When the air turns toxic

EDITORIAL

Published: 19 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The ghost-like appearance of Beijing and many other Chinese cities as they became shrouded in a toxic smog with particulate levels 25 times higher than safe limits last week was a scary reminder of the fate awaiting countries that fail to take their air quality seriously. A fate that was graphically illustrated by a recent Beijing university study which estimated that the number of people dying prematurely as a result of air pollution in four of China's major cities was close to three times the number killed in traffic accidents.

While weather patterns may have played a part, much of the blame for the chronic air pollution must lie with unregulated industrial development and rapid urbanisation which has spawned an excess of motor vehicles, the proliferation of coal-fired power plants and a consequent increase in the number of people seeking medical treatment for bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory ailments. But these are not the only factors involved in producing dangerous levels of particulate matter and poor air quality.

Those living in the north of Thailand will have looked at the images of haze blanketing Beijing with a particular sense of foreboding because they know they will face a similar ordeal in the coming weeks as farmers burn off fields, leaves, rice straw, rubbish, grasses and other crop residue ahead of the next planting season. Blazes are also set by hunters to flush out wild animals.

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KYS
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Discussion 7 : 20 Jan 2013 at 01.287
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Why compare who’s worse or better? A problem is a problem, for example people who starve to death in Africa, maybe 1 death per second, but you don’t have to wait until you get close enough to that “standard” to say you’re in some trouble, no, as long as people are dying and suffering, there’s a problem, need to be considered and fixed immediately, that’s how humans should face our problems.
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siamitude
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Discussion 6 : 19 Jan 2013 at 14.156
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Bangkok is one of the worst polluted city in the world. What are we doing about it? Nothing.
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drsmith
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Discussion 5 : 19 Jan 2013 at 13.525
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"It's bad but not as bad as......." Do not try to justify any good of this situation. Millions more cars will turn Bangkok into Beijing air quality in no time. Before Thailand wakes up to the importance of environmental issues, Bangkok will be a dark, hazy mess the same as Beijing. I think they should put all of the Thai politicians in charge of the environment on an airplane, send them to Beijing and have them walk around the city outdoors all month with no mask. Let's see if they return with the same attitude of doing nothing?
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lungstib
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Discussion 4 : 19 Jan 2013 at 10.414
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People are funny old things are they not? We all want our big cars and our cheap prices for fuel and electric and then we complain about the pollution it creates. We are the problem not just the government officials.
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kena
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Discussion 3 : 19 Jan 2013 at 08.083
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Which is worse for Bangkok; rising seas coupled with sinking land, ....or noise pollution, ....or gridlock, .....or crippling smog/smoke? I know v. few Bangkokians, but two left with breathing problems, one died from lung disease, and another says he wiped black residue off his face all day long.
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pete
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Discussion 2 : 19 Jan 2013 at 07.132
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The Pollution Control Department should be renamed The Pollution Measurement Department as it does nothing at all in regard to control. As your article states, the department only takes measurements and carries out surveys. What is needed is a department or agency that actually protects the environment.
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ricardofel
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Discussion 1 : 19 Jan 2013 at 06.391
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Cough, cough......in the Chiang Mai area we have had pollution for the past month and every day it gets worse. A brown haze covers the entire Chiang Mai community for miles and miles. Government officials are inept, incompetent, ineffective and irresponsible. Villagers burn daily, rice fields burn daily, garbage and plastics are burnt daily......it's against the law but NEVER enforced. It's no wonder 1000's of people must go to hospitals for respiratory problems every year.
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When the air turns toxic | Bangkok Post: opinion