As smog returns to alarming levels, the Environment Ministry touts its action plan

And today's comedy post:

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The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reassured the public on Friday that it is implementing a comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution, a day after smog surged to dangerous levels in 17 provinces in the North again.

There were 2,278 fires in Thailand on Thursday and more than half (1,516) were in the North, according to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency.
On Friday, the level of PM2.5 air pollution reached 326 micrograms per cubic metre of air, more than six times higher than Thailand’s maximum safe level, according to air-quality monitoring stations in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 can be fatal. It refers to fine dust in the air, technically particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter.
The environment ministry said on Friday that the main causes of the pollution are setting farm land afire, wildfires, and smog drifting in from neighbouring counties.
The government has not been negligent but has paid close attention to air pollution, the ministry said.


Besides implementing an action plan for the “solution to air pollution and dust problems”, it has made efforts to address pollution at all levels of government, it said.
Nationally, it has eight short-term measures to reduce air pollution as well as 11 long-term measures that include preventing wildfires in 17 northern provinces. The latter will be implemented from 2024 to 2027.
The eight short-term measures are:


1. Forests at risk of wildfires must be closed to people except for well-equipped firefighting staff who will be deployed to prevent fires or extinguish them.
2. Provincial authorities must announce bans on fires.
3. Factories must not harvest sugar cane by burning.
4. More regulations for trucks in cities need to be implemented.
5. More serious punishment for wrongdoers needs to be imposed.
6. The agricultural ministry has been asked to expand the royal rainmaking project when pollution levels rise.
7. The Ministry of Public Health has been asked to provide people with equipment and medicine to protect them from pollution.
8. All relevant sectors are ordered to report their progress.


The ministry also opened a centre for haze and wildfire prevention in the North, supervised by the Commander of the 3rd Army.
The ministry has instructed provincial offices of Natural Resources and Environment to work closely with governors to monitor fires.
Through the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, Thailand has asked its neighbours to monitor wildfires within their boundaries and refrain from open-land burning, the ministry said.
Officials have also urged members of the public to inform them if they see anyone setting a fire in a forest by calling 1362 or 1784 at any time.
People who live in areas where air pollution is high have been asked to refrain from outdoor activities and wear protective face masks, the ministry said.
The government has also provided the public with health advice on websites and Facebook, the ministry said.

As smog returns to alarming levels, the Environment Ministry touts its action plan

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Attachment 100242
Good luck.

No 5.:

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5. More serious punishment for wrongdoers needs to be imposed.

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should read

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Any serious punishment for wrongdoers needs to be imposed.

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Or, thinking about it

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Any punishment for wrongdoers needs to be imposed.

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Time for a passport renewal.

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Originally Posted by cyrille

Time for a passport renewal.

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Que?

:)

Most of the perpetrators are not Thai or even in Thailand.

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Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Most of the perpetrators are not Thai or even in Thailand.

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Unfortunately one of them is very Thai and not only contributes to it in Thailand but in its neighbours also.

Up in Mae Taeng, I would run into guys dragging flaming logs behind their motorbikes to light miles of trail in a single night. Gotta trigger those hed top mushrooms you know. There will never be an arrest made for lighting fires.

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Originally Posted by thailazer

hed top mushrooms you know.

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Don't get Het up fun guy

Curfews considered in harsher measures to control forest and farm fires

The Thai government may resort to harsher measures, including curfews in some areas, to deal with the lighting of forest fires and burning of farm waste, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa warned today (Monday), as air pollution in northern and north-eastern provinces increases.


He said that the government does not want to impose harsh measures, which may affect a lot of people, but may have no choice if some continue to light fires in forests and burn their farm waste.


The minister disclosed that the Thai government has sought help from the Secretary-General of ASEAN, in reminding member countries about the cross-border haze problem and urging their citizens not to burn farm waste or light forest fires, but the problem persists.


Varawut said that the ministry has mobilised more than 1,000 people to control forest fires in national parks, with the support of the ministry’s helicopters, which are conducting about 100 flights each day.


He urged local administrative organisations to help in the control of forest fires in about 40% of national forest reserves, which were transferred from the Forest Department to their supervision and management about a decade ago.


About 80% of fires are in national forest reserves and 15% on farmland.


Varawut said that he will provide a report on the air pollution problem to the cabinet tomorrow and discuss measures to be taken to cope with the problem.


He admitted that the PM2.5 dust problem this year is several times worse than the last year, adding that, even though steps have been taken since late last year, they are inadequate to cope with the situation.


According to the Geo-informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GITSDA), 5,572 hotspots were detected in Thailand yesterday, which was a 5-year record high. In the meantime, there were 10,563 hotspots in Myanmar, 9,652 in Laos, 1,342 in Cambodia, 870 in Vietnam and 22 in Malaysia.

Curfews considered in harsher measures to control forest and farm fires | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

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Originally Posted by misskit

He said that the government does not want to impose harsh measures, which may affect a lot of people

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Who the living fuck does he think the toxic pollution affects?

Fucking hell they will do anything to protect agrobusiness won't they.

I notice sugar prices are soaring. I wonder how much of an impact that is having.

While this is all pie in the sky discussion as we ALL realistically know the government will never take a hard line stance. But if the govt stationed agents at the sugar cane factories so when trucks showed up with deliveries and would not allow the purchase of sugar cane stalk that have been burnt or offer 50% less than the manual process this would curb a lot. Only way to impact change, is hurt their pockets. Until that happens this talk is all moot.

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Originally Posted by Stumpy

While this is all pie in the sky discussion as we ALL realistically know the government will never take a hard line stance. But if the govt stationed agents at the sugar cane factories so when trucks showed up with deliveries and would not allow the purchase of sugar cane stalk that have been burnt or offer 50% less than the manual process this would curb a lot. Only way to impact change, is hurt their pockets. Until that happens this talk is all moot.

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It needs a bit more than that but the government giving rural farmers subsidies or material aid and teaching them how to farm without burning?

Nah, they'd rather trouser it, plus the cash they get from "supporters".

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It needs a bit more than that but the government giving rural farmers subsidies or material aid and teaching them how to farm without burning?

Nah, they'd rather trouser it, plus the cash they get from "supporters".

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Well it has to impact pockets. Until then it's all pointless. They ( the farmers) know they can buy out police and govt officials. Until that becomes more uncomfortable little to nothing will change.

They can spew all the Political actions they plan on taking. Actions speak louder than words as they say. So hang a few publicly and people will align.

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Originally Posted by Stumpy

They can spew all the Political actions they plan on taking.

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They do every year.

Then the rains come and they claim their plans worked, without them actually doing a fucking thing.

Worst ever today 160 outside 20 inside with purifier on 24/7

Cannot wait for the rains

I stick will not be used, then carrots all they need do is say fire lighting is a LM protest , problem solved.

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Originally Posted by david44

Worst ever today 160 outside 20 inside with purifier on 24/7

Cannot wait for the rains

I stick will not be used, then carrots all they need do is say fire lighting is a LM protest , problem solved.

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I don't know what it reads like now, but the winds this afternoon cleared a tremendous amount of shit out. They were coming from the south (aircraft landing from the north). I could actually see the city and the mountain quite clearly.

Now they've turned again and it's clouding up.