News
Coal plan sparks ire as Myanmar struggles to keep lights on
Reuters 12 July 2017 | Reporting By Shoon Naing and Yimou Lee; Editing by Alex Richardson
YANGON – Opposition to a planned $3 billion coal-fired power plant in eastern Myanmar is highlighting the challenges facing Aung San Suu Kyi's government in crafting a coherent energy policy in one of Asia's poorest and most electricity-starved countries.
With only a third of the country's 60 million people connected to the grid and major cities experiencing blackouts, finding investors is tough for Myanmar and it is now looking at options, from coal to deep-sea gas, to boost its power supply.
Coal-fired power plants pose high risk of environmental pollution
Vietnam Net 08 July 2017
Coal-fired power plants still remain prioritized in the context when Vietnam has a vital need for an increasing amount of power for national development. However, coal-fired power plants, especially those with backward technologies, pose high risk of environmental pollution.
According to Nguyen Van Tai, Director General of the Vietnam Environment Administration (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)), coal-fired power plants currently account for about 35% of the country’s total electricity output and tend to increase rapidly in the coming time. Under the national electricity master plan VII, thermal power will make up 53.2% of the electricity production in 2030.
Activists say women's rights under threat
Bangkok Post 05 July 2017
The protection of women's rights has worsened under this government, activists say, citing the latest migrant regulations and the treatment of ethnic groups.
Speaking at a women's conference on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women's (CEDAW) recently, Thai representatives said women currently face difficulties accessing justice and fairness, especially those taking a stand to defend their communities.
Powerful politicians ‘threatening’ power plant opponents
The Nation 02 July 2017 | Pratch Rujivanarom
Local people are being threatened by the local powerful politicians in the bid to protest the waste-to-power plant projects across the country, while academics stress that construction of the plant in the right location will prevent conflict in the first place.
Opposition groups against the garbage power plant projects say they have faced threats during their campaigns to protest waste-to-power plants in their locality, because local politicians and powerful persons support and benefit from the projects. They say they fear for the safety of protesters.
'EARTH' flags heavy metal levels
Bangkok Post 30 June 2017
Environmental activists have called on the government to urgently come up with measures to curb pollution after eight provinces were found to have levels of accumulated heavy metals that exceed safety limits.
The petition was lodged at the Prime Minister's Operation Centre yesterday by 30 representatives from the Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (EARTH) organisation as well as people representing six provinces.
Public rejects NCPO plan for Loei mine
The Nation 30 June 2017 | Pratch Rujivanarom
Academics and local people living near a gold mine in Loei say the current law and National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO) order will not facilitate the community’s recovery plan.
A seminar on the Loei gold mine was held by Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) and Kumamoto Gakuen University, from Japan at Kasetsart University yesterday.
Speakers, including experts, NGOs, and local people, all said that the land recovery plan must include people’s livelihood and efforts to return harmony in the community.
Surveys find dangerously high levels of arsenic contamination at Loei mine
The Nation 29 June 2017 | Pratch Rujivanarom
BANGKOK: -- Recent surveys performed by the environmental foundation Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (EARTH) have found severe contamination of heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium near a gold mine in Loei, with the pollution blamed for causing local residents to become sick.
The latest data on heavy metal contamination and local people’s health were disclosed at an academic seminar about the Loei gold mine held by EARTH and Kumamoto Gakuen University from Japan at Kasetsart University on Thursday.
“Myths and Facts: Gold Mining in Loei Province” (The Second Public Forum)
Thursday 29 June 2017, 08.30 am to16.30 pm. At Punthum Ditsayamonthon Room, Fl.2nd, K.U. Home, Kasetsart University Bangkok. Organized by Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH), and Open Research Center for Minamata Studies at Kumamoto Gakuen University, Japan.
**LIVE on Facebook Page: มูลนิธิบูรณะนิเวศ (EARTH)
Locals demand for urgent action to resolve toxic pollution in their areas
EARTH 28 June 2017
A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change'
The Guardian 28 June 2017 | Sandra Laville and Matthew Taylor
Exclusive: Annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping recycling efforts and jeopardising oceans, coastlines and other environments
A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number will jump another 20% by 2021, creating an environmental crisis some campaigners predict will be as serious as climate change.
