Risk of a Calamity - repeated

[jko]

As the burning begins here, I hope the prime minister reads this article from Saturday's UK Guardian newspaper:

“We have a public health emergency in many countries from pollution. It’s dramatic, one of the biggest problems we are facing globally, with horrible future costs to society,” said Maria Neira, head of public health at the WHO, which is a specialist agency of the United Nations. “Air pollution leads to chronic diseases which require hospital space. Before, we knew that pollution was responsible for diseases like pneumonia and asthma. Now we know that it leads to bloodstream, heart and cardiovascular diseases, too – even dementia. We are storing up problems. These are chronic diseases that require hospital beds. The cost will be enormous,” said Neira.

Full article

I hope he also reviews the warning "Risk of a Calamity" published in April last year:

Here

Edited January 18, 2016 by jko

[MaeJoMTB]

Sounds like new age BS to me.

Let's blame everything on pollution ...... no wait, global warming ...... no wait, big pharma.

Edited January 18, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[daoyai]

^^^ seriously, did you bother to read? "new age BS"? maybe you are just trolling for amusement? .... can you offer a rebuttle to any of the points made? are you denying the link between pollution and health , cancer? .... never mind, you are obviously a lost cause.

[jayarc]

Hear-hear! But, with respect, next time you quote from our newsletter, please cite us as your source. Thank you from the Flat Earth Foundation.

Sounds like new age BS to me.
Let's blame everything on pollution ...... no wait, global warming ...... no wait, big pharma.

[jayarc]

There are some useful facts about the haze and damage to human heath in this video

https://vimeo.com/151150793

[CMKiwi]

If its not one thing it will be another. Everyone will meet Mr Death at sometime during their life....normally at the end.

[cmsally]

If its not one thing it will be another. Everyone will meet Mr Death at sometime during their life....normally at the end.

However it would be nice to breathe clean air before the time comes.

Emphysema, lung cancer and cardio-vascular disease are not the nicest ways to go.

[CMKiwi]

So true, they (The illnesses) could be up there along with being hit but a drunk driver, a red light runner, poor maintainence of entertainment equipment (Think fly by wire etc), dodgy busses, half asleep song teaw drivers, school kids on scooters, poorly maintained roads and quite a few others I could mention.

For sure a lot of those I mentioned may result in a quick exit from this planet, but a vast majority of victims spend a fair amount of time in pain during the road to recovery (And some dont fully recover)

Im not for all this burning off the rice farmers do nor for the so called 'natural' forest fires that seem to occur every dry season. But in saying that, I could have stayed in NZ and enjoyed very clean and crisp air. I chose not to and in doing so I expect I will have to put up with the seasonal burning here in Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. If I really get fed up with it then I have a option to move away from the area during the worst of it.

Whats my point? As a guest to this country, I dont believe that anything I do will impact on the way this country is run. And Im sure if any foreigner was to make too big a song and dance about it then that person runs the risk of being put under the microscope with authorities.

Governments dont like being told what to by outsiders and some have found visa revoked if they make too many waves.

Most, if not all people in Chiang Mai are aware of the seasonal smoke problem, some take steps to minimise their risk to it. Others do not.

[NancyL]

Various Thai government agencies spend billions of baht a year encouraging foreigners to come retire to Thailand. They conduct seminars where they ask the leaders of those already here and Consulates of the target countries what can be done to make northern Thailand more attractive for for retirement. Well, since they're asking, is it any surprise that the annual burning season, the lack of a long-term retirement visa combined with conditions at CM Immigration plus the restrictions on foreigner ownership of property are something they're told about?

Why not take some of the money and political effort being spent on glossy ad campaigns and use to to correct some of these deficiencies?

[Chicog]

Various Thai government agencies spend billions of baht a year encouraging foreigners to come retire to Thailand. They conduct seminars where they ask the leaders of those already here and Consulates of the target countries what can be done to make northern Thailand more attractive for for retirement. Well, since they're asking, is it any surprise that the annual burning season, the lack of a long-term retirement visa combined with conditions at CM Immigration plus the restrictions on foreigner ownership of property are something they're told about?

Why not take some of the money and political effort being spent on glossy ad campaigns and use to to correct some of these deficiencies?

Because they'd only trouser it.

[Rancid]

Sounds like new age BS to me.

Let's blame everything on pollution ...... no wait, global warming ...... no wait, big pharma.

Well can't refute that argument. If it ain't on Fox TV then it ain't true. Sucking in pollution and taking toxic addictive drugs is actually good for you.

The pollution will be here soon enough but I don't take any prescriptions, still shouldn't be hard to find a doctor to load me up with something.

[MaeJoMTB]

If its not one thing it will be another. Everyone will meet Mr Death at sometime during their life....normally at the end.

However it would be nice to breathe clean air before the time comes.

Emphysema, lung cancer and cardio-vascular disease are not the nicest ways to go.

I've been here 8 years, over 60 now, how much longer do I need to wait?

Edited January 19, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[amexpat]

There we have it. MaeJoMTB's (limited) personal experience plus Faux Noise talking points.

What more do we need?

As the wingnuts love to say: Period. Nuff said. End of discussion.

but thinking people are free to continue

[ThaiPauly]

I am leaving CM for the whole of March coz I know what shit polution we are gonna have for that month

I love CM.....but not in March, I am fortunate enough to get away to England, polution might be bad there according to the article...but is surely 100 times better than being here.

I don't often give advice ,but if I did it would be to get the <deleted> out of Dodge for the month

[NickJ]

Yeah.....Hot hair from windbags is polution as well. What really could be done about it?

Ban burning? Put the people in prison for it. Start doing that and all sorts of issues arise.Yet it wouldnt stop it..........

[Foxy52]

I was warned about how bad the air pollution was last year; my first 'fire season' in Chiang Mai. OK it was a bit hazy, but a picnic compared to the air pollution we had in Hong Kong