Www.Breathecampaign.Net

[Tonto21]

I have been reading a wedge of why, when and ifs about the smog in and around Chiangmai, yes, the smog, it’s pissing me off as well.

There’s weight in numbers!

Register you objections to the smog at; www.breathecampaign.net

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I like the effort, but don't like the wording.

Why do "these people" burn: "lack of education" and "lazyness"

That sounds like arrogant finger pointing. Or at the very least, not words for a very effective campaign, which needs to be a bit more diplomatic (even if this wasn't Thailand). The Thai version seems a straight translation from the English and is worded equally awkward, or perhaps more so.

I'd say go find two bright students somewhere, redo the Thai version first and make it the default, then have the English support that, listing the actual reasons for burning, and probably that there is an effort required by governments on all levels to help educate, facilitate and enforce. (In that way you CAN use the word 'education' without starting out with calling people un-educated.)

Secondly, the actual letter has factual errors: "occurs each and every year from forest fires, and increases in intensity from year to year, "

Though my gripe is more with the wording, strange as it may seem. (I actually expect any kind of petition to over-state the issue.) In a perfect world such petitions would stick to the facts, which in this case are indeed serious enough to not need massaging and over-stating. Pity, really. In this form I can't sign it.

Edited March 12, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[hellodolly]

Gotta agree with WTK on this one.

What is needed is education not a bunch of threats. Show the people how they can increase their productivity with composting and other ways. A friend of mine has a Orchard with leaves every day what he has started doing is putting them in piles around the trunks of the trees where they can rot and add to the soil.

I am not a agriculturist but I am sure there is many other ways to handle things than burning them. This petition will go no where. Suggest alternatives other than fines that they cant afford and jail time.

[Tonto21]

We all know how things work in Thailand, in most cases if someone isn’t making some good wedge…It’s not gonna happen, whatever it is. But waiting for the perfect vehicle to carry your message to come along, well, you best bring along a good pack lunch, you’re going to be a while!

Raising the problem is the main thing!!!!

[mcgriffith]

I signed the petition, although I agree with WTK's objection with the words "lazyness" and "lack of education".

A bit arrogant.

Even if it is perfectly true.....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes.. though there are very good points in it too, which I didn't list. Overall I do think it is a good and necessary effort, but it can be better/more effective and more respectful. After all you are trying to win over hearts and minds, too.

Another thing that can be addressed is the easy cop-out "it's the Burmese". While other countries in teh region certainly contribute to it as much (or more) as Thailand, that doesn't mean there isn't a major change of hearts required for burning in Thailand. To pre-empt this cop-out, it would be good to add a picture of one of the fire satellites showing plenty fires in Thailand, too.

And, (gawd I'm in a constructive mood today ) a picture that captures the issue in a single emotive image is also very good to add, in addition to just pictures of stuff burning. Think an image of a child in hospital, or otherwise receiving care for a respiratory condition. That's usually very effective. (No cynicism)

If you want to leave in the sentiment that 'it's getting worse' but want to stay true to the facts then you can deliver this message also without having to state it, like finding an image that looks 'yesteryear' of playing children in some lush setting. Then you deliver the subliminal message that 'it was better in the old days' (this resonates with older people, who probably believe it anyway if only because younger people (when they were young) are usually less affected) without having to write something that the figures don't substantiate.

Edited March 13, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[MESmith]

The wording of the letter & the petition are a bit more diplomatic than the home page.

[surayu]

I suggest you to simple move out from the North and come down here in PrachinBuri, these are the true green hearted thai! almost no more burning of rubbish as they have just discovered how much easier is to dump all their crap inside plastic shopping bags at one of the many pieces of land on the side of the roads, it's seems to be the new trend!

[simoncnx]

I was told by a Thai lady yesterday that many Thai business in Cm are well down on last year (this month) because most of the tourists have left / didn't come because of the smog. Maybe you can get the Thais to join in.

[chiangmaiexpat]

The important thing is that someone took the time and effort to start this campaign and create a website. Kudos to the initiator! Of course, I signed.

The thing about arrogance, well..., the burning folks certainly come accross as lazy, negligent, irresponsible, and dumb as poodle poop, but hey, we don't need to tell them that. Thai style smiling diplomacy usually gets things done faster in this country.

Cheers, CMExpat

[ianf]

Its not only Thai farmers etc burning: One long-time resident of Chiang Mai told me that his village was now intolerable as so many of his neighbours thinks its pretty cool to burn plastic and other household waste in their gardens; then you have the local tambon authorities burning the verges - and when they do that they burn not only the leaves but all the other jettisoned crap too, such as poly bags, aerosol cans, lost shoes and so on. Driving up from Bangkok to CM on Monday we saw miles of burnt verges and burning fields and nobody, in spite of all their fine words, does a thing about it ....... so well done to the petition instigators - but get this petition out into the Thai community.

[jko]

Although many folks might want to suggest better ways of going about this, the fact remains that one person at least had both the balls and the commitment to start something - whilst we were all complaining, but doing nothing, year after year.

KUDOS therefore to whoever it was for getting this on the road. He or she deserves our full support.

Some people might feel reluctant to sign because of reservations about style, presentation or content, but do we want to choke again at this time in 2013, and wonder why it's happening - all over again?

Whatever people might wish to criticise, the fact is - it's a great start.

The very least we can ALL do therefore is to SIGN it - and although at the time of writing this there are just over 1900 signatures, there is clearly potential for many, many more.

If you want something done about this horrendous and irresonsible air pollution, and you haven't yet signed, please give it your support, and encourage others to do the same.

[hellodolly]

I repeat myself. If you really want some thing done about it offer them positive alternatives threatening them and belittling them will get you absolute nothing.

Try a petition to get the authorities out in the fields demonstrating alternatives rather than get them out there making their lives harder than they are.

[Mapguy]

I agree with what appears to be a consensus thus far regarding the tone and quality of the presentation. I understand the anger snd frustration , but the appeal still needs work in order to be more effective. I still applaud the effort.

[PlanetX]

Hopefully this doesnt end up like the KONY 2012 online campaign and lead to the founder running around Chiang Mai in the nude

[ProdigalSon]

Thanks to the OP for bringing this page to everyone's attention. As someone above already said, at least they're trying to do something about the situation.

To just focus on Thailand for a minute and leave our neighbors out of this discussion, what should be done? Well, for a start the burning is illegal and so anyone who breaks the law should take responsibility for their actions and be punished accordingly. A previous poster suggests education and alternatives as better solutions to the problem rather than threats, fines or jail time. While I agree with the positive side of this idea, I just don't think that it is a viable solution in itself. If we rely on education and suggestions of alternatives as the only ways of fixing the problem then we'll be breathing in this smoke for a good few years yet. People need to be punished as the law stipulates to set an example to others and to act as a deterrent. Every day when I'm sat at traffic lights and they finally change to green, 99% of the time there will still be traffic coming through the other side on red. Why? Are these drivers uneducated? Do they not know it's wrong or against the law? Of course not. They do it because they know they will get away with it and also that the people waiting won't dare beep their horns. Thousands die on the roads every year, not because of a lack of education, but because they know that they can get away with how they drive. If traffic light cameras were installed, police performed breath tests, the vehicle registration system were improved and people committing road traffic offenses were punished accordingly, then I'm sure the number of deaths would go down. This, to a certain extent, applies also to the burning situation. AS WELL AS educating people, the laws should be policed and enforced accordingly. Now I'm not naive to think this will happen over night, I just think that in addition to the effective use of education of alternative methods, the police should take a more active role in trying to catch the burners and punish them as the law stipulates (whatever it may be). How about making them sit in a smoke filled room for a few days to help them remember that the actions of a small, ignorant few are aversely affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people?

A few nights ago, I was out jogging at the 700-year stadium when I noticed that the area on the hillside at the back behind the reservoir was ablaze with dozens of fires. I jogged up to the security guard's hut to see if he'd done anything about it (these fires were only a couple of hundred meters or so away). HIs answers to the questions "Have you seen the fires?" and "Have you called the police?" were "Mai pen rai" and "No".

When will it improve? I'll keep dreaming...

[surayu]

Ohh c'mon guys, see things from a different prospective, Thailand could become the "Hub of Oxygen"!....how? with a government imposing every person to breath only purchased canned oxygen and locking up the trasgressors, which by breathing the now illegal poisoned air, are becoming a major burden to the state coffin.

I can see how TAT would be bragging abroad about the planes to Thailand always being full....because as soon as you are out, you got to pay for your oxygen, so better stay on the plane and keep breathing the free air there