The haze seems to be getting worse each year. Indonesian fires in Sumatra affecting Malaysia and Singapore. Up from one month of pollution to three.
People I've spoken to have said they had turned down job offers in Shanghai and Beijing because of the pollution.
Is this problem unique to Asia? What about polluted air in America? First let's look at South America. We don't hear about pollution there. But in South America my neighbour's family had to leave Chile because their children were having breathing problems.
What about North America. Fires have erupted in 2015 in California, I was reminded about this by my neighbours in the UK who have family in the USA. My British neighbours blamed the fire in California on a year of drought. The Californian authorities are bringing in water from adjacent states to fight fires.
We See Sea Water
Why? California is a coastal state. in Indonesia, Sumatra is a giant area, but surrounded by sea. What lessons can the problems and solutions of one area teach us?
I asked why the Californians cannot use sea water? The answers seem to be:
1) Collecting sea water is more hazardous to helicopters because of tides and currents.
2) Salt water kills grass for years afterwards.
3) Salt water corrodes the fire fighting equipment.
4) Salt water is bad for fresh water fish.
So that's another idea that's been considered but doesn't work. However, we should take heart from the words of Edison, which are repeated in so many forms (probably based on variations of the original said by him at different times): I have not failed 1000 times. I have tested 1000 ways which will not work. I am now much nearer my goal.
Divide and Prevent
I was looking for news about the haze when I found a forum of discussion on haze after that article. The one new idea I noticed was to divide the country like a grid into squares and put different ministers in charge of preventing pollution in their area.
Carrots and Sticks for Success
Ministers who fail will lose their job. Those who succeed win honours. If all other methods have been tried and they have not worked, maybe this is the last one available. It will also be the last 'cure', because if it succeeds, you won't need any more. The ministers who succeed in stopping the fires in their designated area will win the accolades.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-slams-indonesia-over-haze-response-schools-shut-040601893.html
People I've spoken to have said they had turned down job offers in Shanghai and Beijing because of the pollution.
Is this problem unique to Asia? What about polluted air in America? First let's look at South America. We don't hear about pollution there. But in South America my neighbour's family had to leave Chile because their children were having breathing problems.
What about North America. Fires have erupted in 2015 in California, I was reminded about this by my neighbours in the UK who have family in the USA. My British neighbours blamed the fire in California on a year of drought. The Californian authorities are bringing in water from adjacent states to fight fires.
We See Sea Water
Why? California is a coastal state. in Indonesia, Sumatra is a giant area, but surrounded by sea. What lessons can the problems and solutions of one area teach us?
I asked why the Californians cannot use sea water? The answers seem to be:
1) Collecting sea water is more hazardous to helicopters because of tides and currents.
2) Salt water kills grass for years afterwards.
3) Salt water corrodes the fire fighting equipment.
4) Salt water is bad for fresh water fish.
So that's another idea that's been considered but doesn't work. However, we should take heart from the words of Edison, which are repeated in so many forms (probably based on variations of the original said by him at different times): I have not failed 1000 times. I have tested 1000 ways which will not work. I am now much nearer my goal.
Divide and Prevent
I was looking for news about the haze when I found a forum of discussion on haze after that article. The one new idea I noticed was to divide the country like a grid into squares and put different ministers in charge of preventing pollution in their area.
Carrots and Sticks for Success
Ministers who fail will lose their job. Those who succeed win honours. If all other methods have been tried and they have not worked, maybe this is the last one available. It will also be the last 'cure', because if it succeeds, you won't need any more. The ministers who succeed in stopping the fires in their designated area will win the accolades.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-slams-indonesia-over-haze-response-schools-shut-040601893.html
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