Ignorance behind the 'burning issue' of haze in the North
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Ref: "Authorities consider evacuating children, aged as air pollution in North worsens", News, yesterday.
This article is only one of many on the “burning issue”. I have read all sorts of excuses for burning the fields, the last one being the need for eradicating weeds by fire. How do other corn growing nations deal with that problem? Never did I read about ploughs and harrows for turning over the fields for the next season.
I suspect that the real reason for farmers burning their fields can be summed up under stupidity and ignorance.
If killing their own people is part of the Thai culture, then there may not be a way out of this situation. Tourists and farang expats can leave the affected areas or not come in the first place; the poor locals cannot do so.
Horst Bullinger
Bangkok
