OPINION

Coal has black future

Coal is having a rough start to the year, but there are still some voices that continue to tout its benefits for humanity. Sopon Pornchokchai, in his article “Is Greenpeace being flexible with the truth?” (Bangkok Post Sunday, Jan 10) claiming coal is cheap, safe and abundant, is one of them.

That the age of coal is over must be a daunting prospect for the coal industry and its many spin doctors. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said solar, not coal, is the best option for the energy poor and pointed it out in its latest report that global demand for coal has ground to a halt for the first time in two decades.

Even some of the biggest consumers of coal are kicking their addiction to coal. China recently announced plans to halt new coal mine approvals for the next three years and close 1,000 mines as part of its fight against air pollution. While in the US, the government announced that it will halt new federal coal leases while it reviews the programme allowing coal mines on public land.

As CoalSwarm reported: “Two-thirds of coal-fired power plants proposed worldwide since 2010 have been stalled or cancelled”. International financial institutions such as the World Bank, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, have now stopped investing in coal-fired plants.

To argue that coal is good for Thailand is clearly ignoring a global trend rejecting its use, but it’s also ignoring its impact on people health.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition in scientific and medical communities of the severe health risks of PM2.5, the small airborne particulate that the World Health Organisation officially designated as a Group 1 carcinogen in 2013 and a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.

In the Human Cost of Coal Power study, we released in November 2015 with researchers from Harvard University, data showed that pollution from existing coal plants lead to 1,550 premature deaths per year in Thailand alone. Based on state-of-the-art atmospheric modelling and the best available data on health and on emissions, our researchers found that BLCP and Gheco-One coal plants at Map Ta Phut in Rayong will cause about 360 premature deaths each year.

Fine particulates from coal-fired power plants such as PM2.5 can be transported by wind, spreading over hundreds of kilometres affecting human health and the environment. This is why Mr Sopon’s claims are misleading. From “The Human Cost of Coal Power” study it is projected that BLCP and Gheco-One coal plants can significantly affect air quality in the nearby tourism destinations of Koh Samet, Koh Samae San and Pattaya as well as the entire Bangkok metropolis, particularly from February to September when the predominant wind direction is from south to southwest. During worst-case conditions, the two power plants can increase daily average PM2.5 levels in the tourist areas by 40% and in the city of Bangkok by 20% compared with yearly average levels.

We’ve worked in communities across Thailand, and raised the voices of people rejecting coal plants in their local environments. It is time we listen to their voices rather than the proponents of a dying industry and embrace viable, safer energy alternatives.

To deny that coal is not impacting public health, or contributing to global climate change, is to deny science. Let’s embrace the future rather than be stuck with an energy source of the past.

Chariya SenpongClimate and Energy CampaignerGreenpeace Southeast Asia

Re: Robin Grant’s letter “Activist ‘a bit rich’ ”, (PostBag, Jan 21). I would like to explain to Khun Robin that the issue is really very simple: First of all: 1) Phra Buddha Isara is not in the running to become the supreme patriarch. 2) The person who is actually in the running to become the supreme patriarch is mired in several scandals, such as: A tax evasion scandal, an alleged aiding and abetting of a defrocked monk scandal; the collection of worldly possessions such as classic cars, luxury cars; and alleged involvement in a worldly politics scandal.

I personally would not bat an eyelash if Buddha Isara is defrocked tomorrow for his so-called naughty deeds, but for such a monk mired in scandals to become Thailand’s next supreme patriarch for life? Now, that’s really too rich. You see, Khun Robin, things could not be simpler.

Kantanit Sukontasap

The National Legislative Assembly is considering the bill on the establishment of the Corruption and Malfeasance Court, part of efforts to clamp down on graft.

The bill aims to speed up prosecution and trials of such cases and to ensure justice is served by adding safeguards such as measures to prevent defendants from fleeing, both during temporary releases and trials.

The bill is a commendable move to deter people seeking ways to rob public funds.

To strengthen the measures and tailor them to better suit Thai society, I would like to propose additional measures to be taken after the court reaches its final judgements.

Once a case is closed, the court should order related agencies to propagate the outcome of the case. The case should be summarised in easy-to-understand text. It should answer the questions of who did what, when, where and how and the photo of the convict should be provided. The report should then be broadcast on public and private TV stations during prime time between 6pm and 8pm for not less than three days. It should also be published in the country’s three largest newspapers for not less than three days.

Apart from the summary of the case, the following information should also be included:

The names of the father and mother of the convict even when they are dead.

The name of the convict’s spouse and his or her current workplace.

The names of all of the convict’s children, including their workplaces or educational institutions.

This information may be revised as necessary but the intention and objective of it must be maintained — to give society the big picture and serve as a deterrent.

These requirements should be added to the bill to prevent future lawsuits.

Patriot

Westerners who live here, who keep insisting on using the phrase, “I’m only a guest in this country”, now are joined by Robin Grant, in his letter, “Activist a bit rich” (PostBag, Jan 21), who writes, “It’s all rather confusing and depressing, but then I’m a farang and can’t be expected to understand everything that goes on in this delightful but at the same time troubled, perplexing country.” This is demeaning.

I’m also a Westerner. I read not only the Bangkok Post but international papers. I listen to the news and converse with my neighbours. I know and understand what’s going on in this country because I make it my business to keep myself up-to-date and well informed. Just because I’m neither a Buddhist nor a Thai citizen, does not mean I’m unaware of Thailand’s position internally, internationally, politically, economically, religiously, and more. If you don’t understand what’s going on around you, go and find out. If you break the law, you are told: “Ignorance is no excuse”. Apply this to everything else around you.

Jack Gilead

Re: “Private firms confirm deal to build roads”, (BP, Jan 16).

It is interesting to see several private companies falling into line to buy latex to be used in road construction. Of course, it makes one wonder how willingly these companies are making such purchases since they would obviously have been buying rubber for road construction previously if it was, in fact, cost-effective to do so.

In any event, I would like to do my part for the cause of rubber farmers. Please inform me where I can purchase about 20 kilogrammes of the rubber concentrate mix that I might use to fill a very significant pothole at the end of my soi, to which the highway department seems oblivious.

I’m happy to pay the 45-baht premium price if it means that the offensive pothole would be filled once and for all.

Samanea Saman

Let’s get it straight, the Prayut rubber plan of 45 baht a kilo is nothing like Yingluck’s rice scheme.

The rubber plan has a specified quantity that can be purchased from one landholder and is similar in that manner to their 1,500 baht a rai subsidies up to a total of 15 rai for the rubber growers and tappers.

The Yingluck deal was an unlimited amount of purchase of all rice. If it had been specified as 20 baht for up to 15 to 30 tonnes per farmer, the scheme would have been beneficial even with its built-in deficiencies due to cronyism and corruption.

The rice-pledging scheme allowed big warehouses to take one- and two-year-old rice out of their stocks that they probably didn’t pay anywhere near 10 baht a kilo for and literally drive it out the back door and bring it around to the front and sell it for 20 baht to the government as jasmine rice.

Imagine what went on with three crops a year in the Central provinces as they were getting 15 baht for their stocks.

Oh boy, three times the fun.

They were also paid to store it.

This is why they are going after the Yingluck government. People were screaming about what they were doing, but they did nothing substantial to investigate or stop it.

Gen Prayut’s plan is a typical worldwide government type of scheme and it does target the majority of smaller growers (landless farmers will need to be addressed) with a form of help.

Tom Duzanica

I’m writing to share a very positive recent experience with the Thai Tourist Police in Chiang Mai and the Mae Wang local police.

As a former long-term expat resident in Thailand, I can remember countless negative stories about the police, so I did feel compelled to share some good feedback for a change.

We recently had a situation where my wife needed to contact me urgently regarding a family matter. She was in Bangkok while I was staying with our son in rural Mae Wang, Chiang Mai province.

After being unable to reach me for several hours, she contacted the Tourist Police in Bangkok for help and was transferred to the Chiang Mai station. The tourist police interpreter my wife spoke to went far beyond the call of duty to help, giving out her personal mobile phone number and staying on the phone with my wife for over an hour while simultaneously trying to direct the local police to the very remote location where we were staying.

The local police also made great efforts to find us without detailed directions to the house.

Praise due to the Chiang Mai Tourist Police and the interpreter for great customer service.

Leonard Cohen

Dr Hatai Chitanondh (PostBag, Jan 22) is incorrect in writing that the Philip Morris case is one of tax avoidance rather than tax evasion, and that both avoidance and evasion are illegal.

Tax evasion is illegal and may involve misleading the tax authorities as to how much tax should be paid. Tax avoidance is the perfectly legal use of the tax laws to reduce the amount of tax that is due.

Chris Boyle

A total of 1,448 villages in 31 districts of eight provinces have been declared drought disaster zones (BP, Jan 17), and it is only January.

I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA before retiring in Thailand. It did not rain during the 12 months before my departure, nor during the 12 months before that. Two years passed without a drop of rain. But due to a well conceived and implemented water management and irrigation system there were no shortages and no hardship.

Thailand could accomplish the same if there was sufficient political will to make it a reality. But we have not seen anything except an endless series of knee-jerk emergency responses whether it’s droughts or floods.

Fresh water is historically the only measuring stick by which civilisations are consistently determined to either endure or collapse.

Michael SetterBang Saray

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