meats.

Then comes a question of physical sizes, an obese European can easily be

described as double or triple the size of a small Thai person ?

Yes but flooded rice paddies are a major emitter of methane gas.

But don't shout about it because it spoils the veggies arguement.

[trainman34014]

Loads of fires out there already and plenty of smoke but it will not stop so, not much point in belly- aching about it. For those who are concerned they can always move to a pollution free country..........er!!!...oh no; there arn't any are there, so why not pipe down and enjoy every day as it comes before some smart arse political nitwit notices all your whinging and introduces some 'green' taxes to hammer YOUR arse into oblivion!

[slapout]

Reporting from near home pro on Hang Dong road. Rice stubble being torched by a fat individual. Too far away to determine nationality. One further note, Doi Suthep does seem to have a haze cover all day today, doubt it is fog

[el jefe]

The OP asked several questions but there are bigger questions based on his post.

He wrote "Many influential and intelligent Thais read and contribute to this forum and it would be fascinating to know their views ..."

Who are these many Thais who are reading this forum?

Are there really any?

Are they going to use their influence because of the anonymous posts here?

If they are really intelligent, why are they wasting their time on TV?

[SM7WGP]

Like this you mean

[chiang mai]

Or, the same "<deleted>!?" but expressed in a factual numerical format:

Please dude.

Winnie, where did you get those numbers from, are they available on a daily basis? Also, any idea why there is only a PM10 figure for CM and no others fields contain data, is there a reason for that?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Or, the same "<deleted>!?" but expressed in a factual numerical format:

Please dude.

Winnie, where did you get those numbers from, are they available on a daily basis? Also, any idea why there is only a PM10 figure for CM and no others fields contain data, is there a reason for that?

Yes, numbers are available (almost) every day at www.pcd.go.th Click English, then 'Regional Air quality". There's lots of cool graphs as well.

Note there are three stations for Chiang Mai. The others do show the other columns.

[Earl]

I thank the OP is the one in red. .

Monks and foreign activists in Santa costume protest to mark Asian Climate Action Day outside the US consulate general in Chiang Mai Wed. They campaigned for the US to cut down on emissions and mitigate destructions.

Could you please tell us a bit more about this protest?

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

Those who enjoy seeing the complexities that are often hidden behind crude summaries of mass behavior ... like meat consumption per capita ... may enjoy this recent article by Eric Brooks : on variations in meat consumption in Singapore in relation to income levels, economic change, natural events (bird flu), etc.

"Singapore's odd meat eating habits: A wealthy society reverts back to eating poor man's protein"

http://www.efeedlink.com/ShowDetail/219121...a0ff10a5e8.html

excerpt :

"However, the most important implication is the following: Singapore's example shows us that the classical relationship linking income growth, feed demand and meat consumption needs to be adapted to Asia's unique cultural values.  A larger, more extensive comparison of the different ways that East and West respond to changes in meat prices should be undertaken."

best, ~o:37;

[jackr]

<deleted>... Most beautiful time of the year and someone finds the time complain?!

It is the nicest time, but out towards Mae Jo they're screwing it up by burning the fields daily.

There is (was) supposedly a number you can call to get the perps fined. Can't see that doing a lot of good though... there needs to be public hangings.

[Donnyboy]

God/Darwin gave me incisors to eat meat not carrots.

The air here now is great in the morning and night, nice fresh and crisp.

Walking around in the day is different though, a bit thicker, a bit odorous. Then again there are a lot more hippies in singlets, fisherman pants, and sandals walking round in the day time.

[Donnyboy]

<deleted>... Most beautiful time of the year and someone finds the time complain?!

It is the nicest time, but out towards Mae Jo they're screwing it up by burning the fields daily.

There is (was) supposedly a number you can call to get the perps fined. Can't see that doing a lot of good though... there needs to be public hangings.

burn them at the stake