Risk of a calamity if North haze not tackled urgently

[jko]

Risk of a calamity if North haze not tackled urgently
Dusit Thammaraks

CHIANG MAI: -- Considering the serious threat to the health of the people of the region, 'Burning season' must be stopped once and for all, and the govt must do whatever it takes

The rainy season will soon come to northern Thailand. The haze and smoke will go away. But the cancer-causing dust particles already inhaled by the population will not go away. They will remain embedded in our chest cavity.

If there is no action taken, our senseless "Burning Season" will continue.

When I moved here 40 years ago, Chiang Mai was naturally beautiful, with clean fresh air. I could not foresee then that it would become the congested and polluted city that it is today. That is already lamentable. Our burning season, however, is not just lamentable.

Northern Thailand currently has the highest rates of lung cancer in the Kingdom. The incidence of other chest diseases and cardiac conditions is also high. With each year of burning, more carcinogens accumulate in the lungs of those who live here.

Cancers can take years to develop. Often, they show no symptoms until it is too late.

Dr Sumitra Thongprasert, Emeritus Professor at Maharaj Nakorn Hospital and Medical College, Chiang Mai University, and senior Medical Oncologist at Bangkok Hospital, Chiang Mai, remarks: "Lung cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is often diagnosed at a late stage. Early detection is not easy, and costs a lot of money."

The reality is grim. Unless treated early, 90 per cent of patients with lung cancer will die.

If allowed to continue, the burning will create a frightening situation. Premature death and suffering will come to thousands of residents.

So why do we burn? It was never like this a few decades ago.

In recent years, the growing demand for animal feed and ethanol has greatly expanded maize cultivation in northern Thailand. This led to contract farming. Today, one major company alone requires more than 5.5 million tonnes of corn a year. Contracted Thai farmers are currently using about 6 million rai (9,600 sq km), and yield about 4 million tonnes. Myanmar and Laos provide the rest.

After the harvest, much of the 6 million rai of dry corn stalks are set alight. To put it in perspective, this represents an area more than six times that of the Bangkok Metropolis (1,569sqkm).

The huge volume of toxic smoke released from such an expanse is not difficult to imagine. But burning is not necessary.

Returning crop residues to the soil can be done using modern machinery. With government help, an increase in contracted price per kilo, and by using local co-operatives, the cost of this can be covered.

But there are other reasons. This is because much of the land used for corn cultivation comes from illegal slash-and-burn forest encroachment. Steep hill slopes and embedded tree roots make use of machinery difficult or impossible. Manual methods are time-consuming and impractical. The second cause of burning concerns our national forests, so far spared from encroachment. During the hot season, deciduous trees such as dipterocarp shed their leaves. In Chiang Mai alone, dipterocarp forests occupy 4 million rai. The broad leaves carpet the ground and crumble into flakes.

When the rains arrive two or three months later, they decompose. This provides valuable soil nutrition, just as nature intended.

But the big leaves also hide valuable "hed thob" mushrooms. Villagers set fire to the leaves to uncover the fungus, and stimulate growth.

Huge areas of northern Thailand burn as a result. Entire hillsides turn black as far as the eye can see.

In search of this source of easy cash, no respect is shown for nature. Wildlife, insects, seedlings, saplings and rare plants perish. Poisonous smoke fills the air.

Repeated forest burning over decades depletes potassium, calcium, and phosphorus in the soil. It destroys biodiversity, and upsets the eco-system. It stunts natural growth and reproduction. Soil erosion and flash floods often result. This irresponsible burning has nothing to do with the controlled clearing of underbrush to prevent larger fires. Forestry officials may do this in hot arid areas where there is no rainy season. Not here.

Except for the minority who benefit and prosper from burning, this is a lose-lose situation for everybody else, and for Thailand. Hospitals are full of respiratory and cardiac patients. Planes cannot land. Tourism declines. The economy suffers. Residents endure weeks of discomfort. Given all of these facts, a five-year-old child could tell us that we are going against the balance of nature, as well as flying in the face of common sense.

Put simply, this is utter stupidity.

So, are we going to allow a minority of selfish or uneducated people to destroy the health and well-being of an innocent majority?

No responsible government, anywhere, would allow this.

And if we maintain the status quo, things will get worse.

We can prolong the futile quest for solutions and techniques to reduce the haze. We can continue spraying water in the air, and flying aircraft around hoping to make it rain. We can carry on conducting investigative seminars and meetings, and listening to wise words from scientists and researchers.

We can keep monitoring the pollution levels so we can declare how safe or unsafe it is to breathe our air. We can jabber on about involving cooperation with provincial governors, district officers, agricultural officers, forestry authorities, and village headmen. We can announce "no burning", with minor penalties for offenders who are never reported, far less caught and punished. We can appeal to neighbouring countries not to burn, yet continue to do it ourselves on a grand scale. Mass education and draconian law enforcement are the only ways out of this.

Creating awareness of the impending danger is the first essential. Few homes in Thailand do not have a television set. The government must broadcast and constantly repeat the hazards and consequences of burning on every Thai television channel. Graphic hospital and operating room footage should be included to drive the message home. A highly respected figure should conduct the programme. It should continue on prime time, including children's schedules, until the whole nation understands the deadly seriousness of the situation.

With this understanding and grass roots support established, a total ban on all burning should be announced and enforced, effective from January 1, 2016. Penalties for offenders must be severe.

In the remaining months of 2015, the alternatives to burning can be urgently discussed, and implemented. These may be problematic, but they are certainly not rocket science. Nobody will believe that a government, particularly a powerful military one, is unable to stop people burning thousands of square kilometres of their own country.

We have the death penalty for murder. But what do we have for mass murder? If nothing is done, the deadly burning will happen again next year, and in the years to follow, until the inevitable health crisis unfolds. By then, it will be too late.

It will involve a huge cost in human lives, and medical treatment.

The whole world will then ask: "Why did no government prevent this from happening?"

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Risk-of-a-calamity-if-North-haze-not-tackled-urgen-30258695.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-25

[laislica]

Yes it a shameful situation.

Let's hope that your passionate words are taken to heart by the Thai Authorities.

[clockman]

Very good article, Now lets see if anything positive happens. Having been waiting for 10 years. I very much dought it!

[Chicog]

Put simply, this is utter stupidity.

But not as utterly stupid as defending or excusing it.

[elgordo38]

Yes it a shameful situation.

Let's hope that your passionate words are taken to heart by the Thai Authorities.

This is in queue behind fixing the Samui garbage problem. This has been on hold since 2008. From the picture posted soon the incinerator building (outdated technology that has been discontinued in the west for decades because of pollution problems) will be hid by the mound of garbage. Anything that involves time and money is well not an option. Nothing will be done until tourist numbers decline drastically. Drastic drops in tourism is the only thing that catches their attention and opens their wallets. Its the only poll they are tuned to. People with lung cancer are like any war collateral damage. This is a world wide problem nothing is fixed till it gets to the breaking point including infrastructure world wide. Then band aid solutions are applied and the problem is kicked down the road. Provinces, states, federal governments are all bankrupt except for paying politicians bloated salaries. Its the new world order suck it up what we the low level population think is of no consequence. Soon the hands of time will turn backward and we must reclaim our rights similar as to what happened in the French revolution.

[rebelplatoon]

Good article. Been saying this the last 20 years also in government meetings. Will it help? Time will tell. I fear the worst.

[elgordo38]

As serious as this topic is I was surprised to see that I am the only person following it. Kind of gives you a glimpse into things "We just do not care"

[chinostar]

Thank you for this great article Dusit Thammaraks!

[SCARLETIBIS1]

Come on this isn't that important. First, they gotta stop all the kids from having sex on Valentine's Day and then rid the beaches of girls in bikinis less they get raped. Smoke killing people. Not a problem.

And it isn't just the crops to worry about. The idiots (and sorry moderator but you have to be an idiot to burn plastic and styrofoam) could care less about what they burn as long as it is downwind.

This guy will probably get thrown in jail for criticizing the government under the new laws eh.

[haybilly]

Although I have only read the clip posted here in this forum--what I have read is excellent and long, long overdue; to be honest, I was a little surprised that the article was actually written by a Thai--identifying the problem, at least on a very local level, very acutely; unfortunately it is also very true that the neighbouring countries are at least equally to blame and possibly even more so than Thailand. However, the author is absolutely 100% correct in saying that the problem is only going to get worse unless this Government, and ideally the neighbouring Governments, start to adopt laws and make the penalties such that people really are too scared to break them--and make the local law enforcemnt fully capable and willing to implement the laws.

The health implications of inaction are surely already being felt by all of us.

[worgeordie]

Just don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen,

every year just as the burning starts they proclaim a

crack down and nothing ever happens.

Maybe if they start handing out heavy fines,or prison

sentences,they might get some results,if they can fine

a restaurant nearly 500,000THB,just for having pictures

of beer bottles on their menus, they could hand out

similar fines for burning,as that effects so many of the

population.

regards worgeordie

[willyumiii]

It is really very simple.

Dead organic matter should be returned to the soil to decompose and build healthier soil.

Dead organic matter should no be burned and released into the air as toxic smoke.

Why can't Thailand grasp this not so new concept of agriculture?

Most of the world has.

Note: This applies to yard and garden waste as well, not just farms!

COMPOST IT!

[Robert24]

it's not going to change. The best is to leave and stay somewhere else until the haze has cleared. Usually only 1-2 weeks really bad.

[NanLaew]

The smoke from the seasonal burning never affects Bangkok.

There's your problem.

[davemos]

Well said and now get the politicians to read it .

[bazza40]

Prison sentences for directors of companies engaged in maize farming could be a good deterrent. I doubt a prison sentence would be effective with the average villager, fines or confiscation of assets such as motorbikes possibly more convincing. The suggestion of mass education via TV is a good one - show consequences such as a paient struggling to draw breath with emphysema.

As a falang, if it gets too bad I will simply leave.

[Local Drunk]

As serious as this topic is I was surprised to see that I am the only person following it. Kind of gives you a glimpse into things "We just do not care"

I care... It's the Thais that don't care.

[swifty5x5]

Do not forget that the Thais also driink rain water, I do too but run it through a filter, if you could see all the black specks left in there it's terrible.

[oneday]

While Prayut makes closer ties to Russia and China and snubs the West, his country is falling apart in front of his eyes and yet there is no announcement from this wonderful, Thai happiness, reform building government about dealing severely with the pollution in the north, the garbage problems on Samui and other deep rooted problems this country has; problems that make living a clean, peaceful life in Thailand more and more difficult every year.

[sambum]

Just don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen,

every year just as the burning starts they proclaim a

crack down and nothing ever happens.

Maybe if they start handing out heavy fines,or prison

sentences,they might get some results,if they can fine

a restaurant nearly 500,000THB,just for having pictures

of beer bottles on their menus, they could hand out

similar fines for burning,as that effects so many of the

population.

regards worgeordie

Very good article, and totally agree with what you say! And a very good comparison of where priorities lie - a bit off this topic, but a similar situation exists with the garbage disposal problem in Samui. Money has been allocated (and "lost") to resolve the problem, the Mayor has been "ordered" by the Governor of Surat Thani to resolve the problem, and still nothing is done.

Maybe an outbreak of cholera, or something similar might get something done, but regarding the burning problem in the North, surely that doesn't cause lung cancer? I thought it was smoking cigarettes that did that?

[Nobb]

Because the local police do not want to inforce the law. Scared of telling farmers about burning and not paid enough to care. Maybe a new police chief needed in Chaing Mai.

[bazza40]

Just don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen,

every year just as the burning starts they proclaim a

crack down and nothing ever happens.

Maybe if they start handing out heavy fines,or prison

sentences,they might get some results,if they can fine

a restaurant nearly 500,000THB,just for having pictures

of beer bottles on their menus, they could hand out

similar fines for burning,as that effects so many of the

population.

regards worgeordie

Very good article, and totally agree with what you say! And a very good comparison of where priorities lie - a bit off this topic, but a similar situation exists with the garbage disposal problem in Samui. Money has been allocated (and "lost") to resolve the problem, the Mayor has been "ordered" by the Governor of Surat Thani to resolve the problem, and still nothing is done.

Maybe an outbreak of cholera, or something similar might get something done, but regarding the burning problem in the North, surely that doesn't cause lung cancer? I thought it was smoking cigarettes that did that?

Any smoke is a cause of lung cancer, it doesn't have to be from a cigarette. The very fine particles of carbon which constitute smoke have a range of pollutant chemicals absorbed on the surface ( e.g. benzene, phenol, napthalene ) and it's the chemicals which do the damage to lung cells.

[wabothai]

Frequently I have been so disgusted with the burning of old crop and forested hillsides around me. My eyes are sore and I have to waer a mask. I have been wanting to alarm the local authorities, but got the friendly advise not to do so. Some folks might kill me for my farang interference.

Nothing will be done also next season. And it is not only the corn it is also the sugarcane fields.

Like I said before it takes extreme strong leadership to taggle all Thailand's problems.

Capitalism has not done Thailand a whole lot of good, has it. The relentless quest for money is paying its toll now.

Heads need to roll, and add a few thousand people to the list we still haven't seen and waiting for.

Besides start fining the farmers hefty fines, they are easy to track.

And for now forget your submarines and spend the money on this emergency.

People's health above all.

[masuk]

As serious as this topic is I was surprised to see that I am the only person following it. Kind of gives you a glimpse into things "We just do not care"

I think there are many more following this article.

I for one will be positive - and move. I've never smoked, and putting up with this lot for almost 3 months now, plus the uncontrolled emission from diesel exhaust, has made me decide to move to a healthier part of the country. Judging from the layers of dust and ash in my condo (which I regularly clean), I'd hate to imagine how much I'm breathing in.

Yes, I'm chickening out, but I didn't leave clean air and a clean environment in Australia, to put up with this fall-out. If in fact the worst of this is from corn debris, it's even more horrifying. The USA is using a huge amount of its corn each year to produce ethanol, and it seems that's what is happening here.

I would actively discourage tourists from coming here from January to June.

[SprintSt]

I'm fairly certain that the Monsanto Corporation could quickly come up with new GMO seeds the would produce maieze with non-flammable stalks. Just sayin' ( tongue in cheek of course).

[JDGRUEN]

Thailand has an excess of rice ... corn is used to make ethanol for fuel supplement. Why not find ways to use rice to make ethanol ... ever heard of rice wine? Rice is not as efficient as corn to make ethanol -- but there is plenty of it.

Similarly there is an excess of latex from the trees ... but no real R&D programs to create new ways to use the latex...

It is called thinking outside the box but not happening here...

[Muhendis]

It is really very simple.

Dead organic matter should be returned to the soil to decompose and build healthier soil.

Dead organic matter should no be burned and released into the air as toxic smoke.

Why can't Thailand grasp this not so new concept of agriculture?

Most of the world has.

Note: This applies to yard and garden waste as well, not just farms!

COMPOST IT!

I agree with you completely but as long as it is less costly to burn, then that is what will happen. It is for the government to "adjust" the price of burning.

[jerome2]

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it's not going to change. The best is to leave and stay somewhere else until the haze has cleared. Usually only 1-2 weeks really bad.

and where do you go? it's almost the same in all the north no?

[klauskunkel]

good article, should be in Thai language also

[Golden Brown]

I totally agree with this article especially if written by a thai. I reside in Chiang Rai and note over the last years that I have resided here that the situation has certainly worsened. From a farang perspective I feel That we ha ve no voice on this issue, however, I do feel that the government should be pro-active in dealing with this serious issue. They certainly have the resources (army, etc) to target this world issue. They have erected posters here hi-lighting the dangers, however, unless something positive is undertaken. people will continue in their beligerent ways!