Pollution knows no borders
Even as Greenpeace welcomed the inclusion of the GHECO - Glow 1 coal fired power plant in the list of harmful industries, the environment group expressed its disappointment with Prime Minister Abhisit's proposed solution to erect a buffer zone between the industrial estates and residential communities as the move not only attempts to downscale and deny the problem, but also betrays the government's ignorance about the nature of pollution itself.
"The idea of a buffer zone is ridiculous. The phenomenon of climate change is a constant reminder to the fact that toxic pollution, like carbon dioxide emissions, knows no borders. It is also a well known fact that toxic chemicals are made all the more dangerous because of their ability to resist degradation in the environment and to contaminate life across the corners of the planet by travelling on air currents, water, and through the food chain,” said Tara Buakamsri, Country Representative of Greenpeace in Thailand.
“The right to a clean and healthy environment is assured in the Thai constitution and dirty development which imperils the lives of communities infringes on this basic right that should be safeguarded by the government. The technologies that will put Thailand on the path toward green development already exist. We are calling on the Thai government to prioritize and support green investments which will help put Thailand on a low-carbon growth pathway, instead of maintaining and carrying on with investments which propagate climate changing emissions and contribute to ecological degradation,” he added.
Greenpeace concluded the Thailand leg of the Rainbow Warrior’s ‘Turn the Tide’ tour today with the end of the community demonstration at Map Ta Phut and after having participated in solidarity activities with local communities, people’s movements, and partner NGOs to promote a common vision of green development in Nakhon Si Thamarrat, Surathani, Koh Samui, Chumphon and Prachuab Kirikhan over the last 15 days.
"The Prime Minister cannot dismiss the call of Thai citizens to require all environmentally critical industries in the area to undergo health and environmental impact assessments. This demand embodies the minimum requirement that all governments subscribing to the notion of sustainable development should ensure. This is already standard environmental management practice in many countries worldwide. Fundamentally, it is also the right and fair thing to do if the government is truly serious about upholding the rights of its citizens and ensuring that future generations will be enjoying the same environmental rights," said Von Hernandez, Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
Greenpeace is calling on the Government of Thailand to Turn The Tide of dirty development and invest in green development for a peaceful future:
- Increase investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies by ending all subsidies to fossil-fuels, nuclear projects and energy-intensive industries in Thailand;
- Clean up Chao Phraya river with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately eliminate discharges of toxic chemicals in all water sources of Thailand;
- Adopt national policies to promote sustainable agriculture practices in Thailand by banning genetically-engineered food crops and ending all subsidies to chemical pesticides and fertilizers in Thailand; and
- Implement strict measures to protect and stop further deforestation, as well as stop all development projects and policies that are potentially harmful to forest areas and biodiversity.
The Rainbow Warrior will continue her tour to promote sustainable development in Southeast Asia in Indonesia and the Philippines. Greenpeace is calling on ASEAN member nations to support green investments and adopt low-carbon growth pathway for future development. The Tour marks 10 years of Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigns to protect forests, catalyze an Energy Revolution, promote sustainable agriculture, and stop water pollution in the region.
Follow the tour on www.greenpeace.org/seasia.