To Breathe In A Park Or Yet Another Mall?: Thai Editorial

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EDITORIAL
To breathe in a park or yet another mall?
The Nation

The park campaign for the Makkasan area has profound implications for what we as a society want for our future

BANGKOK: -- Financially speaking, the choice is between a lot of money and much less money. Environmentally speaking, it's between a lot of trees that will generate a lot more clean air, or yet another shopping complex for Bangkok. Which is needed more for the vast plot of land at Makkasan, where the financial and environmentalist forces are having their all-too-familiar showdown? The answer depends on whom you talk to.

Ask the landowners and developers, and they will challenge anyone who wants to plant trees where billions of baht can be earned if buildings sprout there instead. Ask the environmentalist groups, and they will point out how many shopping malls - mega-big, big or small - the city already has. In the end your heart might say clean air is more important - maybe not now, but in the long run - but your head might be forced to accept it if another mall springs up at Makkasan.

Capitalism versus environmentalism is always a battle between "now" and "the future". The disadvantage of the latter is obvious: the future hasn't happened yet. You can paint a catastrophic picture, but a lot of people still have to see something real in order to believe it. Money, on the other hand, is tangible and hopefully it's there for the taking. With people still able to breathe, let's take the money and worry about the future later.

That has been the way for so long. We keep hearing stories about big trees giving way to manmade structures. We know who emerges as the winner most of the time. But we've never heard stories of buildings being dismantled so that parks can grow, have we?

It's the triumph of now over the future. If the air gets poisonous enough for doubters to "see" it, perhaps the tables can be turned. But at present, most people would rather keep on skating, not bothering to worry about how thin the ice is.

A park at Makkasan could help a lot, environmentalists and other activists say. A Facebook page has been created to explain why they want it there, and the reasons are well researched and well thought-out. First of all, it's a huge undeveloped area in the middle of the city, the state's "last massive area of greenery that, constitutionally, must benefit the people". The campaign must begin now, "or we will never have a similar opportunity" to turn it into a "lung" that helps Bangkok breathe. But the mega-mall plan is gathering strength, the environmentalists say.

That the area is state property is a strong argument for the park advocates. However, that does little for their chances of winning. The forces of commercialism are everywhere, and the environmentalists know better than most that the tipping point - where money overcomes the air we breathe - is normally engineered by the private sector. Moreover, in the game of environmental preservation, anyone can be a hypocrite. Big countries damaging the atmosphere with their industries always invoke "necessity" and lay great burden on the shoulders of poorer, less-equipped nations.

It will be interesting to see if the Makkasan ecologists can break through the conventional barriers. The campaigners have won vague promises from key Bangkok gubernatorial candidates to preserve parts of the area for trees. The social media have become strong campaign tools that should be able to generate a massive number of pro-park signatures.

History shows us that the voices for "the future" are often loud but ineffective, whereas those for "now" are barely heard - and yet they prevail most of the time. Will Makkasan provide a glimpse of change? As far as environmental fights are concerned, whether the answer is yes or no doesn't matter much, because the campaigning will go on regardless. Perhaps the tide will turn in their favour when "the future" is nearer to "now", although by then, time might not be on anyone's side.


-- The Nation 2013-03-05

[pumpuiman]

Hmmm, I wonder who will persevere? Lets see...graft money for politicians,police and mafia ......or trees for the environmentalists?

[Robby nz]

I suspect that a compromise would be the best way to go.

Presuming that some sort of a permit is required from the local authority to build anything then a by law should be put in place that requires a percentage of the land used for any new building in the city area to be set aside as a green area.

In the case of big developments like malls and apartments then it must be public green area.

For individual houses it can be private but still must be included.

[tominbkk]

i make use of two parks close to my house all the time, esp on the weekends in the morning. Just wish they would shut off the news blaring form the loudspeakers all day long. I have to listen to music on my headphones loud to block that rubbish off. I would probably go more often if it was quiet.

[Locationthailand]

The last thing Bangkok needs is more traffic congestion as attracted to these malls. The whole area, the rail yard and rolling stock is an eyesore, polluted and should at least be relocated elsewhere. But wishful thinking if trees are to win out over greed and money.

[laurentbkk]

what about a huge shopping mall in the middle of a park ? On my opinion another shopping mall with the same shops as in all the other malls is non sense ....but free air conditioning for the weekend ...

[emanphoto]

Hmmm, I wonder who will persevere? Lets see...graft money for politicians,police and mafia ......or trees for the environmentalists?

Trees are for anyone who uses air, but rhetorical point taken.

[chainarong]

I'll go with the greed and money, the air pollution problem is all hot air, you only have to look out in the early morning in Bkk, to see those beaut blue skies, money and greed, works every time in Thai, so why back a loser in tree's and a clean environment .

[Rionoir]

Trying to sell a park based on how much fresh air it is going to generate is kind of silly. There are many reasons to use public land to build a park, but claiming that it will be a source of fresh air is laughable, particularly when you consider how few trees the other parks in Bangkok actually have... they are mostly grassy areas and jogging paths (which I think is a good thing - but it just doesn't support the air-generating theory).

Anyway the politicians aren't concerned with what is good for Bangkok, so clearly there will be a mall built there. I just hope it isn't another CentralWorld, as there is already one 3 minutes from there and this country has more than enough of those already!

[h90]

Trying to sell a park based on how much fresh air it is going to generate is kind of silly. There are many reasons to use public land to build a park, but claiming that it will be a source of fresh air is laughable, particularly when you consider how few trees the other parks in Bangkok actually have... they are mostly grassy areas and jogging paths (which I think is a good thing - but it just doesn't support the air-generating theory).

Anyway the politicians aren't concerned with what is good for Bangkok, so clearly there will be a mall built there. I just hope it isn't another CentralWorld, as there is already one 3 minutes from there and this country has more than enough of those already!

To know what you tell would require some basic education.....Very rough the mass of the trees=the smoke the same amount of liter of burned gasoline are recycled.

So a tree that is 20 years old and has 500 kg did clean a 0.07 Liter gasoline smoke out of the air every day.

(very rough estimation)

[partington]

Trying to sell a park based on how much fresh air it is going to generate is kind of silly. There are many reasons to use public land to build a park, but claiming that it will be a source of fresh air is laughable, particularly when you consider how few trees the other parks in Bangkok actually have... they are mostly grassy areas and jogging paths (which I think is a good thing - but it just doesn't support the air-generating theory).

Anyway the politicians aren't concerned with what is good for Bangkok, so clearly there will be a mall built there. I just hope it isn't another CentralWorld, as there is already one 3 minutes from there and this country has more than enough of those already!

To know what you tell would require some basic education.....Very rough the mass of the trees=the smoke the same amount of liter of burned gasoline are recycled.

So a tree that is 20 years old and has 500 kg did clean a 0.07 Liter gasoline smoke out of the air every day.

(very rough estimation)

I'd really like to know how trees "clean gasoline smoke". Can you provide a reference? Thanks.

PS I'm not casting doubts on this , I really just didn't know this was even possible, so I'd like to read how it works.

Edited March 5, 2013 by partington

[sprq]

So where does The Nation stand? In the middle, apparently. What a load of wishy-washy waffle! An editorial is supposed to have an opinion, but The Nation seems too cowardly to have one.

[Robby nz]

So where does The Nation stand? In the middle, apparently. What a load of wishy-washy waffle! An editorial is supposed to have an opinion, but The Nation seems too cowardly to have one.

Sorry to continue this off topic twaddle but it always amuses me when I see the posters who are intent on rubbishing the Nation.

I look at the Thai names of the reporters that go with the articles and wonder how the anti Nation posters on here would get on writing in Thai for a Thai newspaper.

Perhaps very well but then again........................................

[harkish]

The poor park option doesn't have a chance. The powers that be, who are the same people who make the decision, have money in the game. They will find a way to make money on this site, and making it into a park will not do that. So shopping, here we come!

Edited March 5, 2013 by harkish

[ChrisY1]

A bit of a no brainer dumb article...........why write a lot of drivel about possible outcomes.....there is only one outcome as the author knows too well........it's malls and more malls......!!

[h90]

Trying to sell a park based on how much fresh air it is going to generate is kind of silly. There are many reasons to use public land to build a park, but claiming that it will be a source of fresh air is laughable, particularly when you consider how few trees the other parks in Bangkok actually have... they are mostly grassy areas and jogging paths (which I think is a good thing - but it just doesn't support the air-generating theory).

Anyway the politicians aren't concerned with what is good for Bangkok, so clearly there will be a mall built there. I just hope it isn't another CentralWorld, as there is already one 3 minutes from there and this country has more than enough of those already!

To know what you tell would require some basic education.....Very rough the mass of the trees=the smoke the same amount of liter of burned gasoline are recycled.

So a tree that is 20 years old and has 500 kg did clean a 0.07 Liter gasoline smoke out of the air every day.

(very rough estimation)

I'd really like to know how trees "clean gasoline smoke". Can you provide a reference? Thanks.

PS I'm not casting doubts on this , I really just didn't know this was even possible, so I'd like to read how it works.

no I thought only of the CO2 they take...."clean gasoline smoke" is of course wrong....I had the brain shut down while writing....But I think there is also a cleaning effect but no idea how big it is....

[bigbamboo]

If Central Park was in BKK it would be the size of a postage stamp by now.

So where's that eco warrior Leonardo da Caprio now? He can make PM Yingluck do anything!

[tommytouch]

what about a huge shopping mall in the middle of a park ? On my opinion another shopping mall with the same shops as in all the other malls is non sense ....but free air conditioning for the weekend ...

Or how about a huge shopping mall - which is pretty much guaranteed to be built - with a nice park / green space on the roof?

In fact I think it's something that should be made compulsory.

[khunken]

what about a huge shopping mall in the middle of a park ? On my opinion another shopping mall with the same shops as in all the other malls is non sense ....but free air conditioning for the weekend ...

Or how about a huge shopping mall - which is pretty much guaranteed to be built - with a nice park / green space on the roof?

In fact I think it's something that should be made compulsory.

That's more or less what I was thinking too. My idea would be to put the mall underground with the park on ground level.

[brfsa2]

There seems to be a Shopping Mall Mafia in Thailand backed by corrupt money greedy politicians. I wonder who are the families that are profiting from all these new shopping malls.

Thai people need to start thinking about the future of Thailand and do something about it... instead of hanging out at the new shopping malls and spend money on things they dont need.

[brfsa2]

I'd really like to know how trees "clean gasoline smoke". Can you provide a reference? Thanks.

PS I'm not casting doubts on this , I really just didn't know this was even possible, so I'd like to read how it works.

http://www.americanforests.org/why-it-matters/why-it-matters-clean-air-and-water/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-schiffman/artificial-trees-carbon-capture_b_2728083.html

Clean air and clean water are products of forests.

The role of trees and forests in our ecosystems is absolutely critical. Forests renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. Trees also clean our atmosphere by intercepting airborne particles, and by absorbing ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and other greenhouse gases. A single tree can absorb 10 pounds of air pollutants a year, and produce nearly 260 pounds of oxygen- enough to support two people.

Urban trees can do even more for clean air. Depending on location, species, size, and condition, shade from trees can reduce utility bills for air conditioning in residential and commercial buildings by 15 to 50%. Through shade and the evaporation of water from their leaves, trees also provide natural, low-tech cooling that reduces energy use and the need to build power plants.

While the role of trees in cleaning the air is well understood, the ecosystem services that forests perform regarding water is still being explored. Forests, it turns out, act as natural reservoirs, treatment plants, and stormwater management systems.

Forests provide natural filtration and storage systems that process nearly two-thirds of the water supply in the United States. In their natural and healthy state, riparian forests help to keep the water in streams clear. When you drink a glass of tap water in a New York City restaurant, you’re drinking water that was filtered largely by the forests of upstate New York. The forests do such a good job that the city only needs to do a minimum of additional filtering.

The ability of forest vegetation and soils to absorb and filter water also increases groundwater, as clean water trickles down to feed aquifers that may be tapped hundreds of miles away by thirsty cities. This same capacity to absorb water helps moderate runoff during rainstorms, and is one reason that cities around the nation are aggressively planting trees. As part of regional efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, the city of Baltimore is planting thousands of trees to reduce stormwater runoff and cut down on pollutants that enter the Bay.

The same ecosystem services are just as important in rural areas in need of clean water. In partnership with the Indian nonprofit Resource Institute of Social Education, American Forests is planting 150,000 trees in Pondicherry, India, to help replenish groundwater, which was being depleted and polluted despite the area’s heavy annual rainfall and the presence of two rivers.

Whether you live in a small country town or a bustling city, trees near and far are providing you with the most basic elements for survival: clean air and water. Though forests provide many additional services, these two are the backbone of the symbiotic and essential relationship between trees and people.

Edited March 5, 2013 by brfsa2

[partington]

partington, on 05 Mar 2013 - 13:08, said:

h90, on 05 Mar 2013 - 12:23, said:

Rionoir, on 05 Mar 2013 - 11:31, said:

Trying to sell a park based on how much fresh air it is going to generate is kind of silly. There are many reasons to use public land to build a park, but claiming that it will be a source of fresh air is laughable, particularly when you consider how few trees the other parks in Bangkok actually have... they are mostly grassy areas and jogging paths (which I think is a good thing - but it just doesn't support the air-generating theory).

Anyway the politicians aren't concerned with what is good for Bangkok, so clearly there will be a mall built there. I just hope it isn't another CentralWorld, as there is already one 3 minutes from there and this country has more than enough of those already!

To know what you tell would require some basic education.....Very rough the mass of the trees=the smoke the same amount of liter of burned gasoline are recycled.

So a tree that is 20 years old and has 500 kg did clean a 0.07 Liter gasoline smoke out of the air every day.

(very rough estimation)

I'd really like to know how trees "clean gasoline smoke". Can you provide a reference? Thanks.

PS I'm not casting doubts on this , I really just didn't know this was even possible, so I'd like to read how it works.

no I thought only of the CO2 they take...."clean gasoline smoke" is of course wrong....I had the brain shut down while writing....But I think there is also a cleaning effect but no idea how big it is...

Ok fair enough, CO2 of course I knew about. I did a quick search and it appears that trees can trap small particulate pollutants simply by having a lot of surface area of twigs and leaves that they can stick onto, and they are then washed into the ground by rainfall. Not unexpected when you think about it, (which I obviously didn't!)

edit: messed up quote function and can't fix it!

Edited March 5, 2013 by partington