Campaign stresses need for all segments of society to recognise danger of climate change

[Lite Beer]

Campaign stresses need for all segments of society to recognise danger of climate change
Chanon Wongsatayanont
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Climate change is becoming an increasingly relevant issue for Thais after the country was hit by a series of droughts and floods. As part of the "Redraw the Line" campaign, non-profit organisation Media Alliance conducted a seminar to stress the importance of the media in raising awareness on climate change.

While the campaign is focused on encouraging people to change their behaviour to reduce their carbon footprint, the group said the press and advertising companies were vital in changing people's habits and creating a pro-environment trend.

Robert Mather, head of the Southeast Asia Group for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said climate change was an immediate problem.

He said that at the current rate of energy consumption, the average temperature was expected to rise in Thailand and there would be more concentrated periods of rain, which could cause floods, in the near future.

The Media Alliance said news outlets and advertising companies had to deal with the challenge of how to get this message across to a Thai audience.

"Climate change is thought of as boring, since its immediate effects are not seen," said Thepchai Yong, executive director of Nation Multimedia Group.

To make climate change more accessible and engaging, Thepchai quoted famed American environmentalist Bill McKibben as saying the media must "humanise news about climate change".

In other words, the media have to shift the perspective of climate change from being a field dedicated to scientists and experts to something that is relevant to everyone.

Dr Chareumchai Yodmalai, deputy secretary-general of the National Press Council of Thailand, pointed out that the reporters themselves sometimes lacked a scientific understanding of climate change. "We need reporters who understand the science behind climate change so they can report on it clearly."

Thepchai added that the government must play a role in creating environmental policies as well.

"One more thing that the Thai media are not doing enough of is we are not putting enough pressure on the government for it to start coping and adapting to climate change. I've never seen a reporter ask the prime minister about the policy for climate change," he said.

But with the advent of digital TV, both Thepchai and Chareumchai are optimistic that the emerging news channels will provide a more extensive coverage of the issue.

The advertising and entertainment sectors are also important in raising awareness, with celebrities, films and commercial brands promoting the importance of conserving the environment.

Niwat Rungruangworawat, group business director of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, said advertising alone could not spark an environmentalist trend, since some advertisements that treat climate change as an existential threat could become stressful, causing people to reject the message.

Instead, what is needed is an integration of different areas of the media to start changes that have an impact, Niwat said.

-- The Nation 2014-05-17

[NongKhaiKid]

Drought and flood were here before anyone discovered climate change and have been mis-managed for the same amount of time.

[chooka]

Drought and flood were here before anyone discovered climate change and have been mis-managed for the same amount of time.

Climate change has been around since the ice age.

[NongKhaiKid]

Drought and flood were here before anyone discovered climate change and have been mis-managed for the same amount of time.

Climate change has been around since the ice age.

Before my time but it's becoming an ' Convenient Excuse '.

[canuckamuck]

Fortunately I can't see Thailand getting a conscience about Mother Earth, so they will be spared the wasted cost and effort of climate control. Which obviously is impossible, since the planet is still recovering from the ice age.

[issanaus]

Climate change is a constant feature of the earth. The rate of climate change that is being cause by human actions is the issue. The old people in my wife's village recognise that change is occurring and what those changes mean. What is not so clear is how to address the impacts.

[trainman34014]

Climate change is a constant feature of the earth. The rate of climate change that is being cause by human actions is the issue. The old people in my wife's village recognise that change is occurring and what those changes mean. What is not so clear is how to address the impacts.

And i bet those old people burn all their rubbish every week or dump it in nearby woods. When asked why they do it such things the normal answer is 'because we've always done it like that ' or something similar. They may well recognise change is occurring but they do little to prevent things getting worse.

[Dibbler]

Well before people starting talking about melting icecaps, ozone, CFCs and rising sea levels in the mid-90s, Thailand had already logged 95% of its remaining lowland forest, thus destroying forests containing the highest levels of biodiversity, driving tigers, elephants and dozens of other species to the verge of extinction, and rendering useless those catchments for the supply of water to Thai citizens. Thai people need not understand the science concerning climate change but should recognize the greed and selfishness of its politicians who have helped cause the floods and drought we are now seeing each year. Those same politicians now call loudly not to stop logging but to build more dams (e.g. Mae Yom) in their attempts to remove all the remaining high value hardwood forests and pocket profits at the expense of the rural poor who put them in power. Once all of Thailand's natural drainages are dam(n)ed, the entire country will permanently suffer irreversible drought and flood into the future.

[soalbundy]

Easy,get a bigger air-con

[belg]

it should start at home.. not burning garbage poisening everybody around you

it is also called education, but thailand is on the bottom list for that one

[wabothai]

Stop burning the jungles !!!!!

[sevenhills]

Time for this BS Propaganda to be exposed for what it really is, $$$$B'S For Corrupt Corporations whom Heavily Lobby our Corrupt Governments around the World. Luckily some have woken up. It's a Cycle, nothing more.

[dighambara]

Anyone who has done a little original research will soon discover that all the climate change nonsense is just a normal facet of Earth;'s Weather.

For example, around 100,000 years ago, the weather was never ending storms, wind, rain, typhoons & huricanes were the absolute norm.

Then there were a series of warm and cold periods from sweltering poles to Ice covering most of Europe.

In the 1950's it was proclaimed that the Earth was getting colder and we would experience an Ice Age in this century...

During human history, the temperature has dropped and risen a number of times, including a few 'Mini Ice ages'..

A few long dead European artists painted snow scenes in areas that have not seen snow in centuries.

[Mudcrab]

Anyone who has done a little original research will soon discover that all the climate change nonsense is just a normal facet of Earth;'s Weather.

For example, around 100,000 years ago, the weather was never ending storms, wind, rain, typhoons & huricanes were the absolute norm.

Then there were a series of warm and cold periods from sweltering poles to Ice covering most of Europe.

In the 1950's it was proclaimed that the Earth was getting colder and we would experience an Ice Age in this century...

During human history, the temperature has dropped and risen a number of times, including a few 'Mini Ice ages'..

A few long dead European artists painted snow scenes in areas that have not seen snow in centuries.

1000 years ago there were forests in Greenland that the Vikings saw. Less than 200 years ago people skated on the frozen Thames.

[tomhell]

What is your agenda? What propaganda do you follow?

All serious climate scientist are 95% percent sure that this is a human made climate change. Specially the big oil business manipulates the media. They don´t want a change from a oil/fuel industry to more environment-friendly energy.

In the USA you have a lot of crazy christian fundamentalist who deny human made climate change.

By the way even when you deny human made climate change it´s smart for the human race to take better care of planet earth.

Greed,corruption,stupidity,ignorance destroys planet earth.

Tom

Time for this BS Propaganda to be exposed for what it really is, $$$$B'S For Corrupt Corporations whom Heavily Lobby our Corrupt Governments around the World. Luckily some have woken up. It's a Cycle, nothing more.

[Jeffreyake]

the whole idea of "global warming" is the manipulation of world bureaucracy: Albert Gore, left-liberal NGO's, group of scientists, America corporations, lobbying so called "environment-friendly" technologies (which in most cases is simply not true: for example the damage of manufacturing a solar panel + accumulator is much higher than burning the equivalent amount of gasoline) and other fear mongers who make there small business on intimidation of general public.

the reason why US supports this - it's a good instrument to suppress the industry of developing countries.

western left-liberal propaganda uses all of it's arsenal to discredit it's opponents: intimidation, manipulation by media, stigmatization of opponents as "denialists" and much more

weather statistics shows that Earth climate is cooling during previous 10 years but they still can't give up trying to intimidate the world community.

Kyoto protocol should be denounced

Edited May 17, 2014 by Jeffreyake

[plachon]

I remember seeing a survey not so long ago, that placed countries on a continuum of acceptance of climate change by the general population from countries with a high proportion of denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) (e.g. USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) at one end, to nations with a high degree of acceptance of ACC at the other. I was rather surprised to see that Thailand came out at the latter end of the spectrum with only one other nation (Turkey I think) having a higher proportion of citizens accepting ACC. The researchers found that a common determining factor of denial or acceptance was the production of oil and gas, Thus, based on the results of this survey, it should not be necessary to persuade most citizens that climate change is real and human activity plays a significant part in it, but rather education as to how individual and collective behaviour can be changed to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and ways to CC-proof households and communities to make them less vulnerable and more resilient. Most resources should probably be spent on changing the mindset of the wealthier and higher material consumption sections of society, for maximum benefits into the future for all.

[canuckamuck]

I remember seeing a survey not so long ago, that placed countries on a continuum of acceptance of climate change by the general population from countries with a high proportion of denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) (e.g. USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) at one end, to nations with a high degree of acceptance of ACC at the other. I was rather surprised to see that Thailand came out at the latter end of the spectrum with only one other nation (Turkey I think) having a higher proportion of citizens accepting ACC. The researchers found that a common determining factor of denial or acceptance was the production of oil and gas, Thus, based on the results of this survey, it should not be necessary to persuade most citizens that climate change is real and human activity plays a significant part in it, but rather education as to how individual and collective behaviour can be changed to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and ways to CC-proof households and communities to make them less vulnerable and more resilient. Most resources should probably be spent on changing the mindset of the wealthier and higher material consumption sections of society, for maximum benefits into the future for all.

Thais also believe in ghosts, lucky amulets, and fortune tellers.

[3NUMBAS]

BKK will be 1 of the first places to overwhelmed by rising seas in a few decades is likely

[leggo]

Cannot disagree but my immediate and cynical reaction is not too positive. I live near one of the most polluted areas of Thailand in Rating . The whole area is one large rubbish tip, the industrial zone of Mathaput pours out mountains of toxicity every minute, the beaches are filthy , although considered beautiful by TOT and the nearby islands are called by local expats as the ' plastic bag islands. The main drag of Suhkumvit is cleaned either side but step the other side if the pavement and every available space is full if rubbish and as for the sois , same ,same. On the other side of the coin when I was in Phetchaburi recently I didn't see a single plastic bag and the whole place was immaculate from top to bottom .I mention this because its all a matter of culture. Where there is big businesses, western food outlets the population is bent on consumerism and loses their civic values and this is particularly the case in Thailand where in the last 20 years the economic development has caused an explosion. Cleaning up the mess may well take the next 20 years if the govt gets serious about it.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tomhell]

Nowadays scientists and media don´t use the term "global warming". The actual is term is "climate change" or "extreme weather".

Extrem Weather/Climate Change is one problem. The other problem is that we are poisoning planet earth and destroy the future for our children.

The old industrial countries done this for decades. The new developing countries (China,India, etc) have the same "right" to do so.

More and more people from the so called left,right,liberals understand that we have to change something.

Our greed - our so called modern civilization is like a disease. The human race is like a virus who attacks planet earth.

The right cure/medicine???

I try to be less greedy. It´s not just about me. I try to understand the network of relationships where I live. (other people,animals,nature)

I try to live balanced. A society just based on profit is inhuman,sickening and a little bit sad.

Tom

the whole idea of "global warming" is the manipulation of world bureaucracy: Albert Gore, left-liberal NGO's, group of scientists, America corporations, lobbying so called "environment-friendly" technologies (which in most cases is simply not true: for example the damage of manufacturing a solar panel + accumulator is much higher than burning the equivalent amount of gasoline) and other fear mongers who make there small business on intimidation of general public.

the reason why US supports this - it's a good instrument to suppress the industry of developing countries.

western left-liberal propaganda uses all of it's arsenal to discredit it's opponents: intimidation, manipulation by media, stigmatization of opponents as "denialists" and much more

weather statistics shows that Earth climate is cooling during previous 10 years but they still can't give up trying to intimidate the world community.

Kyoto protocol should be denounced

Edited May 17, 2014 by tomhell

[Jeffreyake]

Nowadays scientists and media don´t use the term "global warming". The actual is term is "climate change" or "extreme weather".

....

The old industrial countries done this for decades. The new developing countries (China,India, etc) have the same "right" to do so.

More and more people from the so called left,right,liberals understand that we have to change something.

Our greed - our so called modern civilization is like a disease. The human race is like a virus who attacks planet earth.

and do you know why they are giving up using term "global warming"? because statistic data does not support it, but if you call it "climate change" or "extreme weather" you can interpret any weather phenomena as a consequence of human activity. Just much wider maneuver field.

modern civilization - science, industry, agriculture - is the only thing which makes possible for billions of humans to survive in Earth. Without pesticides, fertilizers, modern industry, genetically modified plants, modern medicine there will be about 1,5 million of people on the whole Earth, like it was in the stone age.

Would you like to get rid of a few billions of people to protect your beloved squirrels, dolphins, snakes, frogs?

you speak about greed? wake up, more than a half of human population still are starving!

and yes, developing countries have right to develop there industry, same as Western World did before it was infected by left-fundamentalist ideas.

[pattayasnowman]

What is your agenda? What propaganda do you follow?

All serious climate scientist are 95% percent sure that this is a human made climate change. Specially the big oil business manipulates the media. They don´t want a change from a oil/fuel industry to more environment-friendly energy.

In the USA you have a lot of crazy christian fundamentalist who deny human made climate change.

By the way even when you deny human made climate change it´s smart for the human race to take better care of planet earth.

Greed,corruption,stupidity,ignorance destroys planet earth.

Tom

Time for this BS Propaganda to be exposed for what it really is, $$$$B'S For Corrupt Corporations whom Heavily Lobby our Corrupt Governments around the World. Luckily some have woken up. It's a Cycle, nothing more.

So What - Science by Consensus is not science, just because IPPC claim 95% climate scientist say earth warming has an anthropogenic cause, does not make them right.

as to:

"Nowadays scientists and media don´t use the term "global warming". The actual is term is "climate change" or "extreme weather".

Thats because "global warming" has been debunked and so the proponents of this rubbish had to come up with a new term

Edited May 17, 2014 by pattayasnowman

[Thai at Heart]

Rorn mai?

Rorn maak.

[englishoak]

Until big business is made to change and governments actually do something about the real issues by making these coorps change their ways dont expect people to.

Global warming man made ? nope... man influenced and worsened ? yes but not "man made"

As for green taxes etc that is all just a scam on the people to fleece them of cash, the money dosnt go to green efforts at all but straight into the tax coffers only to be used as they see fit on some stupid expense that as like just creates more problems.

Either the world finds an alternative way of surviving or it dosnt ... one thing it wont do is all club together and save planet earth ... not a chance, humans = greed and are self serving.... nations even more so and corporations 100% selfish.

Dont hold your breath and try not to buy anything at the water level or close to it... itll as likely be a bad investment.

[MJP]

Nothing wrong with conservative use of energy or better water management regardless of whether man made climate change exists.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[plachon]

I remember seeing a survey not so long ago, that placed countries on a continuum of acceptance of climate change by the general population from countries with a high proportion of denial of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) (e.g. USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia) at one end, to nations with a high degree of acceptance of ACC at the other. I was rather surprised to see that Thailand came out at the latter end of the spectrum with only one other nation (Turkey I think) having a higher proportion of citizens accepting ACC. The researchers found that a common determining factor of denial or acceptance was the production of oil and gas, Thus, based on the results of this survey, it should not be necessary to persuade most citizens that climate change is real and human activity plays a significant part in it, but rather education as to how individual and collective behaviour can be changed to ameliorate the impacts of climate change and ways to CC-proof households and communities to make them less vulnerable and more resilient. Most resources should probably be spent on changing the mindset of the wealthier and higher material consumption sections of society, for maximum benefits into the future for all.

Thais also believe in ghosts, lucky amulets, and fortune tellers.

And your point being? Thais are generally superstitious by nature? Tell me something I don't already know, but please make it relevant to the thread.

Meanwhile, you ignore the more general point I make about the rather clear relationship between ACC denying peoples and fossil fuel producing nations, which tends to suggest high levels of anti-scientism in such countries. Canada, USA and Australia are excellent cases in point, where despite relatively good education levels, a high proportion of people are sceptical of the scientific knowledge process and prefer to deny the scientific consensus around ACC as it fits in with their preferred political and/or religious ideology. Being a Republican voter is usually quite a good indication of where a person stands on ACC. No great surprises there any more. But the capacity to continue denying what many observe in their everyday lives and mainstream scientists have confirmed is strongly correlated to fossil fuel combustion emissions (amongst other CC-linked gases, such as methane from livestock or rice fields) is something that can only be maintained for so long, before the pretense crumbles and reality bites, as it is now for cities like Miami and soon will for Bangkok and dozens of other Asian cities:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/18/climate-change-global-warning-calamity-floods-observer-editorial

Your constant "liking" for every ACC deniers' post indicates that you are as much a believer in myths, magic and fairy stories as any Thai you discredit here.

[canuckamuck]

It seems you have a problem with people who have a different opinion than you and you feel the need to classify and vilify them into categories of political and religious affiliations that you disagree with.

It might have occurred to you that people who oppose the hysteria of the climate apocalypse are simply people who have watched the once trustworthy scientific community and their handlers, manipulate data, engage in hyperbolic theorizing about the end of the world, and worst of all - being completely wrong in all their predictions. The computer models are hopelessly flawed. They haven’t got anything right, and still they cry all the louder, “The end is nigh!”

If you could demonstrate to us the link between fossil fuel producing nations and a rejection of the warmist agenda; I think you could reason it out for yourself that the results would at least partially be due to the fact that people will resist having their livelihood threatened. This does not make these people the member of any particular religion or political slant. Your opinion is not technically racist, but it smells like intolerance.

If you want to praise the Thai people for their scientific acumen in recognizing the peril of ACC, you go right ahead. For this land is clearly the cradle of sober scientific debate.

[Jeffreyake]

And your point being? Thais are generally superstitious by nature? Tell me something I don't already know, but please make it relevant to the thread.

Meanwhile, you ignore the more general point I make about the rather clear relationship between ACC denying peoples and fossil fuel producing nations, which tends to suggest high levels of anti-scientism in such countries. Canada, USA and Australia are excellent cases in point, where despite relatively good education levels, a high proportion of people are sceptical of the scientific knowledge process and prefer to deny the scientific consensus around ACC as it fits in with their preferred political and/or religious ideology. Being a Republican voter is usually quite a good indication of where a person stands on ACC. No great surprises there any more. But the capacity to continue denying what many observe in their everyday lives and mainstream scientists have confirmed is strongly correlated to fossil fuel combustion emissions (amongst other CC-linked gases, such as methane from livestock or rice fields) is something that can only be maintained for so long, before the pretense crumbles and reality bites, as it is now for cities like Miami and soon will for Bangkok and dozens of other Asian cities:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/18/climate-change-global-warning-calamity-floods-observer-editorial

Your constant "liking" for every ACC deniers' post indicates that you are as much a believer in myths, magic and fairy stories as any Thai you discredit here.

there is absolutely no consensus between real scientists about ACC, furthermore, the majority of scientist deny that human activity has a significant effect on weather. But among left-liberal media, controlled by environmentalist groups of interest, there is a consensus for sure, and the guardian is first among them!

if you would like to know the truth, please stop reading left-liberal tabloids and find some scientific literature.

there is absolutely no any proven research, published in any real scientific journal, which shows solid evidences of global warming or "abrupt climate change" as you prefer to call it now.

manipulation - this is all you can.

same happened with DDT:

In Sri Lanka, in 1948, there were 2.8 million malaria cases and 7,300 malaria deaths. With widespread DDT use, malaria cases fell to 17 and no deaths in 1963. After DDT use was discontinued due to pressure of environmentalists like you, Sri Lankan malaria cases rose to 2.5 million in the years 1968 and 1969, and the disease remains a killer in Sri Lanka today.

and this is just one case of many.

who is going to pay for these deaths?

left-environmentalists will never wash their blood-stained hands...

Edited May 18, 2014 by Jeffreyake

[RickBradford]

It is common for casual observers to make a lot of fuss about this 'consensus'.

Science doesn't work by consensus; very often, consensus works against science, on behalf of vested interests, aka 'the system'.

For example, more than 20 years after Albert Einstein had published his theory of relativity, a learned paper was produced (in 1931) called "One Hundred Authors Against Einstein", along with conferences denouncing him and burning of his books. You may guess the reasons; they weren't scientific.

Perhaps even more extraordinary was the war waged against Alfred Wegener's tectonic plate theory. He proposed it in 1912, and it was pilloried for decades by a 'consensus' of distinguished scientists (fearful for their own reputations) before being accepted as fact in the 1960s.

It's odd how the environmental movement, once a fierce and effective opponent of the consensus and 'the system' has, since the invention of the climate change alarm, become a willing part of the consensus and 'the system'.

Ah, well, that's what money can do. Big Green is now one of the biggest and best-funded networks on the planet, and dutifully parrots every line that governments want to hear.