Deeper Dive Thailand Bangkok Post / Dave Kendall

Once again, northern Thailand is choking under a blanket of toxic smog. What’s really causing it – and how can we get rid of it for good?

Many experts believe cutting down forests to plant corn for animal feed is a major cause of the air pollution, with Chiang Mai ranked the world's worst for several days in mid-March.

Animal agriculture is the elephant in the room when it comes to climate change, as portrayed in the documentary narrated by Kate Winslet, "Eating Our Way to Extinction".

Check out these articles in the Bangkok Post:

⁠Feeding the beast: Chiang Mai smoke seen as world's climate change problem ⁠

⁠Slaughtering the planet - on a farm⁠

More reading:

⁠Global elimination of meat production could save the planet⁠

References:

⁠The animal agriculture industry, US universities, and the obstruction of climate understanding and policy⁠

Reijnders S. Quantification of the environmental impact of different dietary protein choices. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 78, Issue 3, pp. 664S–668S. Published 2003. Accessed 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.3.664S

Bala G, Caldeira K, Wickett M, et al. Combined climate and carbon-cycle effects of large-scale deforestation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online April 9, 2007:6550-6555. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608998104

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems. In press; 2019:12

The new cannabis bill grinding its way
through parliament toughens penalties and includes jail terms for growing,
selling and importing without a licence, and for marketing and advertising of
the traditional drug that was delisted as a narcotic in June 2022. But its most
controversial provision is the imposition of fines for recreational smoking,
even in one’s own home. This has drawn condemnation from many, including long-time
cannabis legalisation advocate and entrepreneur Chokwan Kitty Chopaka.

About 100 species of plants and animals go
extinct every day, and 1 million are on the brink. One of the causes -  smuggling of endangered wildlife – could also
wipe out humans by sparking the next pandemic.

Freeland CEO Steve Galster paints a
horrifying picture on the Bangkok Post podcast, Deeper Dive.



Please share the episode and tell us what you think.

Thailand is a hub for the smuggling of
protected wildlife, the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans
and arms. Meet the enforcement officers trying to stop the trafficking of
pangolins, macaque monkeys, leopard cubs, exotic birds and reptiles to dinner
tables, experimentation laboratories and Chinese traditional medicine makers.

There are signs of a thaw in the long cryptocurrency winter, but the digital asset world has been rocked by bankruptcies and scandals.
‘Topp’ Jirayut Srupsrisopa,  founder of Thailand’s leading exchange Bitkub, explains the fallout, outlines the possibilities and offers some tips to stay safe in cryptoland.

Read the accompanying article in the Bangkok Post at https://bit.ly/3qEpQQs

Although corruption has long blighted Thailand, the number of alleged police graft cases in the past few months have made headline news in Thailand and overseas. Soapy massage king turned anti-corruption crusader Chuvit Kamolvisit sheds light on the latest cases and suggests some long-term solutions.