Greenpeace names 10 areas with alarming pollution

[rooster59]

Greenpeace names 10 areas with alarming pollution

By The Nation

 

 

AT LEAST 10 suburbs in nine Thai provinces with alarming PM2.5 pollution levels have been called out by pollution watchdog Greenpeace.

 

The organisation revealed its rankings for 2018 based on a satellite map of PM2.5 concentrations in Thailand and the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. 

 

It has called for the Thai |government to improve the Ambient (Outdoor) Air Quality Standards for PM2.5 in order to protect people’s health. 

 

The official “unsafe” level should be reduced from 50 to 35 micrograms per cubic metre for the 24-hour mean concentration and to 12 from 25 micrograms per cubic metre for the annual mean.

 

In comparison, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set the PM2.5 standard of limiting the 24-hour mean concentration to 25 micrograms per cubic metre for not more than three days in one year, in order to protect human health.

 

Thai communities where the 24-hour mean concentration of PM2.5 exceeded the standard for a period of 19 to 68 days in 2018 were: Mahachai subdistrict in Samut Sakhon province, Mae Pah subdistrict in Tak; Song Kanong subdistrict in Samut Prakan; Sripoom and Chang Phuak subdistricts in Chiang Mai; Mae Moh subdistrict in Lampang; Na Phra Land subdistrict in Saraburi; Nai Muang subdistrict in Khon Kaen; Itarapitak in Thon Buri and Din Daeng district in Bangkok.

 

“It is evident that people living in these urban areas are facing high risks of short- and long-term impacts from continuous exposure to high levels of PM2.5,” Greenpeace concluded. 

 

“The lack of progressive measures to manage this air pollution problem could potentially lead to an expanding public health crisis in the country.”

 

Greenpeace has urged the Pollution Control Department and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to urgently improve the Kingdom’s outdoor air standards “to ensure clear and practical achievement of Asean’s “Haze-free 2020” target to which Thailand is a signatory.

 

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Committee on Thursday authorised the governors of Bangkok and nearby provinces to declare a “nuisance problem control area” under the Public Health Act and to take more drastic action if the levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – exceeded 75-100 micrograms per cubic metre of air, Pollution Control Department director-general Pralong Damrongthai said.

 

If PM2.5 topped 100 micrograms, an emergency meeting of the National Environment Board would be convened to devise measures to present to the Prime Minister, Pralong said. 

 

Pralong said the committee also decided to summon experts to discuss lowering the PM2.5 safe limit from 50 to 25 micrograms per cubic metre, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362966

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-26

 

[sammieuk1]

PM 2.5% of the vote but still wins is the next story????

[Ramdas]

Get rid of all the old polluting buses, trucks and whatever else that goes on the roads then it will surely ease pollution in addition to that enforce vehicles polluting tests  ! 

Why ate that so blind and inactive towards this global problem ?!!! ????????‍♂️

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Greenpeace has urged the Pollution Control Department and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to urgently improve the Kingdom’s outdoor air standards “to ensure clear and practical achievement of Asean’s “Haze-free 2020” target to which Thailand is a signatory.

Ooopppp"s signing things to look good, but no intention of ever complying with them !!

Thailand is being called out at last !

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Ramdas said:

Get rid of all the old polluting buses, trucks and whatever else that goes on the roads then it will surely ease pollution in addition to that enforce vehicles polluting tests  ! 

Why ate that so blind and inactive towards this global problem ?!!! ????????‍♂️

Ya why are darn buses driving through burning rice fields?

[unamazedloso]

Hey I HAVE a pm2.5 detector. ITS 350 average everymorning. KANCHANBURI!!!! Someone didnt get this far? Come check it out greenpeace. Ill gladly assist and show who and whats responsible and whos specifically doesnt give a dam. I actually did attempt to contact greenpeace a long time ago and gave up as nothing was local. perhaps its different now..

Anyway thanks to the strong wind thats destroyed our crops its a reading of 56 currently but will skyrocket at nightfall with all the mountains on fire and sugar cane about to be lit all up the street.

[SoilSpoil]

17 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Hey I HAVE a pm2.5 detector. ITS 350 average everymorning. KANCHANBURI!!!! Someone didnt get this far? Come check it out greenpeace. Ill gladly assist and show who and whats responsible and whos specifically doesnt give a dam. I actually did attempt to contact greenpeace a long time ago and gave up as nothing was local. perhaps its different now..

Anyway thanks to the strong wind thats destroyed our crops its a reading of 56 currently but will skyrocket at nightfall with all the mountains on fire and sugar cane about to be lit all up the street.

That's terrible. Satellite images confirm the fires in Kanchanaburi.

[holy cow cm]

Why would Chang Puack CM? Maybe. It is a major uninterrupted through fare and now wind . But just wait till the real black air comes in. Must be a disaster then.

[CGW]

3 hours ago, Ramdas said:

Why are that so blind and inactive towards this global problem ?

There not ????         ???????????? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ????

[Torrens54]

WELCOME TO THAILAND....BUT DON’T BREATH A WORD ABOUT IT !

[Cake Monster]

On 1/26/2019 at 4:09 PM, Ramdas said:

Get rid of all the old polluting buses, trucks and whatever else that goes on the roads then it will surely ease pollution in addition to that enforce vehicles polluting tests  ! 

Why ate that so blind and inactive towards this global problem ?!!! ????????‍♂️

Many Thais take the attitude that its somebody else,s problem - not mine.

The same attitude they take to driving on the roads.

 

[wolfmuc]

Sorry, but some should read the OP one more time:

 

' Thai communities where the 24-hour mean concentration of PM2.5 exceeded the standard for a period of 19 to 68 days in 2018 were: Mahachai subdistrict in Samut Sakhon province, Mae Pah subdistrict in Tak; Song Kanong subdistrict in Samut Prakan; Sripoom and Chang Phuak subdistricts in Chiang Mai; Mae Moh subdistrict in Lampang; Na Phra Land subdistrict in Saraburi; Nai Muang subdistrict in Khon Kaen; Itarapitak in Thon Buri and Din Daeng district in Bangkok. '

It's a fact. - Is this good?

 

And mai penrai, if you love Greenppeace or not, we should be happy having them.

 

[Prissana Pescud]

Returning by coach from a Lao visa run. 4 pm, the sun is shining brightly over a dark grey pall on the horizon to the west.

5 pm, the sun is starting to enter the grey smog. The base of the sun is turning an eerie red colour.

5.30 pm. The sun is now red in colour and the base of the sun has disappeared. Still a long way for the sun to go to the horizon.

6 pm. The sun is almost blotted out, well short of the horizon. The polluting smog is blotting out the full strength of the suns rays.

 

On the trip to Lao a long time was spent on the bus at night time. Night time is when the cane sugar is burned. Also the rice fields.

It is not only the polluting cars and buses creating a pollution disaster. And still 3 months to the rainy season.

[fruitman]

On 1/26/2019 at 5:52 PM, unamazedloso said:

Hey I HAVE a pm2.5 detector. ITS 350 average everymorning. KANCHANBURI!!!! Someone didnt get this far? Come check it out greenpeace. Ill gladly assist and show who and whats responsible and whos specifically doesnt give a dam. I actually did attempt to contact greenpeace a long time ago and gave up as nothing was local. perhaps its different now..

Anyway thanks to the strong wind thats destroyed our crops its a reading of 56 currently but will skyrocket at nightfall with all the mountains on fire and sugar cane about to be lit all up the street.

Ohh the delights of living upcountry....fresh smoke, real roosters, drinking rainwater or chalky mud....555

 

But those greenpeace guys won't make any friends here in Thailand i bet.

[ocddave]

Take a walk/drive around Bangkok, then tell me if you think Thai's care one bit about Pollution (air/land), the place is a cesspool, and they like it that way.

[canopy]

10 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

6 pm. The sun is almost blotted out, well short of the horizon

Sadly all you describe is completely normal this part of the year. When the rains stop the burnt pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, simple as that. No one cares about this pollution or is interested in doing anything about it. I am not kidding you, even the pollution control department people figure if the air in the countryside is as good as bangkok then that's good enough for them. No one wants pristine, clean air all year round like the countryside used to be when it was organically farmed before the chemical farming & burning generation displaced that. There are plenty of great alternatives to get clean air again, but again there just isn't anyone who cares one bit. You'll see topics pop up from shocked expats who were caught off guard with the smoke situation asking about where to find a good air purifier. That's about it.

 

[wedders]

On 1/29/2019 at 7:19 AM, canopy said:

Sadly all you describe is completely normal this part of the year. When the rains stop the burnt pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, simple as that. No one cares about this pollution or is interested in doing anything about it. I am not kidding you, even the pollution control department people figure if the air in the countryside is as good as bangkok then that's good enough for them. No one wants pristine, clean air all year round like the countryside used to be when it was organically farmed before the chemical farming & burning generation displaced that. There are plenty of great alternatives to get clean air again, but again there just isn't anyone who cares one bit. You'll see topics pop up from shocked expats who were caught off guard with the smoke situation asking about where to find a good air purifier. That's about it.

 

Yes but areas less affected previously are seeing serious increases in PM2.5 counts. Now the Eastern Seaboard is as badly hit as Bangkok - 185 this morning around town - it represents a serious threat to tourism.

 

But as people rightly say, the authorities have been burying their heads in the sand for years. I moved from Chiang Mai to the coast years ago. Maybe Krabi next...

[wedders]

Pleasant view from Big Buddha early this morning..

 

and despite the way the media portrays it - it’s not just Bangkok and CM