ChiangMaiSmoke

09 APRIL, 2013 - DO SAKET, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: A man wearing a breathing filter waits to see a doctor in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. He said he was wearing the mask and waiting to see the doctor because he was having a hard time breathing because of the smoke in the air. The "burning season," which roughly goes from late February to late April, is when farmers in northern Thailand burn the dead grass and last year's stubble out of their fields. The burning creates clouds of smoke that causes breathing problems, reduces visibility and contributes to global warming. The Thai government has banned the burning and is making an effort to control it, but the farmers think it replenishes their soil (they use the ash as fertilizer) and it's cheaper than ploughing the weeds under. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ

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Filename: ChiangMaiBurning031.jpg
Copyright: © Jack Kurtz
Image Size: 5760x3840 / 11.3MB; 040913 Burning ChaingMaiClimateBurning Chiang Mai Climate Change Global Warming Haze Health Care Pollution Smoke Thailand
Contained in galleries: Thailand (All), The Burning Season

09 APRIL, 2013 - DO SAKET, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: A man wearing a breathing filter waits to see a doctor in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. He said he was wearing the mask and waiting to see the doctor because he was having a hard time breathing because of the smoke in the air. The "burning season," which roughly goes from late February to late April, is when farmers in northern Thailand burn the dead grass and last year's stubble out of their fields. The burning creates clouds of smoke that causes breathing problems, reduces visibility and contributes to global warming. The Thai government has banned the burning and is making an effort to control it, but the farmers think it replenishes their soil (they use the ash as fertilizer) and it's cheaper than ploughing the weeds under. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ